Philippians 2:16-18

Hello Everyone!



I made this Spaghetti Sauce recently

and thought... “I need to put this in the Bible Study blog!!” I found this in my

hometown’s paper in Greensburg, Indiana years ago.

I have so enjoyed making it, because it is quick, fresh tasting and...

cheaper to make than buying jar spaghetti sauce.

(which I have done many times, also!!)

Drumrollllllllll.........




Here it is...


“Fast Cooking, Slow Tasting Spaghetti Sauce”

(This makes about 4 cups. You may want to double or triple the recipe.

Bob and I can get 4 servings total from this.)

3 TBLS. Olive Oil (this makes it taste really good!)

1-28 oz. Can of Crushed Tomatoes

1-15 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce

1 TBLS. Minced Dehydrated Onion

½ Tsp. Minced Dehydrated Garlic (I use the jar minced garlic or fresh)

½ tsp. Dried Basil

¼ Tsp. Black Pepper

1 Tsp. Oregano

½ Tsp Dried Parsley

(FYI, just in case you do not shop the Dollar Stores...

you can get these spices at very reasonable prices there!)

Heat the olive oil in a 6 qt. saucepan over medium heat.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Blend thoroughly; simmer for 30 minutes over a low heat, stirring often.

For Mushroom Sauce, saute’ one drained 4 ½ oz. jar of mushrooms in the olive oil.

(or use fresh mushrooms) Continue directions for the basic sauce.

For Meat Sauce, brown ½ pound of ground beef or turkey in a pan.

Drain off grease, if you have some. Add to basic sauce during the last 10 minutes of

simmering.

OK......now to our main purpose ~ God’s Word!!

We are looking at 3 verses this week ~ 16, 17 & 18.

Verse 16 - “as you hold out the Word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”

Verse 17 – “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”

Verse 18 - “So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

As you “hold out the Word of life”...

Some footnotes show “or hold on to” for this phrase.

This gives me two mental pictures:

1.) Picture someone that you are talking to in conversation about their life’s

situations. They are physically or mentally wringing their hands

in hopelessness.

You “hold out the Word of life” to them to place in those wringing hands.

You tell them God’s promises.

You tell them being a Christian is not always easy,

but you have the promise of Someone Who is always there for you, 24/7...

even though you may not feel it at the time, you will when you look back at your

circumstances.

2.) I talked to one of my daughters yesterday on the phone.

My heart swelled with joy as she was telling me of a tension filled time in her life

when she clung to her Bible. That was her lifeline.

I had a time in my own life when...what is it that they say...

the thing that you fear the most comes upon you?

Welllll...that happened to me and I slept with my Bible and carried it around

during the day...it was what gave me my hope, peace and guidance through one of

the most difficult times in my life.

...“that I did not run or labor for nothing.”

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly watch the Olympics.

When I see an athlete, who has prepared for this moment in time,

for the majority of their years on earth, and then in one split second...

their hopes and dreams are dashed.... Ughhhh...

I can hardly look at the TV screen.

This is what I hear Paul saying here.

Let’s go to the city of Rome in our imagination...

the thrilling metropolis of gladiators, chariots and empires.

But we will not stop at the coliseum or palace.

We are going to a drab little room.

As we open the creaking door,

we see a room without windows,

lit only by an oil lamp sitting on a table.

Immediately, we are assaulted by the musty odor in the room

and the taste of the dirt floor rising up to our mouths.

Inside we see a man seated in the far corner.

He is an older fellow, shoulders stooped and balding...

stooped, because his eyesight is dimmed

and he needs to have the paper close to his eyes,

even though he writes in big letters.

We hear the noise in the street outside this room in this house-arrest place.

We hear the rumble of the carts.

We hear the horses’ hoofs on the stone pavement.

The world is passing by this older and bent man but he cannot join the crowd

outside in the sunshine.

The oil lamp illuminates the gleam of the chains on his hands and feet.

And...chained to him is a guard from the Roman army

whose sword glistens in the glow from the oil lamp.

As he struggles to even wipe his dirty hands on his rough and scratchy clothes,

he has every reason to be in a slump!

But his main concern is...

with the salvation of the lost than with vindication for himself.

One commentary said that he had been serving God for 20 years

(like a trained athlete)

and his main concern was that on Judgment Day,

he would see his fellow believers and that he would not have labored

(and trained) in vain!!

“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service

coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.”

Drink offering...

In the Old Testament, the drink offering would be the final offering of a sacrifice.

One commentator said that the wine would be poured over the burning sacrifice

which resulted in a steam or vapor going up to heaven.

This would symbolize the ending of our life.

Also, to me a drink offering means giving something to the Lord that you wanted to

keep for yourself, that was precious to you.

OK...these people, the Israelites were in a desert...

It would not be easy to get their wine or water for that matter.

They could not take their camel and drive to the nearest WalMart



and purchase a week’s supply.

I would think that ANYTHING liquid in a desert would be a precious

commodity and you would want to hoard and protect...

not just pour it out willy-nilly on a dead animal!!!

This brings me to several life application thoughts...

What are we holding onto in our lives that we think that we cannot ever give up?

What are we holding onto that we would NEVER want to give over to God?

What are we holding onto that we say...

"nah...I had better keep that for myself in these shaky times

with no relief in sight... "

Are we holding onto our money when God says

“Give it to that person over there?”

Are we holding onto our very lives and not giving them as a sacrifice to God?

Please allow me to repeat myself...

these people were in a desert and had NO IDEA when or if they would be able to

restock, refuel, replenish their supplies.

They had wait or go, depending on a pillar of fire or a cloud!!

Could we do that today?

But here in lies the SECRET.

Oprah has her SECRET...

The Bible has its “SECRET”.

The secret is.... when you give yourself completely over to God and say...

I will move when You say to move,

I will stay when You say to stay,

I will give when You say to give...

That is the secret to having JOY!!

“So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

May you and I seek that joy, that joy unspeakable. AMEN.

Until next week,


Debbie G.

(References: Online Commentary listed in the "Links" sidebar of the blog, 8 sentences from Max Lucado's Introduction to the Book of Philippians in the Inspirational Study Bible and the HOLY SPIRIT!!!)