Seven Relational Remedies...

"I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel..." (Philippians 4:2-3).

Paul identifies a relational problem in Philippi and then sets out to provide a relational remedy in the verses that follow.

We would do well to practice these seven remedies in all of our relationships...

1. "Rejoice in the Lord always!" (v4). It's very hard to be angry or bitter when your are busy praising God.
2. "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men!" (v5). Gentle means humble and patient. I'm pretty sure that "gentle spirits" aren't divisive and venomous.
3. "Be anxious for nothing!" (v6). Worry about nothing? That's right--nothing!
4. Pray about everything! (v6). EVERYTHING! We're too busy to fight when we're praying.
5. Guard your heart and mind with God's peace! (v7). Peace is the absence of conflict. When you feel conflict coming on...run to God!
6. Think positively! (v8). We naturally tend to focus on the negative. Paul lists the positives. Be optimistic!
7. Practice being Jesus! (v9). We're really good at knowing stuff and really bad and doing what we know. Practice Jesus!

I will have these things in mind as I go to San Antonio this weekend for the Southern Baptist Convention.

Our Only Hope...

I am thrilled that SBC President Frank Page has planned to focus our meetings in San Antonio on prayer, revival, and spiritual awakening. Dr. Page has said, "The central focus for my presidency and therefore for this meeting is to seek from the Lord spiritual awakening--His Holy Spirit's revival, and that is always prefaced by and enabled by and empowered by prayer" (SBC Life, June/July 2007). I have begun praying for these meetings that something remarkable would happen--that we would forget about politics, resolutions, and position, and that we would become broken over our utter failure to penetrate lostness in our nation. May God break the messengers who show up in San Antonio over our pride and self-sufficiency. May He crush us and bring to our hearts a true recognition of how displeasing our power-sustaining political divisions are to the heart of God. Let me "Amen" Frank Page when he says, "I believe God wants us to have a broken heart. And so far, I've seen no broken hearts except on rare occasions" (SBC Life). Each of the SBC sessions will have a particular prayer focus. I want challenge all who will, to pray during these sessions, whether you're in San Antonio or not.

• Tuesday morning: "Lord Transform Your Churches."


• Tuesday afternoon: "Lord, Bring us to Confession and Repentance."


• Tuesday evening: "Lord, Unite Us in A Cooperative Mission Task."


• Wednesday morning: "Lord, Send Revival to Our Convention."


• Wednesday evening: "Lord, Energize Our Evangelistic Efforts."

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

San Antonio Awakening

I was thrilled to read in Baptist Press that Southern Baptist Convention President, Frank Page, is intending for our 2007 annual meeting in San Antonio to focus on prayer, revival, and spiritual awakening. You can read the entire article here.

The theme of the convention will be: 2 Chronicles 7:14, "... and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land". In more ways than not, the SBC meeting is like a church business session on steroids. I am hopeful that Dr. Page's priority on prayer will transform our meeting into something much greater than just doing business. Imagine if messengers from our cooperating churches could actually come together in unity and beg God for transformation in our churches and in our communities. Imagine if business sessions were postponed or deemed unneccessary as groups of men and women became lost in prayer. Imagine if spontaneous songs of praise were to rise up as worship became the order of business. Imagine if we didn't have time to worry about parliamentarians and protocol because our faces were humbly planted on the floor. Imagine if revival ignited and if returning messengers carried the sparks back into their individual churches. Imagine if our meeting in June marked the beginning of a great awakening of our mostly-sleeping SBC churches. Imagine if God actually began to heal our land . . .