The Cause

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Colossians 1:9

Dr. Curtis Vaughan was a professor, friend and mentor. As a professor, I recall him saying on the first day of class, as we began the study of Colossians, “I have been studying and teaching this little book for over 40 years, and every time I read it, I learn something new.” I was 26 years old and found that hard to believe. After all, look at it. This is one short book. Thanks, Doc. You were right.

As a mentor, Dr. Vaughan’s door was always open to me. He walked me through many questions about the ministry. As I approached graduation, I confessed to him, “I feel like I don’t know it all.” He said, “That is a good place to start. Never be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know.’” That was a huge comfort, and a great piece of advice.

As a friend, he came to our wedding, prayed for us, and presented Dana and I with a very special gift. It was his most recent book. I am using it this morning as I study Colossians. It is entitled, THE NEW TESTAMENT from 26 Translations.” He inscribed it,

“Dear Dana and Gary, You have both meant a great deal to me during my interim ministry at Sagamore. I wish for you the very best of God’s blessings as you begin your life together.” – Curtis Vaughan, 1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your cares upon Him, for he careth for you.”

Paul prayed regularly and relentlessly for those who loved Jesus, and also loved him. There is a bond that exists between the members of the Body of Christ. The Spirit of The Living Christ is the seal that holds the bond of His body together. Paul felt that bond of love and prayed for those who shared it with him.

Prayer is in the DNA of every members of God’s family. Paul was drawn to pray without ceasing. The reason for Paul’s intense and immense drive to pray for others was the love that others had for Jesus and the love of Jesus they shared with him. His unceasing prayer was love fed, and Spirit led.

Note to self: Why pray? You pray be-CAUSE. Love is The Cause of prayer. You pray because The Father first loved you. You pray because The Son loves you still. You pray because the fruit of The Spirit is love. You pray because The Family of God loves you.

Prayer is initiated by the love of God. It is driven by the love of Christ for people exactly the way they are. God’s love is so great that it refuses to leave people the way they are. Love changes selfish people into selfless people. Prayer transforms prideful people into prayerful people.

Prayer is expressed and sustained by The Spirit’s love. It is not man-made. Love is God-given. Prayer is an expression of the love for one another. When people are prayerless, they are loveless. Prayer points people towards a fresh love for God, an unselfish love for others and a healthy love for themselves.

Prayer is best defined by breaking down the words used to describe it in the language of Paul’s day. Prayer reveals a turnaround of a sense of direction, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Prayer is pictured as the turning of a person towards another’s point of view or the drawing closer of one person to another physically. Prayer carries the ideas of mobility, intensity and proximity.

Prayer is the expression of a strong wish or a deep desire for a need to be met by someone who is a position of power, authority and influence to make it happen. It is not positive thinking, possibility thinking or wishful thinking. Nor is it a stroll through Fantasy Land.

For a Christian, prayer is the intense passion of the heart of man to be in right standing with the mind of God. Prayer is all about an obedient child approaching, bending and yielding to the way and the will of The Father.

Prayer seeks the face of God. It longs to be near to God, turning towards Him, not away from Him. Prayer looks towards, moves nearer, and comes alongside of God to receive His direction, protection, and correction.

Prayerless people are prideful people who turn their back on God’s sense of direction and in stiff-necked pride, resist the yoke of Christ and go their own way. Prayerful people are not perfect people. They are God directed, protected and corrected people.

Ceaseless prayer for others is simply, unending selfless prayer. This kind of prayer is sustained by a love rooted in the fruit of The Spirit, not the imagination of man. This love expects nothing in return, seeks no payback, holds no grievance, and covers all sin.

Prayer doesn’t evaporate when a prayer warrior is sinned against or offended. On the contrary, in the face of this kind of treatment, this kind of prayer accelerates. It should come as no surprise. Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

The Intercessor

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,” Colossians 1:3

The prison epistles of Paul reveal more about an intercessor than a prisoner.  Many have counted his prison years as wasted time, but Paul invested them in prayer.

Imprisonment drove Paul to his knees. What others saw as a disastrous interruption to Paul’s calling, he received and perceived to be a Divine appointment. In prison Paul found a new level of freedom. His body was shackled, but by praying in The Spirit, his heart was free to communicate with The Father, on behalf of The Body of Christ. Prayer didn’t prepare Paul to be a better preacher. It made him an intercessor.

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” Oswald Chambers

Over the years, men have placed great value on preaching, but God places his highest value on prayer. Preachers who value the sound of their own voice, over hearing the voice of God, may not run out of words, but they won’t speak with authority.

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther

In Paul’s letter to the Church at Colossae, prayer emerges as the dominant pre-occupation of his life. A similar theme is expressed about his life, in his intimate letters to the churches of Ephesus and Philippi. In praying for others, Paul did not miss out on the blessings of God. Men and women of faith have never been short-changed by spending time with God in prayer. They have found it life-changing.

“I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking, and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.” C.S. Lewis

Writing about prayer, reading about prayer, studying about prayer may inform a person about intercession, but they do not give a person a heart for it. Paul wrote about his prayer life, after he had invested years of standing in the gap for others.  Hearing the needs of others was a call to battle for Paul. He had the heart of a prayer warrior. Those who have such a heart are drawn to intercession.

“Prayer is where the action is.” John Wesley

Paul was never more grateful for answered prayer, than when it arrived in the lives of others, as a result of his personal intercession for them.

Parents understand intercession, and have personal passion for this kind of prayer. When their children are safe and secure, parents are at peace. While their little ones are out of their eye-sight, they are still on their hearts. If their children are in danger, parents have restless hearts, and sleepless nights, but they are rarely prayerless.

“No place is closed to intercession…There is no power on earth that can keep intercession out.” Richard Halverson

Note to self: With books on prayer increasing every day, check for tear stains and blood stains on the manuscript. Avoid ghost written books on prayer. Read books written by men and women full of the Holy Ghost. Ghost-written words may contain truth, but fail to release Holy Ghost power. Only go to war with field-tested weapons.

Giving thanks and answered prayer are so closely aligned, they appear inseparable. Nothing improves a prayer life or grows a prayer meeting like answered prayer. Prayers solely invested in one’s own survival begin to sound like the annoying chirp of a parakeet. The pre-concert warbling of a diva preparing for the spotlight has a similar sound, “Me-me-me-me.”

“Four things let us ever keep In mind; God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer.” E.M.Bounds

Intercession begins with the letter “I”, but that is where the focus on “I” ends. Intercession starts with “I” but finishes with “U.”

“…praying always for you.” Philippians 1:3

From the moment genuine intercession begins, it focuses on others, expects results, responds in gratitude, gives God the glory and it never ends. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Grace

“All the saints greet you, especially of Caesar’s household.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Philippians 4:22-13

Paul ends his letter to the church in Philippi with a reminder. They are part of an ever-widening, and diverse family, and they are in possession of God’s never-ending, and unmerited favor.

God’s covenant had set apart the Jews as The Chosen people. Over the years they held a tight grip on the title, but they lost sight of the purpose for which God had chosen them….”To be a light to the Gentiles.” As the church of Jesus Christ moved out on mission to shed the light, they would always be tempted to bring the heat.  Shedding the light and bringing the heat are not always one and the same thing.

The church was to be marked by the capacity to widen the family circle, and to deepen their appreciation for God’s unmerited favor, at the same time.  Grace is often hijacked by people who are convinced they have it, but aren’t too sure that anyone else is worthy of it. Their delusion is an illusion. They embrace Christianity as a system, and allow their system to overshadow The Savior. They make grace so priceless that it is simply unavailable to anyone else. Their inner circle freezes out all comers until they become “The Frozen Chosen.” No one else need apply for membership.

The other danger is to make grace appear so cheap that it never attracts or transforms anyone. People who are fond of turning God’s grace into turning a blind eye to sin are blinded to the price of it. They dispense it like shore leave sailors, without any thought of what God’s grace cost Him and His Son.  The wages of sin is death. There is no grace without the blood of Jesus. Sanctimonious, sanitized appeals to love the sinner and hate the sin often are diluted into expressions of “grace” that ignore the sin, and pardon the sinner, without a trip to The Cross.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be earned, and it will never be deserved. The church is a family because the various members are related to one another, not because they are elated with one another. They have one Father, not one opinion. They are not smooth, polished parts assembled into an elite unit because they fit together. They are misfits that rub each other the wrong way, and create friction and heat that can cause the works to seize up, if operated without the oil of God’s grace.

Note to self: There is a huge difference between giving people the benefit of the doubt and giving them a piece of your mind. Don’t lose your mind, giving it away one intimidating crisis, or irritating Christian at a time. You don’t have that much left to give. You are way past the luxury of having half a mind to give to someone else. Keep it to yourself and pray for them.

The little things can kill you. A sliver of bone or a grain of sand do not become dangerous until one is caught in the throat and the other becomes a rock in the shoe. A harsh word, a cross look, a sarcastic statement, or a cold shoulder don’t appear on the surface to be very toxic. When they get between two members of the same family, without The Grace of The Lord Jesus Christ, they are quite damaging to The Body of Christ. Left untreated the friction between two irritating body parts can create an annoying heat rash that develops into a life-threatening cancer.

The last word Paul shared with the Church at Philippi was grace. He reminded them that the family was growing to include those they had never met, and some they may have always hated. He surprised them with a birth announcement, introducing them to their new brothers in Caesar’s household.

The family of God is not a closed circle, but an ever-widening one. Those who have been a part of it for a while are resistant to letting go of their grip on those they have in their hand, to take hold of the hands of brothers and sisters God brings to the family reunion.  When they show up at the campfire, they are to be saluted, not slapped back into the darkness.

When churches board the “White Flight” express to escape from neighborhoods with shifting demographics, they may win the race to the suburbs, but they fail to express God’s grace to His diverse family. But I digress.

For people living under the iron-fisted rule of Roman rule, this piece of news may have stuck in the craw of the people of Philippi.  God’s grace is always easier to swallow when it is dispensed to those we know and favor. It can become bittersweet or a bone in the throat when God dispenses it to those that don’t appear, from our perspective, to deserve it.

Point: No one deserves God’s grace. It is unmerited favor, and an undeserved gift, provided only by the priceless sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

Praying in the Spirit is a vital part of The Body Life of the family of God. Prayer brings the oil of The Spirit on the spirit of someone who has been rubbed raw by irritating people or intimidating circumstances. When the greeting of another Christian feels more like a slap in the face, than a salute of honor, it is past time to pray for God’s grace. Playing an offense over and over again in one’s mind is a poor substitute for praying it off of your heart.

Talking about another person doesn’t make them a subject of intercession, only an object of criticism.  A critical spirit drives the bone deeper into the throat, and shoves the rock deeper into the skin. Praying releases the oil of God’s grace between people. Those who are full of selfish resentment, and criticism are not full of Christ’s Spirit.

“Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding.” Oswald Chambers

Praying with one another, and for one another pours oil between body parts that have lost their appreciation for one another. Prayer has the capacity to improve The Body’s vision, and range of motion. The longer two people pray together, and for one another, the more they see God’s grace in one another, and the more they serve together, the less they get on one another’s nerves. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

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!