Life is a Battleground

The Christian life is not a children’s playground.

The Christian life is a battleground.

In Philippians 1:27-30 Paul pictures the followers of Jesus as soldiers defending the faith of the Gospel.

The faith of the Gospel is the body of God-given truth that God has given to His followers.

In Jude 1:3 we are exhorted to contend for the faith that had been delivered to the saints.

In 1 Timothy 4:1 Paul warns Timothy that there will come a time when people will depart from following the true faith.

In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul encourages Timothy to teach others the truth that he has been given so that they can pass it on to others.

Why is following the faith of the Gospel so important? The Gospel is truth. What I believe will determine how I live. If I believe a lie, I will live that lie out in my life. If I believe the truth, I will live out that truth in my life.

In this passage Paul shares three essentials for victory in the battle to defend the faith of the Gospel.

Philippians 1:27a

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ

Essential #1: Consistency

The most important weapon against the enemy is not a stirring sermon or a powerful book or great leader. The most important weapon against the enemy is the consistent life of believers.

Paul is basically saying, “Behave the way citizens of God’s kingdom are supposed to behave.”

We as followers of Jesus are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are to live with God’s kingdom as our priority. Our loyalty is to the kingdom above any humanly established authority or entity.

In Ephesians 4:1 we are urged to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.

It is a day-by-day commitment to the Gospel of Jesus.

It is a day-by-day surrender to the will and authority of Jesus.

We do not behave in order to go to heaven. Salvation is by grace through faith. We cannot be saved by works.

We behave because we have been saved. We are God’s people and we are to reflect His character as we live in this world.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living like Jesus so the world can see Jesus.

Philippians 1:27b

So that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel.

Essential #2: Cooperation

We are to stand firm in one spirit.

God wants us to live in unity with other believers.

Romans 15:5-6 says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and one mouth you may give glory and honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are to strive side by side.

The term striving side by side is where we get our term athletics. The church is a team. We experience victory when we as God’s people work together, not against each other.

We need to remember that in Matthew 16 Jesus promises that the gates of hell will not overcome the church. When trying to live out the faith of the Gospel alone, we are in danger of being defeated.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is working together as God’s church and experiencing victory together.

Philippians 1:28-30

And not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Essential #3: Confidence

We are not to be afraid of anybody who opposes us because of our faith in the Gospel.

We are given three reasons why we don’t have to fear.

First, these battles prove that we are saved.

We not only believe in Jesus, but we also get to suffer with Jesus.

Many believe that submitting your life to Jesus means an end to your battles. In reality it means the beginning of new battles.

The truth is that when we are attacked, it means that the enemy is threated by us. We will be in a battle, but Jesus will be with us in that battle.

Second, the presence of conflict is a privilege. It is a privilege because we suffer for the sake of Jesus. The conflict is granted to us. It is a gift, not a burden.

Third, others are experiencing the same conflict.

Satan wants us to think that we are alone in the battle. He wants us to think that our difficulties are unique, but that is not true. He wants to isolate us and pick us off one by one.

Satan has not tempted anyone with a unique temptation.

Satan has not attacked anyone with something no else has been attacked with.

Spiritual conflicts, temptations, or difficulties enable us to grow in our relationship with and dependence on Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing we are in a spiritual battle and depending on the victory that Jesus has already won.

Jesus tells us that in this world, this life, we will have tribulation (stress, affliction, oppression), but we are to take heart because He has overcome the world. Jesus has overcome all the stress, affliction, and oppression you and I will ever face.

In the Battle with Jesus Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                                Joe

Chains, Critics, and Crisis

“May the Lord bless you.” I have said that to many people and I have had many people say that to me. I have come have a new view of what it means for the Lord to bless you.

We see blessings as things that benefit us.

God sees blessings as things that are used in our lives to grow His kingdom.

God many times uses strange tools or blessings to help spread the gospel and grow His kingdom.

In Philippians 1:12-26 Paul shares three tools that enable him to take the gospel to places it could have not gone without these strange blessings.

Philippians 1:12-14

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Paul’s Chains

Paul’s chains accomplished two things:

One, they allowed him to have contact with the lost.

Paul was chained to a Roman guard 24/7. The guards got to hear Paul talk about Jesus all day long, every day. They got to see the passionate love that Paul had for Jesus. They got to learn how God had changed his life.

Paul had contact with a group of people that he would not have had to the level he had it without his chains. 

There are times when God allows “chains” on His people to get them to accomplish an advance in the gospel that could never happen any other way.

Two, they gave courage to the saved.

Paul’s chains encouraged other believers to speak the word of God with more courage and speak fearlessly.

The word speak in this passage doesn’t mean preach. It means everyday conversation. These believers were encouraged to talk about Jesus everyday as they went about their normal activities.

Not everyone is called and gifted to preach, but all can talk about Jesus in their everyday conversation.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting “chains” advance the gospel.

Philippians 1:15-19

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me, while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through the prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  

Paul’s Critics

The church was experiencing contention. There was envy in the church and where there is envy, there is strife.

There was no envy in Paul’s heart. He didn’t care why the gospel of Jesus was preached, as long as it was preached. Paul cared about only one thing – The Gospel.

Paul rejoiced over the fact that the gospel was being shared.

How could he rejoice when there was a group that was trying to make him look bad?  

Two things allow Paul to have the confidence to rejoice:

The prayers of the people

The Spirit of Jesus

Paul knows God will deliver him no matter what the circumstances are or how hard his critics try to discredit him.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being focused on God and His kingdom, not people.

Philippians 2:20-26

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

Paul’s Crisis

Because of Paul’s chains, Jesus was known.

Because of Paul’s critics, Jesus was preached.

Because of Paul’s crisis, Jesus was magnified.

Paul wanted to operate both as a telescope and as a microscope.

Telescopes bring distant things closer. Paul wanted to bring Jesus closer to people.

Microscopes make small things look bigger. Paul wanted to make Jesus look huge.

Paul’s crisis was whether this could be best done present on the earth or in heaven with Jesus. Paul preferred to be with Jesus but came to believe that God wanted him to stay present with the believers.

Paul was not afraid of life or death. Either way, he wanted to glorify Jesus in all he did.

Paul saw death as a departure. The word depart here means to take your tent and move on.

Paul saw life as a temporary assignment. His real home was in heaven with Jesus. While Paul was here on earth, he had one single desire: to honor Jesus by doing God’s will.

Raise the Roof and Remove Walls is, in life or in death, obeying and honoring Jesus.

Whether through chains, critics, or crisis, we are to allow God to use it all to exalt Jesus and spread the gospel.

In Life or in Death, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                              Joe

Love Those for Who You Pray

Paul begins the book of Philippians by praying that God would give the leaders and believers at Philippi grace and peace from the Father and the Son.

Paul uses three thoughts in Philippians 1:1-11 that describe true Christian fellowship.

Philippians 1:3-6

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I Have You in My Mind

Paul has them in his mind because they share as a partner in his work of spreading the gospel.

These believers are a joy to Paul because of their faith in Jesus and their willingness to share with him in the work of gospel.

God has begun a good work in them and in us and He will carry it out or complete it. God does not ever begin something that He does not finish.

These verses can be applied to salvation. Salvation is the first good work that Jesus does in our lives.

Salvation is a threefold work:

The work Jesus does for us – salvation.

The work Jesus does in us – sanctification.

The work Jesus does through us – service.

This work will continue until we see Jesus, and then it will be fulfilled.

This is the real basis for joyful Christian fellowship, to have Jesus at work in our lives day by day.

Paul remembered or had the Philippian believers in his mind.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is keeping our brothers and sisters in our minds.

Philippians 1:7-8

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Keeping other believers in our minds then leads to the second thought.

I Have You in My Heart

Paul loves these Philippian believers and thus has them in his heart.

Love is the “tie that binds.”

Love is the evidence of salvation.

1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brothers.”

The evidence that we love others is:

(1)  We are willing to suffer for others.

In Jesus, love is a verb.

In Jesus, love is not something we work up to but something He does through us.

(2)  We are concerned and care for others.

1John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

(3)  We are willing to forgive others.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Christians who love others, holding them in their hearts, will experience joy.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is holding others in our hearts: suffering for them, serving them, and forgiving them.

Holding others in our minds and in our hearts should move us to the third thought.

Philippians 1:9-11

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise God.

I Have You in My Prayers

There are three aspects of intercession in this prayer.

(1)  A Prayer for Maturity

He prays they will know love.

He prays their love will abound.

He prays they will have spiritual knowledge.

He prays they will have spiritual discernment.

A sure mark of maturity is discerning love.

(2)  A Prayer for Character

The first characteristic that Paul prays for is sincerity.

The word sincerity here means to be tested by sunlight.

The idea is that we as followers of Jesus will be authentic, open, and transparent.

We are to be clear display cases of God’s glory.

(3)  A Prayer for Service

We are to be filled and fruitful.

God wants us filled with His Spirit so we can produce fruit.

What fruit is this passage referring to?

Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

New believers as Jesus tells us in Luke 10:2 that the harvest is ripe and we are to pray for labors.

Good works as described in Colossians 1:10 where we are told to bear fruit in every good work.

Praise as we are told in Hebrews 13:5 is the fruit of our lips.

It is God’s desire that we produce fruit and we can only do that as we stay connected to Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is praying and interceding for others.

Christian fellowship is having you in my mind, having you in my heart, and having you in my prayers. When we have that kind of fellowship we will experience joy.

With Mind, Heart, and Prayer Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                                  Joe

There is Joy!

Joy what is it? It is something that we all desire. It is something that many go to great lengths to find and experience.

The world defines joy as happiness. Happiness is based on happenings. We can be happy one moment and then something happens and we become sad or mad or depressed. It all depends on the circumstances.

Joy as defined by Scripture is a state of being brought about by the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit. It is not based on happenings or circumstances. It is based on the truth of God and the confirmation of that truth by the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 2:10 when the angel appeared to the shepherds he said, “Fear not, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Again in Matthew 2:10, when the wise men saw the star, it says they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

When Jesus came into the world His coming was received with great joy.

When Jesus came into the world His coming was announced with great joy.

According to Galatians 5:22, joy is produced by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The reality of life is that it has a way of beating us down. Life has a way of draining joy from us.

What are the things that can encourage us and renew the joy of the Spirit in us?

The Bible mentions several things that renew and even increase joy in us.

Luke 15:7

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

1. Joy comes when a person repents and enters the Kingdom of God.

For a believer there is no greater joy than to see a person experience salvation, forgiveness, and enter into a relationship with the Father through Jesus.

Luke 24:52

Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

2. Joy comes when we worship Jesus.

Worship means to bow down and honor the king.

Worship is praising Jesus.

Worship is extoling Jesus.

Worship is thanking Jesus.

Worship is adoring Jesus.

Worship is telling Jesus that we love Him.

All of these bring joy to the follower of Jesus.

John 16:24

Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.

3. Joy comes when we pray and Jesus hears and Jesus answers.

Prayer is an awesome privilege based in the relationship we enjoy with the Father through Jesus.

Knowing that when we pray God hears us and that when He hears us, He will answer brings great joy to the heart of the believer.

Romans 15:32

So that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

4. Joy comes when we are refreshed by other believers.

The encouragement and support of fellow believers bring joy to us.

Not only has Jesus brought us into relationship with God, He has also given us a relationship with a family, the church. The church brings joy to the believer.

Philippians 1:25

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for the progress and joy in the faith.

5. Joy comes from our faith in Jesus.

Living a life of trusting Jesus is joyful. When I live life based on my resources, I live based on the finite. When I live life based on Jesus, I live based on the infinite. Living based on trust in the Infinite One produces joy.

Philippians 2:2

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

6. Joy comes from our unity with other believers.

The marks of being disciples of Jesus, according to Jesus, are love and unity.

Experiencing oneness with other believers and working in unity with them produces joy.

Colossians 1:11

Being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy

7. Joy comes as we experience the presence of Jesus.

Jesus is our joy. When we experience the presence of Jesus we are experiencing pure joy. That joy is not a temporary joy, but an eternal joy.

Philemon 1:7

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

8. Joy comes as we experience the love of fellow believers.

The greatest fear that we humans face is the fear that no one will love us.

We as followers of Jesus know that He loves us. He proved it on the cross. But God as our creator knows that we were created to need the love of other human beings. God thus gave us each other as fellow believers, fellow disciples. Joy is produced when we know the love of other believers in our daily life.

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

9. Joy comes when our faith is tested and we pass the test.

Our faith is like the muscles of our body. To grow strong, it has to be tested or exercised.

Joy comes when our faith is exercised and we come through and grow stronger in our trust in Jesus.

2 John 1:4

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

10. Joy comes when we see others walking in obedience to Jesus.

I Corinthians 13 says that agape love rejoices with the truth. When we see others obeying Jesus and walking in His truth, it produces joy in us.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing joy daily because of our relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In Joy Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                      Joe

Prayer, Praise, and Patience

James concludes the book of James by dealing with three things: prayer, praise, and helping others who are struggling spiritually.

James 5:13a

Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray.

Trouble should move us to seek God in prayer.

Trouble is not caused by God, but it is used by Him.

God is not evil and does not tempt anyone with evil.

According to Romans 8:28, God uses everything we turn over to Him for our benefit.

God is loving enough and powerful enough to take all the “bad” stuff in our lives and, yes, even the bad stuff that is our fault, for our good and His glory.

Trouble should not lead us to worry, panic, or hopelessness. It should lead us to prayer.

James 5:14-15

Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

When we are sick, we are to pray. We are to call for reinforcements. We are to call the leaders of the church and they are to pray over the person.

We are to acknowledge the presence and role of the Holy Spirit in healing. The elders are to anoint with oil the one who is sick. Oil is not a magical potion. The oil represents the Holy Spirit. Healing, all healing, comes from the Holy Spirit.

When we have sinned, we are to pray.

We are to confess our sins. Confession means to agree with God. We are to agree with God that what we did or didn’t do is sin and then ask Him to forgive us. When we ask for forgiveness, God forgives. We don’t have to beg for it or convince God to forgive us. We just have to ask.

When we pray in faith, really believing God, He will answer. Again we don’t have to beg. God wants to answer our prayers.

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Followers of Jesus are to be authentic. We are to be honest, not gross, about our sin. When we are honest about our sin it allows others to be honest also. When we pretend we don’t sin we make God a liar, we don’t have fellowship with God, and we hinder others from being honest with God about their sin.

When righteous people, those who have been declared right with God, pray, God powerfully works through their prayers.

No, I don’t totally understand how God uses our prayers. I do know that God has given us tremendous power in prayer.

James 5:17-18

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

James uses the example of Elijah that God has given us regarding prayer.

Elijah, we are told, was an ordinary person just like you and me. He prayed at God’s command and it didn’t rain. He prayed a second time at the command of God and it rained.

The reason it rained is not because of Elijah, but because of God. Elijah was simply obeying God and God did the rest.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about seeking God in prayer.

James 5:13b

Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Praise is:

Celebrating God

Giving Honor to God

Showing Gratitude to God

We praise God for who He is.

God is:

Love

Grace

Mercy

Joy

Peace

Hope

Righteousness

Holiness

Just

Faithful

Sovereign

We are to praise God for all these and the many more things that God is.

We praise God when things are going great.

We praise God when things are going ok.

We praise God when things are bad.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is praising God in every and all circumstances.

James 5:19-20

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

We are to love each other so much that we are willing to risk to help those who are struggling spiritually.

We are not to do that with an attitude of pride, condemnation, or with a judgmental spirit. We are to do it in love.

We are to do it with the same spirit Jesus had when He dealt with the woman who was brought to Him caught in adultery. He could have condemned her because she was guilty of what they were accusing her of. He didn’t! He told her to leave her life of sin after not condemning her.

We are to restore those who have wandered from the truth.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is in love restoring those who have moved away from God’s truth.

Some of the marks of being a follower of Jesus are seeking the Father in prayer, praising God in all circumstances, and loving others enough to risk reaching out to them.

In Prayer and Praise Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

                                                 Joe