Philippians 1:27 says, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” This is the theme of Philippians 2. The chapter begins with a call to spiritual unity. To walk worthy is to walk together. Spiritual unity requires selfless humility. To be humble is to be like Christ. In the middle of the chapter, Paul exemplifies the Christlike humility he exhorts the church to practice. The chapter ends with the commendation of Timothy and Epaphroditus. At first glance, verses 19-30 appear to be a typical report of Paul’s travel plans. It is more than that. Timothy and Epaphroditus were prime examples of Christlike servanthood.  Epaphroditus is not on any...

In Springs in the Valley, Lettie Cowman writes of a man who found a barn where Satan stored the seeds he sows in the human heart. The seeds of discouragement were more numerous than the others. Satan claimed they could be made to grow almost anywhere. But Satan reluctantly admitted there was one place he could never get the seeds of discouragement to grow. “Where is that?” the man asked. Satan answered, “In the heart of a grateful person.” The story is mythical. The point is accurate. Discouragement cannot grow in the heart of a grateful person. The Apostle Paul is exhibit A. Satan did...

Hebrews 13:1-19 concludes this letter with practical instructions for Christian living. Hebrews 13:8 sits in the middle of these commands. But it is not an exhortation. It is a declaration: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This is the golden verse of Hebrews. This unique verse can be explained by quoting it: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Verse 7 says: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” This is the believer’s duty to spiritual leaders. It also tells us the church needs leaders whose teachings are worth remembering, whose way of life...

Verse 33 says, “Be on guard, keep wake.” Verse 34 says the man of the house “commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” Verse 35 says, “Therefore stay awake.” Verse 37 says, “And what I say to you I say to all: “stay awake.” The repeated command to wakefulness and watchfulness is the dominating theme of the Olivet Discourse. As Jesus left the temple in Jerusalem for the last time, he predicted it would be destroyed. When they reached the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked follow-up questions. Verse 4 says, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished.” They asked a time question and a sign question. Verses 5-37 record Jesus’ answer to...

Waking up after a long Sunday nap, I surfed channels and landed on Carlton Pearson’s broadcast. He was a younger preacher than many on TV. His church was jampacked, mega-sized, and racially diverse. A traditional black preacher, Pearson even “whooped” - backed by a Hammond organ. This set of ministry dynamics is rare now. Imagine how alien it was thirty years ago.  I was encouraged by the message I heard that night. Pearson was articulate, joyful, and – from what I could tell – sound. None of the subsequent messages I heard raised any red flags. For the record, I...

I remember the first time I heard John MacArthur preach in person. I had listened to his messages and read his books for some time before visiting his church. Romans 8 was his text, which he said was about the eternal security of the believer. I was blown away by the message. I knew many verses from Romans 8. I had not put them together to see the grand truth of the chapter: When God grips you by his grace, he will never let you go.  Romans 8 is arguably the greatest chapter in the Bible. It begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation. Romans...

Samuel Langhorne Clemens – better known by his pen name, Mark Twain – went to church one Sunday. After the service, he told the pastor he had a book at home with every word the pastor preached. The pastor assured him his sermon was original. When Clemens insisted, the pastor asked to see the book. Clemens sent it over the following day. When the pastor unwrapped the parcel, he found a dictionary. Clemens had written in the flyleaf: “Words, just words, just words.”   How many sermons could be described this way? “Words, just words.” So much preaching is “just words” that it has created a conspiracy against preaching.  The...

When I was young, there was a “psychic” whose commercials regularly played on TV. Miss Cleo gave assurances she could reveal your future over the phone. There were clips of phone sessions to prove her assertions. Then she would say in a Jamaican accent, “Call me now!” The caption read: “First 3 minutes of each call free. Must be 18. For Entertainment Only.”  Many make bold predictions about the future. Their prognostications are only useful for entertainment. Jesus is not a part of that list. You can live with confidence in what Jesus says about the future. That’s the message of Mark 13:28-31.  It was Wednesday of Passion Week – Jesus’ last visit to...

In the Fall of 2008, my family and I moved to Jacksonville from Los Angeles. My wife saw this transition coming and was somewhat braced for it. My children were too young to fully understand what was taking place. I was in shock.  I was invited to speak at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church for the first time on Memorial Day weekend, 2008. I was told I was not and would not be a candidate for the church’s pastoral opening. Then, I was asked to speak to the committees. Then, I was asked to speak again more than a month...

Some Christians are fanatical about biblical prophecy. They have an unhealthy fixation with the future, end-times, and Second Coming. It is easy to mock the caricature of the person who goes overboard about prophecy. But those who fit that category are few and far between. There are many more Christians who ignore the subject altogether. They have their heads in the sand, unable or unwilling to look up. The neglect of biblical prophecy is as bad as the abuse of it, maybe worse.  The Old Testament is filled with prophecies of the coming of Christ. Did you know it is also filled with prophecies of his second coming? There are 1,845 predictions of the second coming in the Old Testament. There are 318 references to the second coming in the 260 chapters of...

After Jesus departed the temple in Jerusalem for the last time, a disciple pointed out the remarkable temple complex. Jesus responded by predicting the destruction of the temple. When Jesus stopped on the Mount of Olives, the “inner circle” asked follow-up questions in Mark 13:4: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” The disciples asked two different questions:  A Time Question: “When will these things be?” A Sign Question: “What will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” Verses 5-37 records the Lord’s answer. It is called “The Olivet Discourse.” This is the fullest answerJesus gave to...

It was Wednesday of Passion Week. As Jesus taught in the temple, religious delegations questioned him. They did not desire to learn anything from Jesus. They sought to discredit or accuse him. They failed miserably. As Jesus departed from the temple for the last time, he condemned the religious leaders and commended a poor widow’s offering.  That is where our text picks up the story.  Jesus left the temple to return to Bethany for the night. On the way, the disciples pointed out the gloryand grandeur of Herod’s temple. In response, Jesus predicted the destruction of that magnificent edifice. The inner circle later asked follow-up questions.  When will these things come to pass?  What will be the signs of...