Phillips Christmas Give-a-thon Part 2

I’m excited to let you know about the results of the Phillips Christmas Give-a-thon! Around the middle of November I posted this:

“Julie (my wife) and I will give when you give. If you purchase any World Vision gift of any value my wife and I will give $5. If your gift is over $100 we will give $10. We'll contribute up to $500 to World Vision for up to five shares of a Deep Water Well. So, that's fifty of you giving over $100 to World Vision or one hundred of my faithful readers giving any amount to World Vision.”

Then we left the link to the World Vision catalog:

“To be a part of the Phillips Christmas Give-a-thon, just go to the World Vision online catalog by pressing the following link – CATALOG.”

In response, we had two posts on the blog:
Liz “bought a wheel chair” and Peg “bought a goat!” I want to thank both Peg and Liz for their giving spirit! Here’s the interesting part, though. Many others chose to email me privately on both myspace and my Frontline email to let me know that they had purchased something from the catalog. Several of them said that they “didn’t want to lose their reward in heaven!” This came directly from a sermon I preached on November 27th, only a few days after I posted the “Phillips Christmas Give-a-thon” blog. (Here’s the link to listen to the message online: Center part 8. Go about half way down the page until you see a series titled “Center.” Part 8 is the sermon I’m talking about here).

I’m thrilled that many of you decided to give “in secret” in response to the sermon! I also want to clarify though that people like Liz and Peg will receive their heavenly reward as well! The important thing to remember is the motive behind the act! Remember, “God alone search[es] the heart and examine[s] the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10) In other words, those of you who gave in secret will be rewarded just as those of you who gave publicly for the purpose of spurring others on to acts of giving!
In total, nineteen of you purchased something from the catalog. Julie and I didn’t have time to determine how many gave under $100 or over $100 so we gave everyone credit for a purchase of $100 or more. So, we agreed to give $10 for every purchase over $100. The total then is $190. We rounded up to $200 and here’s how we partnered with your donations:

Goat - $75.00
Fishing Kit - $40.00
Hope for Girls Rescued from the Sex Trade - $35.00
Provide $300 Worth of Necessities - $25.00
Maximum Impact Fund - $25.00
TOTAL - $200.00

Thanks again for joining with us to show God’s love to people around the world in a practical and tangible way. Julie and I are looking forward to partnering with you in 2007 to live out our mission of impacting our generation in Washington and around the world with the message of Jesus!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

It's About Time!

Well, my fellow Fronltiners, I've finally succeeded (with the help of several other staff members) at duplicating my entire blog archive from myspace and transferring it to my permanent blog site here. So, for the many of you who have subscribed to my blog from the Frontline website in the past two months and were wondering why you weren't receiving any email blog updates, it's because I'm (at times) technically challenged. But, I'm in the game now and ready for the new year!

If this is your first contact with my blog please do me a favor and post a response to this blog simply saying "I got it!" This will help us to verify that you are all receiving the blog posts and that everything is in working order.

You will also find that there are over fifty archived blogs on many subjects such as tithing, temptation, sin, eternal security, a series of blogs on biblical responses to the book, "The DaVinci Code," and many other topics. So, please feel free to browse the archives. They are separated by months of the year on the bottom of the right column of the blog.

If you have any questions about any of the topics, even in the archives, just write a comment directly to the blog that you have questions about, and I'll receive an email that a comment has been left so that i can respond to it promptly. I don't respond to many of the comments that are left on each post because many times a reader is simply adding to their opinions and/or insights to that particular blog.

Finally, for all of you that are new to blog reading or blog writing, you are welcome to leave comments to other readers who leave comments! Many times a dialogue between two or three people will develop from a blog I've posted and I'm not anywhere in the mix. That's what makes blogs so interactive and challenging.

Please remember to leave a comment if this is the first post you've received form me so we can verify that everything is in working order.

I look forward to impacting our generation in secular Washington with the message of Jesus with you in 2007. Let's work together to change the world for maybe one last time!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Jesus Becomes More to Me Every Day

A couple of years ago I visited what used to be Crenshaw’s Day Camp. It’s closed now but for several decades it was the place to be as a kid in the summer. The camp included about one hundred yards of waterfront on Lake Austin. I attended Crenshaw’s in Austin, Texas (where I grew up) every summer from the time I was six until I was thirteen. This place was heaven for a kid like me who lived in a trailer park with a single mom. Horses, water skiing, archery, riffle shooting ranges, hiking, gymnastics, trampolines, kayaks, canoes, fishing…everything a kid could want to do, this place had it. And, it was HUGE! At least I thought it was until I stepped out of my car that beautiful spring day a few years ago at the age of thirty five.

I parked in front of the old Crenshaw house that marked the official entry into what I always thought of as the “Disney World of Texas.” But, the first thing I noticed was that everything was so….SMALL! I have very clear memories of walking down the HUGE driveway beside the house to get to the locker room where each camper put their towel, sandals, and lunch money. I also remember the ENDLESS sprint from the picnic tables outside of the locker room down to the water front. I figured when I would race my buddies to the water’s edge to be first in line for skiing that we were easily running half a mile, maybe more. I even remember the BIG hill where they built the riffle hut out of cedar poles. The hut was so big that three of us at a time could lock and load our .22 riffles and take aim at the targets way down at the bottom of “bullet valley.”

The HUGE driveway beside the house was now only seven feet from top to bottom. The half mile distance from the locker rooms to the water front was no more then a hundred yards now. Did the shores of Lake Austin erode that much? And the riffle hut…I couldn’t get under the cedar roof of the hut without hunching over and it seemed as though someone had filled in “bullet valley” with dirt because the bottom of the valley was only thirty feet down.

How could everything have possibly shrunk so much! My larger than life memories had been accosted by the reality of a grown man’s sensibilities. What a tragedy, I thought to myself as I began to cry. The only thing that had actually changed was the fact that my eyes were approximately thirty inches higher than they were when I was thirteen years old. How could such a small change in my perspective have such a massive and devastating impact on the way I remembered my “Disney World?”
If only I had chosen not to stop that day. If only I would have driven past the entrance to the camp. Then the grandeur of my memories would still be, well…GRAND! But, they are different now. Life is a little bit smaller, less magical. I lost a tiny bit of the child in me who still fights for survival in the midst of this sinful and decaying world.

For some reason this whole camp experience came to mind a few days ago when I was thinking about Christmas. I thought of another wonderful childhood memory. I remember waiting all day long each December day for my grandmother, who lived next door, to let me open the window of the Christmas calendar she bought me every year. Each day there was a tiny little picture of a Christmas tree or a dove. The best night though was Christmas Eve, when she would let me open two windows; one for Christmas Eve and the last one for Christmas Day. There He would be – the little Christ child lying in a manger. So, small was the picture that I had to look very carefully to see the baby’s face.

As a little boy, I wasn’t a follower of the Christ child. Although I was elated each Christmas to open the final window to see the picture of the Christ child, I had no idea who he really was or what, if anything, he could offer me. But, ironically enough, unlike my camp experience, everything about that little Christ child has grown larger, more immense since I chose to follow the God-man who was symbolized by those half inch pictures on all those Christmas calendars. The great irony is that as the world gets smaller, experiences become less surprising, the wonders of life become, well, less wondrous with age, I can honestly say that Jesus keeps surprising me, inspiring me, becoming larger than life and then larger again! Unlike my memories of camp as a child, Jesus continues to burst on to the scene of my life each new day and his grandeur overshadows the wonderful memories I had of him only the day before. He is more loving, more caring, more giving than I remember.

What an awesome God we serve.

May your experience of Christ this Christmas be more immense, more intense, more breathtaking than the Christmas before.

Consumer Nation

We now live in a nation where police must escort buyers of PS3 game systems from the front door of their local retail store to their vehicles in order to keep someone from robbing them!

We now live in a nation where police and ambulances must be dispatched to various retail stores around the nation because people are literally trampling each other to get the best deals on “Black Friday” (the Friday after Thanksgiving when retailers get out of the red and into the ‘black’ in revenue).

We now live in a world where people wait in line for hours for their favorite store to open at 3AM in order to get first dibs on cashmere sweaters that are normally $49.00 but are on sale for $29.99 until noon.

What in the world is happening to us?

Oh, I almost forgot…we live in a fallen world. But, the extent to which we will succumb to the draw of possessions is truly staggering. We are a nation blinded by greed and it manifests itself in more surprising and disturbing ways each holiday season. As Christians, we are given so many opportunities to shine brightly in a dark and sinful world. But, it seems as though we often miss the most opportune moments to shine and instead we choose these moments to hide our light of hope and selflessness. Not only do we hide, but many times we hide by taking on the form of darkness. In these moments we not only keep others from experiencing the light of Christ but we also give tacit approval of the world’s ways by we ourselves becoming “of the world.”

Christmas is one of those God-given times of the year when we as believers can truly stand out as givers among a people of takers. But, is this what we do? Do we give? “Yeah, Todd…” you might be thinking, “I give many gifts to friends and family during Christmas and I have a credit card bill to prove it.” I don’t have time to delve into all the problems with that one statement but let me suggest that it is the kind of giving that sets us apart from the world. After all, the way of the world is to give and receive gifts in exchanges with friends and family. This is a wonderful tradition but it is not unique to Christian culture in any way. In our time, I’m arguing that the only way to set ourselves apart form the world is to give to those who can return nothing to us; to be aggressively selfless at a time when the rest of the world is acting selfish.

I am fully aware that giving to churches and non-profit organizations increases substantially at the end of each year and many people look for opportunities to give out of their abundance. But, what about the act of giving sacrificially? What about giving out of our limited store of reserves? What about giving without any concern for the tax deduction we will receive? Again, nothing is wrong with giving out of abundance and/or giving with a strategic tax benefit in mind, but I would challenge us all to look for an opportunity this Christmas season to give in the following way:

1. Give to someone who cannot give back.
2. Give anonymously – tell no one but God.
3. Give sacrificially. Give out of the scarcity of your possessions rather than the abundance of your worth. (This is different for everyone, but I promise that you will know when you have given in a truly sacrificial way.)
4. Give purely. Give in a way that you cannot receive a tax benefit from your act of kindness.

Give in all the ways you planned on giving this year but also give in a way that honors the four caveats above. God will get the glory. You will mature in your faith. Others will be blessed by Christ’s love. Give…

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Phillips Christmas Give-a-thon

I know it's early to be talking about Christmas but I have what I think is a wonderful idea. I hope you all feel as strongly as I do about it. Here's the deal...I just received the World Vision Catalog in the mail. World Vision is a Christian organization that helps needy people all over the world in the name of Christ. The catalog shows up every November with a challenge to all World Vision donors - give part of the money you have set aside for buying presents and give a gift to those in greatest need around the world. They give many options: sponsor a child ($30/mo), purchase a wheelchair ($14), share in a deep-water well ($100), goat ($75), and on and on.

So here's my idea. It's really a challenge. Julie (my wife) and I will give when you give. If you purchase any World Vision gift of any value my wife and I will give $5. If your gift is over $100 we will give $10. We'll contribute up to $500 to World Vision for up to five shares of a Deep Water Well. So, that's fifty of you giving over $100 to World Vision or one hundred of my faithful readers giving any amount to World Vision.

Pretty Simple! Christmas is a celebration of God's greatest gift to the world - His Son, Jesus. Let's show the love of Christ in a practical and measurable way by giving to another in need. Will you join us? This challenge is open to any readers or subscribers to my blog. So, if you have friends, co-workers, or family members who may want to get in on this, just let them know how to get to my blog. They can subscribe or just read this blog and join in!

To be a part of the Phillips Christmas Give-athon, just go to the World Vision online catalog by pressing the following link – CATALOG. When you’re done, just leave a comment on this blog, or leave a private comment on my myspace message center that you gave and by what amount. We’ll keep a tally of those who give until December 25th. Then we’ll let you know how many shares of the water well we were able to buy!

Give and be blessed. Then give some more, in Christ’s name! Together, let’s change the world for maybe one last time.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 9 (and other IMPORTANT stuff)

I’ve been back in the states for a little over a week now but I still reflect daily on my experiences in Israel. I taught at Frontline last Sunday night, taught the next night at the Frontline Arlington preview event, and then flew to San Antonio to teach at a young singles event called The Bridge. Without exception, I was bombarded by memories of the places we visited in Israel. Every time I read from a passage I saw in my mind’s eye the very places where these passages were fleshed out in reality.

My wife and I posted seven blogs about our experiences in Israel, but what you may not know is that for every site we included in our blog there were two more sites that we didn’t record! Here’s a list of the sites that we didn’t mention:
- Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee
- Baptisms of many on the trip in the Jordan River where Jesus Himself was baptized
- Mt. Carmel where the prophet Elijah had a showdown with the prophets of the false god, Baal
- A view of the city of Jerusalem form the famous Mount of Olives
- Springs of Gideon (Judges 7)
- Wailing Wall
- Visit to a museum to see the dead Sea Scrolls

I will say it again – GO! Save your money and take the trip! Have this holy experience while you’re young. I’m praying about the possibility of joining the trip next year. If I go again, will you join me?

I need to catch all of my loyal readers up on a few things:

1. I’ve created a monster - one that you all seem to love! Who knew? It all started simply enough. I was exhausted one evening in Israel and asked my wife to post the blog for the day. She, as always, was more than willing to help. Then it happened. The messages began to pour in…”More Julie!” and “Let her write the rest of the blogs!” and “What are the odds of two writers in the family?” So, I’ve asked Julie to pray about writing her own blog and she has agreed to do it! Your prayers have been answered and your demands have been heard . To subscribe to Julie’s blog just click on the following link – Julie’s blog - and enjoy! (If you have any trouble with the hyperlink, just cut and paste the following link into your web browser - blog.myspace.com/ipreacherwife.
2. I’m asking for prayer for a book project I’m working on with LifeWay Publishing. The book is a Bible Study written from the series I did a year ago called “The Least of These.” The due date for the final draft is December 7th and LifeWay will release the book in the spring. The title is “Get Uncomfortable: Serve the Poor. Stop Injustice. Change the World In Jesus’ Name.” My prayer is that this study will compel thousands of young adult to make a difference in their world for Christ. I’ll update you as things develop.
3. Lon Solomon, our senior pastor at McLean Bible Church, is coming to Frontline the first three Sundays in December to teach a three-week series on God’s Will. I’ve heard these messages and believe this will be a very powerful time of learning for all of us. So, keep Frontline on your calendar in December – I promise it will be worth it!

That’s it for now. Remember: save for Israel, sign up for Julie’s blog, pray for my new book project (please), and commit to attending Frontline the entire month of December! That shouldn’t be too hard!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 8

Imagine for a moment...you are standing on the stones of the actual road outside the place where Jesus was held before dragging his cross to Golgotha. The stones you stand on are the very stones that supported the feet of Jesus as he exited the building and forced His beaten and bruised body to the place where He would be crucified. Each stone is covered with small traction groves carved into the rock to help the beasts of burden gain traction on the rocks as they carried materials to market each day.

I stood on those stones outside the Antonio Fortress which was a Roman Garrison at the time of Christ. I could see clearly in my mind’s eye the entire drama unfold that would change everything and everyone for all time. I reached down and swept my hands across the groves in the rock. I pressed my palm against the rock to feel the cold, hard surface. I thought to myself that this would be a moment I would not forget. Just as a man who looses his arm in battle feels the itch of a limb that is no longer there, I can still feel the cold sensation of the rock that I won’t soon touch again.

We left the ancient garrison and found our way through the streets of Old Jerusalem to the famous Pool of Bathesda. John 5 tells us that the “blind, the lame [and] the paralyzed” would come to the waters of the pool because of their healing properties. Once again I was looking at a physical piece of biblical history!

This is where the scene of John 5:1-18 unfolds. Jesus approaches a man who has been an invalid for “thirty eight years.” Jesus asks the man one question, “Do you want to get well?” The man, misunderstanding what Jesus is offering, respond, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. When I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Jesus then commands the man to get up and walk! The man was immediately cured and picked his mat up and walked. The story doesn’t stop there. But, I don’t want to ruin it for you . The entire passage is at this link – John 5:1-18.

More to come…

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 7

Our day started with a bus ride to the East side of the Sea of Galilee directly across the water from our hotel in Tiberius. We stopped at the “Land of the Gerasenes” where Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. God recounts the story in the Fifth chapter of Mark.

Here is the beginning of the story:
1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. (Mark 5:1-5)

As the story continues, Jesus casts the evil spirits out of the man and sends them into a herd of pigs. The herd then runs down the hill into the Sea of Galilee and drown themselves. I have read this account many times and preached on it as well. But, again, I cannot describe how moving it was to stand in the small town, look up on the hillside to see several rock-hewn tombs where the possessed man lived, look to the base of the hill to see a field where the herd of pigs would have grazed, then to finally look down the slope of the land where the herd would have rushed to the sea and drowned themselves (the water was four or five hundred yards from where we were standing).

The story is profound for many reasons, but Lon brought out an important insight for us all. As you read the rest of the story, you read that the townspeople ran to the nearby villages to tell everyone what had happened to the man and “the pigs as well.” (v. 16) Then they all came to Jesus and “began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” (v. 17)

Why would they want the Miracle Worker to leave?
Why would they plead with the man who healed the sickest man in the village to travel out of their entire region?

These people valued their herd of pigs more than the possessed man who lived in the tombs. Instead of praising Jesus for healing the man they desperately wanted him to leave so that they would not loose anymore livestock.

We must learn from the sin of the Gerasenes. We must remind ourselves each day that people are more important than…anything! Core Value #1 at McLean Bible Church is “People matter to God and to us.” Jesus valued people over the rest of creation. Jesus valued us so much he voluntarily died so that we could be reconciled to Him. God made people, only people, in His image. We are all of the greatest value to God – even those – especially those – whom the world finds worthless.

We visited a few other sites on this day including Tel Bethshean which has been excavated back to 2000 BC when it was a Canaanite town. We saw areas of excavation showing when the Israelites occupied the town during the time of King David. Finally, we saw areas that revealed its occupation by Rome during the time of Christ. What a bewildering thing to literally walk through four thousand years of history in less than two hours!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Israel Pictures!

We've posted pictures from the first part of our Israel trip at the link below.
Enjoy!

www.tpisrael.shutterfly.com
password: frontline (case sensitive)

Please excuse all misspellings, etc.

Dream Trip to Israel Part 6

The day started with a drive to Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). Where Elijah ‘fought’ with the 450 prophets of Baal and won! One man with God on his side- defeating 450 men! Elijah knew, as we should – the he and God were a majority! I imagined the entire scene as Lon read the passage. I love the way God’s glory was revealed- read over the story yourself and be reminded of the amazing God we serve.

We then traveled to Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean – absolutely breathtaking! We stood in the stone amphitheater and my first thought was, “Frontline Caesarea!” Hey, why not. If we can use technology to start a church in Arlington…why not Caesarea? Paul was imprisoned in this city for two years.

Apart from the stunning architecture, the most significant thing I saw from a biblical perspective was the “Pontius Pilate Stone.” For centuries there have been people who have said that there is no evidence other than the biblical record that Pontius Pilate ever existed. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea at the time of Christ and Jesus was brought before him just before Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27). But, archeology has once again proven the Bible to be completely accurate! The name of Pontius Pilate was found inscribed in stone at Caesarea! He was in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover Feast when Jesus was arrested but he was stationed in Caesarea by the Romans. Most likely, because the city had been built in a more Roman fashion- with a large amphitheatre, hippodrome (horse racing), and a large port - he was comfortable here. There was also an aqueduct leading to the city, along the Mediterranean coast and it is still standing.

We then went to a place called the Tel Megiddo. This city overlooks the Valley of Megiddo where the battle of Armageddon will take place (Revelation 16). This is the battle that John describes in the book of Revelation between Christ and the Anti-Christ. The valley is a massive expanse of land and I imagined the forces of good and evil crossing from each side of the broad plain preparing to do battle. I’m glad we (believers) know the end of the story – Jesus wins!

Near the end of the day we walked to a point overlooking the town of Nazareth where Jesus lived most of his boyhood life. The city is extremely compact and it was easy to imagine the voices of the villagers in Jesus’ day. I pictured him running around the narrow streets with his ‘crew’ after working with Joseph, his earthly father. We stood and watched as the sun set behind the small town – its lights beginning to show through the windows of the buildings. Surreal.

It’s hard to believe that the past few days are just the beginning of what we are to see. I can honestly say that if the trip were over this moment we have seen enough to justify the expense. But, the fact remains that the trip has only just begun! We can look forward to seeing all of Jerusalem – the garden Tomb where Jesus was buried, the rocks that were part of the Great Temple of God that was destroyed in 70 AD, the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before he was arrested, the East Gate where tradition holds that Jesus will reenter Jerusalem when He comes again – so much yet to see!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 5

My efforts to absorb all that I’ve seen in the last few days have been futile. There is simply too much information and too many sites, all of which are astoundingly significant from a biblical perspective. I feel as if I have been studying the Bible for the past twelve years in brail until the past few days. Like Paul, the scales have fallen from my eyes and now I have SEEN what I have only read about in the Scriptures. My hands have touched what Jesus himself spoke about during His ministry.

For example, Lon (our senior pastor) preached at or very close to the site that Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew 5-7. Just before he preaches the Book of Matthew records that “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” (Matthew 4:25) As we are sitting there overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Lon points out over the waters and explains that most of the disciples lived around this northern section of the Sea of Galilee. The towns around the area were called the Decapolis because there were ten towns (“Deca” means “ten” and “polis” means city). These ten towns, the Decapolis, are mentioned right in the Scriptures and several of the towns were just across the less than eight mile expanse of the Sea of Galilee (this body of water is only thirty miles long and eight miles wide)! I began to imagine thousands of people walking around the northern bend of the sea from around this body of water and also coming up the ancient roads from Jerusalem in the south to hear Jesus preach. I imagined them sitting down all over the hillside around Jesus as He spoke Truth to them. Everything was so different than I imagined. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), powerful if only read from the pages of the Bible, will now never be the same for me. For the rest of my life I will have with me the memory of the smell of the air, the calmness of the waters, and the skyline behind Jesus as He spoke His words right there at the shores of Galilee.

We also visited Capernaum, which Jesus made His headquarters during His three year ministry. The most impressive story in the Scriptures with Capernaum as its backdrop is found in Luke 7: 1-10. I will share the first few verses with you:
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
As utterly unbelievable as it was, we listened to Lon read form Luke 7 while we stood inside the very synagogue that this passage says the Centurion built! This man must have been a much admired man - a Roman soldier who helped build a synagogue? A Roman, who had Jewish leaders intercede on his behalf? A Gentile soldier whose faith was so strong as to believe that whatever Jesus commanded would be done. He trusted Jesus implicitly. He knew that Jesus spoke with authority. He didn’t question. Jesus, himself was amazed at this man’s faith. Jesus continues to look for faith-filled people. If only we all had the faith of the Centurion. The wonderful truth is that we can! We simply need to allow God to…be GOD. There was a plaque at the first church we went to that sums up my point:
“The deeds and miracles of Jesus are not actions of the past. Jesus is waiting for those still prepared to take risks at his word because they trust his power utterly.”
What risks is God asking you to take based on the truth laid out in His word? If you want to grow your faith- then grow your understanding and knowledge of God through Scripture. I urge you to read and reflect upon the story of this faithful Centurion from Luke 7 and I close this post with a quote from Lon, “It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers His Helper is omnipotent.”

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 4

My wife and I are sharing time journaling and blogging for the Israel posts. Julie had some thoughtful insights that I've posted below:

"My first experience to really enjoy this trip occurred at the very beginning. Our bus pulled up to a church marking the place (within 50-100 yards or so) where a resurrected Jesus joined a few of his disciples for a fish lunch after instructing them towards a miraculous catch of fish (see John 21) on the Sea of Galilee. Lon gave a short sermonette that reminded us of the unconditional love our Savior has for us- Remember, Peter had denied Christ just before his death and yet Christ made a point to come to him after resurrection. We sat in a small amphitheatre and listened to the Sea of Galilee in the background. Between my own memories of how Jesus has loved me over the years, and the sound of the waves- I felt peace and connection. Todd and I then walked down to the shore and picked up a few rocks for our children. Seeing the Sea of Galilee is really amazing! What an understatement. I mean so much of Jesus' ministry was spent around this area, so many life lessons were taught from this natural stage created by His father in Heaven. The sounds and sights will stay with me even as I return home.

We also visited the supposed site where Jesus performed the multiplication (loaves of bread and fish) miracle. The mosaic that documents that miracle is absolutely beautiful in a simple way. It exemplifies the miracle to me. It is a story that I have known since a small child- a simple concept with a BIG lesson- give what you have to God- willingly and obediently and see what God can do with it! Everywhere we go, I am drawn to the souvenirs of anything with this mosaic on it. We haven't bought anything yet, Todd keeps reminding me that souvenirs are like oxygen- they are everywhere! BUT….I guarantee I will come home with something that has the mosaic of the basket and two fish- because without faith, it is impossible to please him and he rewards those who seek him- nothing is impossible for our God! A basic truth I can apply to every aspect of my life.

We have seen many things already in such a short time and we travel from place to place on a large bus. I find myself thinking, "Why is this rocky terrain called the Promised Land? What is so special about Israel? What are my children doing? Etc." And then, I step from the bus and find myself in a land that just feels good standing there. The cool breezes, the many hills that have cities on them, everywhere you look; there is a mountain where God's glory was revealed in some way. I feel close to my Savior and when I read passages I have read many times, I gain a perspective I never realized I lacked. I am working to keep those reminders in my heart and to not let the gagging exhaust from the bus, the crowds, or commercial aspects challenge my experience with Christ.

That is true at home as well. Many days I allow the 'gagging exhaust' of my daily life to overpower what I know to be true. I allow circumstances to come between my Savior and me. I long to follow him with a servant's heart at all times- to step out in faith, to throw my net in the path he is directing so I can be a part of his miracles. To give him the little I have so that it can be multiplied for His glory.

Jesus. My Jesus. Your Jesus. There is just something about that name, that person. And I am seeing it all around me. I don't have to be in Israel to experience it- but what a wonderful backdrop to be refreshed and refilled."

Isn't my wife a great writer!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips (but, mostly Julie today)
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 3

As I write this I’m certain that many of you are like me. I’m the kind of person that has to experience something myself for it to mean anything to me. So, for example, when I read the plethora of background material we received in the mail to prepare us for our trip to Israel I skimmed over it and said to myself, “None of this can possibly prepare me for actually being there…standing where Jesus stood, walking where Peter walked, touching the stone that marks the traditional site where the resurrected Jesus fixed a meal of fish for his disciples. I was right of course (and so are you if, as I said, you are anything like me). Nothing can prepare you for the experiences of a trip to the Holy Land. Yet, I’m compelled to write because I believe that a few of you will read these posts, learn of the many wondrous experiences that await the man or woman who would dare to allow themselves such a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you’ll dive in with both feet - especially if you’re young!

I’m convinced the best time to take a trip to Israel is when you’re young (16-40 years old). I say all this because the days are long, we walk a good amount of the time to reach the sites, and there is little time for rest. Most of the people in our group are over fifty. Of the one hundred and seventy tourists with our group only around thirty are below the age of forty. Often, young people will excuse themselves from adventures like these claiming they can’t afford it. Now, as true as that may be for some, others of you only need to make the decision to take the trip and commit to saving the money.

More often though young people make decisions on the assumption that there will always be another opportunity. Then we wake up and we’re fifty or sixty years old and we can easily afford the trip but we find it’s not as easy to get out of bed as it once was. The hours we spend in the bus hurts our backs and the food isn’t so kind to our stomachs. You can never buy time nor can you borrow a single minute. When it is spent, it’s spent. No going back.

So, as you read these posts ask yourself, 1) “Would I grow in my relationship with God by experiencing these places? If you answered ‘yes,’ then the next question should be, 2) “Is it possible for me to cover the cost of next year’s trip or can I start now to save a few hundred dollars (or less) a month to take the trip in 2008? If you answer ‘yes’ to either of these options then prayerfully consider that their may not be another trip, there may not be a better time, and you’re not getting any younger!

As Lon, our senior pastor says, “Not a sermon, just a thought.”

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 2

Rarely am I speechless (and I'm not now either…but close). The plane ride was uneventful. I was able to coax my body into a few hours of sleep. We arrived on time in Tel Aviv. Nothing worthy of the blogosphere presented itself until I presented my passport to the young, very focused lady at the immigration booth. Seven people had checked my passport before this young woman took it from my hands and she was the only one to take the time to look carefully at each well-stamped page. I listened closely as she mumbled,

"Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia…"

She then looked with intent into my eyes,

"What business did you have in the Islamic Republic of Iran?"

I hadn't set foot on Iranian soil in six years. I had forgotten that Israel and Iran weren't the best of friends (how could that have possibly slipped my mind). Back in 2000 I was invited to join a team of business men, ministers, researchers, and a Navy Seal. Our purpose was to investigate a theory that Noah's Ark might have actually landed on ore near Mt Sabalon, the highest mountain in Northern Iran. (The trip is actually chronicled in a book called "In Search of Noah's Ark" by Bob Cornuke. Back then, before 911, we still needed special permission to enter Iran as US citizens and we were given specific instructions that no person on our team who had an Israeli entry stamp in their passport would be permitted to enter Iran – period! Several of the members of our team were forced to "misplace" their Israeli-stamped passports and have a new passport issued in order to join the team.

I had never entered the country of Israel by that point so I was good to go. But it didn't dawn on me that Israel might return the favor and not allow entry into Israel if someone had an Iranian Visa in their passport.

So, this young Israeli security officer is looking at me and asking what I was doing in Iran in 2000 and I found myself in a bit of a dilemma. If you've heard me speak or read my blogs you know that I love telling stories and no one had asked me about my great and dangerous adventure in Iran searching for Noah's Ark in years! So, everything in me wanted to respond, "Well officer, have you heard of Noah's Ark?"

About that time Julie, my wife, had just received her entry permit from another agent and walked over to catch the last few moments of my conversation with this young woman. Just as I was about to tell this young lady about my adventures in Iran, I caught Julie's eye and she said quickly,

"How's it going?"

"Fine honey! This young lady was just asking about my time in Iran."

I opted for the quick and easy answer remembering that everything (smart or stupid) that I chose to do or say affected my wife.

"I'm a pastor. I was there doing ministry."

The agent looked at Julie, "Are you with him?" and grabbed Julie's passport from her hand. She picked up the phone and in less than a minute an older, more focused female kindly offered to escort me to another area. Julie shouted to the new agent,

"Can I come with him?"

She motioned for Julie to follow us. When we arrived outside a small office she took both passports with her and asked us to remain where we were as she disappeared behind a door. A short time later she asked again if Julie was with me (I assume because Julie's passport was less than three weeks old and had no marks of any kind from any country, friendly or otherwise to Israel. She let us go, we picked up our luggage, walked out with our one hundred and seventy strong tourist group and boarded the buses.

Here's where I am unable to wrap my mind around what I saw in the ninety minute bus ride to the hotel in Tiberia on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In less than two hours we saw Tel Megiddo where Revelation places the battle at the End of Days or Armageddon (Read Revelation 16). Shortly thereafter our tour guide Dan motioned out the left windows of the bus showing us the Mount of Transfiguration (Read Matthew 17) and in what seemed only a few short moments later the bus was stopped at a scenic overlook where we were able to take pictures of the Sea of Galilee…in LESS THAN TWO HOURS. I can only imagine what tomorrow will be like.

Until then…
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Dream Trip to Israel Part 1.5

Oh, the Love


So....I go on myspace to read my husband's current posted blog and what do I find? A public announcement of all my fears, etc.? Oh- where is the love?

He is correct on many fronts. I am concerned about us both going overseas while our children are so young. Our youngest is only three, I feel there is so much I still have to give and the 'what ifs' do get me sometimes. But...there is also the overwhelming getting ready stuff... And, I was going to go for my COLLEGE graduation but my car died- I didn't have a wreck (that time anyway) so I needed a downpayment for another car.

Plus- I am the resident homebody and Todd is the world traveler. I mean, there has to be balance in a marriage right? I dream of the time when I will go to Africa, to Ireland, and to Greece. I long to see the ancient ruins, castles, and land I read about in multiple books. I look forward to our family ministering to other families in third world countries. I hear about other families and I am struck with admiration mixed with disbelief about all they are doing for the glory of God.

I cling to the verses in Ecclesiates about there being a time for everything, knowing that our time will come. Especially in light of the heart my husband has and instills in our children.

Marriage is interesting. The whole becoming 'one' can be difficult in many ways. You take on the other's struggles, joys, fears, and desires. Sometimes that is easy and at other points you struggle to find a way to meet your spouse half-way. This is one of those times for me.

It also happened after the birth of our first child. My parents called me and told me that they were coming to our house to stay with Parker (who was about 2 months old) so that I could remember that I was a wife first, and a mother second. Todd and I went and had an overnight date. At first, I was angry- but Todd was so excited I recognized the truth in what they were sharing from their own experiences. We had a great time and I came home refreshed- able to be a much better wife and mother.

This is another one of those times, I feel like I am being pushed out of my nest- forced to do something I am not sure I am ready for- but I know in my heart it is time.

Time to broaden my perspectives, to go beyond my comfort zone, to release my stubbornness and to embrace what God plans on showing me.

These feelings can come at any time for any of us. We become so comfortable that we begin to think we are righteous in our own thoughts. Justification is powerful.

What are you missing that God has planned for you? What fears are you holding on to? What perceived righteousness do you need to let God reshape?

This will probably be my only blog- I sneaked it in...

Blessings to you,

Julie

Dream Trip to Israel part 1

Israel! I’m going to Israel! I've been blessed to travel all over the world but I've seldom been more excited than I’ve been over the past few days as I've been making final preparations for my trip to Israel with my wife! We leave this coming Monday, October 23rd. I’ve been waiting almost since the day I began my relationship with Jesus to go to ‘The Holy land.” Now, the experience is only days away.

My wife, on the other hand, is a bit less enthusiastic. It’s not that she doesn’t want to go. In fact, her parents were going to send her to Israel for her high school graduation but she wrecked her car at just the right (or wrong) time and much of the graduation trip money had to go to cover repairs. So, she’s been waiting over ten years to take this trip. Her excitement is tempered by the idea that we might both die on the trip in some tragic accident and our kids would be left without their parents. This kind of reaction is normal for parents but we can’t allow ourselves to live in (or make choices based on) this kind of fear. Julie, my wife, understands all this intellectually but she is still working through the emotional side of it all. Add to these thoughts the fact that this will be her first trip overseas and she taking a big step. My first trip overseas was to London with my father in the late nineties so it’s been a while since I’ve experienced the mixture of excitement and uncertainty that comes with such a trip.

Julie and I also have certain members of our family and friends who feel it their duty to email us articles of recent car bombings and terrorist attacks that have happened within five hundred miles of our planned destinations. This has been happening to me over the past ten years or so since I began frequently traveling overseas but my wife hasn’t had the pleasure of receiving these kinds of emails until now. I often thanks my friends and family for their concern and then email them an article of the number of recent murders in their own state and this seems to lessen the frequency of the concerning correspondence.

I digress.

The point of my post was not to ask you to pray for my wife (which I’d really appreciate) nor to make light of my friends and family who think we’re less than intelligent for going to “war-ravaged” Israel (although I enjoyed it so much) but to let you know that I’ll be blogging regularly starting Monday about the experiences of our trip. I hope you will all take the time to read my posts because it’s my prayer that you would be encouraged to consider taking a trip to Israel yourself in the near future.

Until my next post…
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Temptation and Sin Part 4

We live in a world and in a state of being created by God where we have a choice…a choice to live in the spirit or to live in the flesh. Each new day (each moment for the matter) affords us the opportunity to abide in Christ and live according to the spirit or to rebel and live according to our own desires. The results of each are made plain in Galatians 5:16-26:
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The same Paul who wrote Romans 7 and 8 (from my last post) is the one who helps us understand that we ultimately have two options: live by the spirit daily or live by the flesh daily. Each choice has its own clear and distinct set of evidences as described in the passage above.

SO, what have we learned? How do we deal with temptation and sin? From my posts and the response of many brothers and sisters in the faith we’ve been reminded of some valuable truths:
1.Connecting to a community of believers at an intimate level is essential for victory over temptation. We aren’t meant to battle temptation in isolation.
2.Studying and meditating on the Word of God, allowing God’s Truth to “renew our minds” is also vital.
3.The battle against temptation is a daily, even moment by moment, battle that even the heroes of the faith like Paul battled with daily. But, we chose daily to gratify our own desires or submit to the spirit of God and experience the results of such a choice – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control

So, if you are now struggling with a specific temptation and cannot seem to find your way to purity of mind and deed, then ask yourself which of the three truths above are missing in your life…then pursue that truth with vigor. Christ promises that he will not give us anything that we, under the direction of the spirit, cannot handle. He has given us the Spirit to empower us to live lives of righteousness.

Keep fighting the good fight!
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Temptation and Sin Part 3

Paul (a subscriber to my blog and a Frontliner) said,
“C.G. Jung once observed that modern psychotherapy arose partly in response to the void in Christian community left by the Protestant insistence on private confession. We no longer struggle together with our deepest concerns and our most internal battles. Religon, we often hear, is a personal matter between us and God, where we keep our distance from others and relate openly with God. One difficulty with that philosophy is that we end up being less honest with him as well.”
One answer to the question of why we continue in temptation and sin lies in the very fact (as Paul said above) that we have debilitated ourselves by negating true biblical community from our lives. We are meant to “bear one another’s burdens” which we cannot do if we don’t know each other at a deep level. The “one another” passages in the New Testament are numerous and a study of these passages by any believer, especially North American Christ-followers, would be a rich, rewarding and challenging experience.

The other reason we deal with temptation is well explained by Paul (the one in the Bible) when he describes his own battle with temptation and sin:

Romans 7:14-8:17:
14 “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. 12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

So, the balls back in your court. Besides our individualized form of Christianity destroying our ability to be the community of faith God called us to be, what is Paul telling us in this passage about our struggle with sin?

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Temptation and Sin Part 2

Temptation and Sin Part 2

Where do we all go from here? Many of us publicly (and many more privately) confessed the temptations and sins in our lives and although a few topped the charts – lust, anger, greed – many others were mentioned as well. Let’s see if I can give us a refresher list of our collective “sins of choice” – sex, money, power, ignoring the Holy Spirit’s direction, fear, lust, laziness (I like the word “sloth” but I’m not sure why), stubbornness, making television our god, lack of trust in God, lust, ingratitude, covetousness, lust, giving while expecting nothing in return, and I believe someone mentioned lust.

As I review the list (and this is a short list of the much larger list of ‘private’ messages I received and respecting their desire for privacy have not included their lists) I’m beginning to get a little depressed. But wait – God promises that he did not “give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love and of self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7) From my first post, God also reminds us:

Remember – “No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13a) God reminds us here that none of us have invented a terrible new sin. Sin has been with us since the fall and those around you wherever you are reading this right now all struggle with sin – maybe even the same ones you struggle with. But God encourages us when he says, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13b)

From all this then, we can surmise that we should be emboldened by our faith, self-controlled and confident in the fact that we can escape any and all temptation by a God-ordained gift of a timely and obvious escape route…but, if that’s the case why are we all having such a hard time?

As I always do I’m going to get around to the answer but I don’t want us to miss the opportunity to think theologically about a very practical matter. So, here’s the question for the day – if God’s truth (i.e. the passages I refer to in this post) is in fact true, then why all the temptation…why do we all struggle?

Comment away!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Temptation and Sin Part 1

We just completed a church-wide survey of everyone who attended Frontline this past Sunday. We do this about once every five years to get a clearer picture of who we are as a community of faith and how we can better impact our generation in Washington D.C. (and around the world) with the message of Jesus. I’ve only been involved in this kind of broad study a few times before. I’ve learned though that you will invariably miss some huge area of interest by not including some vitally important question in the survey. This time was no different.

So, although what we’re about to do together with this blog may not be “statistically sound” I’d like to ask my loyal readers some questions over the next few posts. This first one is a big one so I’m going to give you a few options on how to respond. The question is this:

What are the top three temptations/sins in your life or in the lives of your co-workers or friends...and, how do these temptations/sins manifest themselves? (Notice how I’ve given everybody an “out” for everyone who would never put their dirty laundry in print).

It’s often said that most sin is some distortion of God’s plan for money, sex, and power. I’d like to get more practical answers than these. For example, one of my greatest sins is anger but only in certain environments. It manifests itself to the greatest degree when I’m driving. This may seem silly to some but driving is a daily struggle for me and, although God has done a great deal to lessen my frustration on the road, I still pray every day for His strength to honor those on the road with me and keep us all safe. I believe this issue in my life is a struggle for power in its purest sense. So, it does fit one of the “money, sex, power categories, but it manifests itself primarily in one particular activity.

I’m fully aware that some of you are thinking, “Woe, Todd….how brave and open can you get! You really opened yourself up there with your driving problems. I thought we were getting down to the big, hairy stuff in our lives that no one likes to talk about and you offered up driving?!” Please remember a sin or temptation that seems trivial to one person can be debilitating to another. I’ll go more into how God has used the issue of my anger and impatience on the road to mold me and refine me, but for now let’s get the ball rolling on the question itself. So, what are they? What are those temptations/sins in your life or the lives of your friends and how do they manifest themselves?
If you aren’t comfortable writing about your own issues or even about issues that other anonymous people in your life deal with via the blog then please message me directly here on my space. But, please consider leaving a post on this blog so we can create some dialogue about the subjects. Remember – “No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13a) God reminds us here that none of us have invented a terrible new sin. Sin has been with us since the fall and those around you wherever you are reading this right now all struggle with sin – maybe even the same ones you struggle with. But God encourages us when he says, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13b)
We’ll get to God’s faithfulness and provision as we work through this subject of sin together but let’s start with looking at our lives and the lives of those around us and identifying the struggles that are common to all men.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Another Powerful Move of God Part 2

More on Frontline Arlington…

I read from Matthew 9:36-38 at the beginning of my message Monday night in Arlington at our first worship service in our new campus. Matthew tells us that Jesus is looking at the crowd around him and “[Jesus] had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord or the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” I explained that the harvest is huge in Arlington and that the workers are few, but he has now called 400 of his workers into the harvest field to work the harvest that is to come. God has brought is together for such a time as this.

The only thing standing between the harvesters and the harvest is a word that gets very little use in our culture today – compassion. Jesus had compassion on the crowd. We tend to feel frustration, anger, and apathy toward the masses around us in our busy lives rather than compassion. Compassion is the seed of evangelism. Compassion is the seed of hope. We must pray that God give us compassion for those around us, especially those who bring out more negative emotions in us. What might happen if thousands of young adults who regularly attend Frontline on Sunday and Monday nights were to start each day with prayer to God for the vary same compassion Jesus possessed for the world around Him? How great would our impact be?

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Another Powerful Move of God!

There are few times in my Christian life that I have experienced a move of God in ministry that changed me at my core as a man of God. I liken what I’m about to describe to the birth of a child or marriage or being surprised as my all of my senses are brought to a point of pure delight as I stand outside on the perfect autumn day. In a spiritual sense, I have only experienced this kind of overt move of God in ministry on a few special occasions. My first experience in ministry was standing before a crowd of fifty three young people when I began an evangelistic outreach in Austin, Texas called Austin Metro. The sense of God’s presence that evening was palpable, inescapable. This experienced was however eclipsed four years later when I and a team of twelve young adults completed an eight month prayer vigil. Our vigil ended by opening the first evangelistic event in San Antonio, Texas called San Antonio Metro. Nearly three hundred people crowded into a chapel with no more than two hundred seats. People stood twelve deep at the doors and dozens sat on the stage itself as I taught. God moved in that ministry purely as a result of the prayer of twelve faithful Christ followers. Both ministries grew to a weekly attendance of over a thousand and when all was said and done God used these ministries to share the Gospel to over ten thousand young adults. But, it was the sense of God’s presence on that first day that can never be duplicated. It was as though God was blessing each believer in the room with an extra measure of joy for trusting Him enough to leap into the unknown, to take risks for God.

This same kind of God-given experience of all-encompassing joy manifested itself for a third time in my own life just two days ago on Monday Night, September 18th, 2006. The entire staff of Frontline and over sixty volunteers took a monumental leap of faith to start a new Frontline campus new campus right in the middle of Arlington. We rented out the Rosslyn Spectrum, a theater owned by the county just two blocks from the busiest Metro station in D.C., the Rosslyn Station. I knew from experience that these first events are special beyond description and that God also tends to make Himself manifest in these places of faithful action – he did not disappoint us. The feeling of God’s presence was thick in the air. There was a sense of expectation in each of the more than four hundred who attended the worship event. The four hundred seats were filled and many were in overflow. Cries of “Amen” rose from the crowd during the time of worship. Every voice sang with boldness and unity to God. The fellowship that I experienced could only be attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit. Everyone there experienced the birth of a new work of God and I believe each will remember being a witness to that special move of God for years to come.

So, what’s next for Frontline Arlington? This recent event was the first of three monthly events that we will host before the official kickoff of the campus on Monday, January 22nd, 2007. The next event is October 16th at 7:30, again at the Rosslyn Spectrum. Answers to any questions you may have are available at www.frontlinearlington.com. If you were unable to make the first event and you live in the Arlington area or close to a Metro station, consider joining us for the October 16th event. Above all, pray. Pray for God to continue to use us to impact our generation in secular Washington with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that everyone in the Arlington area would come into a saving relationship with Jesus. Remember, we the church have been called by God Himself to be the agents of change for the world. May we rise to the occasion.

Question for the day - What kind of experiences have you had in ministry where God made Himself known at an unprecidented level in your life?


Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

The Astonishing Significance of Baptism

I baptized my son, Parker, this past Sunday at Frontline (www.frontloine.to)! It was a surreal experience. Everything happened so fast...I remember it all...but I even remember it in fast forward. So, many emotions have flooded me over the past several days - joy, peace, astonishment, wonder, gratitude - all because my oldest child has taken his first step of obedience to God's command and made a conscious choice to be baptized as a Christ-follower.
He became a believer in February of 2005. My wife and I had the privilege of leading him to Christ right before bedtime the night of February 9th. He has grown in profound ways over the past year and I thank God daily for saving my son. I find it unimaginable that my only son, who is becoming such a good friend to me as he grows, is also my brother-in-Christ!
When I got home from Frontline last Sunday night Parker was still awake. My wife, Julie, said that he didn't want to go to bed until he and I could talk. So, just a few hours after he was baptized, I walked up to his room opened the door and climbed into bed with him. He was wide awake and he was truly giddy with joy. He couldn't stop smiling and his cheeks were red. I said with a smile, "Parker, what's up?" He looked at me and gave me a big hug and said, “You baptized me! I feel clean.” “Son, you understand that baptism is a symbol…” He interrupted, “Yeah, Dad, I know it’s a symbol of what God has already done in my heart through Jesus. But, I still feel clean!” We talked for a few more minutes, prayed, and I tucked him in for the night.
I thought a lot about my son’s words and the incredibly powerful symbol baptism is for us who believe. I am convinced that it wasn’t until a few months ago when Parker and I began to talk about the meaning of baptism and exactly what it symbolizes that Parker began to truly understand the concept that “the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The act of being baptized gave Parker a concrete picture of the death of his old self and his birth as a new creation in Christ.
Not only has he come to understand to a much greater degree the significance of his new life in Christ through the act of baptism, he has also become much more aware of his opportunity and his ability to share his faith with others through this same symbol of baptism. I explained to him weeks before that one of the greatest opportunities any believer has to proclaim his faith is through the very public celebration of baptism. I explained that there would likely be dozens if not hundreds of people who don’t know Jesus in the crowd watching him be baptized. I told him that God may even use his baptism to lead other people to faith in Jesus. For Parker, I believe the potential for others to know God through something he was doing was as much a catalyst for his decision to be baptized as was the opportunity to obey Jesus’ command. All of this growth, wisdom, and joy from the symbol of baptism!
After all of this, would you believe that my middle daughter, Katherine, came up to Parker and I just as we sat down after his baptism and asked, “Can I meet Jesus and be baptized?” Parker experienced right then and there the evangelistic potential of baptism in the request of his own sister. He has since then explained to Katherine (numerous times) what it means to be forgiven by Jesus and ask him to lead her life. So, Parker at the age of seven may very well have his first opportunity to lead someone to Christ – his own sister.
Filled with joy –
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Pride Comes Before a Fall!

I’m back! You’re probably thinking… “Where’d you go, Todd?” or “I didn’t know you were gone.” Well, I was gone. I was on a two and a half week vacation in Austin, Texas and I loved every minute of it. Some of you will be happy to know that I actually got some sun while I was in Austin. So, now I’ve gone from a pasty white color to more of a slightly less than pasty white color! Exciting, I know.

My brother-in-law, Grant, and I were talking one evening while watching Jeopardy. On the final Jeopardy question the answer was, “What is the “Arctic Circle?”?” Grant laughed out loud at one of the contestants because the contestant spelled “Arctic” wrong. The contestant spelled it “Artic.” Grant, said, “Can you believe that this guy’s on Jeopardy and he can’t even spell “Arctic?” I responded, “Grant, maybe he’s nervous…maybe he just didn’t think through it.” Grant kept pushing the point, “Todd, come on. The guy’s on a show for really smart people and he left the “C-H” out of “Archtic!” How embarrassing is that?”

That particular moment had to be one of the greatest examples of irony and misplaced pride I could remember. I looked at Grant, “Grant, are you kidding?” “What?” he asked. “Grant, spell “Arctic” for me.” ““A-R-C-H-T-I-C.”” “Grant, “Arctic” is spelled “A-R-C-T-I-C.” There’s no “H” in the word.” Undaunted, Grant, refused to feel the full weight of his imminent embarrassment, headed straight for the computer and said, “We’ll see who’s right.” He proceeded to look up the word on dictionary.com. He turned around with a big smile revealing his embarrassment. “Well, nothing like a humiliating experience to put me in my place.”

I thought a while about the whole episode. Only one thing came to me after my reflection - pride certainly comes before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18). Simple enough.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)

Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Last Chapter of Colossians and a Reminder!

The Final Chapter of Colossians

I'm so sorry. Many of you are reading Colossians with me via my postings and have emailed me saying that you appreciate these additions to the blogs. You certainly shouldn't feel required to read these additioons, but for some of you it is a good way to stay in the Word.
(If you're not reading along in Colossians but want an important reminder for Frontline, please scroll to the bottom of this blog!)

So, here is the final installment for Colossians:
Chapter 4
1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. 10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus: See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord. 18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

REMINDER:
This is a quick reminder to all of you who attend Frontline: Our biggest initiate to date as a Frontline community will be announced this Sunday at our 5:30 and 7:30PM services. I'm asking that all regular Frontline attendees be there for this announcement. I truly believe that God is moving our ministry in an exciting and challenging direction in the coming months and I want all of you to be there for message this Sunday night! If you are unable to attend or if you subscribe to my blog from somewhere else around the world (as many of you do who are in the military but consider Frontline your church home) and would like to hear the message, just go to www.frontline.to next week and we'll post it just as we do each of the weekly messages. It will be titled "Making and Impact."

I'm asking all of you to pray for this message to be exactly what God wants to express to our church family and that we would all catch this incredible vision! See you there!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)

Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

The Truth About Tithing Part 3

Our subject is tithing. This will be the third and final post on this subject and I feel confident I can answer the questions I closed with on my last post: How much do I give? Where do I give? Are there any guidelines in the Bible for a specific amount now that we’re under the New Covenant? Are there any guidelines in the Bible for where to give my money? What’s wrong with me NOT giving?

We’ll start with how much and where do I give. Under the new covenant in Jesus we are no longer told how much to give or commanded to give it to a specific place. However, if we look at where money was given throughout the New Testament we find three places: the local congregation, missionaries (like Paul), and the poor. I’ve already explained in the past two blogs on this subject that we are now to give “what we’ve decided in our hearts to give.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) We are to do this rather than give 10% “under compulsion” as we were directed to do in the Old Testament. So, the amount we give should be decided in prayer with God. The place we give should now be decided in the same fashion! Our prayer life becomes paramount to our ability to rightly give to and for the purposes of God.

When deciding where to give however, our local congregation should be seen as a primary recipient of our giving for several reasons. The most important reason we should give to our local congregation is that God has called each one of us to a specific local community of believers to fulfill His vision through that community. Much of our time, talents, and moneys should be poured out for that vision. We are also called to give money to missionaries and to the needy. We should look carefully at how our local congregation is giving to missionaries and to the poor before giving to other Christian organizations simply because our local community may very well be giving and serving missionaries and the poor.

Finally, we may feel that God is directing us to give to a needy family member or a specific missionary that is not supported by our local community of faith. These acts of giving, if done as a result of prayerful appeal to God and direction from God, are acts of giving that are done in Christ’s name and adhere fully to the New Testament concept of giving.

So, for example, a Christ follower may pray diligently to God for direction about how much and where to give. The person may then feel led to give $500 in a given month to his or her local congregation, sponsor three children through World Vision ($105/mo), pay his or her cousins electricity bill ($120/mo) and support a friend who is going into full time international mission work ($400/mo). All of this money comes out of a $70,000 annual salary. The amount of money this person is giving monthly is just over 19% of the annual salary. Only 8.5% of the moneys given are given directly to the local congregation. The point is that the amounts or the percentages are irrelevant! This person has sought God in the process and has “given what he (or she) has decided in his (or her) heart to give.”

As for the question, “Is it okay NOT to give.” Paul would say that “it is not beneficial” for any believer to not give. Giving is at the very essence of the spiritual DNA of every believer whether giving time, prayer, talents, or possessions. We are blessed, matured, and shaped to be more like Christ in every act of giving. So, it IS okay NOT to give in the same way that it is okay for any Christian NOT to live an abundant life.

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

For those of you are reading Colossians with me:
Colossians 3:12-25
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

The Truth About Tithing Part 2

In my last post we started a discussion about tithing – what is it and how does it relate to believers today? We saw that in the Old Testament in both the Mosaic and Levitical Law we were to give at least 10% of our “first fruits” to the Levitical priests, the Temple, and every third year we were to give tenth of our possessions to the needy in the community.

From the passages I referenced (and others), many preachers will make the claim that God therefore demands that each and every believer give a minimum of 10% of their (often pre-tax) income specifically to their local church which they say is today’s “Temple.” I won’t go into the plethora of Scripture that refutes this idea. We today are under a new covenant. We are not under law but under grace. The church building in NOT the New Testament Temple! We, believers, are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We, believers, have taken the place of the physical structure. We no longer have priests to mediate between us and God. Jesus is now our great High Priest, mediating on our behalf and we have direct access to him. You simply cannot find the directive to give 10% (or any amount for that matter) to the local church in the New Testament.

I’ve tried to understand how evangelical preachers can say we are free in Christ in everything BUT the tithe. Bottom line – we live under a new covenant in Christ. The entirety of the Old Testament Law was fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is now and forever the Lord of our lives, the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lord of the tithe – the Lord of all! This means that we are truly free in Christ in every way.

Paul makes this very clear in 1 Corinthians 6:12 when he says, “Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me – but I will not be mastered by anything.” This kind of radical freedom from the Law makes many people uncomfortable but it doesn’t make it less true. We are free – free to NOT attend church, NOT study our Bible, and – yes – not tithe! But, listen closely…Paul says he’s free…BUT…he realizes that some things are not beneficial. Paul understands that freedom from the requirements of the law leave him to voluntarily submit to the authority of God in each area of his life.

If you are thinking right about now, “I’m not under compulsion to give any more! I free not to give.” You’re missing Paul’s entire point. You may indeed be free NOT to give, but you are also free TO give now. What is beneficial to each of us as believers is to give. Giving is what we do. Givers are who we are.

Paul gives us what I call the New Testament “law” for believers in relation to money. He writes the following passage to the church at Corinth: “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) Here, with the word “should,” Paul shows us that we are now free to give “what we have decided in our hearts to give.” Compulsion is no longer the motivator, but our hearts now guide us!

Some of the questions that might be running around in your head right now:
How much do I give?
Where do I give?
Are there any guidelines in the Bible for a specific amount now that we’re under the New Covenant?
Are there any guidelines in the Bible for where to give my money?
What’s wrong with me NOT giving?

I’ll answer these and other questions as we move through this series together!
Until then…
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)

Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

For those of you who are still reading Colossians with me, here’s the next passage:
Colossians 3:1-11
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

The Truth About Tithing Part 1

I received a tremendous number of comments both on the blog page itself and my message files on myspace about my last post: “Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity Part 3: How do you spend your money?” Of the many questions I received, most dealt with the topic of tithing. So, I thought we would just dive right into the subject!

Understanding the biblical perspective on tithing is extremely important not only for your own peace of mind as a believer but also for your unchurched friends who ask, “Why is the church always asking for money.” This question unfairly puts all churches in the same category but the heart of this question is important to answer – what does God want with my money?

The Easton’s Bible dictionary explains the tithe this way:
Tithe - Literally means “a tenth” - - a tenth of the produce of the earth consecrated and set apart for special purposes. The dedication of a tenth to God was recognized as a duty before the time of Moses. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:6); and Jacob vowed unto the Lord and said, “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”
The first Mosaic Law (the law given to Moses and the Israelites in the Old Testament) on this subject is recorded in Leviticus 27:30-32:
30 All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord’s; they are holy to the Lord. 31 If persons wish to redeem any of their tithes, they must add one-fifth to them. 32 All tithes of herd and flock, every tenth one that passes under the shepherd’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.
The first Levitical Law (the Levites were a tribe of priests in the Old Testament) on the subject is recorded in Deuteronomy 14:22-29:
22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Some scholars say that the texts show three tithes - 10% to the priests, 10% to the temple, 10% every third year to the poor - 23 1/3 % tithe! You might be thinking, “God demands that I give 23 1/3 % of my paycheck to him? I like the 10% tithe I learned in Sunday School a lot more all of the sudden!”

It’s clear that there was a mandate by God to give at least a tenth of our stuff to Him. Further, God specified where this money should go – the Temple, the priests, and the downtrodden in our communities. But, what does all of this have to do with us today? We’ll find out…in my next post!

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

For those of you reading Colossians with me –
Colossians 2:16-23
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity Part 3 - How Do You Spend Your Money?

Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity Part 3 - How Do You Spend Your Money?

Just as a reminder, this three part blog found its genesis in a statement made by Lon Solomon, my senior pastor and boss, ““You will find out a lot about a person’s spiritual maturity based on how they handle the word “no,” how they respond to crisis and loss, and how they spend their money.” We’ve addressed the first two in my last two posts. I want to reflect on the third sign of spiritual maturity (or immaturity) – how a person spends his money. Can this really be a sign of spiritual maturity?

There’s no doubt that the act of giving is a sign of spiritual maturity whether we give of our time, our gifts and talents, our money, or our possessions. So, in this sense, the giving of money is just one of many signs of spiritual maturity under the proverbial umbrella of “giving.” In fact, Paul writes about what it means to be a giver in his second letter to the Corinthians:
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
This passage clearly explains the difference between the mature and immature believer. An immature believer holds tightly to his or her money and worldly stuff. A mature believer, however, not only holds loosely to his or her money and possessions but generously gives.

Here though is something that I think is often overlooked when discerning our own spiritual maturity. According to this passage Paul says that if we give under compulsion, we may be giving but we are still reflecting a spiritual immaturity! The mature believer gives with a “cheerful” heart. The question then is, “Do I give my money to God and his work with a cheerful and generous heart or do I give out of compulsion?”

How do you handle the word “no?” How do you handle crisis and loss? How do you spend and/or give your money?

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

Here’s today’s passage from Colossians for those of you who are reading along with me in preparation for my sermon series from the same book starting Sunday July 2, 2006:

Colossians 2:6-15
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.