Devotional Thoughts

Philippians 3:12-14    "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  (13)  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." I often ask myself, "Am I satisfied with the place I have reached in life?" And of course the answer must always be, "No." As long as I have breath, there is yet purpose. Throughout my ministry, I have met many saints of God who stated they did not know why God was leaving them on earth.  It is my full belief that as long as we are alive, God has a purpose (a ministry) for each of us. Paul stated in these verses that he fully believed there was reason for his life and even for his being in prison at ...

Philippians 3:10-11    "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  (11)  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Listen to Paul's request in these verses. "I want to know Him. I want to know His power. I want to know fellowship of His sufferings unto death that I may also attain (arrive at) the resurrection of the dead."  With only a casual reading, this could seem very strange. This is the Apostle Paul writing and expressing his desires. Yes, it is the absolutely inspired Word of God, but the Holy Spirit has placed within Paul this longing for a closer walk with the Lord Jesus. In what way is Paul desiring to experience these things? After all, he was met by Jesus in a very personal way. He was allowed to see some portion of the glory of the Lord as he traveled that day. Now, he is saying, "I want to know him."  In what way did Paul...

Philippians 3:9    "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" This verse is a continuation of the sentence begun in verse 8, which ends with Paul saying he wanted to "win Christ".  He was stating his desire to learn more about the Lord Jesus instead of counting on his own abilities.  His desire was for his actions, words, and thoughts to "be found in him."  This is such a drastic change from Paul's previous manner of living. As Saul, he based all his righteousness on his being able to keep the law.  In verse 6, he had stated his previous view of himself to be blameless concerning the righteousness which is in the law. But when Christ appeared to him on the Road to Damascus, Saul (as he was known at that time) saw the perfection that is only found in Jesus Christ. The wonderful glory of Christ blinded Saul for three days. From ...

Philippians 3:8    "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." As we look at today's verse, we see Paul making a contrast from that which he stated in the previous one.  He had just said that which gives honor to him took away from the understanding of the honor that only belongs unto the Lord. Now he is saying, I want to "win Christ". What does it mean to "win Christ"? The longer I study the Word of God, the more I realize the need for a good concordance and Bible dictionary. A very quick look shows us that the words, "gain" in verse 7 and "win" in verse 8 are from the very same root word.  I stopped a long time ago trying to pronounce the Greek mainly because I can't pronounce them.  Though I cannot pronounce them, the meaning of the words are very important. P...

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. – Luke 11:35 We live in a culture that shades things in gray. Certainly all men sin, but this does not make sin acceptable. Neither does grace make sin more appropriate or profitable (Romans 6:1-4). Sin destroys. Jesus therefore teaches us to take heed. As children of God, we have light from our Father like the light of Christ rooted in faith, hope and love. Only faith in God and His truth will carry us through doubts and questions. Only hope in His everlasting promises of life and deliverance will assure us in the midst of trials and pain. Only love of the Father shared with our brothers and sisters can make every day brighter and show the world a better life. Take heed therefore brothers and sisters. You have been granted a great gift. If you hear and understand the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ, if you trust in Him, if you look hopefully toward an eternal future with Him, you are the light of the World wit...

Philippians 3:7    "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." In the first six verses of this third chapter, Paul speaks of those who come into their midst to boast of their own accomplishments. He had just told them in chapter three to shine in the world of darkness. We tend to refer to people as stars who stand out in society. We have movie stars, sports stars, political stars and such. Paul tells the church at Philippi (and you and me) to beware of those who try to boast of themselves and their works. If you would allow me a moment of levity, we often hear it said, "He that tooteth not his own horn getteth his horn not tooted." That is usually spoken in jest, but we all know there are those who enjoy talking about their accomplishments.   While talking about the others, Paul took the moment to remind us of his former position in life. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He saw himself as being blameless concerning the law.  He was a Pharis...

Luke 2:8-11    "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  (10)  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." May the glory of the Lord shine upon each one as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Not all of our packages that were ordered have arrived on time this year. In some ways, our observance of Christmas will be delayed until they finally arrive. But we know this, God is always on time. I love how Luke chapter 2 begins with, "And it came to pass."  That which God had promised c...

Philippians 2:14-16    "Do all things without murmurings and disputings:  (15)  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;  (16)  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." We live in a time when we hear much murmuring and the whole world seems to be in dispute with one another. Yet in all this, God instructs us to be "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke." He tells us not to get caught up in all the murmurings of the world. May I say to you that this goes against human nature. I would love to sit here and say I have never been guilty of this, but that would not be the truth. How can we possibly go through life as we see it in our time without beginning to complain about something?  The answer comes in the word, "meekness".  ...

Philippians 2:12-13    "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  (13)  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Before looking at these verses, let us consider eternal salvation. We know it is a gift from God. Right? We know eternal life is not the result of our works; rather it is accomplished by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He shed His righteous, holy blood to pay the debt of sin that was against us. According to Hebrews chapter 9, Jesus offered His blood to the Father on our behalf. We know God the Father accepted that offering. How do we know? Jesus came out of the tomb alive. If the Father had not accepted the blood of Jesus as full payment, He would not have risen from the dead.  If Jesus paid it in full and the Father accepted that payment, then what is left for us to do in order to g...

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. – Luke 2:16 When the shepherds heard and understood the good news of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem, they ran from the field to find the babe in the manger. They understood the importance and glory of the birth of the Savior. It was an amazing moment to behold, and surely these humble shepherds were the first human evangelists. Would you run from whatever you were doing night or day to see Jesus Christ? I hope so. Listen for the angelic messages in your life encouraging you to seek the innocent Savior and heed them. Make haste. The Savior is waiting for you.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 It is a curious thing that none of the Apostles gave a description of Jesus’s appearance.  We do not know whether he was tall or short, light or dark, brown eyed or blue.  The only real clue we get about His looks are found in Isaiah 53:2 wherein we learn that he was not going to be attractive by worldly standards.  The prophet wrote, “when we shall see him, there is  no  beauty that we should desire him.” Even a limited study of the history of art, fashion and beauty reveal that our standards change from generation to generation.  What’s beautiful now may not appeal to people 100 years and vice versa.  Such standards are fickle and changeable based on shifts in tastes and preferences.  However, the Bible tells us that God changes not.  He is consistent, and His ways are not our ways...

Philippians 2:8-11    "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  (9)  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  (10)  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  (11)  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."   We spoke of Jesus humbling Himself recently and today we see in his humility, He became obedient. He was obedient unto God, the Father. He was obedient unto a covenant, a promise, that was made even before the foundation of the world that at the appointed time He would come into the world to die for His people. We hear the verse often that was spoken to Joseph, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Ma...

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. – Matthew 2:10 How is your joy meter? In other words, are you rejoicing or sorrowful? Too often when we look around us, we see only sad things, terrible things, going on around us every day. If this describes your perspective, let me invite you to consider the idea that the only thing that is greater than the evil in the world is the love of God. Though persecuted in most every way in his journeys to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul was still convinced of the greatness of the love of God. When the Apostle considered the suffering endured by the saints, he had this to say, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Believing in Jesus Christ and His kingdom has alw...

My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. – Psalm 119:81 For generations prior to the Birth of Christ, prophets, scholars, and the saints in general struggled in sin looking for full salvation. Sacrifices and offerings never dealt with the ultimate problem: sin separates us from God. Their hope and ours rests in God’s Word. The Word of God in the Old Testament provided guidance and rules that pointed to life, but those laws could not deliver the saints of old (or us) from death. So they looked for that great salvation from the grave and separation from God. They looked for a Savior, the Messiah as promised in the Word. The Gospel according to John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14). Not only did God provide a champion, His Word was made flesh. Speakin...

Philippians 2:5-8    "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  (6)  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  (7)  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  (8)  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Humility is not an automatic happening for humans.  We tend to want our needs met before anything else. Generally speaking, we are prone to have the "me first" approach to life. God's Word teaches us to "let this mind be in you."  This state of mind requires exercising the mind toward humility and thinking of others first. As Paul speaks of this, he has one in particular he uses as an example. Let "this" mind is pointing us toward the mind of Christ Jesus. His leaving heaven to come to this earth is a greater act of humility than we will...

Philippians 2:4    "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." It's the most wonderful time of the year! For those of us at a certain age, can you hear Andy Williams singing that on his annual Christmas TV special? Don't you just love this time of the year from Thanksgiving until Christmas? Yes, we hear of the usual battles at the shopping malls when two people grab the last one of the most popular item for the year. But for the most part, people are in good moods: festive, happy and free hearted. Much time is spent in wanting to give just the right gift for the special people in your lives.  We open our pockets to those who stand outside the stores ringing the bell as they collect money for Salvation Army and for Empty Stocking Fund. We think about those who are less fortunate than us and we open our hearts toward others. Yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year. I love it. It isn't Christmas when Paul writes this ...

 Philippians 1:21     "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." If you had to fill in the blank, how would you finish this statement:  "For to me, to live is _________"   What do you feel would make your life complete?  What is it that you most enjoy doing and gives you most fulfillment? What is life to you? Each of us might give a different answer, depending on where our pleasures are derived. Paul had a definite answer to give. Life, for Paul, was all about Jesus. We do not know how his finances were before Jesus came to him on the Damascus Road but we can assume he was not hurting financially. We know he was looked up to in society and in religious circles. He was considered to be a Hebrew among the Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees. He seemed to be a natural leader and people followed him, even when he was going from house to house seeking to persecute those who believed in the Lord Jesus. If Paul was looking back at this point in his l...

Philippians 1:18-20    "What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.  (19)  For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,  (20)  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." Rejoicing in tribulation!?! How can that be? Paul is saying that as he hears other prisoners speak about Jesus, he is rejoicing. Other prisoners! Remember, he is in prison. In his bonds, he still preaches Christ Jesus and Him crucified. How could he rejoice?  Let's look at something Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He had asked the Lord to remove from him that which had caused him much misery. He referred to it as a "thorn in the flesh". The Lord had said, ...

Philippians 1:12-13    "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;  (13)  So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places" Why do bad things have to happen? Is life ever fair? How can we, by God's grace, turn a bad event into a God-glorifying event? Is it possible for us to be used of God in order for that to happen? Bad things happen and we perceive life as not being fair because sin entered into the world and death by sin through Adam's transgression. We are imperfect people because of the inherited sin nature. Only one person ever escaped having to deal with the inherent nature of sin and His name is Jesus. Everyone else that has ever been born, or ever will be born, has to deal with the carnal mind. I sure do wish it was different because I know I am a sinner by nature, but thank God I am a saint by grace. I know I don't look...

Philippians 1:8-11    "For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.  (9)  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;  (10)  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;  (11)  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Paul often uses the word, "bowels," in his writings. This word gives the implication of the feeling expressed coming from the deepest part of the seat of his emotions. Paul had a love for the saints at Philippi. He had shared many experiences with them, some were good and some not so good. But through it all, his love for them grew. He expresses a desire for them that their love would continue to grow as they increased in the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. This is the pattern that is set f...

  I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. – John 5:43 When Jesus Christ met opposition, He did not respond in the way you might expect. He was accused of heresy, blasphemy, insurrection and being possessed, but His most common response to critics was to force them and others to consider the purpose of these attacks. Furthermore, He turned their attacks back upon them with questions instead of harsh words. Jesus told the Pharisees that they should look in the Scriptures that they claimed to trust (John 5:39). In them they would find the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Anointed One of Israel, the promised heir of David, a Righteous Branch. He fulfilled the prophecies pertaining to Him and continues to do so today living and reigning forever. Yet, no matter how many miracles He performed or lives He changed for the better, sceptics then and now doubted Him and His word. Even though many people loved Jesus, many oth...

Philippians 1:1-7    "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:  2  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4  Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5  For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  7  Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." We begin our study of Philippians with Paul's standard greeting of grace and peace. When I say it was his standard greeting, I do not intend that he meant it lightly. There are often ...

Philemon 1:15-18    "For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;  (16)  Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?  (17)  If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.  (18)  If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account" I repeat verses 15 and 16 in order to have the thought flow smoothly into verses 17 and 18. To refresh our direction of thought, Paul is encouraging Philemon to receive Onesimus back to himself. He wants him to receive the former slave not as a servant; rather he is encouraged to receive him as a brother. That was unheard of in that day and required much grace on the part of Philemon. When I read verses 17 and 18, I see a beautiful picture of my Lord. "If you count me as a partner, receive him as myself." If I understand the relationship that w...

Philemon 1:15-16    "For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;  (16)  Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?" A question to get us started this morning: Do you believe God works behind the scenes in situations in order to strengthen our faith? Do you believe God is active in our lives even when we do not know or understand the thing that is taking place? Paul has asked Philemon to be a willing participant in the return of this man.  He said the reception of him should "not be as it were of necessity, but willingly." Paul understood the truth that God loves a cheerful giver and He desires that giving to be from a willing heart. That not only pertains to gifts being given, but also to forgiveness being extended to another. We sometimes hear it said, "I will forgive you this time, but if you mess up again.......

(Philemon 1:12-14)    "Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:  (13)  Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:  (14)  But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly." How Great is our God! We sing it.  "God is great. God is good." We pray it.  The Word of God expresses it in many different ways.  Do we believe it? Does the truth of that statement carry us in our daily walk?  Does the truth of that statement translate into our hearts and minds as we encounter situations that our carnal flesh wants to take over? By that, I mean do we allow our emotions to make decisions rather than lean heavily upon the statement that our God is Great and He is good? Paul is saying to Philemon, "I really wanted to keep Onesimus with me. But I'm sending him back for more than one r...

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. – Psalm 86:11 I have noticed that prayers are often filled with what we want from God. Please do this and please do that. Help this person and such things. We should do better. No proper relationship is built simply upon transactions. When someone comes to you repeatedly only when they want something without any other purpose, it is very easy to grow embittered, taken for granted. While this is bad, what’s worse is the fact that we do this to our Heavenly Father when we only turn to Him to satisfy our wants and sooth our fears. Certainly we should confess to Him and share our concerns, but why do we not speak to God with such regularity and love that we share our simple observations and seek His guidance as a Father instead of mere benefactor. The Apostle tells us, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgivin...

Philemon 1:8-11    "Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,  (9)  Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.  (10)  I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:  (11)  Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me" Paul previously acknowledged his bonds in Christ; that is, he was joined to the Lord Jesus Christ for the purpose of ministry of the Word of God. As he writes to Philemon, he now comes to the purpose of this letter. God's wisdom shines through the Apostle as he describes himself being bound and aged. He is telling Philemon that wisdom is now speaking. We have no idea how old Philemon was at the time of this letter, but in that day great value was placed upon wisdom. Wisdom allows Paul to see life from both sides of this issue. He acknowledges Onesim...

Philemon 1:4-6    "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,  (5)  Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;  (6)  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." The Apostle Paul had a very strong prayer life. He had concerns for the Lord's people wherever he went.  Most of his letters begin with prayers for those to whom he was writing. He tells Philemon that he is praying for him and giving thanks that his faith is strong. Not only is Philemon's faith strong within, he is strong in sharing that faith "toward all saints". He is diligent in sharing his faith with other people.  It is apparent that this man is strong in giving all glory and praise unto the Lord for "every good and perfect gift". How can you and I share our faith with others? We sometimes try to make it complicated, when in rea...

Philemon 1:1-3    "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, (2)  And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: (3)  Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Have you ever put a piece of chocolate in your mouth and let it just set there, melting? But while it was melting, you were savoring the flavor? This is the case with these three verses. As I look at them, I can see the various flavors that are coming through the words. We are secured in the Lord by His perfect work of redemption. We are bound to Him and nothing can separate us from His love.  We are blessed to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and He presents our imperfect prayers to the Lord. As a result of the Lord's working in us, we have had grace given and peace experienced within. We've all heard it said that mercy is when we do not receive what...

Philemon 1:1-3    "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,  (2)  And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:  (3)  Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." We use the same verses that were in our previous devotion. There is much to be said about these verses. We saw Paul being bound unto the Lord Jesus Christ. His bonds were that of mercy and grace and the unconditional love bestowed upon him by the Lord. Today, we address the person to whom the letter is written. His name is Philemon. Apparently Philemon was a man of means who owned slaves. One of his slaves, by the name of Onesimus, had run away. After his escape from the bonds of Philemon, Onesimus had been placed in the bonds of Christ. The Lord had reached down and touched his heart. Paul is writing this letter on behalf of this once run away slave. W...

Philemon 1:1-3    "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow labourer,  (2)  And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:  (3)  Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." We begin a study of the little book of Philemon. Though it only has one chapter, there are many rich thoughts contained within this book. The first thought comes in the first few words of the first verse: "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ". The word, prisoner, does not always bring nice thoughts to our minds; yet in this context it carries a wonderful thought. I am a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please do not think that Paul wrote this in a negative context. We sometimes place ourselves in the prisons of the world. We allow emotions to be the motivation for our conduct. We allow habits to encase us and drive us from day to day. All these ...