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Real Joy – Part 2

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

Yesterday we asked the question of why we struggle with being content. While there is a plethora of possible answers, there is one answer that over-shadows all – we fail to realize the power of the resurrection in our lives. I’m sure St. Paul didn’t enjoy being in jail, or beaten, or shipwrecked, but he knew a secret that brought joy even in such dire circumstances.

Few of us are jailed, beaten or shipwrecked, but we can’t even find contentment when our biggest problems are thinking, “Why can’t I have what they have?” Or perhaps, “Why did this situation happen to me? I’m a good person!” What’s wrong with these scenarios is they fail to recognize the blessing God has given to be who we are, where we are, and with what we have. For most of history, most of humanity has lived poor and with great suffering. Compared to those, even the poor of today are rich, and in the Western modern world we hardly know what real suffering is all about.

However, into all our doubt and pity, the Word of God comes to us with the secret to being content. Paul said the secret is to know that Christ and the power of His resurrection is our strength in any and all situations. Only His power can deliver us from our selfish desires, and self-pity. The good news today is that that power is available to all who believe, to all who will reach out and call upon His name. We can do ALL things through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

So, how do we live in this power every day? By living lives full of gratitude for the life we’ve been given – it could always be worse. When we are grateful for the life we have, and we call upon the name of Jesus when things get tough, then we live in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:

“…no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

Are you there yet? Have you found real joy in all circumstances? Many days I’m not either, but I want to be, and I bet you do too. So today, forgetting what’s behind us, and thankful for the breath we have and the life we live, let’s move forward calling on the name of the Lord, and remember, Christ is risen…and so are we!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Almighty God, forgive me for my times of doubt and selfishness. Help me to live in the power and name of Jesus Christ my savior, and the power of His resurrection. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: http://citychapeloc.com/real-joy/

 

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Real Joy – Part 1

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Philippians 4:10-11

Just what does contentment look like anyway? The idea of being content is central to the Christian faith, or at least it’s supposed to be according to scripture. We’re called to be content with who we are, where we are, and what we have. But how many of us really are content in any of those areas? Why is all this so important? Because when we find the secret of being content, then we find real joy.

St. Paul apparently was content with all his circumstances by the time of the writing of the Philippian letter, which is amazing considering he was writing from a jail cell having been wrongly accused. In today’s devotional we need to take a long look in the mirror and ask ourselves just how content we really are. Our culture, by all indicators, suggests very few of us are actually content. Consumerism is rampant! We seem to always want something newer, bigger, and better than what we have.

About now some of you are asking the question we all do from time to time; “What’s wrong with wanting something new and better”. Well, the real answer is nothing is ‘wrong’ with it, but when our desire to have something newer, bigger, and better impedes our joy and contentment in what we have and who we are, then something is wrong – we’re really not thankful for what we have. We could always have something less, and believe me many people do.

For today, perhaps it’s enough for us to contemplate our level of contentment, or lack thereof? Tomorrow we will discuss the secret of being St. Paul learned of how to be content, and how we can learn it as well. So, as you contemplate how thankful you are for who you are and what you have, remember Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Father God, show me who I am to you, and reveal to me who it is you want me to be as your child. Convict me of any thanklessness I am showing in my life. Teach me how to be content in you. Amen. Alleluia!

Image Credit: http://citychapeloc.com/real-joy/

 

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The Living Gospel

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.

Philippians 4:8

The Hallmark of the Christian faith is love. Some would argue with me and say it’s faith. But, faith proves nothing if we don’t have love. On the other hand, love proves our faith. St. James said in his epistle, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (Jam. 1:27) Likewise, St. John, when speaking about love said, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 Jn. 3:18)

St. Paul rejoiced that the Philippians showed their love to him in tangible ways. Most likely, they sent a love offering of money and supplies to him. Their actions showed they not only believed in the gospel he shared with them, but they truly cared. We live in an individualistic world where not nearly enough attention is given to teaching and preaching acts of loving service to others. We spend far more time teaching the gospel as a faith to be believed, rather than a way of life to be lived out.

There is nothing more powerful than a ‘living gospel’, an act that shows someone the love of Jesus through a work of mercy or compassion. How are you doing at living out the gospel in your own life? If we’re not careful we can spend all our time working, worshipping, and raising our family, all done through faith in Jesus Christ, and without realizing it, we haven’t spent any time showing others around us how much we care…assuming of course we do care.

In his book Lifestyle Evangelism, Joe Aldridge said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”. Think about it, if that’s true of our closest relations, it’s has to be true of the community around us. As Christians we must take the time to get involved in our communities. We must serve others in the name and love of Jesus Christ. When that happens we share a ‘living gospel’, not just great words.

Some people say they can’t do works of compassion in the community. They just don’t have the personality to get out there among the people, or they say they’re afraid to serve the underprivileged. The resurrection of Jesus Christ teaches us that we can do anything in His power. So, go ahead, give it a try. Openly show someone the gospel is alive; it’s what Christ did for you through someone. And remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Father, teach me to show love and mercy to others around me that I may be your hands your feet to a lost and broken world. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/June/Chefs-Add-Flavor-to-Soup-Kitchen-Fare.html

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Authentic Discipleship

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8

One of the most common problems in our society today is that young people have few if any real mentors to teach them how to live. Much of their learning is from the streets, so to speak or from television and movies. To be a mentor implies that you’ve spent enough time around someone to have influence on their behavior. But, in our society it seems positive role models are lacking.

To be an authentic disciple of Jesus, which is what we are called to, we must have positive role models as mentors. We must have sufficient time spent with a mentoring individual in order to learn from him or her. St. Paul knew the power of mentoring, and he was confident enough in his own walk with Christ to be an influencer on the many churches where he ministered. He invited them to follow his example and they would indeed find the peace of God.

What’s lacking in your life? Many people in churches today say they are drifting week to week and have no real peace in their lives. It seems what they believe hasn’t made a sufficient enough impact on them to find real peace. As such, our churches are filled with many lonely and hurting people who believe, but have no place to work out those beliefs in a constructive way, a way that brings lasting peace from their faith in Christ.

We must have more mentors. The Apostles like Paul, and their successors like Timothy and Titus, knew that the church would never survive unless it had the kind of leadership that lived out the way of Jesus. They knew the faith had to “caught” not “taught”.

As Christians, we must walk in the power we’ve been given, the power of the resurrection; it’s transforming power can make us into the mentoring leaders which are so desperately need. The call of our times is to rise to this challenge. What a privilege it is to be called to disciple someone in the faith, and that is exactly what Jesus called His followers to do. He didn’t call them to build big churches, but rather to build, “big disciples”. Our call is still the same. We must go and make disciples. We can do it if we remember, Christ is risen…and so are we!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Lord, help me to be an authentic disciple. Help me to learn from those you put in leadership over me, and lead me in turn to show others your way. Amen. Alleluia!


Image credit: https://nmsp6.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/why-im-not-a-fan-of-jesus-defining-the-relationship/

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The Greatet Battle

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8

There is a battle inside everyone for the control of our thoughts. It’s the oldest and most important battle of all. In the Garden of Eden, Eve lost the battle for her thoughts as she began to question God’s word to her just as the serpent tempted her to. And so the serpent tempts everyone; it all begins with our thoughts.

If we desire to live holy and follow Jesus, we must win the battle for our thoughts – it matters what we think. St. Paul knew this as he exhorted the Philippians to think only on things that are worthy and virtuous. On some level we all understand this, but how do we do it. Well, it begins with our spiritual practices.

If all we do is go to church once a week, and maybe pray before meals, we’ve already lost the battle for our thoughts. Paul tells us to “meditate” on noble and pure thoughts. To meditate implies that we build a habit of thinking on such things. We must set aside time daily to build a practice of Christian meditation on God’s Word and the spiritual life.

Paul was not talking about Eastern meditation practices that we see in other religions such as, Transcendental Meditation. Those practices are about emptying the mind, and an empty mind is most certainly the Devil’s playground. Christian meditation is about filling the mind; filling it with everything that is lovely and pure and true. In other words, it’s about filling the mind with Christ.

Like in all our endeavors, if we wish to be successful in the battle for our minds we must be mindful of our spiritual practices, and be intentional in our efforts. We must learn to practice the presence of God in our mind and being, after all, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we are to win what is the greatest battle of our lives, then we must have great power.

The power of the resurrection is the power of the Spirit within us to overcome. But to win this great battle we must be mindful of how the enemy fights. Satan attacks our thoughts because he knows we can’t stop him from planting bad thoughts in our mind. To have bad thoughts is human; it’s what we do with those thoughts that matters. When bad thoughts come, we must take them captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). So remember, your thoughts really do matter, and you have the power to win because, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

God of all grace, grant me the awareness each day to be mindful of my thoughts. Help me to keep my mind centered on Christ my Lord and to be filled with all that is beautiful and pure. Amen. Alleluia!

 

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Peace in Our Time?

…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

Peace, is there anything more desired yet so seemingly difficult to apprehend? It seems it can be broken with a single word, or even sometimes even a look. But did we really lose it. We cannot lose what we don’t have. Peace, real peace, only comes through Jesus Christ, all else is only an illusion.

True peace is beyond our comprehension according to St. Paul. That’s because it is of the very nature of God. Jesus told his disciples in John 14:27 he was giving them His peace; He was leaving it with them. He also told them it was not the kind of peace this world gives. This world thinks of peace as the cessation of hostility, when actually it is an inner state of being made possible by the love of God poured out in our hearts by power of the resurrection.

To love those the world hates, because we see them as children of God, as brothers and sisters, only comes from true inner peace. Mother Theresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” You see, Jesus teaches us that we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, from the same earthly ancestors. Until we realize this in our soul real peace will always elude us.

Do you sense real peace in your soul as a gift from Christ and His Spirit? The gift comes from being connected to God in prayer as Paul says in verse 6. Prayer is the conduit of God’s peace. Thus we must pray about everything. Won’t you pray about whatever is robbing you of peace today?

Peace only comes from Jesus Christ, all else is only a facade. He longs to give it to us, and when we receive it, He becomes the guardian of our hearts and minds, but we must leave all our burdens, all our anxiety with Him. Then, the power of His resurrection will enable us to live at peace with our brothers and sisters. Yes, there can be peace in our time.

Peace is possible, if we remember Christ is risen…and so are we!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

God of all peace, I surrender to you all my worries, cares and concerns; all my striving to fix the wrongs of this life. Help me by your grace to see your peace in my soul, that I may love others as you love me. Amen. Alleluia!

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No Worries Mate

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Philippians 4:6

Everyone gets anxious now and then right? Getting anxious can be a good thing, like awaiting the birth of your new baby and your so excited it could be considered anxiousness. But when our anxiousness impedes our ability to live daily lives in peace or keeps us from doing things for fear of something, anxiety becomes a real problem.

Anxiety shouldn’t be confused with fear. Fear is a feeling of dread from a real threat. Anxiety however, is a fear of something we perceive may happen but is not necessarily real. Anxiety can quickly lead to unhealthy complications; it can even manifest itself in physical symptoms. Statistics tell us anxiety disorders affect over 40 million people in the U.S. and account for 1/3 of all medical costs. It seems to me we’re desperate for this message of being anxious for nothing.

St. Paul is repeating Jesus’ teachings from His Sermon on the Mount when He said “…do not worry about your life”. Worrying robs us of the joy of today over something that either isn’t real or we have no control over. So why worry? Why be anxious? Whenever I ask that question from someone who is trapped in a cycle of worry the answer is usually, “because I’m human”. But that’s not a good reason. God’s resurrection power can deliver us from the worries of our humanity.

What we’re really doing when we worry is not trusting. If we really believe God loves us and cares about our lives (Yes, He does), then we should trust him with the details we get so anxious about. Worry will not bring solutions to our problems, but prayer can. Paul encourages us to pray about everything. A strong prayer life that brings our daily needs to the Father, and that remembers to be thankful for the blessings we’ve already received is the best medicine for a worrying personality.

What are you worrying about? The stats tell me that several people reading this today are suffering from anxiety. Spend some time in prayer just talking to your Heavenly Father about the things that are weighing you down. He cares, and He has a plan for you. His resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead, can raise you from all your worries and keep you through any problem. So, no worries mate! And remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to trust in your love for me and your plan for my life. I know you are too good to do wrong and too wise to make a mistake. Help me to turn my worries into prayer.Amen. Alleluia!

 

 

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A Quiet Strength

A Quiet Strength

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Philippians 4:5

Power is usually thought of as tough and forceful, sometimes even loud. Even in our lives we think that to we need to be tough in a very exterior sort of way. Yet all of these expressions miss the real mark of power. To be sure, real power knows a tough exterior when necessary, like Jesus had showed when he cleared the Temple. But real power is found gentleness when realize the Lord is with us.

In encouraging the Philippians to be gentle toward everyone, St. Paul wasn’t asking them to be weak. He knew that if they really understood the resurrection power of Christ living in them, that He was always with them, they would have a quiet and gentle strength no force of evil could match. Gentleness is off misunderstood for weakness. But good leaders know as its says in Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

When Teddy Roosevelt said, “Walk softly, and carry a big stick”, I’m sure he meant the big stick was a strong military. But the proverb works for the the follower of Jesus as well. What could be a bigger stick than to know that the power that raised Jesus from the dead now gives life to your mortal body? What are you facing that tempts you to loose your temper, or react in harsh measures? Remember, gentleness is the grace of Christ at work in your spirit.

Paul knew he could conquer nothing without the power of God at work in him. His faith was tested over and over, even to the point of being jailed and beaten. Yet, his teachings were always Christ like. We must remember no matter what we face, we do not face it alone. We have the resurrection power of Jesus within. We have a quiet strength. So let us be still and know that He is with us. Let us be gentle and know that Christ is risen…and so are we!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Eternal Father, giver of all grace, help me to quiet my soul and find the peace and strength of your gentle Spirit within me. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/260716265902029809/

 

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The Secret to Joy

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

You know those days when you just don’t have the joy of Jesus down in your heart? Things just haven’t been going your way and you’ve lost your usual optimism. Most of us can relate to those kind of days. However, in reality, we don’t have to go there. To rejoice is always and option. Everything doesn’t have to be going right for us to rejoice, and if you’re waiting for that to happen, don’t hold your breath.

St. Paul commands the people to rejoice! And, not only to rejoice at special times when they feel like it, but to rejoice always! But, how do we do that? Can we really rejoice even when things aren’t going the way we’d like? The answer is definitely yes, but not if we don’t understand what it takes to rejoice.

No this isn’t one of those pie in the sky, unrealistic devotions like, “smile God loves you”. It’s one of those real devotions that acknowledges we don’t always feel like rejoicing – but that doesn’t mean we can’t rejoice, if we know the secret. The secret to rejoicing is to understand that we’re not commanded to rejoice in ourselves at all times, but we we are commanded to “rejoice in the Lord always.”

Just because hard times come, we don’t have to lose our joy. The people of God, after returning to Jerusalem from bondage in Babylon, had to toil and strive to rebuild the city walls; life was difficult and dangerous for them. However, Nehemiah gathered them all together and reminded them of the plan of God in their lives as he had the Word read to them aloud in the city square. Then, he reminded them that their joy isn’t based in their circumstance. He said, “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10)

The secret to rejoicing always is to understand that joy is not a feeling, it’s a disposition. As children of God with the resurrection power of Christ at work within us, we can determine to have attitudes of joy. No matter what happens we can choose joy. Yes we may still feel sad in our human emotions, but not a sadness that has no hope. We can know a joy-filled sadness.

So, no matter what you face, choose to rejoice in the Lord today and remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me to remember you are with me no matter what. Help me to know your joy as my strength, even when it looks like things are going wrong. Amen. Alleluia!

Image credit: http://seetheartinme27.deviantart.com/art/The-Joy-of-the-Lord-164771971

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The Path to Real Citizenship

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Philippians 3:20-21

Most places in the world, citizenship is a big deal. Countries put up walls, border fences and walls to keep non-citizens out and sometimes even to keep citizens in. America has been one of those few places in the world that many people have longed to come to. Why would people want to leave their homeland for a foreign country and start over? Probably because of the promise of freedom.

The United States has without a doubt been the freest nation to ever exist. But, we wouldn’t be who we are were it not for immigrants who came to settle this land and who sacrificed to make it what it is today. However, for all the care and concern being given to the borders and immigration today, especially in American politics, there is a much freer nation we need to be reminded of – the Kingdom of Heaven.

Throughout the history of the church St. Paul’s words about our citizenship have been echoed to every nation, tribe and tongue. We dare not forget them today. If we are in Christ, we are foreigners in a strange land no matter where we live. Heaven is the home for which we are to long. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m proud to be American and I love my country, however, I love God and Heaven more.

To be in Christ Jesus is to be resurrected by His power in our spirits to live in a new dimension, a Heavenly dimension, even though our bodies still live here on Earth. Paul told the Philippians they need to “eagerly wait for the Savior”. It takes the power of the resurrection to long eagerly for our true homeland, and to hold the things of this earth loosely. As we continue our sojourn on Earth we must keep in mind, in the words of an old gospel song:

This world is not my home, I’m just passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

So be careful how at home you feel here in whatever country you live, and remember, Christ is risen…and so are you!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have grown too attached to this world and all that’s in it. Help me by your grace to long eagerly for Heaven and the day you transform my lowly body into your glory. Amen. Alleluia!