Posts

Same Mind in the Lord

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1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13-14; Philippians 4 “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.” Philippians 4:2, 3 Paul called two women who were leaders in the Philippian church “to agree with each other in the Lord”. His call to be “like-minded…Do[ing] nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” was written for a particular conflict in leadership that he was addressing in his letter (Philippians 2:2, 3). This generous, faithful, persecuted church had conflict, not unlike our own churches today. How are we working to resolve conflict in our own contexts? Paul’s call is to be of one mind in the Lord, not the same mind as each other. If we will humble ourselves before the Lord and each other, the Lord will give us grace to see our conflict from h...
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Our Focus

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1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Philippians 3   “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 12:14 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10, 11 Rehoboam turned his back on temple worship and seeking the presence of the Lord, and he almost lost everything. After experiencing the humiliation of the king of Egypt looting Jerusalem and all of Solomon’s treasure, Rehoboam humbled himself before God. When we fail to set a daily pattern of seeking the Lord, we will seek wealth, affirmation, and security in other things. What we think about and spend our money and time on, become our gods. Paul’s focus was on Christ - knowing, imitating and pleasing the Lord, Jesus Christ. This was the daily focus and passion of Paul’s life and it can be ours as well. “Lord Jesus, you are my focus...
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Humility

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1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10-11; Philippians 2 “…but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others…And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:3, 4, 8 Jesus is our example of humility. He is our leader and the head of the body of Christ. Humility is an essential attitude for unity, the experience of being like-minded in spirit and purpose. If we pursue unity of spirit and purpose with others through negotiating away our differences or focusing on a common denominator, but ignore our heart-attitude of humility, we will not succeed. Humility is expressed in considering or valuing others above or better than ourselves. In humility, we look to and anticipate the interests of others. Humility is expressed in obedience and a willingness to die-to-self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. This humility is radic...
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Motivated by Love

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Song 5-8; Philippians 1   “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,” Philippians 1:9, 10 What influence should love have on our discernment and capacity to make good decisions? Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church was that they would grow in their capacity and experience of God’s love (agape). This would shape both their discernment and their character. Motives lie hidden in the depths of our heart. It is to this deeper, hidden place that Paul was praying in order for the church to be transformed by God’s love. It is our motives which deeply impact our decisions and ultimately our character. God is love. His motives toward us are always guided by love. As we learn to know God in greater intimacy, we will become more like him. Inviting God to fill us with his love each day will affect how we view others as well as the way ...
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Our Boss

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Song 1-4; Ephesians 6   “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would Christ…Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Ephesians 6:5, 7, 8 Paul used the example of slavery to describe how we are to respond to Christ’s authority in our lives. Do we see Jesus as our owner and boss? Yes, he is our Saviour and Good Shepherd; but, is he also our boss? The attitudes Paul calls for are respect, fear (healthy reverence), sincerity of heart, and wholehearted devotion. For this kind of relationship with Jesus we need to be daily processing our lives with him. We need to be in his presence, listening to his Word. Our obedience to all that he has commanded us to do and to be will be rewarded. Who’s our boss and can others notice? “Lord Jesus, you are my boss and my friend. Your love has transformed me, for ...
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Not Even a Hint

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Ecclesiastes 10-12; Psalms 94; Ephesians 5   “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” Ephesians 5:3 In an age of self-indulgence where we are conditioned to believe we deserve a treat, a toy, a pleasure, or even an indiscretion, Paul’s call to avoid even a hint of impurity or greed sounds prophetic. In the aftermath of the Spanish flu global pandemic, the “roaring 20’s” were marked by excess and self-indulgence. Are we currently in that kind of season? How is the Church living any differently? Are we defining ourselves as “God’s holy people”, set apart for his pleasure? When we experience and find our pleasure in the Lord, we find joy, peace, love, and fulfillment in ways that strengthen our lives rather than destroy them. What choices must we make today to guard our heart from even a hint of sinful indulgences? “Lord Jesus, you are my great reward. In you I have fo...
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Death and Wisdom

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Ecclesiastes 7-9; Ephesians 4   “It is better to go to a house of mourning that go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart…The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.” Ecclesiastes 7:2, 4 In an age where people are trying to look younger and trying to reverse the effects of aging and extend life, Solomon’s words concerning death are a trumpet call. Facing the reality of death and its consequences is wisdom.   In light of our impending death, how then should we live? What changes, new considerations, and priorities should we be taking to heart in light of our unknown date but certain reality of our death? With the many deaths of a pandemic are we becoming wiser as a society regarding our priorities in life? Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He faced and defeated death and offers eternal life now to those who entrust their lives to him. Have we experienced...
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