Bible Commentary & Daily Devotional

 Philippians 4 - Growth Mindset           This passage exemplifies the Christian growth mindset.  You and all members of your team have incredible potential.  You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.  It’s the mindset of the leader that is transformed by the Holy Spirit.  Daily.  The servant leader is full of joy.  Renewed every morning.  We are content in every situation.  For God our Father is the only source of joy.           When should we pray again?  Always and in everything.           When should we be filled with the fruit of our salvation - the righteous character produced in us by Christ Jesus?  Always.           When and in what things should we look out for the interests of others, the needy, the poor, the helpless?  Always and in everything.           The Christian leader sees the explosive potential in every person.  He creatively develops the team.  We inspire others because God has promised us that His Kingdom is forcefully advancing and that we can

 Philippians 4:1-3 - Settle Disputes           It is good and pleasing to God when we settle disputes.  Coworkers in Christ, like Eudia and Syntyche mentioned in this passage, may need help to resolve their disputes.  Alas, the world needs lawyers.  If God so chooses, He can give any person a discerning mind (Psalm 119:169).  The prayer of every young lawyer should be for such a gift from God.  Lord Jesus, please give all your saints discerning minds.  Help us to understand right from wrong and as Paul encourages here help us to keep our minds focused on what matters to God.           I conceive that this is important to God on the micro level.  That is, it is an affront to God to have brothers and sisters feuding.  It’s scandalous and burdensome to the Holy Spirit.  We have all we need to live godly lives.  We have the Spirit of Christ living in us.  Paul tells us that if we put into practice what we learn in the New Testament the “God of peace will be with you” (3:9).  Yes, it is ess

 Philippians 3:8-21 - Model Core Values           I like how Paul says here that we are a work in progress (8:12-14).  Ain’t that the truth.           Every organization has honesty listed as one of its core values.  Good, great actually.  But the reality is there are a lot of spin artists out there.  They say they stand on the inerrancy of Scripture as they flagrantly disobey the law of Christ and the way of Christ.  Embarrassing to say the least.           Let’s be honest (Proverbs 28:6).  Flattery and backslapping are boring.  Let’s be done with that approach.  Let’s listen to what Paul has to say here.  He says that being a Hebrew of Hebrews, a pure-blooded citizen of Israel, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin with strict obedience to the Jewish law is - wait for it - worthless.   Say that today and you risk being canceled.           Yet the truth is that God judged Israel and showed it irrevocably on the cross of Jesus Christ, in the resurrection, and in the complete destructio

 Philippians 3:1-7 - Whatever Happens           We simply don’t know what will happen.  Who will win the war, who will be the next president, will we make a profit, will the market go up, or will there be another pandemic, etc.  We don’t know if we’ll live long lives, or, like so many, have a life cut short.           But we do know a lot.  We know enough.  And have enough understanding to live good, godly lives.  We know that Jesus will return (2 Peter 3) and we know that God’s chosen people are those who put their faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:7-9).           So what?  Well, it’s a great day to live for Jesus.  I have no clue what the future holds, but I trust God.  Oh, what a long and winding road we’ve traveled to get this far.  And yet the journey has only begun.           Thank you Lord Jesus for your creativity; you are showing people our need for you.           May Christians offer something good to God.  Real and genuine.  Father God, we grieve for how we have so burdened

 Philippians 2:29 - Stones and Slingshots           God has a deadly sense of humor.  Humor is often hilarious because we see in it reality, tragic truth.  I think God uses similes to get our attention.  To show us how ridiculous we can be and the need for common sense amid foolishness.           We hear in this passage a stern call for genuine care for peoples’ welfare.  And a call not to turn away like so many do.  Do we genuinely care for what matters to Jesus Christ?  Christians.  We must prove ourselves worthy by the way we live.  We must work hard to show the results of our salvation.             Be like Timothy.  And Paul.  And Epaphroditus - who risked his life for the work of Christ.           Help us Lord God to work hard for you today without complaining or arguing.  And help us to live clean, innocent, and good lives.  May we give God honor.  We know that God protects those of childlike faith (Psalm 116:6).  May our faith be innocent and pure and childlike as we trust God.

 Philippians 2 - Against the Grain           This passage is tough.  It shouldn’t be.  But because of our human nature, it is.  It goes against the grain.  Against what society expects of us.  People are wired to want to impress others and to look after their interests.  We dress for success, fake it until we make it, and have a strong desire for honor and recognition.  The human condition.  The American way.  And yet the passage is clear, we are to have the same attitude that Jesus had (2:3).          G od’s way is different.  Citizens of heaven are different.  Different good.  God softens our hearts with the realization that He loves us - tenderly and compassionately.  In Saskatchewan farmer terms, God is the great cultivator of hearts - the Good Shepard, the Wise Farmer.  Simultaneously we realize that God is the One who brings justice and judgment with omnipotence.  That is a place of reverence and holy good fear.           What is the benefit of being a man or woman of Christ?  Re

 Philippians 1 - Fight Together           Paul is encouraging the Philippians to grow.  And to remember that it is Jesus Christ who will return to earth and judge every person (Romans 2:16).  The Bible says that, “there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:10-11).           God’s standard of responsibility has been consistent from day one, “He will repay all people as their actions deserve” (Proverbs 24:12).  Sounds kinda ominous, and it is.  But it is good news.  People who trust God, people of faith in Jesus Christ, have all the resources they need to live as citizens of heaven.  And in this passage, Paul encourages us to live that way and to take the assignment seriously.  Let’s do that.  Why not!           The world has incredible turmoil right now (as it has for millennia).  There is a refusal to call out evil.  Ethics, and moral standards, are God’s domain.  He mad

  Philippians 1:12-19 - Model Leadership           Well, this is a good passage to read as the world turns upside down.  It’s a reminder that we have confidence in the work and promise of Christ Jesus.  We must take every opportunity to help people.  And to love all people.  As a Christian leader, first and foremost, be self-aware - don’t think you are something you are not, and be sober in your assessment of yourself.             Boldly speak God’s message of truth.  And pray for each other.  The situation may seem difficult, or even bleak.   But Christ Jesus is at work.  Christ Jesus is working out a good plan.  He will deliver us from this seemingly impossible situation and He will show us what to do so that He can work through us to minister His love and grace.           It is a fight, make no doubt about it.  A spiritual war behind the physical.  We must conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.  Yes, the Church has failed and is filled with greedy false

 Philippians 1:1-6 - Good Work           Philippians is a thank you note.  A letter of love and encouragement to family and friends.  It is sent by Paul and Timothy (just like five other books of the New Testament). It is interesting and odd how little we know of God’s servant, Timothy.  Here’s to all the unsung heroes!  Be like Paul, and send thank you notes.           And here’s to all of God’s holy people who belong to Jesus Christ.  I don’t feel very holy this morning.  But my desire is to be holy, to be one of God’s servants who resists the devil and is ready, willing, and able to be useful for God as He builds His Kingdom.           Don’t plan for retirement.  Even better, plan for effectiveness for God’s Kingdom.           You belong to Christ Jesus.  So do I.  Our kids and our grandkids, nay, our community, need us to be men who do not take, but rather, men who serve and give.  Let’s be those selfless servants today.  Protect someone today.  Help someone to be more like God by

 Ephesians 6 - Paul’s Final Words           Final words are meaningful, a last testament to what is most important.  We see this throughout Scripture (Moses at 120 years old in Deuteronomy 31, Joshua at 110 in Joshua 24, Peter when he’s up against the wall of Nero’s evil in 2 Peter, and Solomon as he summarizes the core purpose of life in Ecclesiastes).           Christians should pay attention to what these faithful followers of God had to say.  I’d summarize the message as this: fear God and serve Him wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 24:14).           We can’t serve God wholeheartedly if we cling to our idols.  We must repudiate the idols.  One of the greatest challenges of the human condition (and more to the point, the Christian walk) is what we know vs. what we do.  We know we have all the resources from God to live a godly life.  But yet we live like the world.  The reason, the tragedy if you will, is our sin.  Our sinful nature pulls hard.           Yet Paul’s final word here, much l

  Ephesians 6:5-9 - Salt and Light           I am a futurist in only this sense, that God is growing His kingdom today and that the future is better because of what God is doing and what God has promised.  I trust God’s character as shown to Moses and throughout Scripture - for His character never changes.  I trust God to build us up as his dear children, to train us as His disciples.  We are and will be servants of the Most High, unashamed.           I’m not into high-pressure sales.  They are a sign of insecurity and little faith. We don’t need to scare or trick people into heaven - not that we could.  Shame on the shysters and the doom and gloom artists who manipulate with their forced alter calls, their greed, and their deception.  God calls us to discern false teaching and to expose it.  Do that today.  And have nothing to do with them.           King Solomon leaves us with a great conclusion.  Much the same really as Paul's counsel in Ephesians 6:8.  The wisest of the wise to

 Ephesians 6:1-4 - Don't Provoke - Encourage           God doesn’t leave us hanging.  He gives us clear standards and expectations.  God has a Moral Code.  His ethical standards and what we do with them have earthly and eternal consequences.  For instance, here’s a Bible standard that you can see has a significant impact on our communities and organizations, “...rulers make a grave mistake when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth” (Ecclesiastes 10:6).  It matters who we elect to local, state, and federal government.  It matters who we put in charge of our churches.           To be clear, I’m not claiming to be something I’m not.  I’m a work in progress and while I know the good path, my challenge is to stay on it.  It’s a daily process and I’m working at forming better habits to keep me on the right path.           As children of our parents and as children of God we see two principles in this brief passage from Almighty God.  The

 Ephesians 5:25 - Love Your Wife as Yourself           Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross showed his passionate love for each of us.  He gave up His life for his people, His dear children.  Jesus knows our hearts all too well, yet He loves us and died for our sins so that we may be glorious and pure - without a spot, wrinkle, or any other blemish.  Men, let’s love our wives that much.  May we sacrifice and love our wives to the high standard that Jesus sets for us.           Part of my story, a key reason that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, is because I read in the back of a small Gideons Bible that Jesus loved me.  That blew my mind.  How could the God of the Universe love a wretched little sinner like me?  It still overwhelms me to this day.  Love in action is powerful.          I was raised with a great example of love in action.  My dad put love into action and loved Mom by word and deed.  Mom is as enamored by Dad today as she was sixty years ago.  They very much love and res

 Ephesians 5:15-16 - Suffer Not Fools           The founders of America understood the need to check power, to restrict the ability of tyrants to control others.  They knew the reality of human nature and they had no more patience to suffer tyrants and fools.  It’s a key principle of freedom, a key biblical principle.           I almost didn’t go to Bible study with my men’s group yesterday morning (we meet at 6:30 a.m. at a local bagel shop).  I felt discouraged and frustrated.  I actually turned the vehicle off and went to go back in the house, but then was prompted to go.  And I’m thankful I did.  I was encouraged by these mature Christian men to remain in fellowship with Jesus and the Father.  Yes, we fail.  But we get back up again and press on.  Let’s do that today.  Let’s press on.           This passage says, “So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (5:15-16).  Amen.  Lead and encou

  Ephesians 5 - Imitate God           So, how should we live?  The Bible says to imitate God.  This is not just in one or two areas - or on Sundays.  It says in everything we do.  In everything!           God is loving and kind.  But to imitate Him we have to know Him.  We have to hear Him, see Him, and grow in our understanding of His ways.           So we do have a mentor after all!  King Jesus is our mentor.  The Gospels let us see Him in action.  As does the entire Old Testament and the New Testament.           God creates.  He’s powerful.  And generous.  He will exercise extreme patience.  Then He will bring swift and fierce justice.  He is extremely creative.  God’s sense of humor is marvelous.  He loves to use oddballs to achieve the unthinkable.  He pulls off miracles.           So, let’s imitate God in everything we do.  We are His children.  He is our example.  You’ll notice with God that he eats and feasts.  But He is not a glutton.  And He knows a good cologne when He smell