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!

The Finale

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." Philippians 3:1

Famous last words are almost as important as a baby's first words. I recall my Dad preparing for the birth of our first born, Ashley. He told me, firmly, that he and Mom didn't want the baby being taught any pet names for them. He thought Grandfather and Grandmother would do. It seemed a bit peculiar, but I didn't say anything. After Ashley was born, and shortly before reaching that stage of repeating short phrases, I found Dad holding her up to his face and repeatedly urging her on with, "Can you say 'Pappaw?' " I said over his shoulder, "See if she can say, 'Grandfather.' " She ended up saying, "Pappaw." She still does. Shock face! True story. Go figure.

Paul's first encounter with The Risen Christ knocked him off his high horse, and brought him to his knees. He never got over Jesus, and never stopped rejoicing at the honor of being allowed to enter into His Presence.

Note to self: Neither should you.

Regardless of any current crisis or contentious person, Paul found joy in it, by walking with Jesus through it. Whatever brought him to Jesus was capable of bringing joy to him, because it brought him to the end of himself.

This is the essence of prayer. Prayer brings people to the end of themselves and to the beginning of God. For Paul, everything that had any real meaning in life began with Jesus. When he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus, a conversation began with Jesus that never ended until Paul took his final breath. Here is how it all began.

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied." Acts 9: 5 The Book of Acts records the next words of Paul as the proclamation, "He is the Son of God." Acts 9:20

Prayer reminds the prayer warrior that the battle is not his, it is the Lord's. The victory has been won by The Champion, and it is shared with those who stand with Him. Prayer may begin in a spirit of desperation, but when the conversation focuses on The Champion and not the crisis, it always leads to celebration.

For Paul, The Finale was the victory of Jesus over death. Prayer leads to rejoicing because it leads to knowing Jesus. The Risen Christ still releases the power of His resurrection into the lives of those who call Him Lord, and proclaim Him as The Son of God.

Rejoice carries with it the concept of repetition. When a soldier is out of bullets, he reloads. When a prayer warrior experiences a loss of joy, he must rejoice.

Joy is the sense of well-being, that comes from the state of security that results from being in submission to or in compliance with the orders and the authority of The Champion. When out of joy, rejoice.

More than mere happiness or gladness, the word "rejoice" was used as a salutation at the beginning of a letter, a greeting at the meeting of a friend, or a salute given to a master. Prayer warriors pray and obey. When they rejoice, they salute The Champion. It is a sign of disrespect to panic in His Presence, and an act of rebellion to refuse to obey His orders.

No matter what the crisis or contention, let the conversation with The Champion commence. Prayer warriors aren't intimidated by the enemy. They follow the last order they were given. The Finale is the last word on the subject. "Rejoice in the Lord!" TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Offering

"Be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain or toil in vain, but even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice of service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all." Philippians 2:15-17

The children of God prove their family lineage with spiritual DNA. The are "blameless and innocent" in the middle of a "crooked and perverse" generation. They are to be steadfast stars or bright lights that shine the brightest when thrown across the darkest backdrop.

Paul was more than content to be poured out as a "drink offering upon the sacrifice." To be more accurate, he was overjoyed at the prospect of it, if those who followed his lead in the race, or were the fruit of his labor proved to be "above reproach."

The children of God will always have the "crooked and the perverse" looking for the worst about them, and attempting to smear their good name in the court of public opinion. The current culture is filled with talking heads on TV, and hateful authors on the blogosphere, spewing reproach and ridicule on the fundamental beliefs of faithful Christians.

Even in a nation that has long held to Religious Liberty as a sacred right of citizenship, there is no escape or exemption from the "crooked or the perverse" judgments that are made on the children of God. It is going to get worse.

Paul's challenge to the early church in the face of the reproach was to be found by Christ, "holding fast to the word of life." In contrast, the contemporary church is all to quick to let it go, in oder to be found standing on the right side of history. This is just another way of describing selling out, and shutting up. But I digress.

Paul was willing to be crushed, poured out, and completely consumed on the altar of sacrifice, but in the end he wanted his life to count for something. Knowing that those he had led and taught were not just surviving, but were life-givng brought great joy to him.

The drink offering poured out upon the altar of sacrifice was always wine, never water. Before there could be a pouring there was planting, fertilizing, cultivating, pruning, waiting, harvesting, and crushing.

Simply put, there is no wine without crushed fruit. Paul's own fruit of The Spirit was being exposed. The crises of his life crushed him and prepared him to be poured out. He was not a prized bottle of wine kept on a shelf, and safely stored and sipped on special occasions. He was being extravagantly poured out and consumed by fire. Big difference.

The drink offering was an expression of Paul's life, and ministry being poured out on the altar of sacrifice. The offering of the fruit of his labor, the children of God. His offering was deemed worthy to be mingled with the blood of the sacrifice.

Paul lived to see The Fruit of The Spirit produced in his own life, and in the lives of those who were his disciples. When everything he gave his life for seemed to be crushed, Paul refused to let it bring resentment in his life. He chose to rejoice in it. The crushing of his fruit produced the drink offering that he poured out to honor the sacrifice Jesus made to produce the fruit.

Paul transformed potential resentment into positive joy by offering the crushing of his life's work and mingling it with the blood of Jesus on the altar of sacrifice. Anything that brought him closer to Jesus was always worth the loss. Through prayer, Paul would turn the reproach of others, and the crushing crises of life into times of rejoicing.

Prayer takes the crushed fruit of our lives and turns the bitter experiences into a sweet offering when what is crushed is poured out and mingled with the blood of Jesus. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Proof

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain." Philippians 2:14-16

The Seven Last Words of The Church: "We never did it that way before."

The Seven Lost Words of The Church: "DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT GRUMBLING OR DISPUTING." Philippians 2:14

Everything that can go wrong in a church can be traced to the toxic ignorance of "The Lost" and the chronic repetition of "The Last" words of the church. In this case, "The first shall be last" is of little comfort.

Any parent who has ever told a child to carry out a simple assignment has observed the difference between what their child does and the way they do it. Taking out the garbage, or cleaning a room may be technically accomplished as an act of obedience, but the attitude with which it is done often reveals a heart of pure rebellion.

Paul prayed for the church day and night to have an attitude marked by the character of Christ, and a conduct that matched His character. What they did and the way they did it was to be the living proof that they were motivated by and a mirror of "The Way, The Truth and The Life." Jesus.

It is not enough for a Christian or a church to bear the name of Jesus on its stationery, sign or T-shirts. Everything they do in the name of Christ, must be done the way Jesus would do it. Unfortunately when the world squeezes a Christian, or attends one of their churches, they do not always get what is on the label.

When the "What Would Jesus Do" Bracelets were all the rage, a survey was conducted in Christian Bookstores of America to determine what was the one item most shoplifted from their shelves. It turned out to be, the "WWJD" bracelet. But I digress.

Long before reality TV made its mark in the broadcast world, there were soap operas. These artificial dramas were designed to perpetually stir up the emotions and interests of bored people. Many of them proved to be the longest running shows on TV. They are living proof that some things in life can be death-defying without being life-giving.

If a soap opera was produced based on the minutes of most church business meetings, it would not be called "The Bold and The Beautiful. " It is more likely and more accurately to be described as "The Grumble and The Rumble."

"Do all things without grumbling and disputing." This simple admonition has been replaced in most churches with, "You can't make this stuff up." It would be funny, if the truth was not so sad. Churches are closing their doors by the thousands every year. Stay tuned. There are more to come.

Grumbling is the soft, rumble of mild discontent that secretly takes place in the heart, before it comes out of the mouth. When it first emerges it can have a soothing, non-threatening sound, like that of cooing doves. This is a deceptive trick of the enemy. These sounds are not coming from doves, but dragons. Well-intentioned, they may well be, but they are murmuring matches searching for a contact point, and a good place to start a fire.

Disputing is the rumbling that begins when grumbling no longer satisfies the discontented heart. It actually is rooted in the Greek word that provides the English language with the concept of dialogue. Unfortunately, in most churches, when two opinions are expressed, three opinions emerge.

John's Gospel says, "In the beginning was The Word." This Word was The Logos. It is always dangerous for the voice of The Logos to be drowned out by the dialogue. When people lose their love for the first Word, they usually end up lusting for the last word. When they get their wish, there isn't much left to talk about.

"Do all things without grumbling and disputing." Philippians 2:14 - These seven lost words hold the key to the relationship a child of God has with The Father. They also impact every other relationship people have in their lives. People who are wrong with God aren't going to keep things right with others for very long.

"...always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." Ephesians 5:20-21

Talking to someone, without praying with them, in the name of Jesus, about any issue of crucial or mutual importance only builds the grumbling and the rumbling. It has the same potential of two opposing weather fronts colliding with one another.

Talking without praying seeds the clouds of the discontented, and invites the possibility of turbulence. Twisted tongues can become tragic tornadoes that wreak havoc in the lives of families, friendship and church fellowships.

Constructive dialogue should never be entered into without a climate of prayer. Destructive dialogue always rushes to fill the void left behind by vanished prayer in the home and in the church.

Note to self: Prayer with your wife and with those you seek to lead will prove to you and to them what you really believe. All the rest is religious talk. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Work

Every January the airwaves explode with commercials hawking the benefits of joining a workout facility or signing up for a new weight loss program. This is as predictable as the credit card bills that arrive shortly after the lights are taken town, and the tree is put away.

Squeezed in between Christmas cookies, Super Bowl parties and Valentine's Day chocolates these commercials make their pitch to people desperate for the easy way to the "New You in The New Year." Signing a contract will not shed any pounds, and having food delivered to the door rarely ends well. Still you can set your clock by the timing of guilting people into making New Year's resolutions that don't require any real effort on their part. Signing up is not the same thing as working out and eating right. Big difference.

Comparing the quotes "Work out your salvation" with "Saved by grace" doesn't look like they could be said by the same person. Paul saw no conflict in them. Simply stated, the first one appears to require some sweat equity, and the second seems tailor made for contemporary Christian couch potatoes.

Paul attacked the enemy on two fronts with a double-edged weapon of warfare. He understood it to be the sword of The Spirit which is The Word of God.

On one front Paul exposed and defeated the strategy of the enemy to appeal to the pride of man, cheering people on to greater and greater efforts to win the approval of God. Paul reminded the early church that salvation was not a result of the works of man, but it was a free gift from God.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" Ephesians 2:8

On the opposite side of the battlefield, Paul warned Christians of the danger of letting the enemy sing them to sleep with a lullaby. Christianity is not a mindless,thoughtless, effortless pursuit. It may be freely received, but it must be diligently protected and developed.

Note to self: When you asked Jesus into your heart, your brains didn't fall out, and your work ethic wasn't removed.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8

Two phrases seem to be blowing in different directions, but they are spoken with the same breath. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (v. 12b)
appears to be at odds with the following statement.

"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (v. 13) These two Scriptures are not at odds with one another. They are complimentary to each other.

This cannot be over-stated. Any thought, desire, or sense of direction towards the purpose of God is a result of The work of The Spirit of Christ in the life of the believer. This is a genuine sign of the birthmark or the seal of The Spirit on the child of God.

Note to self: Working out of you, what God puts in you is the process of believing prayer being applied to intimidating circumstances and irritating people. Trying to talk your way through a crisis, or argue your way out of a conflict develops the muscle tissue of your flesh. Praying through a crisis and with others, not at them, will reveal the fruit of The Spirit.

Working out your salvation is not an effort to make oneself pleasing to God. It is the energy expended to put oneself in the position to experience the pleasure of God.

On hundred years ago, Billy Sunday's preaching was criticized for rubbing the fur of the cat the wrong way. Sunday replied, "Let the cat turn around." When there is no pleasure in hearing a fresh word from God, or any joy in being in His Presence there is a need for a turn around.

There is a powerful scene in the movie, "Chariots of Fire." It depicts a conversation between Missionary Eric Liddell and his sister. She was afraid his time invested in running was a danger to his calling. Liddell protested. "God made me fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure." Liddel found a way to work out his salvation. This work out is not the same for all. but it is necessary for all.

Praying puts a person in the position to lower their head, and to lean into the yoke relationship with Jesus Christ. Praying in the name of Jesus works out salvation, empowering a child of God to experience The Father's way, His will and His good pleasure. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Reason

"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2: 9-10

Distilling the redemption story down to one word is a challenge. Some would say, it is love. Others would suggest sacrifice. Based on my understanding of Paul's letter to the Church at Philippi, I would submit for your consideration the word "humility."

"He (Jesus) humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:8

Jesus did not grasp equality with God. He expressed humility before God. The result was a Son under authority, not a rebellious child striving to be in authority. The power of God is released to and through His children who are under His authority, not those who are looking for a title or a position of authority. Jesus made clear that the citizens of The Kingdom were humble children, not rebellious brats.

“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4

When a Roman Centurion sought the healing hand of Jesus upon his servant, he believed a word from jesus would be enough. He told Jesus there would be no need for Him to travel to his home. He had observed the life and ministry of Jesus, and wisely concluded, "I too am a man under authority." Jesus responded, "I have not seen this kind of faith in all of Israel. (See Luke 7:8 and following)

What the Roman observed and The Savior honored was the condition of power and authority. There is a huge difference between being under authority, and being in authority. Chasing titles and puffing up resumes makes a name. Being under authority makes a difference. Celebrity results from the former, humility produces the latter.

"He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death." v.8

Humble do not elevate themselves. They lower themselves. Jesus cultivated an attitude of humility, by a life of prayer. It was through prayer that The Son of God yielded His way to the will of The Father. Jesus put to death any spirit of temptation for rebellion in his life, by humbling Himself before The Father in prayer.

Jesus prayed early in the morning, throughout the day, and late into the night, He prayed daily, moment by moment. He prayed aloud and in silence, alone and in crowds.

Prayer was the life breath of Jesus. Through prayer humility became the strength of His character, and obedience became the motivation of His life. Today His intercession for His followers is the key component for the health of His church.

When the pivotal moment of the story of redemption was being played out and prayed through in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus came to the point of "Not My will, but Thy will be done."

This humbling of His will to the Father's will marked a pivotal moment in time. The kneeling of Jesus, in humility, softened His heart to receive God's authority. The humble prayer of Jesus softened his heart until His will was yielded to God's will and His authority was stamped on the name of Jesus.

"so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW." v 10

Hardened hearts may gain celebrity status, but they will never be marked by God's authority. Titles and positions may gain a person notoriety, but God's power is released through people of prayer and humility.

It is worth remembering that the kneeling Jesus preceded the exalted Jesus. Any follower of Jesus that chooses to by-pass this pattern and priority may make a name for themselves, but they will miss out on the purpose of life.

Prayerless people are tempted to use the name of Jesus to bring glory to themselves. They may pray in the name of Jesus and say, "Give God the glory." They also say, "Make out the check in my name."

Prayerful people humble themselves, thinking of themselves less, and making more of Jesus. They pray in His name, not to elevate themselves or their prayer life, but "to the glory of God the Father." TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Obedient

"He (Jesus) existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." Philippians 2: 6-7

When I was in college I was introduced to a book, "The Company of the Committed." It was a text for one of my religion courses at Baylor University. The title intrigued me, and the contents challenged me, but as I grow older, I am less impressed with the concept contained in the title. Let me explain.

Pastor Joseph Tson, a religious liberty refugee from Romania, was exiled from his country in the late 1980's and given asylum in the United States of America. This must have felt like getting kicked to the curb and being picked up by a Cadillac. But I digress.

I was privileged to hear Pastor Tson deliver a message, to a gathering of Texas Baptists, entitled, "The Theology of Martyrdom." He provided stinging and amazing insights into the erosion of truth that results by the dumbing down of the essence of Christianity. It doesn't happen over night, but eventually what is left is a barren landscape filled with busy people and empty churches.

Pastor Tson said that he only had books in his library that were published prior to the Communist takeover. When he arrived in the United States he was confused by a term he discovered in more recent publications of Christian literature. He was unfamiliar with the use of the word commitment, to describe a believers' expression of their faith in Christ.

Pastor Tson went on to explain the difference between "Commitment" and "Surrender" to a room full of busy Baptists. Most of the books in his library, published before 1917, used the word "surrender" to describe how a person entered into a relationship with God through the Person of Jesus Christ. There was a time when a person was not called upon to make a commitment to Christ, but to enter into this relationship with "Absolute Surrender."

Note to self: Jesus "emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, and being made int he likeness of men." (v. 7) When you do less, it results in being full of yourself without being filled with The Spirit of The Risen Christ. Stop it.

There is no fullness of Christ without emptying of self. Jesus, The Son emptied Himself, or surrendered Himself to the Lordship of God, The Father. The prayer life of Jesus revolved around emptying Himself of His will, and filling Himself with God's will.

Kneeling in prayer before God is never complete until there is a surrendering of one's will to God. Prayer invokes the Christian "non-compete" clause.

A non compete clause is a contract between an employee and an employer. The employee agrees not to enter into competition with the employer. Too many Christians want what God has without surrendering themselves to Him. Prayer puts the spirit of competition to death, and brings the power of the resurrection to life.

Prayer is not complete until it leads to "non-compete." Jesus "did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." (v.6)

Prayerless people become grasping rebels who are not surrendered servants. The prayerless often commit themselves to renewed efforts to make a name for themselves, but never empty themselves. Making a name is never a substitute for making a difference.

Jesus "humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross." (v.8)

The Obedient empty themselves and surrender their will to Sovereign God. Jesus set this pattern of surrender, and servanthood by maintaining consistent companionship with God through prayer. His followers should be marked by His passion for prayer. The prayerless may be committed to their plans, but they will not be surrendered to God's will.

Prayerless people are prideful people. Prideful people can be led to make a renewed commitment in the face of a temporary setback. They are rarely willing to admit complete defeat, and make an absolute surrender.

People who are full of themselves need to be emptied before they can be filled. Jesus emptied Himself. His followers should follow His lead.

Jesus was obedient to the point of death. Through prayer, the followers of Jesus "die to self" by an absolute surrender of their way and their will to God's way and His will for their lives. The Obedient will...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Hour

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5

The Attitude of Jesus is a life-changer for a believer and it is a game changer for any church desiring to be marked by...

1. Encouragement
2. Consolation
3. Fellowship
4. Affection
5. Compassion
6. Single-minded
7. Love
8. Unity
9. Purpose
10. Unselfish
11. Humility
12. Deference

Pray one hour each day for an adjustment of your attitude to the way and the will of God. Praying and waiting on God, for nothing less than the character of Christ to be revealed in you and in the life of your church, is much needed today.

Praying five minutes for each of these twelve traits will leave a mark on your life, your family and your church. The Hour will be a daily reminder of The Attitude of Jesus, and it will transform your praying from childish preference to child-like deference.

Pray for...

ENCOURAGEMENT: The infusion of courage into faithful hearts until they beat in synch with the pace, and the pulse and the passion of Jesus that flows from intimate communication with The Father.

CONSOLATION: The capacity to allow God's grace to flow from one life to another to bring healing words, the ministry of presence, and wise counsel to hurting people.

FELLOWSHIP: The bond and esprit de corps that draws people into a body of believers mobilized to move as one unit, for one purpose, and feel the pain of failure, and the joy of victory in the life of every member.

AFFECTION: The feeling and emotion that turns love for God from a mere act of obedience or a form of discipline into a heart-warming relationship with Jesus and those who follow Him.

COMPASSION: The practical application of affection that moves beyond pious platitudes and temporary pity to meet the needs of hurting people.

SINGLE-MINDED:The body of believer to be focused on the mind of Christ Whose only thought and purpose is to do the will of The Father.

LOVE:The unconquerable benevolence and undefeatable goodwill, no longer reserved for the lovely and the loving, to be exhibited abundantly towards undeserving people in irritating circumstances.

UNITY:The synergy of body life that enables the church to coordinate the movements and the giftedness of the greatest member with the slightest member of the body.

PURPOSE:The mission statement of the church to be embraced by every member of the body - "Make Disciples."

UNSELFISH: The maturity to live to give, and the generosity of every believers to be unleashed on the needs of other, and not their own wants and desires.

HUMILITY: The brokenness to know the difference between thinking less of oneself, and thinking of oneself less. Prayerless people are prideful people who cannot say, "Not my will, but Thy will be done." Prayerful people are humble people who yield to God's will, and His way.

DEFERENCE: The resistance to a passion to protect one's own rights and personal preferences, and a willingness to seek God's grace to defer to the rights of another.

The next Great Awakening will be marked by members and churches that have the handprints of The Spirit of God all over them, and The Attitude of Jesus within them. Pray for both. Accept nothing less. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!