Have you ever had a brother or sister in Christ wish to give you a gift, or take you to dinner, or something like that, but you knew that it wasn’t something you needed? Or perhaps you knew that there was a “better” place for their resources to go? I know that I have and I’ve always felt a sense of discomfort about it. What we don’t realize is that even though it seems selfless, it can actually be more selfish to refuse the gift.

As I read in Philippians tonight, though it was something I knew, it occurred to me again that accepting that gift is often times a way to serve them in return.

Philippians 4:14-17:

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

Paul didn’t seek or ask for the gift from the Philippians. But he knew that they desired to serve God by serving him with their resources. So he graciously accepted their gift as it would be a service to their credit.

I would like, in those times, to realize that it may be self-centered to not accept a gift given in the Lord’s name. But perhaps the most selfless thing is to accept and appreciate their the love their showing me and God in contributing to my good.

Nearly two years ago I wrote from this same verse in 2 Kings, but today as I crossed this verse again, I found a different application altogether.

2 Kings 18:4:

“…and he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it”

If you remember, the bronze serpent was that which Moses crafted when God sent deadly serpents among the Israelites in the desert as a punishment. God, commanded Moses to make the bronze serpent that when anyone looked at it, they would be healed from the afflicting serpent’s venom.

Centuries later, the bronze serpent is still around and the people were sacrificing to it; worshipping it as though it were of some value in and of itself.

I can’t help but draw the connection between this serpent and our church system.

There was a time when men of our faith built a church system for a culture that needed it. As a beacon for them to look to, flock to, and inhabit. As a structure which would would help people be and do as God intended them. But centuries later, the culture has changed. That system effectiveness is mostly drained and, in some places and some ways, it actually drags people down, rather than being the help it once was.

What’s more, the time and energy and money that is poured into the system in order to preserve it could be looked at as something almost like a national idolatry.

Like Hezekiah, the church system needs to be broken in pieces so that people stop worshipping the thing, and their attention given where it really ought to be. On Christ, on his mission for the world and his love for his people. This is not the system, and the system does not accomplish this well—or hardly at all.

I use the English Standard Version of the Bible for my daily reading. Before that, I used the New American Standard Bible. They are closely related and most of the time their translations are just about the same. But occasionally they differ more dramatically.

Today, as I read Philippians, I came across one of those instances.

Philippians 2:3-4 from the ESV:

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Other translations call us to consider others ‘better’ than ourselves and to look to others ‘good’ above our own. The ESV, on the other hand, calls us to consider others ‘more significant’ and to look to others ‘interestes’.

Now, I don’t know if this is the best way to translate this verse, but I love the sentiment which we know is good from reading the rest of scripture. Especially the concept of ‘interests’ rather than just ‘good’.

As Christians, it’s good for us to place ourselves in the shoes of our brothers and sisters in Christ. To take the things they enjoy and the things that are important to them and care about them ourselves as well. In any relationship, this is a way big that we show love to one another. By taking notice and care for other people’s interests and passions.

This week, from sheer exhaustion, I am sharing an old video we made back when I was doing youth ministry. It has undoubtedly become quite embarrassing. Enjoy!

(Can’t see the video? Watch it on YouTube!)

FYI- the song we’re singing in the beginning was an inside joke about a Charlie Hall song called “Prepare the Way” which we all grew painfully sick of.

Galatians 2:4-5:

Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

That phrase “preserved for you”, when referring to the Gospel, really caught me this morning. The sense of the word ‘preserved’ is that it would ‘continue’ or ‘last’ or ‘live on’. The whole passage has this sense that Paul is protecting the Gospel, not only for now, but for the future as well. He will not allow the Gospel of Jesus, which is grace and truth in its purest form, to be convoluted by individuals who would tack things onto it, or water it down with anything.

Of course, for me, it immediately made me think of our own corporate church system today. Virtually every corridor of the organizational church makes big compromises—some motivated by fear, some by ‘love’ and some are just plain insidious. But all seem to fail to ‘preserve’ the Gospel.

Some churches, out of fear of losing numbers, will refrain from preaching some passages of the bible. Yet all passages of the Bible inform, or are informed by the Gospel. They must be preached faithfully. Some churches in hopes of bringing in and not turning-off lost people remove iconic Christian symbol—like the Cross. The message of the cross itself isn’t far behind. And still some churches, with wicked and greedy motives, simply preach whatever will be most likely to produce a giving spirit in the congregation.

While the motives and the forms and degrees vary, the result is always a gospel that begins to deteriorate. The Gospel is not preserved. Regardless of the risk, it’s crucial that our churches do what they must to hold fast to and preach the (whole) Gospel.

This week’s video blog falls on Easter. I didn’t go to church. I have my reasons, and it’s not because I don’t want to celebrate the profoundly important resurrection of my Lord.

(Can’t see the video? Watch it on YouTube!)

I’m sitting here at Caribou coffee on the patio outside. About 20 feet from me is a trio of high-school kids out from school for spring break. Two young women and a man. They’re a noisy bunch, so it’s hard not to overhear their conversation. Though I’m not complaining because it’s really interesting.

They talked about partying for a while. Then, they moved, surprisingly, into spiritual matters. One of the girls entered a verbal competition about who was a more hard-core Christian growing up. The girl insisted that she was more hard-core because she went to church every weekend, while the guy insisted that he was more hardcore because he read his bible every day. After not too long though, the girl said, “But you get to a point when you just realize, it’s all BS.”

The guy didn’t agree. But the three continued in their conversation. The girl argued that Christianity started with Catholics, then protestants came from them. She said that they learn in World History class that Catholicism has been proven wrong and that logically protestants must be wrong too.

I really wanted to join the conversation, but that would have been weird. Nonetheless, I learned (or at least remembered) three things from listening to their conversation.

1. It’s hard to argue against the idea that modern academia has a clear bent against religion.

2. The church hasn’t done a good job with the kids who are in their congregations. All three of these appeared to have been regular attendees, yet none of them had a clear picture of Church history, other than the skewed concepts from public school.

3. The church has lost her credibility in the world. Even including simple matters of historical fact, the Church is full of blind faith, while academia is full of facts. Even though this simply isn’t true, the world’s perception is important and the church isn’t fairing too well.