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I think that we need to do what the Holy Spirit guides us to do, otherwise one can feel pressured to do a certain way of ministering to others.

John 3:7 (NASB20) “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The instruction comes that one is to ‘not be amazed’ at how salvation is to come…. For when one recognizes one’s fallen state, the necessity is seen, that salvation must come by way of something other than by oneself... For this something other, which does invoke one’s amazement, it being a birth of the Life of God in one’s soul…… This birth of life that is to be had is a real birth of something that was not alive in one before…. But this new something which will be discovered to be the actual life of Christ one has no hand in but the desiring of it, but the desiring of it is the gate keeper, for one can have it only to the degree one desires it… Though God is ever ready to grow His life in one, one’s will must want it… For that which comes from God is Spirit and Life, henceforth that which comes from God is true, real and eternal…. For God can only make Himself known and transmit Himself to the creature as He is, as He is Life, life must therefore be transferred….. For this new life is a eternal spiritual birth that is forever giving life to itself in newer and deeper ways….. For this life of the Life of God in one is to be experienced forever as one’s highest joy… For this is how Christ is formed in one, by this Life of life giving life to itself, the joy of which only gets deeper as the more of this life is grown.… For the desire of the soul turned towards God will do all in one one could possibly hope or dream if one will but have the patience and faith to wait on God for the growing of it in one’s life…. For God has no other name the the Helper of him that would be helped, the Filler of him that would be filled, the Savior of him that would be saved, the Deliverer of him that would be delivered, if one will but want it, then expect and desire all from God alone and have the faith to wait before Him for Him to grow it in one’s life…. But just how is this life manifested in one…? That would be obedience to the expressions of righteousness, for righteousness in total is the expression of His life, for only His Life can bring the qualities of His Life to life…. For Jesus did die that He might bring righteousness to life in all those that would be willing to not be amazed… Be blessed in, with, and by that which amazes, as it is brought forth as the living power of one’s life, in, through, and by the desire towards it…. A fellow desire-er, Not me

Psalm 124: 2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive , when their wrath was,kindled against us.

I agree with this statement by Matt Slick What is meant by the inspiration of the Scriptures? by Matt Slick | Sep 2, 2010 | Questions, The Bible When Christians say that the Bible is inspired, they are saying that it is “God-breathed.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The word for “inspired” is the Greek θεόπνευστος, “theopneustos,” which means “God-breathed.” In other words, this means that the Scriptures are authored from God and that God moved through the personality and abilities of the biblical writers in such a way that what they wrote was without error and was correct in everything that it addressed. Therefore, the Scriptures are the product of both God and man, and the Scriptures reflect the writing style of different individuals. This process of inspiration was not a mechanical dictation where the writer simply wrote down what was heard. Neither did they go into a trance-like some cases of “automatic writing” which are said to occur in occult practices. Instead, the writers of the Bible were free to write what they wanted, the way they wanted, and when they wanted; yet it was God moving through them to ensure the integrity and accuracy of what was said. Furthermore, the Christian church recognizes the inspired Scriptures because the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, recognizes the voice of God. The church did not give us the Scriptures. The Christian church recognized the Christian Scriptures.

Opinion noted but with a reminder of the Worthy Statement of Faith. Quote: "We believe that the 66 books of the Canon, from Genesis to Revelation are the exhaustive, inerrant and inspired word of God."

"God will do all in one one could possibly hope or dream" ........ God is light. His promises are true.......... Thanks, Not me...

So, for a discussion point, pick one of the myths you see being circulated and how to straighten it out (emphasis on the "how to" part). I find that many people would rather believe a myth than seek out the truth and replace it with it in their thinking.

Romans 1: 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ

I think this very well summarizes your argument: When we look at those five days we find they are wrong in every particular. The Earth was not made before our sun, nor was it made before the stars, the stars are not lights in a firmament; there is no firmament, and there are no waters above it. The day and night could not have been created before the sun since the sun, together with the rotation of the Earth, gives us day and night. Life did not appear suddenly on the Earth over the course of a few days; several billion years passed between the earliest life forms and those we can see today. The Genesis creation story is a comedy of errors, and that allows us to draw a confident conclusion—Moses did not get the story from God. Which leaves only one possibility; the story came from the imaginations of men. The problem here is the source. AtheistAlliance.org

As I have read through this thread ... I have to agree with Tristen. This debate is totally on the authority of Scripture and the hermeneutic applied... You either go with the grammatical or you do not. Being God's Word most do not tread careful enough...

Hi Yes it is nice to try hard but better to listen quietly..

Shalom, The Barbarian. Not presuming to speak on @RV_Wizard's behalf, one doesn't need the SUN to have mornings and evenings! All one needs is the LIGHT shining from one side of the earth to have mornings and evenings. We also KNOW that "yowm" is INDEED a LITERAL Day! A 24-HOUR Day! A Day the same as it is TODAY! To say otherwise makes me wonder if the one saying otherwise believes the Bible AT ALL, seeing they can't take what God said SERIOUSLY! AND, you have your history backwards. The Christians of the FIRST Century didn't question the creation event at all. It wasn't until the SECOND AND THIRD Centuries, when allegorical interpretation was introduced, as well as the adoption of the Greek logic and myths into their understanding of the Bible, that Christians had the AUDACITY to question the veracity of the Bible! One should CAREFULLY consider one's views to be sure he or she is not employing hypercriticism; that is, the SUPER criticism of the Bible, which says, "Well, THAT can't be true because it is too far fetched when it says God did a miracle." That's putting ONESELF ABOVE GOD, as some "higher authority!" That's a VERY DANGEROUS (and ludicrous) attitude to have! Also, I'm getting a little annoyed by your tactic of saying things like, "As you learned, ..." or "we know that ..." and then proceed to CONTRADICT the Bible! You've not taught anyone ANYTHING (unless he or she is a complete simpleton, moron, or automaton)! You can't lead when one chooses NOT to follow, and I'll choose God's Word over any NONSENSE that comes from the philosophy of evolutionism and common ancestry! STICK TO THE GRAMMATICAL-HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES!

I used to walk through my neighborhood playing for residents house by house. But I have a friend with the gift of evangelism who regularly goes door to door and is quite effective. His wife goes with him and prays silently as he speaks. Paul's prayer: Eph 6:19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, Eph 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

2 Chronicles 7:14 14 If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

do you go door to door in your neighbourhood? when i was looking into jws one of the people told me that this is the only church they ever seen going door to door and i have to agree. when i was younger our church went door to door maybe once but it was more about trying to get people to come to our church instead of sharing the gospel

Many are called... few actually are...

Many of them will be among those who call themselves Christians as well.

As the Temple was destroyed which ended the "ism" of Judaism, so too will the destruction of Gentile nations through war (#3) bring an end to the Times of the Gentiles. Then God turns His full attention back to Israel and fulfills all remaining covenants and prophecies. The Gentile Church will go through the Time of Jacob's Trouble with Israel.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Zephaniah 2:3

Yep, it happens doesn't it- to think I was raised New Hampshire tough. I used to shovel snow in a T-shirt and jeans. Now I whimper at the thought of anything below 60. Got SoCal soft somewhere along the line. Used to think as I looked up at Mt. Baldy from the then orange groves of Anaheim Ca. that I missed all that New England snow. Now I can hardly handle these cold snaps that hit the Appalachians. On the whole I'd rather be - I was going to say at San Diego- but the charm that was San Diego is long gone. Too many people today. Guess I will rejoice in just being, being wherever God leads us. It has always worked out in the past! Very nicely even as He has led me to some really grand saints for fellowship, service, and much learning over time.

Now that's what I'm talking about! Cold is mid 60's. Your description and photos look like the great fun my Texas bride describes. She is Texas border Island born and raised. Yet she finds my Free Florida Suncoast too warm. Go figure. Somehow North Carolina mountains is supposed to be a compromise for us. And there is the local church body in town that we have been led to, so that is good! Well it has warmed up some too as it is 37 this AM. By midweek we will be back at the Suncoast for a bit. Can't seem to get settled in at the mountains for all the doctor appointments ( mine). All small stuff, but necessary I guess. Anyway we are I-75 road warriors. Just can't hardly have more fun than that. Well unless one never has to travel I-75 at all. I do think we all are blessed in the USA, to be able to freely travel such diverse locales, all within one country, wow! Thank you Lord thank you.

Hi! This is the perfect answer.. I believe Mike

Having debated many Christians who are long-age advocates, they have found a range of varied and imaginative ways to reconcile long-ages with scripture. The argument in your opening post assumes they have rejected the authority of scripture. Whilst I do not want to presume to speak for them, I think I can say with confidence that they would consider this a misrepresentation of their position. That means, by implication, that most of your argument does not apply to them. For example, your first question: "What would give a God who did NOT create us in His image; who just watched us evolve over billions of years, the right to judge us? " However, the Christian who believes in long-ages would claim that the Bible indeed teaches that we are created in God's "image". Therefore, this "question" does not apply to their position. "After all, if a lion kills a hyena and takes his prey without consequence, what stops me from killing you and taking your stereo? If we are merely evolved apes, then the predominant law is survival of the fittest." This is an argument about the existence and origins of morality. But a Bible believer considers morality to be a true, eternal, Bible-based standard. Therefore, this is a misrepresentation (or misunderstanding) of the position of those Christians who subscribe to long-ages. Nevertheless, the existence and origin of morality is a perfectly valid point to raise with a non-believer. The appropriate question for the (long-age believing) Christian would be: "How do you reconcile the plain reading of Genesis with your long-age stance?". The answer to that question will take you down a different path of argument then the one you have presented here. In my experience, the argument will then become about appropriate methods of hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) and their implications for sound doctrine. I won't go through the rest of your OP, but if you re-read it, the overall argument suggests an inherent disrespect and disregard for scripture - which the long-age believing Christian would contest.

Sorry, I should have said "Where can I find my threads? Not to worry, I found it. I asked because you were explaining the book of Philippians to me. .

@Eli1 Enough of this strawman argument. It amounts to an insult, so not in keeping with Worthy Terms of Service.

I may have seen one of those polar bears Neighbor this morning wade fishing in the gulf. Our family yearly reunion every year is at Rockport Texas. We fish a lot as our cabins are on the water, at the Gulf of Mexico. We got back last week and I had to wear a long sleeve shirt. It dropped way down into the seventies..... Imagine waking up each morning and see God's creation like this. Just a few of the many redfish drum.. The cold weather brings them out...

I agree. Like as a child my mom pressured me to clean up my room. Then as I matured, my conscience helped me realize cleaning my room was the right thing to do. Thanks Marilyn

We in Eastern Washington are experiences your temps. It has been 23 F at night last week but is back up to the low 40s this week with highs close to 60. A brief reprieve. Our highs went from the 80s one week, the 60s the next, and then the 40s! It just dipped down too fast and our bodies couldn't acclimatize. It always amazes me that in the spring we start shedding our jackets when it hits 50 if there is no breeze. In fall we grab our heavy jackets when it hits 50.

You've made some good points in the OP and the above posting. I would like to give my view. Birth is a beginning. Prince Charles (now king) needed to be born first to later rule. Those who believed in Jesus were given power to becoe the sons of God (Jn.1:12-13) so the birth from above makes you a royal. Those who believed also received everlasting life (actually, eternal life - the nature of God) so that they might display God and rule like He would. The creature became corrupted in our time by Abel's death. Since Abel, dams full of innocent blood have flowed into the earth and men's sexual sins and idolatry have further polluted the earth. The earth needed two things to be recovered. It needed a Substitute's blood to flow into it to atone for the innocent blood, and it needs righteous rule for God to bless the earth. The Millennium is therefore called "the Regeneration" (Mattt.19:28) for the curse is lifted by Christ's blood "that speaketh better things than Abel's" (Heb.12:24), and the Overcomers, men and women who have proven their integrity and loyalty and obedience, will rule cities. God made "formed" man from the elements of clay, he breathed His vitalizing spirit into man, and man BECAME a living soul. That is, something new was created. God has never changed His mind. he wants man to rule and man is a SOUL. he is consistantly calleda a "soul" throughout scripture and it is, Revelation 20:4; ... and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years The term "Spiritual" does not mean "Spirit-substance". It means that it is made and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus made this clear when He showed His resurrected body (Lk.24:39). I would venture that this line of thinking comes from a misunderstanding of "born AGAIN". The common understanding is that Adam died spiritually and needed to be born spiritually AGAIN. This presupposes that Adam had spiritual life and that some force was able to kill it. But the term "born AGAIN" really means "to undergo a second and additional birth". The human has his first birth via the womb. In this he inherits human life. In the second, or additional birth, his SPIRIT ONLY is born with divine Life (Jn.3:6). Adam was a perfect man, but he needed AN-OTHER nature - that which the Tree of Life could give. These two different natures are seen in death. The wages of sin (singular) is physical death (Rom.5:12-17, 6:23) - not spiritual death. The solution for this is resurrection - not rebirth. The spirit does not die. It returns to God Who gave it (Eccl. 3:21, 12:7) and returns again at resurrection (Lk.8:55). Far from dying, it is man's vitality (Jas.2:26).

My goal is to be like Jesus which His Holy Spirit is working within. `And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ` (Rom. 8: 28 & 29)

I used to 'knock on doors' for decades on our church Monday evening visitation ministry and cold calls are not very much appreciated. People like their privacy and strangers knocking on their door is irritating/bothersome to them. Not always but almost. When someone visits our church though they can sign a visitors card and request a visit, and that is when we go now. With my wife and my businesses we have strangers, delivery drivers, come every day, so the mission field has moved to our home, praise God. Within my neighborhood out in the country the homes are somewhat far apart, yet I try to offer friendship and get to know most and then eventually come around to the gospel, and knowing we live close and I will have more opportunities in the future. It is amazing to me that most of these strangers appreciate discussing God and how they also pray to him though not knowing him personally. We used to have JW's come to our place regularly leaving their tract/paper, false doctrine, called the "Watchtower" on our gate if we weren't home. When they came and witnessed, I would talk to them as if ignorant of scripture. They always came by twos. One was generally older, knowledgeable, the teacher, and a younger one an apprentice, learning the ropes. Finally, after several visits and zeroing in on the young unlearned apprentice, I ask him about Jesus being God the son. He quoted Jesus was only a god according to his bible. I then pulled out my bible and showed him that his bible was false, that Jesus was GOD, as it said in mine, in John 1, Jesus was God, and not (a) God. The older JW stepped up and said they had to leave. They never came back. Hope the young man considered to investigate another true biblical bible.

I read this in the Berean Call monthly newsletter this morning which speaks of that which you say Vineabider.. “It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, a former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there—the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face. “He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. ‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,’ he said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’ His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. “Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I prayed, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.  “As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.” —Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place   https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/prjVWi9agcvHo6wWwSY0NoWHiaFTUW1GFE88HIUk5LrHN5aeEIX3D6pJtDlEPNI6Dvf_Ou5XHLexQ1ajT_5sVXHMGfcLsqoinYvkNDmXc8HzvBff2Y637Q=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif

Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble When you're perfect in every way I can't wait to look in the mirror 'Cause I get better lookin' each day To know me is to love me I must be a hell of a man Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble But I'm doin' the best that I can!

I am not sure what you are saying here. Evolution theory is a religion that conflicts with Creation (how God did things).

`For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether throne or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.` (Col. 1: 16)

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

And I would add, anyone doing that is our enemy, Know who your enemy is, how he works and where he is working if you want to be victorious over him.

Micah 1 2 Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.

So not only do you not believe Moses, you don't believe Darwin either. Clear to whom? I am under no delusion that I share ancestry with a daffodil, despite sharing 25% similarities in DNA. I just hate lies. I have no respect for false religions. I don't honor false prophets. I refuse to sit idly while people twist and distort the word of God to promote a religion based on ignorance and naturalism. Evolution is based on ignorance of our origins. It relies on extremely rare abnormalities in biology to be the driving force in all biodiversity despite having no provable mechanism for increased complexity. Let's face it. A six year old knows the definition of a day, and yet you fabricate some notion that six days was never intended to mean six days. Evolution has one intent; to explain the origination of life without giving any deference to the Creator. It's a Satanic religion responsible for destroying the faith of many and leading them away from God. It has its root in the foolish notion that the natural laws of this word are absolute; other than when violations are necessary to get around the fact that matter/energy simply cannot be created or destroyed, only changed in form. News flash: 84% of Americans believe in miracles and 48% say they have experienced one. For naturalism to be right, very single one of them must be lying or delusional. I said "about." All life on earth is related. The way children wiggle, breathe, cuddle and grab objects can help them to realize their ancient link with fish, reptiles, mammals and apes. This is the message of Grandmother Fish, a new book for 3- to 7-year-olds written by Jonathan Tweet and illustrated by Karen Lewis. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign and offered free in PDF form online, the book has won praise as a child's first book of evolution. source Again with this nonsense??? Don't you ever get tired of misrepresenting the Bible by posting words out of context? How many times do I have to show your claim to be blatantly false? NO!! You don't get it both ways. You can't deny God's entire creation and then offer Him a bit part because you can't pass off the lie of abiogenesis as easily as the lie of increasing complexity. It's either "In the beginning, God," or it's "In the beginning, nothing became something and then something came to life." The origination of anything cannot be explained within the boundaries of science. You CAN'T start with a miracle and then deny miracles. It is the very epitome of dishonesty. What God? If God lied about His creation then there is no God, because God cannot lie. You can't ignore the God of creation and then make up your own little god to kick start things for you. There is one God. He created the Heavens and the earth. He gave man free will and Adam blew it. He used Noah to preserve the human race and then destroyed the most evil of it. Then He sent His only begotten son to die for... what, exactly? If man is only an evolved primate then there is no sin, no need for a Savior, no crucifixion and no resurrection. NONE of the Bible makes sense if you deny the foundation. It is self contained package; you either believe it or you do not. Either God is as He says He is or there is no God. There is no provision for a lying god who makes up things to make himself look good. God created everything or nothing. The Bible is all truth or all lies. Molecules to man is the beginning. If your story has no beginning then you have no story.

The Bible states that the heavens and the earth were created in six days. It also gives the genealogies of the Bible from Adam to Jesus. From that we can get a pretty good idea how old the earth is. It doesn't add up to ten thousand years, let along billions. I post entire passages. There are no additions. I simply include your subtractions. I wasn't around when the Bible was compiled, so how could I add anything? I never said it did. I said the Bible says the earth was created, which it was. There was a global flood, which Jesus referenced. Jesus affirmed the accuracy of the Scriptures. Sine He was an eyewitness and you were not, I believe Him that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Noah descended from Adam. David descended from Noah. Mary descended from David.

Bit blown a way I'm on a Christian site and reading people arguing that we came from apes, scoffing at creationism, and twisting the very plain and straightforward text of Genesis. If you don't believe it move on, don't pervert and mangle what is clearly written down.

Philippians Introduction by Chuck Smith Paul the apostle was arrested in Jerusalem and held in prison at Caesarea for two years until Caesar heard his appeal. While Paul was in Rome awaiting his appearance before Caesar, he was under house arrest. He was able to rent his own cell but was chained to a Roman guard twenty-four hours a day. There were in Rome some ten thousand elite soldiers whose chief duty was to protect the emperor. These men were chained to Paul on shifts, twenty-four hours a day, for two years. Paul saw that as a tremendous opportunity to witness, because they could not get away, and many of Caesar’s household came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. There was quite a revival there in Rome, while Paul waited for his appearance before Caesar. The church in Philippi took up an offering and sent him a generous amount of money, taken to Paul by Epaphroditus, who became extremely ill and almost died on the way. However, he got to Rome, and this letter is basically a thank-you letter to the people at Philippi. It is written not as from an apostle to the church, like most of Paul’s epistles, but as a friend to a friend. There is a warm, friendly feeling through the whole epistle; and its tone is one of joy and rejoicing, even though all this time, Paul was chained to a Roman guard in a Roman prison. It was like a cellar. Light came in from a window high up, but Paul always had the light within him, and he declares, “I have learned in whatever state I am in to be content. I know how to abound. I know how to be abased. I am content because my contentment does not lie in my circumstances. My contentment lies in my relationship with Jesus Christ, and that cannot change. My circumstances may change, I may be in tough physical circumstances, but my contentment is not in that. My contentment comes from knowing Jesus Christ.” So, Paul opens this epistle, and along with the little letter to Philemon and 1 Thessalonians, it is the only epistle where he does not begin by the affirmation of his apostleship. Usually, it is, “Paul an apostle by the will of God.” But he is writing now as a friend to a friend. Philippians, Chapter 1:1-11 From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s people in Philippi, including the church leaders and helpers. May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. I thank God for you every time I think of you, and every time I pray for you all. I pray with joy, remembering how you helped me in the work of the gospel from the very first day until now. I am sure; Paul continues speaking from the depths of his spiritual experience, that God, who began this good work in you, will continue until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus. I will always have you in my heart. You have all shared with me the gospel of Jesus Christ that God has given me, both now that I am in prison and while I was free, to defend the gospel and establish it firmly. God is my witness, and I tell the truth when I say that my deep feelings for you all come from the heart of Christ Jesus himself. I pray your love will continue to grow more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgement, so that you can choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ. Your lives will be filled with the perfect qualities that only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God. Comment The good work began in Paul by the grace of God, about which he says (1Cor 15:10), ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am.’ It is his sense of God’s work that makes him confident about the Philippians. He believes God will not allow even a small quantity of seed to be without fruit. But the apostle will not forget, nor have his readers forgotten, that though Paul may plant and Apollos may water, it is God who gives the increase. We read in Acts that “The Lord opened the heart of Lydia, who attended to those things spoken of by Paul.” To be continued:

Philippians chapter 4 Chapter 4:1-9 So then, my friends, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you! This, dear friends, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord. Euodia and Syntyche, please, I beg you, try to agree as sisters in the Lord. And you too, my faithful partner, I want you to help these women; for they have worked hard with me to spread the gospel, together with Clement and all my other fellow workers, whose names are in God’s book of the living. May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! Show a gentle attitude towards everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything, but in all your prayers, ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with virtuous and holy things that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honourable. Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you. Comments What a strong and faithful heart Paul had! Poor and despised though he was, he had both joys and crowns, of which no hostile force could deprive him. He lived in the encompassing atmosphere of eternity, as we may. Clearly, these two Christian women could not have withstood this tender exhortation unless their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Joy and peace are the subjects of the next paragraph. How wonderful that these struggling little churches were drinking springs of living water about which the princes and citizens of Greece and Rome knew nothing. There are conditions, though. We must be moderate in our ambitions and gentle in our behaviour. We must live as though Jesus is always watching us, because he is. Furthermore, we must leave our troubles in the Father’s infinite care, leave them with Him, and forget them. We must thank Him for the past and count on Him for the future. While we pray, the Angel of Peace will descend to stand as a sentry at our heart’s door. But we must possess the God of peace and the peace of God; the one condition is that we must earnestly pursue all things that are true, just, pure, and lovely. (Philippians 4:10-23) In my life in union with the Lord, it is a great joy to me that, after so long, you showed again how much you care for me. I do not mean you had stopped caring for me; you just had no chance to show it. And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere and at all times, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. Furthermore, I have the strength to face all conditions through the power that Christ gives me. But I am delighted that you helped me with my troubles. You Philippians know that when I left Macedonia in the early days of preaching the Good News, you were the only church to help me; you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses. More than once, when I needed help in Thessalonica, you sent it to me. It is not that I just want to receive gifts; I want to see profit added to your account. Here, then, is my receipt for everything you have given me, and it has been more than enough! I have all I need now that Epaphroditus has brought me all your gifts. They are like a sweet-smelling offering to God, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to him. And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. To our God and Father, be the glory forever and ever! Amen. Final Greetings Greetings to each one of God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus. The believers here with me send you their greetings. All God’s people here send greetings, especially those who belong to the Emperor’s palace. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Comment: Every saint, every member of the Philippian congregation, is remembered in the final salutation of the apostle. Being believers, they are saints, cleansed and sanctified by the blood of Christ. The brethren in Rome also wanted to be remembered. Although they were not acquainted personally with the Philippian Christians, they felt themselves united with them in the fellowship of a common faith and love. Especially the Christians that belonged to Caesar’s household, with whom Paul undoubtedly was most intimately acquainted and whom he saw oftener individually than many others, sent their greetings. In the very palace of the emperor, who hated the Christians, the news of Christ had spread and made converts. Whether servants only were included or whether some members of the emperor’s family had also been gained for Christ, as tradition has it, cannot be determined from this passage. The apostle closes with the earnest wish that the grace of Jesus Christ the Lord, the supreme gift and blessing of salvation, shall be with the spirit of his readers. See Gal_6:18; Rom_16:24; 2Co_13:13. (Comments from Paul Kretzmann) If Paul were preaching in a large auditorium today, he might well have a large sign on the wall behind him with the words: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 Amen

PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3 verses 1-12 In conclusion, my friends be joyful in your union with the Lord. I do not mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, and those who insist on cutting the body. It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our lives in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the law, I was without fault. But all those things that I might count as profit, I now reckon as loss, for Christ’s sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as a complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have thrown everything away; I consider it all mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own making the kind that is gained by obeying the law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God himself. All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life. I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect like the self-righteous Pharisees. I keep striving to win the prize, through Jesus Christ who has already claimed me for himself. Comments The false teachers who dogged Paul’s steps insisted on rigid conformity to Judaism, with its rabbinical accretions, as the condition of being saved by Christ. Paul’s answer was that he had gone through all the requirements of Judaism but had found it absolutely unsatisfactory and inefficient to subdue the sin of his soul. But in Christ, he had found everything he needed. That which he had gained previously now seemed like dross. He had found the pearl of great price and was only too glad to sacrifice all else to purchase and keep it as the talisman of complete victory. Back to Paul. Verses 13-21 Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So, I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above. All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. However, that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now. Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: There are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross. They are going to end up in hell because their god is their bodily desire. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule. Comment on Philippians 3:13–21 May we be always prepared for the coming of our Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed by his Almighty power and applying to him daily to renew our souls unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodies and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service. (Matthew Henry)

Philippians chapter 2:1-11 Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for each other. I urge you, then, to make me perfectly happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Do not do anything out of selfish ambition or a cheap desire to boast, instead be humble towards one another, always considering others better than you. Look out for one another’s interests, not just your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will, he gave up all he had and took on the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to his death on the cross. And so, in honour of our saviour, all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Comment In all Scripture — and indeed, in all literature — there is no passage that combines such extraordinary extremes as this. The apostle opens the golden compasses of his faith, placing one jewelled point on the throne of divine glory and the other at the edge of the pit, where the cross stood. Then he asks us to measure the vast descent of the Son of God as He came down to help us. Mark the seven steps: He was in the form of God, that is, as much God as He was afterwards a servant; being in the form of God took the form of a servant. He was certainly the latter, and equally so the former. He did not grasp equality with God, for it was already his. He emptied himself of His divine attributes to teach the meaning of absolute dependence on the Father. He obeyed, as a servant, the laws that had their source in Himself. He became a man — a humble man, a dying man, a crucified man. He lay in the grave. But the meaning of His descent was that of His ascent, and to all His illustrious names is now added that of Jesus, the Saviour. This must be our model, as we humble ourselves to be like him. F. B. Meyer. Philippians chapter 2:12-18 So then, dear friends, Paul wrote, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now that I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may be innocent and pure as God’s perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted. Perhaps my life’s blood is to be poured out like an offering for the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad to share my joy with you all. In the same way, you too must be glad and share your joy with me. Comment Paul’s life, in many ways, mirrored the life of Jesus, except for one major exception. Paul was a mere mortal, while Jesus was God with us in the image of man. He took on the form of a loving servant, and likewise, Paul, in his service to mankind, cared for others. Neither did Paul do anything for pride or vain glory and neither did Jesus. Jesus, on the other hand, could have grasped equality with God, for it was already his, but he did not. He emptied himself of His divine attributes, teaching us the meaning of absolute dependence on the Father. Jesus obeyed, as a servant, the laws that had their source in Himself. He descended so that He might ascend, and his humbling countenance led to his glorification, setting us an example so that we might follow in His steps since we have profited from His death. Let us humble ourselves likewise. (Yours truly) Philippians chapter 2:19-30 Paul continues. If it is the Lord’s will, I hope that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news about you. He is the only one who shares my feelings and who really cares about you. Everyone else is concerned only with their own affairs, not with the cause of Jesus Christ. And you yourselves know how he has proved his worth and how he and I, like a son and his father, have worked together for the sake of the gospel. So, I hope to send him to you as soon as I know how things are going to turn out for me. And I trust in the Lord that I myself will be able to come to you soon. I have thought it necessary to send to you our brother Epaphroditus, who has worked and fought by my side and who has served as your messenger in helping me. He is anxious to see you all and is very upset because you heard that he was sick. Indeed, he was sick and almost died. But God had pity on him, and not only on him but on me, too, and spared me an even greater sorrow. I am all the more eager, then, to send him to you, so that you will be glad again when you see him, and my own sorrow will disappear. Receive him, then, with joy, as a believer in the Lord. Show respect to all such people as he, because he risked his life and nearly died for the sake of the work of Christ, in order to give me the help that you yourselves could not give. Comment Paul speaks of Timothy as his son, and he describes Epaphroditus as his brother, a fellow worker, and a fellow soldier. God does not add sorrow to sorrow (Phil. 2:27). He tempers his wind with the sheared lamb. He cautions the accuser that he must not take Job’s life. During the trial, he finds a way to escape. He keeps his finger on the wrist while the operation is in progress and stays there as soon as the pulse flutters. Not sorrow upon sorrow! Note also that “hazarding” of life, Php_2:30, R. V., was a common experience in those great days of Christ’s suffering Church, Act 15:26. How strange it is today to watch the sacrifices that men and women will make in times of war, when men gamble everything for liberty, righteousness, and fatherland. Then compare this extravagant expenditure of blood and treasure with what we have done for Jesus. F. B. Meyer. Chapter three tomorrow God willing.

Phillipians 1:12-21. I want you to know, my friends, those things that have happened to me have truly helped the advancement of the gospel. As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ. My being in prison has given most believers more confidence in the Lord, so they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly. Some preachers are jealous and quarrelsome, but others do so out of genuine goodwill and love because they know that God has given to me the work of defending the gospel. The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison. It does not matter! I am happy about it, because Christ is preached in every way possible, whether from wrong or right motives. And I will continue to be happy, because I know that with your prayers and the help of Jesus Christ, I shall be set free. My deepest wish is that I will never fail in my duty. I want, especially now, to be full of courage. So that with my whole being, I shall bring honour and glory to Christ. Whether I live or die, for what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death will bring more. Comment It is clear from this paragraph that death is not an unconscious sleep. It is a gain. It is a release so that the soul can go forth on the broad ocean of God’s love. It does not interrupt our conscious fellowship with the Lord. The moment of absence here is the moment of presence there. To die is, therefore, to gain. (F. B. Meyer) The end of chapter 1. Chapter 2 next. Blessings.