Category Archives: Philippians

The Joy Of Faith

Posted on October 14, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

We see toward the end of verse 25, “Joy of Faith”. When you live for Jesus, you will often find yourself in bad spots. The Apostle Paul had more than his share of bad spots. Saul met Jesus on the Damascus Road, and heeding His call became Paul the Apostle. When Ananias was told to go to Saul and lay hands on him, Ananias was initially hesitant. After all, the Saul had been terrorizing the Church. But Jesus told Ananias:

Acts 9:15-16 (ESV) “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

As Saul caused others to suffer for Satan’s sake, now Paul himself will suffer “for the sake of {Jesus}”. Oh, how Paul would suffer! Paul told the Church at Corinth:

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (ESV) For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

The brighter and more flamboyant the LIGHT, the greater the DARKNESS will hate it.

Paul said that he was so distressed that “we despaired of life itself”. That is a profound statement. This means that Paul got so discouraged that he and those with him welcomed death. This is a state of advanced depression, where life has lost its savor. Paul was like that poor old Saint Job who cried out:… Continue reading →

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The Cure For Murmuring Hearts

Posted on May 20, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

Last week we talked about how the Christian is to have “the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5). The “mind of Christ” does not seek to be first, to seek self promotion, to be a “braggart” or self centered. The “mind of Christ” is to do what Jesus did. The Christian – if you are a Christian – is to lower themselves just as Jesus lowered Himself. We are to love others – even our enemies – by doing good to those who do bad to us (Matthew 5:44-46). “That you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven” you are to do good to those who hurt you. The Christian is called to a life of holiness or separateness, wherein we imitate Christ. We read:

Philippians 2:14-15 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; … Continue reading →

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Let’s Live To Please Jesus

Posted on May 14, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

Lifeway Research, one of our Southern Baptist Resources, released a mid-pandemic study May 2021 on the state of the Church in the United States. The study noted that prior to the pandemic “In 2019, approximately 3,000 Protestant churches were started in the U.S., but 4,500 Protestant churches closed…” The information did not just come from the Southern Baptist denomination, but analyzed “congregational information from 34 denominations and groups representing 60% of U.S. Protestant churches to arrive at the church plant and closure numbers for 2019”. In 2014 there were more openings than closings of Churches, but in 2019 the trend reversed.

The American Church is experiencing a demise, though we live in a place of amazing freedoms. However the early Church GREW in a hostile Roman and Jewish world.

Christians were not only persecuted by the Roman Empire for the first 300 or so years that the Church started, but the Jewish religious authorities actively sought out and persecuted Christians as members of a cult. The term “Christian” was not a compliment. The Bible says:

Acts 11:26 … the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

An article in Relevant Magazine entitled “Where The ‘Christian’ Name Really Came From” notes:… Continue reading →

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Benediction For The Saints

Posted on October 18, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

There are parts of the Bible that we read quickly, not looking for any depth in them. I know myself when I read through books like Numbers, and read the census lists of Israel:

Numbers 1:5-7 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. 6 Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7 Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

My eyes kind of gloss over, and my mind wanders. We all do this. We miss great Biblical truths because we undervalue every part of this Holy Scripture. The WHOLE Scripture – every word, every phrase, every nuance – is God breathed (theopneustos). The Apostle Paul told Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God (God’s Messenger) may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are no accidental texts. This Word is God’s breath…. Continue reading →

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Let This Mind Be In You

Posted on December 14, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

God wants His people, saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to have the mind of Christ. We are to think like Jesus in a non-Jesus world. In another place the Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 2:16 … we have the mind of Christ

If all that Jesus Christ wanted to do is cover our sins, to save us from the wrath of God, He could have entered humanity as a full grown man. If salvation from sin was the only goal that God had for us, Jesus could have suddenly appeared at the Temple just prior to the crucifixion Passover. He could have surrendered to the Cross, being betrayed and executed on Calvary, all without being born in a manger. The Scripture says: Continue reading →

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Living On Purpose For Jesus

Posted on August 19, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

The year 2020 has been a vision check for our nation. Too many people do not have 20/20 vision, and even more have poor spiritual vision. As this year began with the Coronavirus, we went into a shutdown in nearly every state. Suddenly people heard something they always knew. We all will one day cease to be on this earth. That is the nature of life. No one lives forever on this earth. No one. Those who are Christians believe what Jesus told us … Continue reading →

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Battle For The Mind

Posted on April 1, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Humans, though we live in the physical, are truly controlled by what we think. The Philippians Church was a loving assembly of believers, all doing what God wanted them to do. When you do what God tells you Satan rears his ugly head. Satan loves to confuse, to spread fear and uncertainty, and to divide. This is not the state that God wants the Christian in. We are to live in such a way that … Continue reading →

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Our Purpose And Goal

Posted on January 6, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Not too far from our Church on the Nashville Highway is a Church called “A Church With A Purpose”. I’ve seen churches pop up with many different names. We have a Church in town called “Connections”, one that meets in a High School called “The Bridge”. As I was headed to Nashville last week I noticed “The Bridge” has built a large, new facility off of highway 396. Good for them…. Continue reading →

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Five Steps To Rest A Worried Mind

Posted on October 31, 2019 by bibleteacherorg

Jesus did not save you so that you could be ruled by the negative. And even as I say this, I want you all to understand God does not want you to feel like less than a son or daughter because you are anxious or worried. Continue reading →

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