Joyful, Patient, Faithful

Be Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

From Guest Blogger Colin Proft:

The first time the Gospel was shared in the city of Philippi was when Paul and Silas visited there on their first missionary journey (Acts 16:11-40). Later, Paul and Timothy wrote a letter of encouragement and exhortation to the Christians in that region — what is now in our Bibles as “Philippians.” Read through Philippians 1, keeping the words of Romans 12:12 in mind.

Joyful in Hope. Paul was continually rejoicing before God. He knew what God had in store for him and the Philippians — he has his heart and mind fixed on heaven. Paul knew that God had given them both a new life in Jesus Christ while on earth and the promise of eternal life with Him in paradise.

Paul had treasure in heaven. He knew that, no matter what happened, He had eternal life because of Jesus Christ. And he had Jesus! Whether he continued to live on the earth or was taken to heaven, he had joy. And that joy was rooted in his relationship with God and in the fellowship of other Christians. “I thank my God … for all of you … because of your partnership in the Gospel” (Philippians 1:3-5).

Patient in Affliction. Paul wrote this letter from prison. If anyone had a reason to complain, it was Paul! Yet he fully believed God would rescue him. Whether his imprisonment ended in life or death, Paul chose to worship God. His confidence came from this astounding truth: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). It was because of his imprisonment that Paul was to share the Gospel with the whole palace guard.

Faithful in Prayer. Paul constantly prayed for his fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus. He knew them on a personal level and loved them deeply. Again, they weren’t simply acquaintances to him; they were his family and friends. He longed for them with the affection of Jesus Christ! (Philippians 1:8).

Paul’s prayer was simple: he prayed that their love would overflow and that their knowledge of Christ would increase (1:9). And the source of this love and knowledge is abiding in Jesus. We do not produce the fruit of righteousness from our own strength; the nourishment comes from Christ. As He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Prayer: Gracious Lord Jesus, I ask not simply that You be with me today but that You lead me also to join You in the work You are already doing—in me and through me for the sake of others. Amen.

Eye on Eternity

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  Romans 13:11-12a

From Guest Blogger Dan Thews:

St. Paul is referring, of course, to the climactic event to which all Christians eagerly look forward — the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus. To Paul this event was going to be as dramatic as the daily coming of dawn and the resultant banishment of darkness. When Christ returns, as He promised He would, the night will give way to day and darkness will be lost in the light of His presence. It is to this overwhelming event that all believers look forward. It is to the dawn of the new day that we are orientated.

The return of Jesus will signal the finalization of our salvation. That is what St. Paul means when he says, “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). At the moment of justification, we are introduced to salvation that is far from complete — it is initial. At that same moment we also become an heir to salvation that is potential, but we must wait until we meet Christ face-to-face to experience salvation that in the fullest sense is actual.

Our initial salvation delivers us from the penalty of sin; we are heirs to the salvation that gives us the promise of ultimate freedom from sin’s power and presence. And one day when Christ takes us to glory, our salvation from sin’s penalty, power, and presence, which were potentially ours from the moment of justification, will be ours in actuality! To this great day we look forward with great joy!

The problem with living on earth is that the things of earth, which clamor for so much attention, can become totally absorbing.  The believer can begin to think like everyone else in the world, believe the world’s philosophies, adopt its attitudes and even emulate the lifestyle we see all around. We must remember that our reality is not “down here” — it is “up there.” We are citizens of heaven and merely resident aliens here on earth. As Paul tells us, it is the reminder of Christ’s return and the resultant consummation of earth’s history that is the stimulus to us with regard to our lifestyle on earth.  It is our eternal orientation.

Prayer: Lord, keep our eternal orientation on You and You alone, until you come again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


#Uncommon

Juggler

I was thinking today of all the "things" I try to juggle in life. Responsibilities as a husband. Responsibilities as a dad. Responsibilities as a pastor. There is just so much to do, things to get done! Then, add on top of the "to do list" the weight of all the expectations. Whether it's true or not, I sense that different people expect that I'll attend certain events, that I'll give attention to certain details, that I'll 'be there' when they're in need. And, of course, there is the expectation that I live in a god-pleasing way.

There are my worries and fears. There are my regrets. There are all the ways that people have hurt me ... and all the pain and resentment that go along with that. There are the tragedies and losses that are part of living in a broken world. There are my dreams for the future ...... Each one of those things is just huge, if you think about it.  And I'm trying to juggle all of them. But honestly, how in the world can I keep it all going?! How can I keep all the balls in the air?!

There is that statement you always hear people say:  "God will not give you more than you can handle." Supposedly that's in the Bible somewhere. Somehow that's supposed to be a comfort.

Let me just say it:  NONSENSE!! People say that's what the Bible says. But it doesn't! And I think it's actually quite the opposite of what the Bible teaches. True, 1 Corinthians 10 says "he will not let you be TEMPTED beyond what you can bear." But I don't believe the Bible teaches that our BURDENS will be limited to what we can bear.

I have friends whose children have died tragically. I have friends whose spouses died way too young ... and so they're left to raise their children as widows. I have friends who carry the weight of betrayal (a cheating spouse or an abusive relative), the deep pain of addiction (alcohol, drugs, pornography), and the shame of failure (businesses they couldn't keep going, children who have walked away from their faith). Every single one alone WAY BEYOND what they can carry themselves! Yet God, in His wisdom, allows those burdens in their lives.

Why?? I can't fully say, because I am not God; and the Bible does say that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55). But I believe that in part, God allows those burdens (that are bigger than our ability to carry or juggle them) SO THAT WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRUST IN HIM AND NOT IN OURSELVES.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end -- it seems from my reading -- there is ONE THING God asks of us:  TRUST.  It is why He used a runt named Gideon ... why He chose the scrawny kid named David ... why He called a pride-filled murderer named Paul. Anything they accomplished was not by their own strength or knowledge or wisdom but by GOD'S POWER.

I don't know what you're burdened by today. But I know what I'm facing. And I am thankful for His invitation (1 Peter 5:7): "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." And I hold on to His promise (Psalm 146:5): "BLESSED is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God." So I'm listening to His words of wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and he will make your paths straight."