Philippians 1:19-26

Chonda Pierce is my favorite Christian comedian!! (More to come from her in the

months ahead!!)


Hello everyone!!!

I am excited to start the next few verses,

because verse 21 is a beloved verse to quote!!

But first, let's look at verses 19-20:

"...for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus

Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect

and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that

now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

From David Guzik commentary at blueletterbible.org

• "Through your prayer": How can Paul be so confident? Because he knew the Philippians prayed for him. His deliverance in the present situation was connected to the prayer of the Philippians.
  
  • This is a staggering thought. What if the Philippians didn’t pray for Paul? Could God’s
    
  • 
  • deliverance for Paul be hindered if the Philippians didn’t pray? In Paul’s mind, it certainly seems so. Prayer is a serious matter!

• "Through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ": However, it was not the prayer of the Philippians in and of itself that would meet Paul’s need. It was the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that came to Paul through the prayer of the Philippians. Paul’s needs were met by the Spirit of God, but that provision to Paul was brought about by the prayers of the Philippians.

Yikessss!!! This is a friendly reminder for all of us that when someone asks us to pray for

them...
WRITE IT DOWN AND PUT IT WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT!!

Not trying to take you on a guilt trip...


Verse 20: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."



We are all really sitting in a waiting room, aren't we?

Sooner or later we will all be called in to see the One with

whom we all have an appointment --whether we know it or not --

whether we want to or not. We will all one day be called to meet our Maker.



As you sit in the waiting room for eternity, will you share the message of the

Messiah with those around you as God brings the opportunity?

(The above from this article at christianpost.com)

I am thinking tonight (Wednesday) of the 58 year old House of Representative

Stephanie Tubbs Jones

age 58, who died today.

She was driving in her home town of Cleveland,Ohio

last night when she suffered an brain aneurysm

and died less than 24 hours later.

We NEVER KNOW...

It also made me think of the Scripture James 4:13 & 14 "Now listen

you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go this or that city, spend a year there,

carry on business and make money'. Why, you do not even know what will happen

tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then

vanishes."

But, back to verse 21:

Some people may read this verse and see the cry of a man who is fed up with life,

who could hardly wait to get to heaven, who had had it. This reflects a very

common attitude that we Christians sometimes have...that we would like to get

away from it all. (I am showing my age...but remember the commercial that said...

"Calgon...take me away!!)


We do not like living life the way we have to live it and

we look longingly to heaven.

There is this story that happened years ago with this well-know gospel singer. He

got up and sang at a Conference the song, "Homesick for Heaven". He sounded as

though he was about to soar right off of the platform. After the service, a group of

them went to a hamburger "joint". The singer ordered a hamburger. After he had

used the ketchup on his hamburger, he noticed that the top of the bottle had

somehow been broken and there was ground-up glass at the top of the bottle. He

had already taken several bites from his hamburger. He hurriedly checked it out

and did not think that he had swallowed any cut glass. But he said, "You know,

for a moment there, I don't think that I was quite as homesick for heaven as

I thought I was!!"


But this is not what Paul is saying at all...by looking closely, (by reading verses

22-24) you will see that he is really saying...

..I don't know which to choose. To me to live is to have Christ and to

die is to gain heaven, but if I had to choose, I don't know which I'd choose. To live

is to experience Christ, Who is my life. Life for me is a continual adventure and

excitement and I can hardly wait to live it!

Paul had found the secret of life.

No life is complete that does not have God in it.

He lived life to the fullest in the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our life.

Verse 25 ~ "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and I will continue with

all of you for your progress and joy (there's that word again!) in the faith,"

Verse 26 ~ "so that through my being with you again, your joy (again!) in Christ

Jesus will overflow on account of me."

Paul must have sensed in his spirit that his work was not finished here on earth. In

fact, Paul did survive this imprisonment, was set free, and

DID come to see the Philippians again!

Are we looking at our life as an adventure?

I have a 34 year old daughter, her husband and 2 children, ages 11 & 4, going

to India soon for 3 years. She just told me on the phone yesterday, that they

are looking at this as a God-adventure...not something to be upset and sad over!!

When you are in the center of God's will, you will have peace. Just as the eye

of the storm is perfectly calm. Even though everything around you is changing

and swirling, in the center, in your center, you will have peace. Just as the Apostle

Paul did, chained to a Roman guard

and writing about the joy he has in his

God-filled adventure of a life!!

Can we think about our situations this week and recognize the adventure and the

excitement of living for Christ here on the earth? I know it will be a challenge

for me to dwell on the thought of the joy of knowing that my family will be working

for a heavenly cause, an eternal purpose, versus the thought of how long it will

be before I can actually see them again, face to face.

I covet your prayers for me and our family before my next post.

Thank you...

In His Service,

Debbie G.

(Additional references: http://www.raystedman.org/philippians/2005.html
and Ray Stedman commentary at blueletterbible.org)