The Secret of Being Content

This morning I finished my readings in the Epistle to the Philippians. The closing of this letter is very powerful, and I want to share what I received from it this morning.

I came across a phrase that made me ask these two questions:

How often do we pray for those whose names are in the book of life?

How often do we pray for those whose names are not yet in the book of life?

Truly a prayer worth praying right now!

Paul shares a reminder for our work and lives: Rejoice in the Lord always. He said it again: Rejoice! (Nothing worse than sour patch Christians! Smiling Christians bless others). In all that we do for the Lord should be done in gentleness. We should know that whatever we do, wherever we go, the Lord is with us, near to us. We should not be anxious nor worried about what we were called to do, but we should tackle everything in prayer and petition, with thankful hearts as we present to the Lord our requests. Through prayer and faithful worship, the peace of God, which goes beyond human comprehension, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the best guides to our work and lives being blessed is to have an attitude focused on these things: True things, or the truth that came to us as we entered into relationship with Jesus Christ. Someone posted a short video on how Kris Kristofferson came to write the song, "Why Me, Lord?" His explanation of God moving in his life towards truth is very touching and compelling. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tA7E7pbUws). We should think on noble things- the work that has blessed someone. The things that are right, pure, whatever is lovely and admirable - anything that is excellent or praiseworthy-think about those things so all that we have been taught by our mentors in the faith, we should do, and God's peace will be with us.

We should be thankful for those who have supported and blessed our ministry. There are those who have shared prayers, calls, emails, visits, food, gifts, money, with us - these should be in our prayers, and we should express our gratitude towards them as well.

As we walk with Christ, we should do so with contentment, regardless of the circumstances. Like Paul, we should know what it is to be in need, as well as to have plenty. Paul knew the secret of being content in any and all circumstances, whether well-fed, or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. And the verse which ranks among my all-time favorites: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. This, I believe, was Paul's "secret" for being content in all things.

As we close our time of study and prayer today and all days, we should say, "To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever, Amen." Remember we have at our disposal, all spiritual riches from whence God will meet all our needs.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with our spirit now and always, amen.

Press On!

To enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ may mean a loss of previous status, position, employment, or reputation. Paul, upon surrounding to Jesus, lost all of those things, but found something much more valuable, life in abundance; a life lived in righteousness. I read recently of a pop singer in England, who in the 1980's, in March, recorded his first and biggest (and maybe only) hit. By August, he had one million dollars in the bank. He was a married man, and upon receiving their first child, he walked away from the fame and future earnings of his career, to be a better husband and father to his child. Much in the same way, we, when we find in Christ Jesus, the perspective of righteousness, all things of earth pale to the brightness of a life lived in Christ. We, like Paul, will want to know more and receive more of that which blesses our relationship with God. Paul writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in this death, and somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (3:10-11).

We should press on looking forward to what we can be and do, for the good of God's work here on the earth. We too, seek to win the prize for which God called us in this life as believers. God will make clear our path through prayer and worship, as we join in following the example of Jesus.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, I do not want to live as one of your enemies, for those who are opposed to You will find only destruction. I seek not to serve a god based on my stomach, nor seek shame. I seek to glorify You and to become a better citizen of Heaven, for I eagerly await Your return, standing firm in You. Let me be a friend to all who seek Jesus. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Who has blessed you?

As I read in Philippians 2:19-3:6, here are my thoughts:

There are those in our lives whom we have been blessed in knowing, whose witness, and work have inspired and encouraged us to keep our faith. These were the ones who have shown genuine interest in us, caring for us, and praying for us. These are the ones whose live were impacted by the presence and power of Jesus in them; and we sought to be like them, as we care for and bless others.

For Paul, Timothy was a son in the Lord, that is, one who came to faith in Jesus Christ because of Paul's work and influence, and whose love and relationship blessed Paul much like that of a son with his father. The other one mentioned by name is Epaphroditus, a worker from Philippi sent to care for Paul during his imprisonment. During his stay with Paul, he fell ill and almost died, but Paul gives glory to God for the healing that came to Epaphroditus, that allowed him to continue to work alongside Paul. Paul planned to send Eppy back to Philippi so that this might bless that church.

Who are we blessing? Who has come to faith in Jesus because Jesus was real in us? If the answer right now is no one, we need to start reflect on how we are living - what is our witness? Are we those who serve others, seeking to care for their needs? Or, can people see that we're in it only for ourselves?

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, let me rejoice in You. Help me to stay strong in You and Your word. Help me to worship You guided by Your Holy Spirit and help me stay focused on spiritual things. Our heritage or pedigree matter not, if we do not have a relationship with You. Help that relationship make new relationships with those who need our blessing. May we be ones known as those who have blessed others to new or stronger faith. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Name Above All Names

As we live our lives with Christ Jesus, we receive encouragement from this bless-giving relationship. We receive Christ's love, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and we're blessed by His tenderness and compassion -- Our aim should be to have the same thoughts: We share the same love, we're one in the spirit and purpose. We should do nothing out of selfish ambition nor vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. We should seek to fulfill not only our own interests, but also the needs and interests of others around us.

Our attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ:

Christ, though being God, sought not to be equal with God, but instead made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, in human likeness.

Jesus humbled Himself, became obedient even unto death, yes, even death on a cross!

As a result, God exalted Him to the highest places and gave Him

the name that is above all names-- that at the mention of Jesus' name, every knee shall bow, in Heaven and earth, even under the earth that

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the honor and glory of God the Father.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, help me in my daily life to be obedient, seeking to live a life worthy of my salvation, with fear and trembling, for I know it is You at work in my life; may I live and act in a way that serves your good purposes. May I do all things without complaining or arguing so that i may become blameless and pure, a true child of yours without fault even in the midst of this crooked and depraved generation. May You shine on me in such I way that I reflect Your glory - even to glorify You on the day of Christ. In all things, let me be glad and rejoice with others. I pray this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Moving Forward and Upward!

My reading in the Epistle of Philippians continues: Verses 1:12-30.

Does what happens to you advance the gospel? Does a hospital stay bring blessings to doctors, nurses, other patients, your family? Paul used his jail stay as an opportunity to give witness to his faith. His being in jail gave others the encouragement they needed to strengthen their faith; some even sharing in ways that were more courageous and bold. May it never be said of us that we preach Christ out of envy or rivalry of other Christians. May it instead be said that because of our love for God and all people, we share, preach, and teach Christ. Paul's jail time encouraged his haters to preach Christ out of selfish ambitions, but Paul's attitude was that the reason matters not, Christ still gets preached; and that brought him joy.

Paul's joy should be a model for us -- he knew he would not be in chains forever; the day of his deliverance would come in one form or another. He hoped that he would not be ashamed, for he wanted sufficient courage to exalt Christ Jesus in his body, through life or death. He shares that famous and awesome text: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul knew that if he continued to live here on the earth, that would mean more opportunities to share Jesus with others. His desire, he confessed, was to depart this life to be with Jesus; the option he considered better than life. Yet, he knew that he needed to stay to encourage and bless others in their faith journeys.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving Lord, whatever happens, may I conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. May I stand firm in one spirit as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by anyone who may oppose me. My standing firm is a sign to my enemies that they will be destroyed and they will fail. I will be saved - and by God Himself. For to suffer is to believe more - never giving up hope. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

PHIL-ME-UP!

This morning I began reading Philippians. Someone once told me the best way to remember the order of these four epistles was to remember Go, Eat Peaches and Cream (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians). I started with the "cream" and now I'm on the peaches, and a good thing as the season for peaches is ending. I have to confess I love peaches and this has been a good year for them! Okay, focus on the spiritual food now:

It it nice to be remembered in someone else's prayers. It is even nicer for us to remember others in our prayers. It is super nice to lift up prayers of thanksgiving for others. Joy fills our hearts and our prayers as we pray for those in ministry with us. Here is the confidence of our faith as expressed in our prayers: He who began a good work in us will see it through all the way to the end, even to the day of Christ Jesus.

We all share in the grace of God and that blesses us; whether we're free to preach and work, or even if imprisoned in some way. Our heart's longing should be to be in fellowship with sisters and brothers in the faith.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, may my love abound more and more in Your knowledge and in our insight towards life and God's work to the point where I may be able to discern what is best, what is pure, and what is blameless until the day of Christ - may those days between now and then be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - all for the honor and glory of God. Amen

Regarding Family Life

My journey through the letter of Colossians ends today. These are my reflections and impressions of this short, but powerful letter to believers in Colossae.

Paul shares from his time and culture some timeless teachings that can be impactful even today: Regarding marriage and families, there is a sacred role in serving God. Each member of the family has a responsibility and duty to fulfill. The wife, the husband, even children should be partners in the work of faithfulness to God. Love plays an important role in every family, as does obedience and faithfulness to each other as well as faithfulness and obedience to God. There is no room for creating tension or disrespect towards one another, instead we should seek to build one another up as we encourage our moving forward in our walk with Christ. We should let sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord motivate us in our daily lives. Whatever we are called to do for Him should be done with all our heart, we are working for the Lord after all, not for the praise of humans. Be mindful that we will share in an inheritance as a reward for our faithfulness and fruitfulness. We should also know that our wrongdoings will also result in negative payback.

Our devotion to God should lead us to a devotion to prayer. Our prayers should be an expression of affection for God as well as a reflection of what we have seen and received. We should pray with thankfulness. We should pray for one another, asking for opportunities to come our way in which to share the message of our faith. We should pray for servants of God around the world that may be imprisoned because of their Christian faith.

Prayer opens doors and opens our hearts.

May it be so!

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Lord, make us wise in our dealings with all people, especially those outside the faith. Let us take advantage of every chance to share and live our faith in a positive, loving way. As we share, let us share wisely and with grace, allowing the Holy Spirit to help us answer all questions about faith. This we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

The letter ends with final greetings from Christian workers, both imprisoned or free, with Paul, including Paul's "dear friend Luke, the doctor." Paul expected the latter to be read aloud in the church of Colossae as well as the reading aloud of a letter to Laodiceans. He wrote the greeting with his own hand even while chained because of his faith in the Gospel.

I encourage the prayerful reading of this letter for the edification of our faith.