May 08 2026

Friday May 08

Praise the Lord! Thank You!

Philippians 2:3-4

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat today. I cannot believe that I am sitting here in my office doing this Pastor’s Chat after the back surgery yesterday that we had. It was a day of miracles. We live in an amazing day.I remember Vance Havner saying years ago, “We live in the day of the wonder drug. You take them, and then you wonder what is going to happen.” Today, with all the advancements in medicine and drugs and such, we take those painkillers and say, “Thank God that they work.” We are so blessed.

We are so blessed with great hospitals and great clinics. The surgery was actually in an outpatient clinic, but it looked exactly like a hospital. Everything operated just like a hospital. Every one of the personnel was absolutely fantastic in helping us get ready. The first thing that happened was they moved our surgery time from 7:00 back to 10:00—a three-hour difference. Since we live an hour and twenty minutes away, that helped us tremendously. We were very happy not to get up so early and to have time to do our devotions and Pastor’s Chat and all those things before we left. We were just blessed in so many ways.

Then, coming out of the surgery and waking up with no effects, we were so blessed. Of course, my wife was there with us, and friends even showed up from the area to sit with Edith while I was in surgery. The doctor came and told her he could see why I was having extreme pain with the sciatic nerve. He told her that he cleared it out, cleaned out the spine and the canal, and moved some things around. (I never ask the doctors exactly what they are doing when the operate on me.)  Already I can tell the difference.

I am so grateful and thankful, and I believe all that happened because of prayer—pure prayer. We do not take anything for granted. We could have the best health system and the best of everything, but unless God helps us, takes care of us, and we trust Him, it is really all in vain. So Praise the Lord and Thank You… Thank you…Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!

Now let us go on here for these last couple of minutes to our passage in Philippians that we were talking about yesterday. We are looking at verses 2 and 3 where Paul said: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

We have already been talking in this chapter about having the right motives for spiritual unity. Remember, the right motives have to do with the fact that since we have consolation in Christ, since we have comfort in Christ, we have fellowship of the Spirit, and since we have love in Christ. Since we have them, and since Christ has been our all in all, therefore we should continue to have the right marks for spiritual unity. (Philippians 2:1-2)

Those right marks include having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind. This will lay the foundation for right means in our service to the Lord. Paul gives the negative first which is: “nothing is done through selfish ambition, but in lowliness of mind, and esteeming others better than ourselves”. God help us to remember that we need the right motives. We need these right spiritual marks and the right means. They bring about spiritual unity in our families and in our church.

Then Paul writes: “Let nothing—let nothing—be done through selfish ambition and conceit.” We talked about what that meant, but I want to finish with this thought. Paul’s command is strong when he says this. “Let nothing.” Not just let anything, or let some things, or even most things—but nothing—be done through vainglory and selfish motives. Even good ideas and sincere convictions must not be pushed forward with selfish motives.

For a example, I was thinking about how we might go to a business meeting at church to vote on whether we should change the Wednesday night prayer meeting to Thursday night. Now, I do not ever remember having to vote on things like that, but some churches do. You sit there and say, “Oh wow, that is awesome. All my social activities and athletic activities for my kids are on Wednesday night. I am voting to move it to Thursday night.” Then another member shows up and says, “Oh man, I hate this. No, I am voting to keep it on Wednesday night because I am already committed to all these things on Thursday night in my social life.” We go to the meeting to vote based on what we want and what best benefits us. I’ll never forget the great pastor of yesteryear  Adrian Rogers saying, “That is not the way it works. We all should go to the meeting thinking, “What does Christ want for our church? He is the Head of our church. What does He want?” And then vote accordingly!

When we have unity of mind and unity of spirit, when we have the consolation of love, we have the right motives. We are not being selfish. And you know what happens? We do what Christ wants us to do, and we vote the way Christ wants us to vote. Then we become part of His ministry and a church full of joy, happiness, and comfort with one another. And a great witness to the community and world around us!

I trust that you have been blessed by these verses and that you continue to be encouraged to do nothing this way—nothing in the way of conceit, nothing done through selfish ambition. God help us.

I know we went a little longer today as we described our surgery but thank you again for your prayers.

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!