Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Well Saturday has finally come around. That’s good news for some of us, but not for others. However, I am bringing good and wonderful news to ALL of us this sunny, but cold Saturday morning! Wow!
Hear these words from Bruh Paul to the church at Philippi: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.’ (Phil. 1:2-5)
Oh my people, do we joyfully pray for each other as we remember our fellow saints? I do hope so, because it’s one of our bounden duties in Christ. Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the Ephesians, and to us, when he spoke about putting on the armour of God?
‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (hidden truth) of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph. 6:18-20)
Yes my brethren, we’re to always pray for our fellow saints in Christ, because spiritual combat is not only an individual matter, but also a corporate matter. And furthermore, as we are also ambassadors of Christ in this age, we also need the courage, perspicacity and discernment to boldly speak the truth of Christ’s gospel!
So we do need to pray for each other, remember prayer is our greatest tool in God’s economy! And some of you might be wondering how come there are no quotes from our friend Anselm this Saturday morning? Well the simple answer is that I did not receive any from him all week. So I have nothing like that to offer. (smile)
Don’t know what happened, maybe he’s on vacation, hiatus or something, even possibly sick, so let’s pray for him, that whatever’s become of him, he may be safe and comforted in God’s arms. And that’s exactly what today’s Bit is all about; keeping each other in our prayers.
But I do have wonderful truths from Christ’s gospel. Overwhelming truths like this one. More Bruh Paul words to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Oh mih people, what a wonderful promise, what amazing assurance! Yes siree, just like Bruh Paul promised that the Lord would complete the work of salvation He had begun in the Philippians, likewise He will continue and complete the work done in each of us, right until the very day that Christ comes back! Glory be!
Yes friends, we don’t need to worry about God giving up on us. According to the scholars: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned or unrealized.’
Wow! What amazing security for all the saints of Christ! Our God never abandons us, or what He begins in us! Once we’re sealed by the Holy Ghost it’s all systems forward! Now if we would only realize and accept that as gospel truth, then our lives would not be as confused and miserable.
And yuh know friends, it’s all quite simple. Living for Christ might be difficult, but the philosophy is oh so simple. Hear what Jesus said to a crowd while teaching in Capernaum. ‘Then said they (the crowd) unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’ (John 6:28-29)
That’s very simple friends, the work of God is merely to believe on Christ and everything else will fall into place. But the foolish people listening to Him then wanted a sign, which He refused to give them. The same goes for us today, we want to see signs and wonders but it’s really all about faith, faith in Almighty God and consequently His wonderful Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
As the author of Hebrews so plainly tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
That’s all it’s about friends; faith, belief, and consequently trust. Just like we trust the big banks enough to put our life’s savings in them for safekeeping, just so we need to trust Christ to save us and bring us to eternal glory.
And just like we use to spout, we’re in the best hands with All State, even more, we should be faithfully shouting: ‘We’re in good, no better, no the BEST hands with Christ Jesus!’
There are no bigger, safer, or more secure hands than those of the Deity that created the world and all therein, including us, and still controls it! And until we believe that sincerely in our very being and live accordingly, our lives will continue to be miserable and confused! Much LOVE!
…the amazing simplicity of Christ…ohhh…it’s just too much for the human brain to wrap around…
P.S. Short and sweet eh! So I like it! (smile) Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 May 2015 Philippians 4:20
17 May 2015 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a mere mortal, a strangle hold, abound to your account, according to his riches, actions, Amen, an acceptable sacrifice, aroma, be glory for ever and ever, behaviour, belief in Jesus, bring us together, Bruh Paul, busy lives, celebrate, Christians, church leaders, cliques, confident certainty, courage, deeds, denominations, desire fruit, differences, different functions, dignity, divide, divine destiny, divisions, dominon, ecstatic joy, evil minions, factions, faith, faithfully worship God, food for thought, fragrant scent, fulfill Jesus' mandate, generosity, giving thanks, glorifying God, God's sanctuary, God's word and will, grateful, Herculean task, holding my breath, hope, I do know, in cahoots with the world, inscribed me. in the palms of your hands, insular, investment, Jesus' church is one body, joy, Jude, keep keeping on, keep us apart, kindness, LOVE, lustful things, majesty, mercy, motives, Now unto God our Father, odour, our Saviour, petty, Philippians, pleasant fragrance, power, purpose, reaping, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad commentary, satisfaction, Scrip-Bit family, selfish, sheer delight, similaritites, sing and shout, soar, sob, sowing, spreading the gospel all over the world, strength, Sunlit morning, thankful, the church at Philippi, the God of the universe, the life of the Son, the Lord loves a generous giver, the love of the Father, the One Day Book of Bible Promises, the power of the Holy spirit, the prince of darkness, the things of the world, the work and treasures of heaven, thoughts, trust, ungodly world, united, uniting Christ's church, unlimited resources, uplifting, well pleasing to God, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wise God, words, work together
Philippians 4:20. Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
A warm and welcome, gracious and LOVING Sunday morning to you my Scrip-Bit Family! (smile) I do hope that you are in the process, or will soon be in the process of getting ready to go to God’s sanctuary to celebrate and faithfully worship Him with other believers, as He desires of His followers.
For as I say every week, Jesus’ church is ONE body, made up of many believers, and in fellowship together we find strength, courage, hope and faith to keep keeping on in this ungodly world. And being ONE body, it means that all the parts, though graced with different functions, NEED to work TOGETHER if we’re to fulfill Jesus’ mandate of spreading the gospel to all and sundry, throughout the entire world. (Matt. 28:19-20)
Unfortunately though, there are too many divisions, cliques, religions, factions, denominations and what have you that divide us. That’s why the prince of darkness and his evil minions have such a strangle hold on the world.
Ah Friends, what a serious splash Christians would make in this world if we were truly joined together, united as ONE! Now I’m sincerely hoping for that, but I’m not holding my breath, because it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen any time soon.
Why? Because we tend to let our differences – many of which are petty, insular and selfish – keep us apart, rather than let our similarities – like our basic faith, trust and belief in Jesus – bring us together. What a sad commentary on our actions and behavior as Christians, my brethren!
But I guess it doesn’t bother our church leaders sufficiently for them to seriously work at uniting Christ’s church. And even if they truly tried coming together, it would be still a Herculean task, because too many of Christ’s supposed flock are in cahoots with the world and the lustful things thereof. Anyway Friends, let that provide ample food for thought today as we go about our too busy lives.
Now here is something much more uplifting, that I couldn’t resist sharing from the One Day Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘The Beautiful Sunlit Morning.’
And these are the wonderful sentiments it declares. ‘Dear God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May You’ve drenched me With ecstatic joy. I want to sing and shout I want to soar with sheer delight. At the same time I want to sob – So utterly overwhelmed I am With the magnitude of You. O God, I know I do know With serene satisfaction And confident certainty That I belong to the God of the universe – To the Creator of all that exists.
I do know That I, a mere mortal Am forever linked to divine destiny – That my life has purpose and dignity. I do know That You have chosen me As the object of Your lavish LOVE That Your thoughts toward me Are thoughts of kindness and mercy That You have inscribed me In the palms of Your hands.
I do know That all the LOVE of the Father And the Life of the Son And the Power of the Holy Spirit Are freely, inseparably mine – Now and through all eternity. O God On this beautiful sunlit Morning in May I do know.’
Oh what a beautiful declaration of faith that is my people! But how many of us, if we declare it, will then have God sadly shake His head when He looks at motives of our hearts eh? Too many, my people, too many. And that is why Christianity isn’t as strong as it used to be; too many people are not truly motivated by the Word of God, we allow the things of the world to have more sway over us than God’s Word and Will.
We’ll leave that alone for today though. (smile) Let’s concentrate on the promise that the beautiful poem was based on, and is our Bit for today. ‘Now unto God our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’
Now that’s what we’re supposed to be about my brethren; giving thanks to and glorifying our heavenly Father with our words, deeds and actions!
The church at Philippi did that concerning Bruh Paul, because that was the only one that consistently sent him gifts, although he never asked them to. And though he was grateful and thankful for their interest in his well-being, as he told them: ‘Not because I desire (seek) a gift: but I desire (seek) fruit that may abound to your account.’ (Phil.4:17)
He didn’t want them to think that he was just after their money, but rather that their gift was, as the scholars explain: ‘a sure investment in the work and treasures of heaven, each one yielding rich dividends.’
Yes Friends, likewise, when we make sincere investments in the lives of others, those investments will bring forth good fruit on earth, and rich rewards for us in heaven. That’s the basic law of God, re sowing and reaping.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But I have all (have received all), and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell (a pleasant aroma), a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:18-19)
And the scholars explain those two verses thus. ‘4:18. I have all means that Paul has received their gifts. And abound signifies that he has plenty, since all needs are now met through their generosity. God looks on their gift to Paul as an odour of a sweet smell (a fragrant scent) and a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing.’
‘4:19. Because the Lord is aware of the sacrifice (v.18) the Philippians made in meeting Paul’s need, God will surely supply all their need. God will meet their “need” (1) according to his riches, that is in proportion to His unlimited resources; (2) in glory, that is He will meet their need “gloriously” or “in a splendid manner”, and (3) by Christ Jesus.’
Ah Friends, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! And we’ll end with a benediction that resembles our Bit, but from Jude, Jesus’ half-brother.
‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling (stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (Jude 24-25)
Much LOVE, my brethren!
…if one wants to receive bountifully…then one must learn to give generously… for the Lord LOVES a generous giver…