Philippians 3: 1-3
(1) Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
No matter what is going on around us, we all who are Christ's have the joy of the Lord, which should display even in the middle of the mess. We can't be reminded enough to continue to rejoice in the Lord. This is our "normal" state of mind.
(2) Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
Even in our positive mindset, we are to be wary of all the false teachers. They claim to be Christians, but their teachings are not according to the Truth. Their circumcision is only done in the flesh, their flesh has not been separated from their spirit.
We see how God cut away our flesh from our life in His Holy Spirit, cutting off the connection so that our flesh has no more addictive pull on our life (in Colossians 2: 11-14).
(3) for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
We who have been born into God's family have been spiritually circumcised. When God cleansed us and put His Holy Spirit in us, making our dead human spirits alive, he cut the connection between the flesh and the spirit, so we are free to do what is right, and not go back to the old bad habits that had trapped us before. So we put no importance on the flesh, since our life is spiritual, and we live our lives in worship of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
O my Father, You are so good, and great, and gracious to us, to provide the means of breaking the addictions and bad habits that were destroying us, and teaching us how Your Holy Spirit is our life now.
Father, Your Spirit gives us the strength and power to live our lives in positively joyful days, even when the world around us is swirling negativity around us. We are still in the world, but we are not of the world. We're in it, but it's not in us any more. You have cut off that connection to the flesh that pulled us down and unshackled us; now we can fly!
Send us out, Father, to show the world how much You love them, too, and want to unshackle them also from their destructive ways. How You want to give them Your joy, to wipe away their tears and depression. To redeem them also into Your glorious paradise.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Close To Death For The Work Of Christ
Philippians 2: 25-30
(25) But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;
Epaphroditus carried this letter to the Philippians. Paul send him back right away to ease the whole situation between him and his home church. He has high regard for this brother who has worked and faced dangers along with Paul, and is the Philippians' messenger and their representative in ministering to him.
(26) because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
The word Paul used for "distressed" is the same one used for the Lord's emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 37; Mark 14: 33), which indicates the intensity of Epaphroditus' feelings of longing for them concerning his sickness. This suggests more than mutual concern.
(27) For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
Paul admits that he had almost died, but God allowed him to get well, not only for his own sake but also so Paul would not have mourning on top of all his other sorrows and concerns.
(28) Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
By sending him back, they will see for themselves how he is, and dispel any gossip that disparaged him in their eyes. Then Paul's mind will be set at ease, knowing that any conflict would be resolved and put to rest.
(29) Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;
He's telling them to give him a hero's welcome. Why he felt it necessary to do this indicates that there may have been some misunderstanding concerning Epaphroditus' illness.
(30) because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
Paul said that the sickness was not his fault, that he had become ill in his working in Christ's ministry, and that he had "filled in the gaps" of what the church at Philippi had provided, maybe in being there with Paul when they couldn't be.
O my Father, thank You for allowing Epaphroditus to get well from the illness he contracted, so that Paul could write of him and we could read of Your gracious mercy on him and Paul and the believers at Philippi. And also so we could rejoice with them, and learn to rejoice in all of our trials and tribulations, knowing that Your plans for us are for our good and Your glory.
Father, whenever we do things Your way, You grant the benefits to us. This is how You designed this world to work on the beautiful Earth You made for us. And we prosper and You get the glory.
O Father, continue to be with us in our everyday living. Continue to show us Your ways, Your views, Your understanding of what is going on around us. You know how it will all turn out, just like You knew that Epaphroditus would get well, without a healing miracle from Paul. And we don't need miracles, either; we just need to trust that You hold us in Your hand and will protect and guide us.
My Father, You are great, and You are good, and You have planned out the whole time-line of the era of Mankind in this world. You have given us our whole human history, from before the beginning to after the end, and the Star of the whole story is the Son! He is the Lord God who gave the prophets all the laws and prophesies of what He would do for us, then He came as Jesus and fulfilled them all!
Now we can be washed clean and sanitized, made fit to dwell with You in Your presence, where You live. We would never be able to look at You with our physical eyes without being completely destroyed, so You arranged for us to receive spiritual bodies. You made us the very body of Christ, to sit in His throne to rule, just as He sits in Your throne, Father, as sovereign King and God of all.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
(25) But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;
Epaphroditus carried this letter to the Philippians. Paul send him back right away to ease the whole situation between him and his home church. He has high regard for this brother who has worked and faced dangers along with Paul, and is the Philippians' messenger and their representative in ministering to him.
(26) because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
The word Paul used for "distressed" is the same one used for the Lord's emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26: 37; Mark 14: 33), which indicates the intensity of Epaphroditus' feelings of longing for them concerning his sickness. This suggests more than mutual concern.
(27) For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
Paul admits that he had almost died, but God allowed him to get well, not only for his own sake but also so Paul would not have mourning on top of all his other sorrows and concerns.
(28) Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
By sending him back, they will see for themselves how he is, and dispel any gossip that disparaged him in their eyes. Then Paul's mind will be set at ease, knowing that any conflict would be resolved and put to rest.
(29) Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;
He's telling them to give him a hero's welcome. Why he felt it necessary to do this indicates that there may have been some misunderstanding concerning Epaphroditus' illness.
(30) because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
Paul said that the sickness was not his fault, that he had become ill in his working in Christ's ministry, and that he had "filled in the gaps" of what the church at Philippi had provided, maybe in being there with Paul when they couldn't be.
O my Father, thank You for allowing Epaphroditus to get well from the illness he contracted, so that Paul could write of him and we could read of Your gracious mercy on him and Paul and the believers at Philippi. And also so we could rejoice with them, and learn to rejoice in all of our trials and tribulations, knowing that Your plans for us are for our good and Your glory.
Father, whenever we do things Your way, You grant the benefits to us. This is how You designed this world to work on the beautiful Earth You made for us. And we prosper and You get the glory.
O Father, continue to be with us in our everyday living. Continue to show us Your ways, Your views, Your understanding of what is going on around us. You know how it will all turn out, just like You knew that Epaphroditus would get well, without a healing miracle from Paul. And we don't need miracles, either; we just need to trust that You hold us in Your hand and will protect and guide us.
My Father, You are great, and You are good, and You have planned out the whole time-line of the era of Mankind in this world. You have given us our whole human history, from before the beginning to after the end, and the Star of the whole story is the Son! He is the Lord God who gave the prophets all the laws and prophesies of what He would do for us, then He came as Jesus and fulfilled them all!
Now we can be washed clean and sanitized, made fit to dwell with You in Your presence, where You live. We would never be able to look at You with our physical eyes without being completely destroyed, so You arranged for us to receive spiritual bodies. You made us the very body of Christ, to sit in His throne to rule, just as He sits in Your throne, Father, as sovereign King and God of all.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Monday, March 23, 2020
Genuinely Concerned
Philippians 2: 19-24
(19) But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I may also be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
Paul wants to send Timothy to Philippi right away, so that he can return to Paul with a report of how they are doing.
(20) For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
Timothy was with Paul when he went to Philippi and founded the church there (in Acts 16), so he was of "equal soul" with Paul in caring for the Philippians. When he says he has "no one else" he is not disparaging his other companions, but just saying that they don't have the same connection to this particular church that Timothy has.
(21) For thay all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
Paul has already mentioned those who were concerned with furthering their own interests (1: 14-17), but is not unduly harsh on them. He is just noting that their hearts are not with the church in Philippi, as Timothy's is.
(22) But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
Timothy was with Paul as he founded the church in that city, as already noted in Acts 16, so they knew him. And Paul wanted to encourage him and them.
(23) Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
Paul didn't know how his trial would end, but expected a resolution pretty soon.
(24) and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.
He was hoping that he would be set free; if so, then he would immediately go to see them right away.
Paul had peace about either prospect, whether he would be executed or set free. For him to live was Christ, and to die would be gain (1: 21), so it really didn't matter that much. He wanted to be further benefit to those he loved, who he had relationships with in the churches he founded, but he didn't stress about it at all.
So we shouldn't stress about life, either. Whether we can meet together physically or just virtually, we can still communicate a lot easier today than Paul did. And we can trust God to protect us or see us through whatever hardships we face. And He will still comfort us in our sorrows, and we can still praise Him for His goodness and greatness.
God does not change, and everything He said will come to pass. And we need to remember that life on this Earth will never be easy, but as Christians, God allows into our lives everything He deems helpful for us to learn the lessons we need to learn, and nothing that will harm us. And when we're taking a test in this school of life, it is for us to hone our spiritual awareness and grow in Christ.
O my Father, thank You for all You do for us. Thank You for telling us what to expect, and for preparing us for everything You know will come to pass. And thank You that nothing ever comes to stay, only to pass, in this time-stream. And when time is over, then we will go into an eternity of never-ending heavenly bliss, which I strongly suspect will be intensely interesting, never boring.
Strengthen us, Father, to go out into all the world, spreading the Good News of Your Son. Be with Your children who are undergoing severe persecution even today, and grow Your Kingdom both in maturity and numbers.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(19) But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I may also be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
Paul wants to send Timothy to Philippi right away, so that he can return to Paul with a report of how they are doing.
(20) For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
Timothy was with Paul when he went to Philippi and founded the church there (in Acts 16), so he was of "equal soul" with Paul in caring for the Philippians. When he says he has "no one else" he is not disparaging his other companions, but just saying that they don't have the same connection to this particular church that Timothy has.
(21) For thay all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
Paul has already mentioned those who were concerned with furthering their own interests (1: 14-17), but is not unduly harsh on them. He is just noting that their hearts are not with the church in Philippi, as Timothy's is.
(22) But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
Timothy was with Paul as he founded the church in that city, as already noted in Acts 16, so they knew him. And Paul wanted to encourage him and them.
(23) Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
Paul didn't know how his trial would end, but expected a resolution pretty soon.
(24) and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.
He was hoping that he would be set free; if so, then he would immediately go to see them right away.
Paul had peace about either prospect, whether he would be executed or set free. For him to live was Christ, and to die would be gain (1: 21), so it really didn't matter that much. He wanted to be further benefit to those he loved, who he had relationships with in the churches he founded, but he didn't stress about it at all.
So we shouldn't stress about life, either. Whether we can meet together physically or just virtually, we can still communicate a lot easier today than Paul did. And we can trust God to protect us or see us through whatever hardships we face. And He will still comfort us in our sorrows, and we can still praise Him for His goodness and greatness.
God does not change, and everything He said will come to pass. And we need to remember that life on this Earth will never be easy, but as Christians, God allows into our lives everything He deems helpful for us to learn the lessons we need to learn, and nothing that will harm us. And when we're taking a test in this school of life, it is for us to hone our spiritual awareness and grow in Christ.
O my Father, thank You for all You do for us. Thank You for telling us what to expect, and for preparing us for everything You know will come to pass. And thank You that nothing ever comes to stay, only to pass, in this time-stream. And when time is over, then we will go into an eternity of never-ending heavenly bliss, which I strongly suspect will be intensely interesting, never boring.
Strengthen us, Father, to go out into all the world, spreading the Good News of Your Son. Be with Your children who are undergoing severe persecution even today, and grow Your Kingdom both in maturity and numbers.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Don't Complain About Earning Rewards!
Philippians 2: 14-18
(14) Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
Because God is working in us to want and to do His will, as we saw yesterday, we are to cooperate with Him willingly, without complaining or having a bad attitude.
(15) so that you will prove yourselves to be be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
We are responsible to display God's family traits in our own attitudes, showing that He has cleansed us thoroughly and completely, restoring innocence and blamelessness.
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
We're still in the middle of the mess here, but we're not part of it any more.
among whom you appear as lights in the world,
Twisted and perverted people live in the darkness of this World, where God's light needs to shine. We are the bright lights He wants to use to expose all the wickedness in our midst, showing those who are caught up in this bondage the much better way of living, the way God has outlined for us in His Word. Only His ways will bring to us the freedom, peace and joy of the Lord He wants for all of us.
(16) holding fast the word of life,
We need to keep on keeping on thinking and acting as God's family members. It is up to us to show those in the world God's way of living, to draw them and lead them to God. The more winsome we can be in our right living, the more attractive we show our Lord to be, in His great love for all of us.
so that in the Day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
Just as Paul wanted to glory in the Philippians, I anticipate being able to glory in you, my readers, as you apply God's word to your own lives, so that I will not be sharing this blog every day in vain, to no purpose.
I want you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through this technology, so the Kingdom will grow in both maturity and numbers.
(17) But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
Paul thought he might be convicted and put to death for his witness and testimony, considering it to be his part of their sacrifice of faith, and was rejoicing in the prospect. And he wanted them to rejoice with him.
(18) You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
As he was sharing his joy with them, he wanted them to also share their joy with him, to make it reciprical. So they could all rejoice together.
O my Father, I pray for Your children: I pray that we would all grow up to maturity, so that the body of Christ will reach the full stature of the Son of God; and I pray that we would disseminate Your word to the whole world, so that every living being would hear and understand to choose to turn to You or reject Your gracious offer. And I pray that Your protection would be on Your children from all the filth and deception and traps.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(14) Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
Because God is working in us to want and to do His will, as we saw yesterday, we are to cooperate with Him willingly, without complaining or having a bad attitude.
(15) so that you will prove yourselves to be be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
We are responsible to display God's family traits in our own attitudes, showing that He has cleansed us thoroughly and completely, restoring innocence and blamelessness.
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
We're still in the middle of the mess here, but we're not part of it any more.
among whom you appear as lights in the world,
Twisted and perverted people live in the darkness of this World, where God's light needs to shine. We are the bright lights He wants to use to expose all the wickedness in our midst, showing those who are caught up in this bondage the much better way of living, the way God has outlined for us in His Word. Only His ways will bring to us the freedom, peace and joy of the Lord He wants for all of us.
(16) holding fast the word of life,
We need to keep on keeping on thinking and acting as God's family members. It is up to us to show those in the world God's way of living, to draw them and lead them to God. The more winsome we can be in our right living, the more attractive we show our Lord to be, in His great love for all of us.
so that in the Day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
Just as Paul wanted to glory in the Philippians, I anticipate being able to glory in you, my readers, as you apply God's word to your own lives, so that I will not be sharing this blog every day in vain, to no purpose.
I want you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through this technology, so the Kingdom will grow in both maturity and numbers.
(17) But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
Paul thought he might be convicted and put to death for his witness and testimony, considering it to be his part of their sacrifice of faith, and was rejoicing in the prospect. And he wanted them to rejoice with him.
(18) You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
As he was sharing his joy with them, he wanted them to also share their joy with him, to make it reciprical. So they could all rejoice together.
O my Father, I pray for Your children: I pray that we would all grow up to maturity, so that the body of Christ will reach the full stature of the Son of God; and I pray that we would disseminate Your word to the whole world, so that every living being would hear and understand to choose to turn to You or reject Your gracious offer. And I pray that Your protection would be on Your children from all the filth and deception and traps.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Both To Will And To Work
Philippians 2: 12-13
(12) So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
Paul really loves these brothers and sisters in Philippi. He encourages them to continue to follow the teachings he brought them from the Lord. He says that they followed his instructions while he was with them, and it's much more pressing now that they continue to obey since he's not with them.
work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
He's not saying to work "for" salvation, but to work "out" the salvation Christ won for them, and that the Father placed in them in His Holy Spirit. They are to work out in their lives what God has already put in them.
(13) for it is God
God is the one doing the work in us, it's not us; this is at His initiative, not ours.
who is at work in you,
He is doing something inside us.
both to will and to work
God puts both the "want to" into our minds and emotions for us to desire what He wants for us; then He also gives us the power, authority and ability to do the things He wants us to do, through His Spirit; things we could never accomplish on our own. He gives us the impossible dreams, then He enables us to accomplish them, in His strength, as His hands and feet. These are the plans He planned out for each of us, to accomplish His great Plan of the Ages.
For His good pleasure.
God is good, and how God planned and designed this Universe and this World to work is for our good. When He sees what He made operating well, that gives Him pleasure. When we do the things He planned for us to accomplish in His strength, then He is "having fun with His toy" (big boys have big toys), deriving pleasure, and we get the benefits.
It's so wonderful how God designed this Earth to function! When we follow His rules for living, the result is beneficial to us here in this life; and God will even reward us eternally for doing what He enables us to do here. He is such a Good God!
O my Father, You are such a wonderful God! You designed this whole universe to run smoothly, like a fine instrument. And Your Spirit is the oil that keeps it humming!
And You use our decisions to move along Your plans for each of us and for all of us. Even the horrible, sinful, evil things that rebels devise, You use for good. Father, the cleverness of Your wisdom is amazing! You have given us a will that is free to choose anything within the parameters You place upon us, so that there is nothing that we can do that will put You off Your game. You see to it that everything continually moves toward the conclusion that You have planned all along.
O Father, when Your Son returns, He will have a glorious time, defeating all the forces arrayed against Him, gaining the great victory over all! It will be magnificent!
And You have given to us, Your children, to reign with Him on His throne, as He reigns with You on Your throne.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim the lordship of Christ Jesus, as the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come mightily, Lord Jesus!
(12) So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
Paul really loves these brothers and sisters in Philippi. He encourages them to continue to follow the teachings he brought them from the Lord. He says that they followed his instructions while he was with them, and it's much more pressing now that they continue to obey since he's not with them.
work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
He's not saying to work "for" salvation, but to work "out" the salvation Christ won for them, and that the Father placed in them in His Holy Spirit. They are to work out in their lives what God has already put in them.
(13) for it is God
God is the one doing the work in us, it's not us; this is at His initiative, not ours.
who is at work in you,
He is doing something inside us.
both to will and to work
God puts both the "want to" into our minds and emotions for us to desire what He wants for us; then He also gives us the power, authority and ability to do the things He wants us to do, through His Spirit; things we could never accomplish on our own. He gives us the impossible dreams, then He enables us to accomplish them, in His strength, as His hands and feet. These are the plans He planned out for each of us, to accomplish His great Plan of the Ages.
For His good pleasure.
God is good, and how God planned and designed this Universe and this World to work is for our good. When He sees what He made operating well, that gives Him pleasure. When we do the things He planned for us to accomplish in His strength, then He is "having fun with His toy" (big boys have big toys), deriving pleasure, and we get the benefits.
It's so wonderful how God designed this Earth to function! When we follow His rules for living, the result is beneficial to us here in this life; and God will even reward us eternally for doing what He enables us to do here. He is such a Good God!
O my Father, You are such a wonderful God! You designed this whole universe to run smoothly, like a fine instrument. And Your Spirit is the oil that keeps it humming!
And You use our decisions to move along Your plans for each of us and for all of us. Even the horrible, sinful, evil things that rebels devise, You use for good. Father, the cleverness of Your wisdom is amazing! You have given us a will that is free to choose anything within the parameters You place upon us, so that there is nothing that we can do that will put You off Your game. You see to it that everything continually moves toward the conclusion that You have planned all along.
O Father, when Your Son returns, He will have a glorious time, defeating all the forces arrayed against Him, gaining the great victory over all! It will be magnificent!
And You have given to us, Your children, to reign with Him on His throne, as He reigns with You on Your throne.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim the lordship of Christ Jesus, as the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come mightily, Lord Jesus!
Friday, March 20, 2020
Exalted Over All
Philippians 2: 9-11
(9) For this reason also,
What we saw yesterday, that Jesus humbled Himself and became a man so that He could die a human death for each of us.
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name,
Because He humbled Himself, then the Father could exalt Him. And when we humble ourselves, He will also exalt us in Christ.
(10) so that at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth,
(11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God the Father gave God the Son Lordship over all creation. The Son is the Word of God by which He created everything that exists (John 1: 1-3).
The Father is over the Son, and the Son is over the Spirit. I see the Father as the brains, the Son as the brawn, and the Spirit as the life and light. This is very simplistic, but it's my general understanding of how order is in the Godhead.
Jesus commended the centurian for his understanding of the order of authority, saying that his faith was greater than all in Israel, in Matthew 8: 5-10. This soldier understood that Jesus had the authority to command the sickness, even at a distance.
The Son is the Lord God, the sovereign authority over all creation. Everything that exists will bow down to Him, acknowledging His supreme authority.
Everything, from stars and planets and solar systems, to the beings that think and make decisions, to the bacteria and viruses we can't see, down to the very molecules and atoms we're all made of; He's Boss and Ruler over it all.
And we as His body, are participating in His life in the Spirit, and we will help Him rule over creation as His kings and queens, sitting in His throne as He sits in the Father's throne. We have God's Life living in us in His Holy Spirit, and what He has planned for us is so far beyond what we can imagine, that the glimpse He revealed to John of what is ahead for us is described mostly by what won't be there any more! Read Revelation 21 and 22.
O my Father, You are God! There is no other! Nothing can compare to You, everything that exists is from You and is Your imagination! You are our Source for everything. You give us everything we will ever need, and in Your generosity, You give us so much more! You lavish upon us all Your goodness and bounty and prosperity and health and relationships.
Father, You have given us to one another, to teach and admonish and encourage one another. You have given to Mankind to use what You have made to devise so many things that enable us to do so much more than at any other time in our recorded history. And You are still showering upon us all Your wonderful blessings, even when we are experiencing times of trouble and hardship and apart/togetherness.
O Father, I pray for our leaders, that You would protect them and lead them to do for us what is good; and that You be with Your children to show us all how we can each do what we can do to be of benefit to others.
Father, send us out into all the world to preach to every creature how much You love them, and have sent Your own Son to meet all their needs. Lead us to every person who is seeking You, whether or not they realize it is You they are looking for. I know I was looking for Truth, and You are Truth. Some are looking for Peace, or Purpose, or some other quality that You are. Let them find You, let us encounter each one of them, to share You with them, as You are what all of creation craves.
Fill Your great House with all of Your uncountable family members, Father; seat at Your grand Banquet Table all of Your beloved children, to feast and fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, Son of the Father, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
(9) For this reason also,
What we saw yesterday, that Jesus humbled Himself and became a man so that He could die a human death for each of us.
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name,
Because He humbled Himself, then the Father could exalt Him. And when we humble ourselves, He will also exalt us in Christ.
(10) so that at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth,
(11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God the Father gave God the Son Lordship over all creation. The Son is the Word of God by which He created everything that exists (John 1: 1-3).
The Father is over the Son, and the Son is over the Spirit. I see the Father as the brains, the Son as the brawn, and the Spirit as the life and light. This is very simplistic, but it's my general understanding of how order is in the Godhead.
Jesus commended the centurian for his understanding of the order of authority, saying that his faith was greater than all in Israel, in Matthew 8: 5-10. This soldier understood that Jesus had the authority to command the sickness, even at a distance.
The Son is the Lord God, the sovereign authority over all creation. Everything that exists will bow down to Him, acknowledging His supreme authority.
Everything, from stars and planets and solar systems, to the beings that think and make decisions, to the bacteria and viruses we can't see, down to the very molecules and atoms we're all made of; He's Boss and Ruler over it all.
And we as His body, are participating in His life in the Spirit, and we will help Him rule over creation as His kings and queens, sitting in His throne as He sits in the Father's throne. We have God's Life living in us in His Holy Spirit, and what He has planned for us is so far beyond what we can imagine, that the glimpse He revealed to John of what is ahead for us is described mostly by what won't be there any more! Read Revelation 21 and 22.
O my Father, You are God! There is no other! Nothing can compare to You, everything that exists is from You and is Your imagination! You are our Source for everything. You give us everything we will ever need, and in Your generosity, You give us so much more! You lavish upon us all Your goodness and bounty and prosperity and health and relationships.
Father, You have given us to one another, to teach and admonish and encourage one another. You have given to Mankind to use what You have made to devise so many things that enable us to do so much more than at any other time in our recorded history. And You are still showering upon us all Your wonderful blessings, even when we are experiencing times of trouble and hardship and apart/togetherness.
O Father, I pray for our leaders, that You would protect them and lead them to do for us what is good; and that You be with Your children to show us all how we can each do what we can do to be of benefit to others.
Father, send us out into all the world to preach to every creature how much You love them, and have sent Your own Son to meet all their needs. Lead us to every person who is seeking You, whether or not they realize it is You they are looking for. I know I was looking for Truth, and You are Truth. Some are looking for Peace, or Purpose, or some other quality that You are. Let them find You, let us encounter each one of them, to share You with them, as You are what all of creation craves.
Fill Your great House with all of Your uncountable family members, Father; seat at Your grand Banquet Table all of Your beloved children, to feast and fellowship with You and one another forever!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, Son of the Father, Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, March 19, 2020
So God Died -- And Was Resurrected
Philippians 2: 6-8
(6) Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
(8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus knew before He came that He would have to die. That's the only way anyone is able to get out of this world; but even more, He had to be the Lamb of God to be our atoning Sacrifice.
Before this Earth was created, the Triune Godhead decided what He would do when Mankind sinned.
"Then Elohim said, Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26).
Then the Second Person of the Godhead reached down, got a handful of dirt, and ...
"And the LORD God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7).
Mankind was created to be God's children, but He gave us the choice whether to choose Him or rebel against Him, because He wants us to want to love Him back.
So the LORD God assumed full responsibility for Mankind, knowing that we would sin, and He would only be able to take us to live with Him where He is by coming to us as one of us, in order to cleanse us, so that we would be fit to live with Him where He is.
By becoming the Lamb of God, the personal Sacrifice that we each would need to wash away our sins with His Blood, He would cleanse us of every stain and spot, making us blameless to dwell with Him in Heaven.
This is the only way we can go to Heaven. Jesus knew this. In His humanity, He didn't want to have to go through with it, and prayed to the Father in the Garden that if there was any other way, to not make Him do it (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36). But He knew there was no other way, and submitted to the Father's will, that He had agreed to before the beginning.
Jesus had to be a real human to die a human death for each of us, and in facing death He conquered it: then, because He didn't deserve to die, He was Resurrected with a new kind of life, a spiritual body, no longer subject to death.
Now He can call us, who have accepted His sacrifice as our own, to that same Resurrection life, our bodies will be changed to be like His, either from the grave or without having to die, if we live to that Day of His Glorious Appearing. Then we also will no longer be subject to death, and we will live with our Lord, face-to-face, forever, in spiritual bodies like His.
That's why He came. And He is coming again. Soon.
O my Father, thank You so much for Your Son! Thank You for solving all the problems we make for ourselves, and showing us in Your written Word how to deal with whatever assails us.
Father, You knew that we would rebel against You, yet Your Love will not let us go. You sent Your Son to pay our debt and cleanse us, so that we could be born into Your own family and live with You forever! This is incredible! You are incredible!
O Father, send out Your children as Your missionaries to share with every living person how much You love them. Lead us to all of Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth, to rescue all of Your lost lambs from the brambles of sin and the pits of deception. Enable us to untangle them and pull them out, even from the flames of hell licking at their heels.
And no one will have any excuse. Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
(6) Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
(8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus knew before He came that He would have to die. That's the only way anyone is able to get out of this world; but even more, He had to be the Lamb of God to be our atoning Sacrifice.
Before this Earth was created, the Triune Godhead decided what He would do when Mankind sinned.
"Then Elohim said, Let us make Man in Our image, after Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26).
Then the Second Person of the Godhead reached down, got a handful of dirt, and ...
"And the LORD God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7).
Mankind was created to be God's children, but He gave us the choice whether to choose Him or rebel against Him, because He wants us to want to love Him back.
So the LORD God assumed full responsibility for Mankind, knowing that we would sin, and He would only be able to take us to live with Him where He is by coming to us as one of us, in order to cleanse us, so that we would be fit to live with Him where He is.
By becoming the Lamb of God, the personal Sacrifice that we each would need to wash away our sins with His Blood, He would cleanse us of every stain and spot, making us blameless to dwell with Him in Heaven.
This is the only way we can go to Heaven. Jesus knew this. In His humanity, He didn't want to have to go through with it, and prayed to the Father in the Garden that if there was any other way, to not make Him do it (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36). But He knew there was no other way, and submitted to the Father's will, that He had agreed to before the beginning.
Jesus had to be a real human to die a human death for each of us, and in facing death He conquered it: then, because He didn't deserve to die, He was Resurrected with a new kind of life, a spiritual body, no longer subject to death.
Now He can call us, who have accepted His sacrifice as our own, to that same Resurrection life, our bodies will be changed to be like His, either from the grave or without having to die, if we live to that Day of His Glorious Appearing. Then we also will no longer be subject to death, and we will live with our Lord, face-to-face, forever, in spiritual bodies like His.
That's why He came. And He is coming again. Soon.
Father, You knew that we would rebel against You, yet Your Love will not let us go. You sent Your Son to pay our debt and cleanse us, so that we could be born into Your own family and live with You forever! This is incredible! You are incredible!
O Father, send out Your children as Your missionaries to share with every living person how much You love them. Lead us to all of Your embryonic children to bring them to the birth, to rescue all of Your lost lambs from the brambles of sin and the pits of deception. Enable us to untangle them and pull them out, even from the flames of hell licking at their heels.
And no one will have any excuse. Every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
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