My precious brothers and sisters in Christ,
Without a doubt the days we live in our trying days to live for Christ and stand true to the things of the faith. At every turn we are faced with the temptation to compromise or live a little below what we know we can in Christ.
Lately, many of you have shared with me a desire to have more of Christ and live to a higher level than you are. That your life and walks are flat and you sense the Lord has more for you on a daily basis. Things like revival, refreshment, and renewal come to mind.
Consistency in the basics on a daily basis is what we all need—prayer, Bible reading, encouraging one another and more.
Therefore, I’d like to invite you to join me and read the book of Philippians for 28 days in a row. If you’ve never done such a thing it can have a powerful affect on one’s walk with Christ and be just the thing you need to spark the fire once again.
So are you up for it? Are you ready to see life come back into your relationship with Christ? Will you commit to a daily time of Bible reading and prayer with others in the church?
Also, share with each other as you read and post any insights or questions in the comments below!
9 responses so far ↓
Bill // August 2, 2008 at 1:20 pm |
In chapter 1, verse 6 we read that God will complete the good work that He has started in us. What a word of encouragement. God is at work and will continue to be at work in His people. And it is a good work that He is doing — He is working day by day to change us that we may be more like Christ, to bring us into line with His will and purposes. May God use our time in His word to accomplish more of that good work.
Chris // August 4, 2008 at 11:02 pm |
God works in so many wonderful ways. I had just finished Romans and didn’t have a clear direction of where to go next, except to prepare for the Sunday School lesson. So going to Philippians was a blessing. I felt this morning as I read through it like I was greeting an old friend, and seeing new things about this friend at the same time.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2 ESV)
Grace and peace. When I read these words in the lessons in the church I attended years ago…before I began reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see …they didn’t mean much. They seemed like filler, I suppose.
But what more could I ask for? Grace, God’s grace. Grace I don’t deserve, but get anyway. And peace, the peace the world knows nothing about. The peace that we get when we surrender our lives to Christ and put our faith, hope and trust in Him.
And so reading just that simple sentence in the beginning, means a lot to me, and I rejoice to read those words.
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,…” (Philippians 1:4-5 NIV)
As I went to the next verses, I was struck for the first time of the joy a missionary has by feeling connected, supported, and yes, loved, by a congregation back home. Can a missionary survive with just the Holy Spirit? Yes, of course. But the Holy Spirit works through each of us also to support that missionary in Belize, Asia, France, etc. The Holy Spirit works through each of us to encourage each other and to pick us up when we falter. It is like we read in 1 Corinthians 12, we each have spiritual gifts and together we make up the Body of Christ in His Church. And so while there are missionaries on the front lines bringing the Gospel message in places around the world, we can do something to help bring that message to those people too.
And then Paul ties that to how we grow ourselves in Christ by being part of spreading His Word.
I just had a thought that may seem like a bunny trail, but I hope no one minds.
I tell people that until you own your faith, it isn’t yours. It is your mother’s, your friend’s, your spouse’s faith…but it isn’t yours. Paul owned his faith. The classic verse that comes to my mind is Acts 19:30 when Paul wanted to appear before the rioting crowd in Ephesus, and even the officials begged him not to because the crowd would tear him apart. That’s owning your faith, to be willing to die for it.
And even if we aren’t challenged to die for our faith today, will we help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Will we support those missionaries in Belize, Asia and France? That is what the Philippians were doing and they were growing in their faith.
And I love verses 9-11.
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11 NIV)
I like the NIV’s translation of verse 9, “And this is my prayer:”. It doesn’t get much clearer than that.
So what is Paul praying for? For their love to grow, just as Pastor Scott preached last Sunday in 1 Corinthians 13.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)
“…the greatest of these is love.” But not love based on ignorance. The love is based on knowledge.
Hmmm…could Paul be referring to the secret knowledge of the Gnostics? No. There is no secret to it at all. It is so simple. It is the knowledge you find when you take the time to know the one you will be married to for all eternity, Jesus. To know Him. To love Him. To let yourself and all your wants and cares that you’ve had of the world die, and accept Jesus as both your Lord and Saviour.
“…and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless…”
How do we get this depth of insight, and ability to discern? What standard do we use to discern? Jesus tells us in John 17:14, “I have given them your word…”. Where else would I go to gain knowledge? TV? Soap operas? Newspapers? They’ll tell me all about the world — but nothing about Jesus Christ.
As I read a few weeks ago, the Bible is not the Truth because I decide it is true. Whatever I decide about it is irrelevant in regards to it being the Truth. Again, it is a question of whether I am willing to surrender, to submit, to an authority outside of myself. In this case, I chose to surrender to the Word of God. And as I tell the guys in the jail, they need to compare whatever I tell them, against the Word of God. If I tell them something that contradicts the Bible, then I am either a false teacher, or just need to be shown where I am wrong. So I ask them to “discern what is best” and judge whatever they hear from me or from others against the only standard of Truth there really is – the Word of God.
And why do we do this? Verse 1:11 says that we do it so we will be filled with the fruit of righteousness. I notice Paul makes it clear this is not he righteousness of the Pharisees, but of Jesus Christ. It is a righteousness that I believe you don’t feel smug about when you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning, because it is not about me. I think Paul is writing about the kind of righteousness you find when someone comes up to you and says they see the Holy Spirit in you…and you weren’t knowingly trying…and when you hear it, you give the credit to God.
And when we have this righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, not ourselves…all the glory goes to God!
One last thing, and I will take myself off to bed…
Paul wrote, “…and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…”
The day of Christ. How I long for that! I pray for it almost each morning that I will see the day of Christ come in my lifetime. I can’t think of anything more wonderful. I know that I am a sinner — but I also know that Jesus loves me. And as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV), “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Wow! To know Him, and to love Him face to face. It doesn’t get any better than that!
But can I hold “pure and blameless” until that day? I can try, but I know I have and will fail. But that gets back to the beginning of Paul’s letter where he greets us with asking that God’s grace will be upon us all.
And because of God’s grace, I have peace that the world can not understand.
Chris // August 5, 2008 at 9:14 pm |
I have some more random thoughts I’ll share with everyone…assuming anyone reads this. This is too good to leave alone.
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14 ESV)
That first sentence reminds me of a thought I had last night. Paul talks about what has happened to him, and through that the palace guards and everyone else knows he is for Christ.
What was it like to be guarding Paul? To be with someone who lived and breathed the Holy Spirit in everything he did? I’m sure he preached the Gospel message to anyone who could hear…but they say that the best sermon is preached without words. And I believe the way Paul lived his life while in chains probably said more than the words he spoke. The way he lived his life was the message, and the words only gave the meaning behind that message.
About a month ago, a Hispanic by the name of Chris came to Christ. We had talked for at least a month before, and one of his concerns was that he knew he was going to prison for about 10 years, and he also knew he would have gang members either try to force him to join the gang he had been in on the streets, or kill him. Naturally, he was concerned.
Anyway, one night, Chris came to Christ. It was in the middle of the night, on his knees next to his bed. Some people will say the sinner’s prayer and there’s no outward change. Not so this time. Chris was lit up and when he walked out of his cell the next morning, a lot of people noticed the change in him. He was so full of joy and excitement in being filled with the Holy Spirit. Why did people notice it? Because the Snohomish County jail is not a place where people are normally so full of joy it is overflowing!
That was a Tuesday night when this happened and the next evening I showed up to share the Bible with the men there. Chris shared his story, and I just let him do the talking for the next hour or so…and he led two others to Christ right there! (Yes! Praise God!!)
I think Chris “owns” his faith. And I think being around Paul, was much the same as being around Chris that night for those of us in the Bible study. The change in the man spoke so much; the words he said that night just explained what had happened.
When I was in the Air National Guard at McChord AFB, I was just beginning to take those first brave (and trembling!) steps to sharing my faith. We had a small informal “church” service that Sunday morning in the conference room with about six of us. Later that afternoon, I saw one of the guys who had been there. I didn’t really know him, but decided to strike up a conversation. We could’ve talked about the weather, but I tentatively mentioned the church service we had that morning. If we had talked about the weather, it would’ve been so much “safer”, and we probably would’ve spent one or two minutes talking. But because I took that first step, we started talking, and sharing…for about 15 minutes at least. I really felt like the Holy Spirit was there. I felt so “alive”. And I realized that none of that would’ve happened if I hadn’t made the first step.
And that is what I think was happening in Paul’s last sentence in those verses. Because of what Paul was doing, others also took those first steps.
What I find really cool about sharing my faith with someone as Paul and the brothers did, is I find myself on fire with the Holy Spirit. I can feel tired, or like I’m dragging my feet with 50 million excuses of why I shouldn’t…but when I take that first step, I have walk away later realizing how wonderful it feels to be used by the Holy Spirit. There is nothing like it.
And so I’ll leave whoever reads this with a question…because it does no good to read God’s Word without applying it to our lives. Can you, or have you, shared the Gospel message with someone?
Chris
Bill // August 6, 2008 at 10:53 am |
In Acts 16 we have the account of Paul’s arrival in Philippi and subsequent arrest and imprisonment. What happens after that with Paul and Silas praising God, the earthquake, and the jailor coming to Christ — this must have been a great encouragement to the young church at Philippi to trust in God as they stepped out to be witnesses in their community, being partners with Paul in the gospel. It should encourage us as well.
Chris // August 20, 2008 at 11:45 am |
Paul writes in Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV) “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Those first few words caught my eye today at lunch. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…” I keep praying for that, to know Him more and to follow in His ways. Sometimes I feel almost like the closer I get, the farther I am away. Almost like when you’re climbing a mountain like Mt. Rainer. When you are far away, the mountain seems so close. As you get to the base and begin climbing, it seems like you’ll never get to the top.
Paul writes in verse 12 that he hasn’t attained all of it, so that gives me hope and assurance that I am headed on the right path, even when it seems like I’m getting nowhere.
I went hiking with my daughters a couple times this summer, and some of the trips had us going up some very steep areas on hot dusty days. It wasn’t easy going. The sweat was just pouring off us. I kept hiking, putting one foot in front of the other even though it would’ve been so easy to just stop. I didn’t know exactly what awaited us at the end of the trail, but I knew it was better than what we were going through now. So I pressed on, and we got there.
The last part of verse 13 and verse 14 reminded me of those times. Paul writes of straining toward what is ahead and pressing on toward the goal.
It feels like that sometimes in my walk with Christ. I don’t see the goal clearly. I see glimpses of it like through a glass dimly. Sometimes it is a struggle to focus on Christ in my life and His resurrection. But I try to put one foot in front of the other and keep going, knowing that like the trails I went hiking on, there are times when the road is steep and times when the way gets easier.
There’s a reassurance I find in these words of Paul’s. He hadn’t attained it all, but knew that as good as his relationship was with Jesus Christ, there was far more if he just persevered. I believe he made it to the goal he strove for, so there’s hope for me too.
Jennifer L. // August 24, 2008 at 9:46 pm |
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus” ~ Philipians 4:6-7
It was actually on my third or fourth reading of this book that I recognized verse 6 as one that gets pulled out of context to show that God really does want us to have Lamborghinis and two yachts. Even though I’ve read through Philipians before, it never struck me that the corresponding verse 7 talked about the Lord giving you peace, specifically, peace in response to a question.
Now I do believe that the Lord answers our prayers, even if we don’t like the answer or are too wrapped up in our own earthly expectations to recognize it. But it had never been clear to me before that if we are willing to wait for it and to accept it, we can have that peace that “surpasses all comprehension.” Because sometimes the answers -aren’t- clear. Sometimes we have to wait a loooooong time until we see the purpose in a situation or a trial. But what a wonderful promise – the peace of God Himself will come and guard our hearts and minds. It seems as though Paul is hinting at that this peace is way better than any answer we could get. In most cases we can’t change what is going to happen. We can ask God for guidance and wisdom, which he also promises, but how wonderful to also have this assurance of peace in the interim.
Bill // August 25, 2008 at 7:25 am |
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” (Phil. 4:11 ESV)
Contentment, something much easier when we have all that we feel that we need. But what about when we do not have this? Paul said that he “learned” to be content in any and all situations. We need to learn this as well. We need to see the Lord is truly all that we need.
Jennifer L. // August 26, 2008 at 11:58 am |
“Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near” (Phil. 4:5 NASB)
The many translations of this verse are interesting. Forbearing is translated as moderation in the KJV, being considerate in the NLV, and gentleness in the NIV. I personally like the forbearance one myself – it’s easy to be considerate and gentle conditionally, i.e. to those who are gentle towards and considerate of you. But the word forbearance contains more of the idea/connotation to be lenient towards everyone. It’s an extreme example of unselfishness, possibly making an extreme sacrifice by not exacting the toll you are owed. I was reminded of the parable in Matthew 18 where the king forbears a debt of 10,000 talents to his servant, but instead of being grateful, the servant goes and tries to extract money from another. What a powerful example of how we, as sinners, have been forgiven the ultimate debt by Jesus Christ. How do we then have the right to -not- forgive others their worldly debts to us?
Chris // September 2, 2008 at 9:52 pm |
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
(Philippians 3:20 ESV)
Do you ever feel like this is not “home”…that you are a stranger in an even stranger land? That you don’t belong here?
I am an introvert by nature and would be just as happy to watch what goes on in the world from the sidelines, as to be a part of it. Actually, happier.
But I don’t think that’s from just being an introvert. I think it is also that I am just not attracted to all that I see the rest of the world chasing after.
Jesus said in John 4 that He offers us “living water”. In comparison, the world offers us water from the toilet bowl. Sure it is water, but only the dog drinks from it…and somehow it doesn’t satisfy the thirst the same way.
I find when I really get to feeling alive, and like I’m dipping my toe into this world of which I am a foreigner, is when I can share the Gospel.
This is off-topic, but my neighbour, a Unitarian, came out to see how I was applying the driveway sealer. I have no idea now how it happened, but the subject got onto the Gospel message, and I shared with him John 14:6.
Is there any conversation where we can’t point people in the direction of their true home? To share with them a glimpse of what we feel home can be?
God bless!
Chris