The Promise

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:19-20

Paul never forgot that God was The Source of provision for his every need. The supply to his most urgent need always came to him by means of human hands, but Paul knew what he received into his hands began in the heart of God. Generosity always does.

Paul didn’t take the meeting of His needs for granted. He took them to The Father in prayer. His statement of fact came right out of his daily journal and the experience of his faith.

“And my God will supply all your needs…”

These brief words reflect The Father’s all encompassing, abundant provision to the cry of a child. They give a picture of a vessel filled to the brim, a piece of ground saturated, an urgent cry for help answered, a loan granted, and a hunger satisfied. Paul promised that no entreaty would ever go untreated. The Father treated the entreaty of His children with abundant provision, that met the need and ended the crisis.

Paul readily thanked those who sacrificed in order to give to him. He knew they did so out of obedience to the voice of The Father. Giving God the glory for their sacrifice didn’t cheapen their gift. It honored them as obedient children. Every parent can understand what this means to The Father. Thanking His children didn’t rob God of the glory He deserved for prompting His children to share what He had placed in their hands. It pleased The Father. Obedience always does.

Perhaps the difference in understanding this verse of Scripture rests in a clear discernment between wants and needs. A wise parent decides what is best for their children. Giving children everything they want proves to be a short cut to disaster, not a roadmap to maturity.

“All your needs” refers to what is necessary for the business of the day to be conducted, or the adequate provisions required for the journey.  For The Father’s children to be about The Father’s business, traveling light and living right make for an effective business trip and joy on the journey.

Selfish children are exhausting. They relentlessly require more and more from their parents to keep them satisfied. Wise parents discipline their children in order to transition them from childish immaturity to child-like maturity. Praying with them, and for them is a huge help in this process.

“And my God shall supply all your needs, out of His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This is my wife’s Life Verse. Early on in raising our two daughters, Dana began pointing them to Jesus, and to prayer as the MINE SWEEPER in our home. If they wanted something, they were encouraged to pray about it, and let Jesus determine if it was a WANT or a NEED. This worked real well until they began to pray for a puppy. I pulled Dana aside, and told her, “I don’t WANT a puppy.” Her response was, “They could be praying for a pony.”

As I began to pray with my daughters about the NEED of their heart, it became a WANT of my own. Case closed. We got a puppy, but not a pony.

Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but Thy will be done.” Prayer remains the greatest way for the children of The Father to convert MINE into THINE.

Note to self: When you find yourself digging deeper and deeper into your own MINE shaft, stop digging.

Prayer is a walk with Jesus through a personal MINE FIELD. Racing ahead of Him leads to unnecessary explosions of WANT. Praying leads to staying with Jesus. Yield to His pace in the race. Maneuver around a NEED disguised as a WANT. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Aroma

“Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:17-19

Paul’s powerful reminder that he discovered spiritual contentment, no matter what his physical condition may be, preceded his gracious response to the generosity of his friends. There were those who had sacrificed in order to meet his needs. He wouldn’t forget what it cost them to provide for him. He closed his letter to the church with an inspiring “Thank You” note.

It is impossible to describe Biblical generosity without “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” Generosity in the local church is not marked by equal giving, but by equal sacrifice.

The word used for sacrifice is the word used to describe “the victim.” Something had to die in order for the sacrifice to be complete. Ultimately, the focus of the one making the sacrifice was not on the victim but on the victory gained from the sacrifice. Whatever made things right with God or put a smile on His face, or was pleasing to Him was worth the loss. When the victim was consumed the victory was resumed. Sacrifice costs dearly, but there is abundant profit in in it for those who are more concerned with the victory than the victim.

WARNING: A secularized consumer culture has no use for The Word of God until it comes to a government claiming the right to take more from people by calling it “the right thing to do. A demagogue: a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument, will always pit citizens against one another to do their “Fair Share.” Unhinged taxation enforced by the threat of a gun is not an expression of charitable giving. It is indentured servitude that begins with fewer choices and less freedom. It ends in slavery to The State, not in service to God. But I digress.

When people unleash the spirit of entitlement into the local church, it is never a pretty picture. The need for greed, and meeting the need are not the same thing.

Pursuing maximum benefit for minimum expenditure, consumers hold on tightly to what they have until they are convinced those who are better off they are have paid their “Fair Share.” Take it to the band. The victims who think their life blood is being sacrificed on the altar are never convinced.

Greed begins in the nursery. Where there are two kids and one toy, the battle is on. The first word a child learns at church isn’t love. It is “SMINE!” Unlike fine wine, “SMINE” never improves with age. Even tea-sipping Baptists have a “Whine List.” They whine to God and to anyone within earshot that what they have received from Him is never enough. They are convinced that what God has given to someone else should have been given to them. When they are challenged to part with what God has placed in their own hands to meet the need of another or the mission of the church, they squeeze it like they stole it. They forget it never belonged to them in the first place.

In God’s Kingdom, the aroma of sacrifice is more pleasing to Him than meeting the need, providing the gift, or gaining the profit. King David understood this. David refused a gift that was offered to him, at no cost, as a location where he could make a significant sacrifice to God. He wisely said,

“I will not offer God that which cost me nothing.”

People under authority always understand the importance of sacrifice. They don’t play the role of the victim, being dragged kicking and screaming to the altar. They run to it, and yield to it with a spirit of joyous abandon, not a sense of catastrophic loss.

Anyone who has a firm belief in the power of the resurrection takes hope in the knowledge that what is dead can be revived. In similar fashion, what is given is not lost. It is invested. The profit that comes from sacrificial giving may not be a complete restoration or a replacement with an exact replica. It is better.

What is consumed on the altar of sacrifice is never resumed or exhumed. It becomes perfume. A person who lives and gives sacrificially will be marked by the aroma of the last thing they placed on the altar. They never lose the aroma of sacrifice, and the joy that comes with it. Anything that puts a smile on God’s face, puts one on theirs as well.

Anyone who has ever grilled out in their back yard knows that the aroma coming from the grill often covers the clothing, the body, and the hair of the chef. The aroma and the chef become one and the same thing. People don’t complain about the aroma. They kiss the cook.

Walking through a neighborhood, and smelling the smoke of someone cooking out in their backyard is not a repugnant odor. It is pleasant aroma. It doesn’t bring up bad memories of burnt sacrifices. It generates a desire to do it again, as soon as possible.

People that enter into a giving campaign in the local church should have a similar response to every call to sacrifice. If a challenge to give brings a rolling of the eyes, and a squeezing of the turnips, then the spirit of sacrifice has been lost.

Giving, with a penny-pinching grip is not biblical generosity. Writing a check without the aroma of sacrifice, may add to the total amount received for an offering. It never adds to the profit of the one who is parting with “their” money.

Paul reminded those that gave to him that he was grateful for their gift, but even more excited about the profit that it added to their account. Their sacrificial giving was a blessing to him, but in the final analysis, it was pleasing to God. They gave as victors, not victims.

Note to self: When God smiles at your sacrifice, never doubt His intention to resurrect what you sacrificed on His altar. He will never be in your debt.

“When I shovel out, God shovels in, and His shovel is bigger than mine.”
- Anonymous Hill Country Preacher, Marble Falls, Texas 1975

The Secret

“In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:12b-13

In March 2008, while preaching in Sylvester, Georgia for dear friends, Cathy and Ben Bush, I received a disturbing call from my wife, Dana.  She had discovered a lump under her arm, and had scheduled an examination. Upon my return to Texas, our six-year battle with breast cancer began. Today marks Dana’s fifth year of being cancer free.

Those who have fought the good fight, with their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, family, and friends, know the significance of this day. Many have prayed with us through the darkest days of delay, doubt, despair and defeat. We are grateful for them,  and extend this invitation to them to join us for the victory dance. This is a big day.

Paul had a secret. He was not interested in hoarding it, or hanging it over the heads of those who followed him. He was eager to share what he had learned about the Christian life.  Here it is.

“I can do all things through Him, who strengthens me.”

Suffering and strengthening are not enemies of one another. They are friends, fighting back to back against a common foe.

Paul had developed a courageous companionship with Jesus that could only be known through suffering.  He uses a word for suffering that provides the English word “pathos.” It can be either a joyful or sad experience. The difference is in how one responds to it.

He said, “I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8

His life’s prayer became, “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Philippians 3:10

Conventional wisdom says, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” It is an interesting thought, and makes a great throw pillow, but it is not very biblical. Apparently what conforms you to the death of Christ releases the strength of His resurrection power. For a Christian strength comes from being conformed to death, not avoiding it. There is a difference between having survived death and begin revived from it. The Gospel is not death defying.  It is life giving. Big difference.

The secret that Paul has learned means that he has been initiated into the mysteries of God’s Kingdom. He has been fully taught, completely instructed, and become intimately acquainted with and accustomed to the ways of God. For Paul the secret strength is in The Savior, not the system.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Paul didn’t take small comfort in his suffering, and quietly whisper a feeble “Praise the Lord, anyhow.” He rejoiced in it greatly! He was strengthened by courageous companionship with Christ. He was also overjoyed, by the evidence of His Savior’s influence on the hearts and minds of his friends.

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me.” Philippians 4:10

Regardless of his love for Jesus, Paul was still touched by the love of his friends. Paul lost some good friends along the way. His suffering proved some old friends to be false ones. Suffering also purified other friends into even better ones.  This is one of the bittersweet side-affects of suffering.

Note to self: Don’t be surprised by suffering. Lose your shock-face. Put on a happy face for the friends who show up at the start of your suffering, have your back in the middle of it, and are still standing with you at the end of it.

On a personal note, as Dana and I share this day together, we cannot help but reflect on those who fought the battle against cancer with us. Thoughts of them put smiles on our faces and warm our hearts. This reflection on them is not a deflection of glory to God. It doesn’t minimize our praise for the ministry of The Spirit of Christ in our lives. Their friendship greatly magnifies it.

Today I will present Dana with a small strand of six pearls. One pearl for every year of the battle against cancer she has endured. A pearl is formed by a grain of sand pressing upon the flesh of the oyster. The irritation isn’t rejected. It is received. The rough exterior of the sand is recoated repeatedly, until it is recreated into something beautiful.  The oyster’s repeated response, over time produces a smooth, white pearl.

I have watched Dana receive the suffering that has cancer brought her way. She received it as her “Great Adventure” and turned it it into praise to God. Her consistent, courageous companionship with the Savior gave her grace under fire, and strength to overcome a relentless enemy. Though cancer impacted her body, it could not influence her heart.  Jesus proved Himself to be her “Pearl of Great Price.”

Congratulations Dana. I am proud to be your husband, and friend. I look forward to sharing life with you, as we lead people to TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Practice

“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

The airwaves are filled with all kinds of infomercials urging people to purchase their product for quick weight loss or to get fit with their instrument of torture.  My favorite is the “P90.” I just saw a revised and updated version. I think it was “P25.” I switched channels. If they keep getting the date down to a shorter time period, I may have to try it. Where’s the Food Channel? Can I get a witness?

Practice is the one thing that physical fitness, athletic success, mental development, and musical skill have in common. It should come as no surprise that spiritual health is based on the same concept. For the development of spiritual fitness, there must be consistent practice.

A practicing Christian is not a person who is making it up as they go along. It describes someone who is being guided and mentored by The Master. In early days before law schools, med schools or seminaries, disciples would attach themselves to a master who was well known for their acumen and skill in a certain field. The result was the concept of a person beginning under the tutelage of another, but then continuing a life of practicing medicine, or practicing law.

Unfortunately the concept of practicing Christianity has not been so well received. Many people believe that when they ask Jesus into their heart, they need not engage their mind or their body. They seem to be lulled into believing they have entered into a foggy fairyland, not The Kingdom of God.

When someone asks Jesus into their heart, their brains don’t fall out. No one in their right mind wants to be operated on by a doctor or represented by a lawyer who cheated through school or skipped it entirely.  It is perfectly acceptable to obtain the services of a profession who practices medicine or practices law. Christians shouldn’t expect any less of themselves, or accept having any less said of their character.

What does a “Practicing Christian” look like? Paul gives a clear practice regimen in the fourth chapter of his letter to the Christians at The Church at Philippi.

1.    Stand fast in the Lord v. 1
2.    Be of the same mind in the Lord. v. 2
3.    Help others to be in harmony with one another. v. 3
4.    Rejoice in the Lord always. v. 4
5.    Don’t panic in the face of Jesus. v. 5
6.    Don’t worry about the crisis. Give it to God. Pray! v. 6
7.    Receive and keep the peace of God. v. 7
8.    Dwell on what is praise-worthy. v. 8
9.    Repeat all the above. v. 9

WARNING: No amount of practice will produce fruit unless it is connected to the root. The Fruit of The Spirit is rooted to The Lord Jesus Christ. The Fruit is the character of Jesus. Where Jesus is Lord, His fruit is produced. Without Him there is only barrenness, or imitation fruit. The Christian cannot survive on the first, and the lost world will not be satisfied by the second. The pursuit of The Fruit begins at The Root.

These nine precepts of The Practice precede the development of healthy Christians and healthy churches. Without practice The Body of Christ falls into flabbiness, and never rises to the level of fitness that brings honor and glory to The Lord Jesus Christ. The Practice is all about walking with Jesus and working out one’s salvation in consistent companionship with Him, responding in repetitive obedience to His voice.

Practicing Christianity, like learning a language, begins with trust. When a child learns to speak, they do not study the principles of grammar. They point to what they want, and look to the one they trust the most to get it for them. It is simple word association. The child points at what they want. The parents speak the word that represents the object or the desire. In time the child repeats the word, and learns to speak. IT TAKES TIME AND TRUST.

In God’s plan, loving parent help a child learn to the language of the family. At their earliest stage of development, a child wants only to be fed and to be changed. Children scream, unable to point out to their parents exactly what or where the problem is. The loving parents eventually figure it out, meet the need, satisfy the child and wait for the next outcry.  Wise parents potty-train a child as soon as possible. This practice enables a child to develop beyond a screaming mass of immaturity to become a productive person in society, able to avoid messes, and to properly communicate with others.

Prayer is the evidence of a practicing Christian. The content of the praying reveals if a Christian has moved beyond unhealthy, prolonged childishness towards healthy, productive child-likeness. The Practice outlined in Philippians puts the maturing process in motion. Once The Spirit of Christ moves into the life of a believer, The Practice begins. As Paul states, the practicing Christianity beings with Jesus and it continues with Jesus. Prayer matures a Christian from a bare, draining sapling into a fruit-bearing branch, as the relationship with Jesus is maintained and sustained by The Spirit.

Note to self: Don’t be a sap. Be filled to over-flowing and fruit-bearing.

“For I am confident of this very thing. That He who began a good work in your will perfect it, until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Prayer may begin in panic, and with a point and a cry. Believing prayer develops beyond childish tantrums to child-like communication. Don’t’ take my word for it.

“God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.” John Wesley

“Prayer is the intimate communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.” Don Miller

Prayer is the language of the practicing Christian. Become a life-long learners with Christ in The School of Prayer. Start earning your Ph.D.*

*Pray Hard! Daily! TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Peace

“Rejoice In the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

Rarely has so much essential wisdom been jammed into such a tiny package. Joy is the dynamite of the soul ignited by the slightest spark of prayer. Peace is the by-product of a prayer life that seeks consistent companionship with The Champion in the line of battle, not the absence of war.

“Rejoice” is a repetitive term, not a one-time experience. Like breathing to the physical lungs, so rejoicing is to the spiritual heart.  Without repetition, joy becomes a faint memory in the life of a believer. What was once a living, breathing, vibrant conversation with Jesus fades into dust-covered nostalgia. When the walking dead assemble together they do not express life-giving joy of The Body of Christ, but a death-defying, man-made, rouge-colored corpse. Big difference.

Like a three-strand rope, joy, along with peace and prayer are woven together by those who have come to the end of their own rope.  They are not ashamed to admit they have come to the end of themselves, and their own resources. They are relieved to let go, and let God have what they have made. They gently yield to Him to put His handprints all over their lives. The prideful keep making rope, and at the end of it, tie a knot into their man-made rope and hang on. Man-made rope is highly effective at creating a great noose, but it never delivers Good News.

“Rejoice in the Lord always;” Express joy continuously, not intermittently. There is little hope of joy being repeated where prayer is never expressed. The world seeks joy by entertaining themselves, but it is only found in intimacy with Jesus. He is the calmer of storms and the conqueror of death. He can bring calm and confidence in the middle of any crisis. For more joy in your heart, you don’t need more of Jesus. He needs more of you. The prayerful give more of their heart to Jesus.

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men..” What is in the heart of a joyous person cannot be contained. It will be seen on the faces of those who have it within. Joy, peace and gentleness express the aroma of The Fruit of The Spirit. The gentle are those have been bought, broken, bridled, and brought to good use by The Master.  Gentleness is the opposite of rebelliousness, and can be seen on the believer’s face.  Gentlemen and gentlewomen face agreeable and disagreeable people with the same face. Whether in crisis or in calm, they are yielded to The Master.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” Galatians 5:22-23

“The Lord is near.” Consistent companionship with the Lord Jesus Christ releases the life-giving component of joy with an inward calm and confidence. When recalling past grievances, experiencing current crises, or facing an uncertain future, there is nothing like The Presence of The Spirit of The Risen Christ. Prayer has a way of preparing the ears of a child of God to hear Jesus say, “I am here.”

“Be anxious for nothing…” Paul reveals the sign of the cure prior to providing the remedy for the illness. Prayerless people are anxious people. They come to the end of their rope, but then start making their own rope. When the strands of joy and prayer are not woven into a person’s life, peace is snapped like a thin thread.

“In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  Paul leaves no wiggle room for fear and anxiety in the heart of the believer. He doesn’t mince words. “Always”, “nothing”, and “everything,” are clear.  There is simply no excuse for prayerlessness.  Making excuses for oneself is no satisfying substitute for making requests to God.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,” Intimate, consistent companionship with Jesus releases the peace of God. Peace with God forgives sin. Peace of God restores fellowship. This is not the absent of war, or the end of all conflict. Peace is The Presence of The Spirit of The Risen Christ in the middle of constant crises, and in the face of contentious people. Praying releases peace. Talking about the crisis du jour, or the village idiot only creates more fire-works.

When I was a student, the standardized examinations of the day had a section in the test called “Reading Comprehension.” Test questions followed the reading of a provided text.

Everyone being tested read the same passage. In this sense it was a fair, open book test. All the answers to the questions could be found in the text. The reader who paid attention and recalled the text could answer all the questions accordingly.

The text and the questions and the test were all the same. The reading comprehension was not. Some skimmed the text, and answered the questions quickly. Others watched the clock fearing they would not finish. They raced ahead without reading the text or the questions and just filled in the blanks randomly.

Frantic fear disrupts and delays an adequate apprehension of the text, and a calm and confident comprehension of it.  Those who are anxious are rarely in a hurry to be teachable. They just want the test to be over, The gentle are prayerful and focused on the lesson to be learned. They find answers, and they find peace.

“…Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Prayer releases a profound comprehension of the peace of God,. It stations the prayer warrior right next to The Champion in the heat of the battle.  Peace is not the absence of war, but the victory that is found in Jesus. Guarded hearts are prayerful hearts that have taken up the Armor of God, and stand next to The Champion to face the enemy. Prayer puts joy in the heart of the prayer warrior, but it strikes fear in the enemy camp. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Harmony

“Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and my crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.  Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:1-3

Anyone who has ever been a part of a local church, regardless of the denomination, or the church polity has had the experience of applying healing salve between two saints who keep rubbing each other the wrong way.  Unfortunately, often it is not received well, and time does not heal all wounds.  Left to their own personal preferences, saints have the capacity to leave thick callouses and ugly scars on The Body of The Bride of Christ.  

My parents spent a small fortune trying to turn me into a musician. I was the odd one. My two brothers and my sister are gifted musicians. I was supposed to get with the program. Piano lessons, trumpet lessons, and guitar after guitar didn’t ever take hold. Still, I learned a lot and have a deep appreciation for music.

The greatest lesson learned had to do with the idea of harmony. This is the concept of people singing different notes off of the same music score. It makes a blended sound that is pleasing to the ear and soothing to the soul. There is a unity in the score, but it contains different notes being sung or played at the same time. When the musicians follow the direction of the conductor and stand firm on the notes as written on the score, the miracle of harmony takes place.

Harmony is not based on everyone singing the same note. On the contrary, it is essential in four-part harmony that singers or instrumentalist hit different notes, not each other. At the same time there must be a willingness to defer to the director’s guidance, and to resist the temptation of personal preference.  The center of attention is the score, not one’s own note. Harmony is all about being a part of a team, not a soloist or a diva.

Paul did not urge or exhort these two church ladies to agree with one another. He was calling on them to defer to one another. There is a difference between “Die heretic!” and “You may be right.” The first leads to annihilation. The second leaves room for cooperation between two different opinions.

In that room is where the light is shed, on the subject, rather than bloodshed between two opinions. It may appear to be a minute change in the use of language, but in this small room deadly foes can be disarmed into friends with differences of opinions.  Using the right words, like hitting the right notes, makes a difference, but it is a BIG difference. Before you say it, pray it. It helps.

The early church was not immune from differences of opinion. From its inception the members of The Body of Christ have had the capacity to create friction between one another. It is unlikely that “Me First” Fever or “I” problems in The Body will ever be completely eradicated this side of Heaven. Still, they must not be ignored. They must be treated.

Paul called his followers, “my beloved,” and  “my joy and crown,” a “true companion”, and “fellow workers.” These words suggest mutual intimacy, interaction, and intentions. The key to these relationships was mutual submission.

Perhaps nothing expresses the relationship of the members of The Body of Christ, quite like mutual submission. Mutually submitting to each other’s rights is always a sign of the work of the Spirit in a marriage, a family, a friendship or a fellowship. People who have to get their own way rarely get along with others.

“Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Ephesians 5:21

It is this mutual submission that reveals the evidence of the filling of The Spirit. This filling is the hope of every significant relationship that exists in the church. Families, friendships, and fellowship, at their very core, are expressions of mutual submission, not mutual admiration.

Paul mentioned two women by name that needed to live in harmony with one another and to “ stand firm in the Lord.”  Their disharmony was based on standing up for their own rights, but they were not in good standing or right fellowship with Jesus. Being wrong with each other led to being wrong with Him. Their disharmony was significant enough to have an imprisoned Paul take note of this danger to the local church. He urged them to get their act together, and “stand firm in the Lord,” and not to step on one another.

Being of the same mind meant singing off the same song sheet. The Spirit of The Living Christ writes the music. Not everyone sings the same note, but they all sing the same score. When people don’t know the score, they have a tendency to make it up as they go along. It never leads to harmony.

Paul’s exhortation was not a polite suggestion, or an educated opinion. He pleaded for mutual submission between the two women. His concern was not for their education, but inspiration, and application. Those who loved them were challenged to hold them accountable to it.

Note to self: Being full of yourself leaves little room for being filled with The Spirit. Guess which one needs to decrease, and which one needs to increase? You only get one guess. This is an open book test. See Ephesians 5:18

“Be filled with The Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

Prayer first leads the prayer warrior to a death to self, not to the death of his enemies. Prayer shouldn’t end until the prayer warrior comes to the end of his own personal rights. Prayer empties the self-inflated heart of personal preferences and presumed rights and makes room in the prayer warrior’s heart for a fresh filling of The Spirit. The Spirit of The Living Christ empowers a prayer warrior with the character of Christ to look out for the rights of others, more than his own rights.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Conversation

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Philippians 3:21 KJV

The 17th Century King James Version of the Bible has a way of restoring a 1st Century clarity to the message of Paul by using words that have developed a different meaning in the 21st Century. See if you agree.

In this case, one contemporary translation substituted “citizenship” for “conversation” in a good faith effort to provided clarity. The result suggests a meaning with an American version of Biblical truth. It is not always an improvement. Stay with me.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” V. 20 NASB

The state primary elections are taking shape in Texas. All the candidates are competing with one another to influence the citizens to “Vote for ME.” The morning talk shows, and evening news shows all carry interviews and commercials calling for citizens to “Get Out The Vote.”

Responsible citizens are sorting through all the mail being received from the candidates, preparing to cast their vote for the right person in the upcoming elections.  After all, the most fundamental expression of responsible citizenship is to vote for responsible leaders, and to hold them accountable for their actions. Christian citizens should not take a back seat, but lead the way in this. But I digress.

The use of the word “conversation” hardly conjures up any image of  “citizenship.” We are all influenced by our environment and personal experiences. The two meanings must be related, but hardly seem to have any similar DNA. They do.

The word “citizenship” is a translation rooted in the same word that provides the English language with “politics.” It carries the meaning of a constitution or commonwealth, the guidelines agreed upon to influence the conduct and behavior of the citizens. “Conversation” indeed.

In Paul’s mind, the behavior of the Christian citizen on earth was influenced by adherence to and agreement with the Lordship of Jesus in Heaven. Perhaps the word “conversation” is not so antiquated. Nothing influences a person’s behavior and conduct on earth quite like having a steady, consistent, uninterrupted conversation with Jesus.

Jesus lives to intercede. In Heaven, He is seated at the right hand of The Father, and prays for His followers. When the children of God pray, The Spirit of Christ carries and interprets their most feeble groan or their most intense petition to Jesus.

Prayer at its very essence is a “conversation in Heaven.” There is noting like it to influence the behavior and conduct of a Christian citizen on earth.  Prayer, as a “conversation in Heaven,” purifies a citizen’s Christ-like character, and intensifies a citizen’s expectancy for The Lord’s return.

Prayer accomplishes its greatest work in the heart of Christian citizens when they can gather as The Body politic and say, “We eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” V. 21 NASB

Prayer creates a spirit of expectancy and a sense of urgency in the heart of the Christian citizen for Christ’s companionship and for His return.  Prayerless people are not left on their own, but they choose to be on their own, trusting in a sense of their own self-importance, and self-sufficiency.  Prayerlessness is foolishness and leads to barrenness.

There is nothing more “vile” than the smell of the body politic posing as The Body of Christ, but having lost the aroma of The Fruit of The Spirit. Prayerless people led by prayerless preachers choose to sweat it out on earth. The prayerless produce the odor of the flesh found in a machine shop. The Body of Christ should project the aroma of the fresh fruit of a farmer’s market. Big difference.

Prayer transforms the prideful into the humble, by bringing people to the end of themselves and to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” V. 21 NASB

The object of prayer is to transform Christian citizens on earth into subjects of The Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven. The Spirit of prayer infuses a spirit of expectancy for Christ’s return into the hearts of the prayerful, and a spirit of desperation in the hearts of the prayerless. Either way…TALK LESS! PRAY MORE! 

The Standard

"Let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained." Philippians 3:16

Paul's standard of living involved death to self. He embraced The Cross, and the death of his way, his will and his wisdom on a daily basis. Others treated The Cross like and enemy. Paul treated it as his best friend. It is where Jesus died for him, and where Paul would go to die.

Paul wept over those who no longer embraced the cross, but but treated it as their worst enemy. It broke his heart that people confused God's patience as God's permission to do as they please.

"They are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their fnappetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. " Philippians 3:18-19

Paul's Roman citizenship was useful to him, as a means to an end, the furthering of The Gospel. It was not an end in itself. What the world offered did not satisfy him. His ultimate citizenship was in Heaven, and while he waited for Christ's return or a reunion with Him in Heaven, Paul sought God's direction, protection and correction of his life through prayer.

Praying and waiting prepared him to be subject to the Lordship of Christ on earth. He longed to be conformed to the character of Christ, and prayer intensified his companionship with Christ. Through prayer, Paul refused to lower The Standard of living on earth while waiting for Heaven.

"For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;" Philippians 3:20

Paul followed the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray.

"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven." - Jesus, Matthew 6:10: (KJV)

Prayer is the means by which a citizen of Heaven, living on earth, maintains intimate communication with The Father. Praying to The Father in "The Name of Jesus" provides access to Him, through His Son and purifies the motives of His children.

Communication with The Father becomes intermittent, when companionship with The Son is no longer intimate. Prayerless Christians are not merely misrepresentations of the truth, they are an embarrassment to The Truth.

When The Father's children are not on speaking terms with The Son, they are rebellious children. They may claim to have a family relationship and wear the name of Jesus on their clothing and their jewelry, but they bear little resemblance to the character of Christ. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." Don't be one of the black sheep of the family. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Goal

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:10

For most of us, our athletic careers read like a Greek tragedy, but the Winter Olympics always revive the spirit of the champion in all of us. It is a hard heart that is not moved by seeing a young person stand on a podium and weep at the sound of the playing of their country's national anthem. I admit to a fondness for the American version. Can I get a witness?

Paul was aware of the competitions that took place between the athletes of his day. Those who read his words or heard them preached were equally aware of the concept of running a race and staying focused on the goal. They knew the prize was always presented at the end of race, not in the middle of it. Only those who pressed "toward the goal" received the prize.

Paul references this concept of the prize in another letter to the Church of Corinth. It refers to the receiving of a Heavenly reward for running the race with Christian character on earth.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." I Corinthians 9:24

Mr high school track coach, Mr. Marvin Goldberg, was a fine Christian man, a scholar, a student of the Apostle Paul, as well as a Long Island coaching legend. His cross country and track & field teams dominated the Ivy League for years. He took training seriously, and was a stern disciplinarian, running us in all kinds of weather conditions.

I recall a two-foot snow storm that hit Long Island on the first day of spring, March 21, 1967. I thought practice would be canceled. It was not. We met at the track and shoveled until we cleared two lanes of snow off of a quarter mile oval, and then the running began. I am pretty sure the first steps to winning the 1967 Ivy League Championship were taken that day. But I digress.

Coach Goldberg often reminded us that we were competing against ourselves. Runners who would discipline themselves to defeat the enemy within, would not only finish the race, but would finish well ahead of those who unprepared to press themselves THROUGH the finish line.

Coach urged us to run through tape, not to it. He had a keen eye and a stern word for the runner who slowed down at the finish line in practice. He wanted to see the best at the end of the race, when it counted. For Coach Goldberg, the finish always counted, rain or shine, practice or race day.

Note to self: Christian character always counts, even when it appears no one is looking, and there is no reward in it.

Paul understood what it meant to press on, in spite of persecution. He passed through hostility with an intense pursuit of intimate companionship with Jesus. This companionship developed the character of Jesus in Paul. He did not focus on the enemy chasing him, but The Savior
leading the way. The harder the race, the tighter the grip Jesus had upon Paul.

Paul prayed that he would never lose sight of the goal. This is an unusual word, and can mean an observer or watchman or a distant mark. It is only used one time in the New Testament. It is the root form of the word "scope." It is found in the English language in words like telescope, and microscope, and episcopal. In one sense it is a destination, and in another it is a person. Paul pressed towards Jesus. He sensed His eyes upon his every step of the race.

For Paul, the prize was the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He had reached the point in life that anything that hindered his walk with Jesus was to be thrown down. He held onto earthly honors with a light touch, but he sought the eyes and the tight grip of Jesus upon his life. The prize for Paul would not be found on earth. His focus was on Heaven. Paul sought to run towards Jesus on earth, but longed to be with Him in Heaven.

The race transforms our character on earth, by keeping our eyes on Jesus. Prayer keeps our focus on Him, and not the crisis of the day. Focusing on the crisis is like looking over our shoulder at those who are chasing us. Praying focuses our eyes on the leader of the race and the prize all at the same time... Jesus. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Fellowship

"...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..." Philippians 3:10

Two people have taken this passage of Scripture, and lived it out in front of me. Through their own suffering, they have taught me more about it than all the other commentaries or communicators combined. One has been my father, Don Miller. The other has been my wife, Dana. Let me explain.

Every January, Dad and Mom select a "Verse for the Year, as a guiding light for their lives from God's Word. As I prepared to return to resume my seminary studies in Fort Worth, Dad shared with me that Philippians 3:10 was their focus for 1975.

Dad and I were having a cup of coffee together at the breakfast table in the parsonage of their home on Long Island New, York. I was about to leave to get a jump on the heavy commuter traffic through NYC. Before I headed out the door Dad read these words and prayed for me. They didn't become significant until a was back in Texas.

Not long after my return, I received a call from one of the Deacons reporting that Dad's colon had burst, and he had been taken to the ER. This would be the first of five life-saving surgeries that would take place over the next two years. The next time I saw Dad was Easter Sunday. In just a few short months he had dropped down to less than 90 pounds, and his condition left him unable to preach for a year. His appearance was shocking when compared to the robust, healthy man I had seen in January.

Over the the next two years of incredible suffering, Dad invested his pain into intimate communication with The Father. Prayer was not an adhesive band-aid he put on the crisis of the day. Prayer became his blood transfusion for courageous living. His personal fellowship with Jesus in prayer, fanned the flame of his love for The Father, and launched one of the most effective prayer ministries this nation has ever seen. Thanks Dad.

My wife, Dana was diagnosed with Stage 2B Breast Cancer in March 2008. Her willingness to embrace Jesus as her constant Champion and maintain consistent companionship with Him, gave her the courage to engage in hand to hand combat with this ferocious and relentless enemy. She has called this six year war her "Great Adventure." I have been humbled to walk by her side through this battle. I have not risen to her level of courage or positive perspective, but I am proud to call her my "Great Lady." Thanks Dana. I want to be like you when I grow up.

Watching my Dad, and my wife deal with incredible suffering by investing it in intimate communication with The Father has made this verse of Scripture come alive for me. Each of them, in their own way, turned to prayer as the world class weapon in the battle against the evil they were facing.

Rather than allow pain to rob them of The Presence of Christ, they invested their pain to gain a new level of intimacy with Christ. This fresh fellowship with Him is available to all, but released only to those who pray their way to The Father in the name of The Son.

There is a field-tested athletic slogan that has inspired millions to play through the pain, "No Pain. No Gain." It is not without merit, and those who pray through the pain of life will find it surprisingly applicable to their experience.

Note to self: Life is not a game where the competitors are urged on by their coach to, "Play with pain!" Life is spiritual warfare. You can count on this. it is not painless. Don't play with pain. Pray with pain! The first effort squanders it. The second effort invests it. To get your second wind, pray with pain.

Suffering is rooted in a Greek word that becomes transliterated in English as pathos. It is the passion of the soul that is released by external or internal affliction. Nothing fans the flame of intimate communication with The Father quite like suffering. Nothing gains the ear of The Father quite like the cry of His child. Praying in pain is not a waste of time, and it is not lost on The Father. Those who do it find themselves empowered and refreshed.

Prayer is the "honest to God" expression of pain that every child has the freedom to make known to The Father in the name of The Son, and through the power of The Spirit. Paul found that suffering did two things in his life. It released the dynamic, explosive life-giving power of the resurrection, and developed a fresh fellowship with Jesus that left him with heart-warming affection for his Savior.

God save us from preachers and people who want the power of the resurrection, but don't invest their time in intimate fellowship with The Savior. Cold-blooded preaching and man-made churches may be death-defying, but they will only be life-giving when the blood of Jesus not only saves them, but it warms their heart with a love for Him and an affection for others.

"The power of the resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings" are evidence of a prayer warrior properly aligned next to The Champion, and personally infused with a blood transfusion for courageous living. Prayer focuses the warrior on a code of combat that embraces death without fearing it. Victory comes by..."Being conformed to the image of His death."

Talking about the enemy and the battle only increases the warrior's fear of both. Praying brings prayer warriors closer to The Champion in the line of battle, and strikes fear in the enemy camp. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!