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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Saturday, February 15, 2020
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :To Live and Die in Christ Bible Verse :Philippians 1:18-24 "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose [or which I would prefer] I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. " Message:
In the previous verses, Paul elaborated on his continued joy despite two apparent hardships: His imprisonment, and others seeking to supplant him in worldly stature by preaching the gospel, in order to further their own fame, while he was confined. Now he turns to a greater hardship: The real possibility that he would be executed by the Romans.
He debates the advantages of living and dying! Paul has had a hard life, filled with poverty, constant travel in difficult circumstances, public mockery, repeated imprisonment, and severe beatings. Some unknown condition(s) or diseases(s) plague him; he says only that he has “a thorn in his side.” So, on the one hand, he is ready to lay his burden down and be with Christ.
Yet Paul sees advantage in continuing to live. His work has been enormously fruitful, both in the founding of churches and in steering them away from false teachers, all through the vast lands of Galatia (Turkey) and Greece, from Antioch to Rome.
The phrase “which I shall choose I cannot tell,” is probably a poor translation, for it sounds like Paul can make the decision. The Greek can be read “which I would prefer,” and that makes the most sense.
Head of Christ|Crown of Thorns by Cranach
Paul knows that God will guide the decision. He is not speculating about the mind of God. Rather, he is showing that whether he lives or dies, we can understand that it is for the best. It might seem to the human mind like having him live and preach would be wisest course, for his is the most powerful human voice of his time in the spread of the Gospel. But we can understand that having him martyred might be God’s greater wisdom at work. And to make the scenario even hazier, we are not 100% sure what the outcome was! Most likely, he was executed in Rome; but it is possible that he was freed and sailed on to Spain, perhaps banished by the court.
The ambiguity surrounding Paul’s trial and sentence highlight the certainty of his message: His only great desire is that he not be ashamed, but that his body will honor Christ, whether he lives or dies. If he is to be martyred, he wants to face his death like Stephen and Jesus, without complaint, but singing the praises of God and brimming with confidence that He will live again, in perfect joy, by the power of the cross.
I wring my hands and worry anxiously about all sorts of things. Yet here is Paul, whose issue is life or death, confident that God’s will must provide the superior outcome — even if it means his execution! His faith, his demonstration that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” should be a beacon to all of us in our petty anxieties. When we pray “thy will be done,” let us bring it comfort in our suffering. Our joy in our salvation is complete, no matter our circumstances! Praise God!
Meditation : Prayer : May the Passion of Christ be ever in my heart. May your law and your goodness guide my every thought, O Lord. And may the power of your Holy Spirit flow through my words and my actions today, and always........Amen |
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