Philippians 4:8-9 Land of the Living!

Philippians 4:8-9  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.

Paul says our thoughts should be focused on a higher and more positive level than the negativity we often find around us.  He exhorts us to put faith into practice, to have an eternal focus, to display the image of God.  He knows that IN CHRIST we have a wonderful future: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.  (1 Corinthians 2:9)  Therefore, why should we think and act as the world does?  Why should we live our lives as if God is not in us?  Why should we spend our time concentrating on the beggarly elements of this world?  This world and all that is in it will pass away someday, but the eternal, the thoughts and actions of God, will exist forever.  Consequently, our lives, thoughts, and actions should be set upon what the eternal God desires, not focused on what our finite flesh wants.  When we become earthly bound, we think and do things that are not good for us or for others.  The product of such thinking and behavior leads to division and even destruction.  Waywardness from God's ways and ideas ultimately leads to death.  As we learned in studying Galatians: A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8)  That is why the earth is not the land of the living, but the land of the dead: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)  People's waywardness leads them away from whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.  Instead, sinfulness, violence, hatred, wickedness, lying, deceit, hostility, arguments, and all else that is negative and part of the sinful nature surfaces in their minds and actions.  Today's verses provide the basis or the mindset for loving others as ourselves.  We are to start that process by thinking correctly, by putting aside the darkness in the fleshly soul and instead thinking of whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.  Earlier in this letter when Paul tells the church to look after the needs of others above their own,  he also provides the answer for performing this task, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 2:5)

To have the mind of Christ, to think clearly about others, to project the image of God, we must eat the right food.  As the saying goes in the natural world, it is the same in the spiritual realm:  We are what we eat.  When our lives concentrate on the negativity of life, when we entertain negative or disruptive thoughts, when we allow our minds to stray to images of sin and debauchery, we fall into thinking that is contrary to the will of God.  When we allow the sinful nature to take over, we become as the world is, given over to the lusts of the flesh.  This does not necessarily mean we are tempted by sexual lust; but when we stray from the leading of the Holy Spirit, the lust of the flesh to do its own thing begins to take control.  When violence and disruption gives us contentment and fails to make us uneasy, we must question whether our minds are in the right place.  As children of the King, we should be heavenbound, not earthbound.  John said this well: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (1 John 2:15-16)  It is amazing how much time we can spend on worldly activities and amusements, not realizing that we have done nothing to feed our spirits.  Then we wonder why we are restless, ill at ease, anxious, irritable with others, including those we love and should cherish with our words and actions.  The laws of sowing and reaping remain constant in a believer's life.  If we want to reap a spiritual harvest in our lives, then we must plant good seeds in ground that has been tilled by the Holy Spirit.  We must tend our hearts' gardens carefully to make sure we are bringing forth a bountiful harvest of the fruit of the Spirit we mention so often in these breakfasts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  (Galatians 5:22-23) But the planting comes first.  As we read in the Word, Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  (2 Corinthians 9:6)

As we approach the idea of setting our thoughts upon things that are excellent or praiseworthy, we might think this a difficult task.  Actually, what Paul asks of the church is not as hard as it may seem.  He points us toward a closer relationship with the lover of our souls.  He says, come closer to Jesus, seek him, and the rest will fall into place.  Have you noticed when you read the Word or pray, your attitude changes.  As a couple, we try to read the Bible and pray each day.  We find when we read the Bible and pray together, a peace envelopes the room, a sense of love and togetherness with the Lord.  It is not that there was a negative presence previously, but the Lord seems to honor the event with a special blessing.  We always thank the Lord for his Word and for what we read because the words encourage us and comfort our souls.  We know the Holy Spirit is there to teach us and to guide us when we study the Bible and pray.  We have certain prayers that we pray often, but we also believe the Spirit brings individuals to our minds that God wants us to pray for at that particular time.  Surely you have had the privilege of saying to someone, "I had you on my mind this week, and I prayed for you."  Then that person answers back, "Oh, I needed prayer.  I was having a really difficult time.  Thank you for praying."  That is one way God can use us when we put our minds on the things of God.  Another example of God's motivation is going to the computer and sending someone an encouraging email.  Recently, an email came from a friend right at the perfect moment, on just the right day.  God knew that email would be a blessing, so He prompted the writer to send it, but she had to have an ear to hear what the Spirit was saying to her.  After telling one of his parables, Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  (Mark 4:9)  We all have ears, but what are we hearing and what channels are our favorites?  We used to tell our children, "God is talking to you.  Listen to him."  This is true.  When you quiet yourself and draw away from this noisy world, you can hear that still small voice.  He wants you to know He loves you, you are precious, greatly loved, a jewel in his crown.  When you begin to listen to the Holy Spirit, you will find whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.  Bless you today in your listening.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice And Again, Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4-7  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If and when you rejoice in the Lord always, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  In this passage, the Spirit of God emphasizes rejoicing by having Paul write: I will say it again: Rejoice!  If we want peace in this world, peace in our hearts and minds, our focus needs to be on the Lord, not on the things of this earth.  In our previous breakfast, we wrote about two women in Philippi who were disputing with each other about some issue that was troubling them.  Whatever it was, they felt strongly enough about it to hurt each other with words and actions.  Paul provides the solution to these kinds of problems and other cares of life by telling us, through the Spirit's inspiration, to rejoice always, to rejoice in the Lord.  If we want peace in our hearts, our words and actions should be measured by God's will, not the fleshly will.  Our primary focus should  be on the eternal, heavenly realities.  We should remember that we are eternal beings, born again through the actions of Jesus.  Paul says, we should turn our eyes on Him and rejoice because of what He has done for us.  We should not be anxious ABOUT ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Then, the reality should be that we leave our concerns with the Lord.  All of this is easily said, but very hard to do, for our lives and the concerns of the flesh are very precious to us.  Earlier in the letter, when Paul tells the Philippians to do everything without arguing and complaining, he also says that even if he is being poured out like a drink offering, he also serves without complaint.  He wants them to know his heart: I am glad and rejoice with all of you.  So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.  (Philippians 2:17-18)  In this rejoicing, they will find the peace of God.  As Paul wrote to the Colossians, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  

On the other hand, Paul realizes life has many struggles for the believer.  In this world, we always will have trials and difficult situations to address.  Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)  Anxiety and fear will sometimes grip our hearts when circumstances stretch us beyond our abilities to cope.  Life is not always easy for believers.  The Bible would not tell us to love our enemies if we were not going to have enemies.  James said to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds.  (James 1:2)  Even Paul experienced many hardships for the sake of the gospel.  He wrote to the church in Corinth: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.   We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.  (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)  Paul stresses the point that when we suffer for Christ, we are revealing his life through our own bodies to the world.  Knowing this reality, we can rejoice in the Lord, we can rejoice always.  In our conversations, we talk a great deal about the blessings of the Lord and how much we thank the Lord for his presence in our lives.  Although trials come and there are many struggles to overcome, we are so blessed by the indwelling Holy Spirit and the joy He brings into our lives, the inexpressible joy.  Speaking of joy, Mother Teresa said, "If you are joyful, do not worry about lukewarmness.  Joy will shine in your eyes and in your look, in your conversation and in your countenance.  You will not be able to hide it because joy overflows."  This is an excellent expression of the joy of the Lord.  When we are filled with his joy, it does overflow.  People are attracted to those who have experienced God's joy; they want that joy for themselves.  Real joy is contagious and brightens a dark day.

The prophet Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord.  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  (Nehemiah 8:10)  Nehemiah was announcing a celebration, and he wanted everyone to be included.  He said to share the joy with everyone--send some to those who have nothing prepared.  Nehemiah wanted to make sure everyone was part of this event.  Today, the Holy Spirit reminds us to rejoice, for we have reason to rejoice.  Christ has come: He has saved us from our sins.  We need no longer fear tomorrow or feel guilt over the past.  We can rest in the Lord, free from doubt and full of peace.  Peter wrote: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  (1 Peter 5:7)  Casting is an action, so when the cares and anxieties come, we are free to give them to the Lord, to consciously say, "I give you my worries and my fears, Lord.  I trust you to take care of me; I choose to rejoice in you, my Savior and my Lord."  Have you ever thought about how easily doubt, fear, mistrust, and other sins of the mind creep in and we find ourselves in a quandary of unbelief?  On the other hand, faith is a definite choice and does not come quite as easily.  But if we seek the Lord, He is there to help and to guide.  We have the Holy Spirit within us, telling us the truth when we listen.  As Paul told the Romans, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Romans 10:8-9)  The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now dwells in us to keep us in all our ways.  This is why Paul could say to the Christians at Philippi, Rejoice in the Lord always.  Paul knew who he was in Christ, and he knew who they were.  He could tell them to be gentle and to pray to God because the Lord was near to them.  He knew the peace of God was not something far off but a promise of God through Christ his Son.  Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  (John 14:27)  Walk in that peace today, dear friends as you rejoice in the Lord and rejoice again. 

Philippians 4:1-3 Unreconciled Christians!

Philippians 4:1-3  Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!  I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.  Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul tells the church, his joy and crown, that they should stand in the manner he has just described to them, by following his example with their minds on heavenly things, remembering all that Christ has done for them.  Then he brings up Euodia and Syntyche, saying he pleads with these two to agree with each other in the Lord.  Whether they have had a disagreement concerning a spiritual matter or an argument over some matter outside of the church, Paul knows their discord detracts from the harmony of the body of Christ.  He wants them to settle their differences, and he lets them know they should be at peace with each other.  He further asks their brothers and sisters in Christ who have aided him in the cause of the gospel to assist these women in a reconciliation.  He mentions the reality that all of their names are written in the book of life, perhaps a sobering reminder to these workers for the Lord as they deal with a problem of the flesh.  Some of the people Paul is writing to helped him evangelize in Philippi and were part of the church from the beginning.  They know his heart for God and the importance he places on godly living.  As he has already told them in this letter, he presses on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3:14)  There would not be any room in his mind or heart for bad feelings over some squabble or disagreement with someone in the church.  If there was a problem in a church, Paul would want to settle it quickly and not create a separation, for his mind would be set on spiritual things.  Paul would honor the words of Jesus who said: Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.  (Matthew 5:23-24)  He has given these followers of Christ sound teaching, and he would expect them to put it into practice.

One aspect of this passage of scripture that stands out is the importance of the body of Christ in the daily life of a believer.  Paul tells Euodia and Syntyche that he wants them to make peace with each other, but he does not drop the matter with this admonition.  He wants to make sure he has done all he can to help these two who are experiencing difficulties in reaching a place of unity.  Therefore, he calls the church to come to their aid.  Paul understands the body of Christ: he knows we all need each other to survive and prosper in our faith journey.  In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, we read about the gifts God gives to the church by placing apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers in the body to help the people grow until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  (Ephesians 4:13)  This is God's plan to bless his people and to provide nourishment and strength for the church.  He did not intend for his people to abide in isolation.  His will is that they function as the body of Christ on Earth, a place where the Spirit of God dwells and where sinners are saved and lives are changed forever.  Speaking of the body of Christ at another time, Paul mentions there are many spiritual gifts given to people by the Holy Spirit, including wisdom, knowledge, healing, miracles, discernment, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.  Even though each gift is important and valuable to the church, Paul explains: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  Paul goes on to say that while each part of the body is important, one part is not more important than the rest, and one part cannot say to another part that it is not needed because every part is needed.  As he writes, If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  We do well to remember his conclusion, If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  (1 Corinthians 12:12, 19, 26-27)  Consequently, Paul was not meddling in the lives of the church members when he asked them to help those who were in conflict.  He was asking those with spiritual gifts to use those gifts to settle a problem, so the church could go forward peacefully.

Of course, we all can think of situations where today's verses apply.  Perhaps we have a grievance with another person or we know someone in our church body who is struggling in a relationship that needs mending.  Maybe the Holy Spirit nudged you as you were reading this breakfast.  You might simply have someone you have been avoiding on Sunday mornings.  You have decided you don't need that part of the body.  The Spirit may be saying to you that we all need each other.  Sometimes the people we think we do not want to associate with turn out to be special people in our lives.  What is important is that we listen to the Holy Spirit, to that still small voice that speaks truth to us.  Our son, Doug, is our pastor.  He says if you have a question in your life and need an answer, just ask God, and He will answer you.  Let's say, you are wondering if you have offended your sister, and you want to know wether you should ask her forgiveness.  Doug would say you should pray to God: "Lord, should I ask my sister if I offended her, yes or no?"  Then listen carefully, and you will hear a yes or a no.  It is quite amazing how often you do hear a yes or a no when you pray this prayer.  Mom believes the Lord has led her many times when she has done this.  We should not be surprised that God would answer such a prayer, for we read in the Word, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  (James 1:5)  We should all take advantage of the giftings in the body of Christ.  There are people in the church who will pray for us for wisdom, healing, help and so on.  We have friends at church who want to encourage us in our difficulties and trials, but so often we rush out the church doors at the close of the service without any time for ministry or fellowship with other believers.  The Bible says, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  (1 John 1:7)  We all are blessed to walk in the light of the love of God, but are we experiencing the fellowship of other Christians?  Are we allowing brothers and sisters to help us and are we using our gifts to encourage and help others?  Today is a new day to walk in the Lord's favor and to shower that favor on someone else.  Bless you dear ones.  

Philippians 3:17-21 Inconsequential God!

Philippians 3:17-21  Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.  For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Their mind is on earthly things.  Is God an inconsequential God in our lives?  Is He placed aside until we feel we need him?  Is He like the thermostat in our homes, we run the furnace only when we feel cold?  Or, is He always the center of our lives, forbidding any activity, interest, or plan to interfere with his prominent place?  Is our citizenship in heaven a part of our daily consciousness or has that reality been lost in the clutter of our existence?  Since He already knows the answer and we cannot hide anything from him, we need to ask ourselves: Is God consequential in our lives?  Does He have the place of utmost importance to us, above all else?   Are we like the Psalmist in the Old Testament who cries out to God that He is all he wants from life: Then I pray to you, O LORD.  I say, “You are my place of refuge.  You are all I really want in life."  (Psalm 142:5; NLT)  Is God all in our lives or do we place prayer, Bible reading, meditation in the parts of our lives where nothing much is happening?  When we lack passionate faith, we relegate God to the corners of our lives, not center stage. If we go on a spiritual fast to try to make up for our lack of commitment, do we fast nonessential things and times?  Do we expect God to be pleased, when we fast a breakfast that we rarely eat anyhow, or stop using our electronics from five to eight in the morning?  When we do such things, we think God doesn't know our hearts, that He doesn't know what activities and pursuits are really important to us.  Serving God has always demanded a cost.  He is worthy of the most important position in our hearts and minds.  He will not be pleased when we give him the time that is least valuable to us, when it costs us little or nothing.  When our minds are on earthly things, we allow our lives to be incessantly swirling with our own interests, activities, and necessities, and we lose out with God.  We lose the comfort of the Holy Spirit.  We lose the peace of God.  We lose the voice of God.  Those blessings remain available to all God's children, but we will not find them in the midst of the world's cacophony. 

Paul ask the Corinthians to follow him as he follows God.  He knew his life meant serving God at all times: to be constant in prayer, to sing songs of praise from his heart, to meditate on the good things of the Lord, to display God to the world with his tongue and with his deeds.  God was not inconsequential to him.  So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.  That is why we live by believing and not by seeing.  Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.  So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body.  For we must all stand before Christ to be judged.  We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.  (2 Corinthians 5:6-10) His life was centered on Christ.  We are to be centered on Christ.  The glorious reality that his life is in us and we in him is the essential story of the lives of all believers.  Because of our faith in him, our lives are to be lived out for him.  Paul says, For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.  Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ.  (Philippians 1:21-22)   The Psalmist in Psalm 62:2-6 expresses well his love and need for God in his life: Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you!  I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.  You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.  I will praise you with songs of joy.  I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.  Are we that much in love with our Savior or are we basically ignoring him as being essential to our daily living?  When does He take the center of our lives?  Is it only when we are in trouble, when we need an answer.  Is it when we are sick, needing a healing; lonely, needing a companion; desperate, needing, rescue.  Or, can we say we are so much in love and infatuated with our Lord, we long for his presence, feast on his Word, and follow his paths: How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.  (Psalm 119:103-104) 

Why should we love the Lord so passionately that He holds center stage in every part of us?  Why should we be in constant prayer?  Why should a song of praise be on our lips at all times?  Why should we be thinking of how to benefit and serve others rather than always ourselves?  Why should we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength?  Why should we love our neighbor as ourselves?  We know all this is necessary because we know God's Word: If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  (1 John 4:15-16)  He gave us Jesus to pay the price for our sins.  God allowed his beloved to be sacrificed for us, to make us holy in his sight.  We are now known as children of God, placed in the very presence of a holy God.  We are holy only because of Christ's work.  Because of his shed blood, we are adopted brothers and sisters in the family of God; we are precious to God as Jesus is precious to God.  We are blessed beyond our imaginations.  We have no concepts in our language to express the wondrous position we now have with the Creator God.  We were considered unredeemable, but now, because of Christ's work, we are forever new creatures, born again, children of God.  Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.  (Romans 5:1-2; NLT)  Yes, we have much reason to praise God continually, to have him in the center of our lives, and to serve others.  God is not inconsequential, He is everything, even our very breath.  If you have strayed to the pathways of this world, if you have let the things of this world dominate your attention, the beginning of a new year is a perfect time to renew your faith in our wonderful Savior and Lord, Christ our King!