Paul's Prayer for the Philippians

We've all got them. Memories of people from the past that do not make for pleasant thoughts. Whether it was something they did to you, words they spoke to you or maybe even some kind of visual picture you're left with because of their bad behavior. There are people in our past who leave us with these types of memories that we would rather forget. Many of you are formulating pictures in your mind right now of these people in your lives because of what I just mentioned. Now I want you to change directions. Think about the people in your life that only bring you pleasant memories. These are the people who you are thankful for the part they have played in your life.
Paul started out his letter to the church at Philippi that way. He said "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you..." (Phil. 1:3). When you stop and consider some of the other congregations to which he wrote letters addressing problems with scathing rebukes such as Corinth and Galatia, it helps you to see just how much Paul was thankful for the good group of Christians at Philippi. As Paul begins this letter to this great church at Philippi he wants them to know how thankful he was to God for them every time he prays for them. So that we can try to gain some insight as to how much the Philippian church meant to Paul, let us examine his affectionate comments about them along with the details of his prayer.
He Remembered Them in His Prayer
Have you ever wondered if Paul had a prayer list? I can't help but wonder if he did, however there is no way to know for sure. Many people today keep a running list of people they pray for on a daily basis. Lists are one way to help remind of us things. In today's world, people keep up with things they need to remember on smartphones, ipads, sticky notes, etc.
List or no list, Paul remembered this group in his prayers. Notice the emphasis on the words I have placed on this verse: "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy..." (Phil. 1:3-4). That is quite a bold statement to make, but this is the Apostle Paul we're talking about here! It seems he is saying everytime he prays for them he is thankful for every single one of them in the congregation. Listening to a sermon by Spencer Furby from the Slicer Street Church of Christ in Kennett, MO, he advocated that Paul's mention of praying for all of them was possibly because some were feeling left out in the group. In the case of Euodia and Synteche, it could be that they thought they would not have given Paul reasons to be thankful in prayer (Phil. 4:2). Regardless of what few minor problems they had, Paul was thankful for this group of Christians, every single one of them!
Who do you remember in your prayers? Do you have someone you are thankful upon every remembrance of them? If you do have someone you remember in prayer, have you told them? It must have done wonders for the Philippian church when Paul wrote that he was thankful upon his remembrances of them in prayer. Imagine what it will do for someone you know if you tell them you are remembering them before the Lord.
He Rejoiced over Them in Prayer
Many things in life can bring us great joy, to which we can rejoice. We watch our children play sports and we rejoice when they succeed. We watch sports on television and we rejoice when our team wins. We recently had our little boys lead singing on Wednesday night and it brought me great joy not only to see our oldest son, Conner lead a song but all the other young boys who participated led me to rejoice that night.
Paul prayed with joy because of the Philippians' "partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (Phil. 1:5). This might be a combination of obeying the gospel and spreading it to others, though it's not exactly clear what route Paul is taking with this statement. However, reading further in the letter about the advancement of the gospel leads me to believe there is a special emphasis on evangelism. This was something that Paul was also complimentary of to the Thessalonian church. He wrote: "...you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and in Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything" (1 Thess. 1:7-8).
He also says: "...you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel" (Phil. 1:7). While this word partaker is similar to the word partner, it seems in this instance it might have more to do with the sending of the financial gift to Paul while he was in prison (Fee 93). The passage in Phil. 4:15-18 is worded as a partnership in giving and receiving, but since Paul says they are a partaker of grace both in prison and defense of the gospel it seems it is a reference to the times they took part in helping Paul by their financial contributions. Then again, perhaps I am wrong and Paul mentioning them being partners and partakers are intended to reveal the same thing. Because of their partnership with Paul, he reveals that he is so very fond of them. Paul holds them in his heart (7) and yearns for them all (8), so you know that he is very close to this group of Christians. These things truly gave him reasons to rejoice over them in prayer.
Do you have someone you are very close to who lives away from you? Paul said that God was his witness that the Philippians were so very dear to him, as evidenced by his yearning for them (8). Now is the time to make sure that others in your life know that they are special and that they bring you great joy when you pray. So many times in life we are praying about sickness or problems, but we can pray and rejoice over the good friends and brothers and sisters in our lives so God will be our witness as well.
He Revealed to Them the Specifics of His Prayer
My mother-in-law used to be notorious for saying "I heard a compliment on you the other day. Do you want to know who said it or what they said?" It became rather funny because it always seemed like she wanted to keep part of it from me. In reality, if you know that someone has said something good about you, wouldn't you want to know the specifics and details? Of course you would. The same thing could be said about prayer.
Paul told the Philippians what he wanted God to do with them by sharing some specifics. First, he wanted their love to abound more and more (9). He is talking about agape love, which is a sacrificial kind of love that puts the needs of others first. This is the kind of love that Christ had for the church as he gave himself up for her (Eph. 5:25). While this was a "good church" there would always be room for improvement. Paul said elsewhere: "and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you" (1 Thess. 3:12). There are people with lots of love to give who give lots of love but can still give a lot more.
Second, he wanted this to be done with knowledge and all discernment (9). Paul is not telling the Philippian church to simply know more. In a period of time when Gnosticism would have been growing in the first century church, they put an emphasis on what one could know. That's not what Christianity is all about. However, knowledge is important because paired with discernment would enable Christians to make a difference for Christ. Consider what he said in the same letter:
"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3:8-11).
Paul indeed put an emphasis on knowing Christ and what it would lead to for the Christian. According to the specifics of this prayer, Paul tells them the reasons he is praying this for them. There are some intended results: "so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Phil. 1:10-11). To sum up what Paul says here, he wanted the Philippians to use this knowledge and discernment from the Word of God to live an abundant Christian life here so they could have the abundant life in Heaven later.
I challenge all of us to tell someone specifically what we are praying for them. You would be surprised what kind of a difference that would make in their life. It's not just a challenge to you, but to myself as well. We sing the song sometimes "For You I Am Praying." However, how often have we done that? If we know what kind of spiritual shot in the arm this must have been for the Philippians, imagine what it could do for the people of God whom we have in our lives.
This opening part of the Philippian letter serves as a wonderful springboard for the rest of what he writes to them. Having examined his remembrance of them in prayer, it is clear that he was truly thankful for the Philippian church. When we consider his rejoicing over them in prayer, we know how proud he was of their spiritual accomplishments, especially of their partnership with him in the gospel. As we have seen how he revealed to them the specifics of his prayer, I can only imagine how they might have worked together as a congregation to carry out this prayer of Paul in their lives by following his directives. It is no wonder the Philippian letter is one of joy, as we see not only in the opening of the letter but also throughout this message to the Philippians why Paul is able to rejoice because of them. Paul's prayer for the Philippians is very enlightening indeed!

The Church in Prophecy, Joel 2:28-32

I have been preaching a small series of lessons on the New Testament Church in Prophecy. The first two dealt with the prophecies from Isaiah 2:2-4 and Daniel 2:44. This coming Sunday I will present the third and final of those lessons from the passage of Joel 2:28-32. While I am not covering the prophecy in totality, I hope some of the points from the sermon will be helpful and thought provoking to you.

The Church in Prophecy, Part 3
Joel 2:28-32

If we said we were going to pour a glass of water, we can physically see that being done. We can see the water leave the pitcher and go into the glass which we then can drink. The concept of pouring is not a difficult one to grasp, because we see it done all the time. We pour drinks, paint, laundry detergent and other items on an everyday basis. If we can understand all of that, show me how God's Spirit is poured out upon His people. You can't show me! Well, don't worry because I can't show you either, because it's a spiritual concept that we're not meant to understand. However, it is something that is important in our lives because it's something that's been done to us by God to those who have been obedient to His Gospel message. We find this concept in a prophecy about the church from Joel 2:28-32. It reads:
"'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls."
As we take a look at this prophecy, I had some observations about what this meant for the church.
The Church Would Receive a Pouring Out of God's Spirit
During the time of the Old Covenant, God had the Israelites make a tabernacle because he wanted to dwell among His people (Ex. 25:8). Hebrews 9:7 tells us that the high priest would only go into the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) one time a year, on the Day of Atonement. The room where the ark of the covenant dwelt was indeed a special place. Even on the Day of Atonement the high priest would have specific ritualistic requirements that had to be fulfilled before he could come into the presence of God before the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant (Ex. 16:1ff). The Israelites knew that God dwelt among them as they even saw the cloud over the tabernacle by day and the pillar of fire by night (Ex. 40:34ff.). After the tabernacle came the establishment of the temple which became a stationary house of God.
This prophecy from Joel would drastically change how God dwelt among His people. When Joel states that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, we can notice a couple of changes. First, the children of God would not be exclusive to a particular race of people. Jews and Gentiles would eventually both be part of the family of God. Though God established his covenant with Abraham and his descendants, he first made a promise to him that "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). God was referring to the coming Messiah descending from Abraham's lineage who would provide a blessing for everyone, including Gentiles. Jesus told his disciples "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Lk. 24:46-47). The church started out with Jews as its intended recipients, but it was not to stay that way. Peter, who preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, later took the Gospel to the Gentiles when he converted Cornelius, his household and his friends who had gathered to hear Peter's message in Acts 10.
Second, God would now dwell among His people through His Spirit. The physical temple of God was no longer where God would dwell. The new covenant which would be enacted would make our bodies the temple of God. This is really twofold, as Paul deals with this in 1 Cor. 3 & 6 as he mentions the church and our physical bodies being the temple of God. Whereas under the old covenant the priests were the only ones to enter the tabernacle and the temple, we are now part of the priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:5,9). What a blessing it is knowing that God poured forth His Spirit upon us.
The Spirit Would Provide the Church with Miraculous Gifts
There are times today when people reply to something great happening by saying "it's a miracle!" Well, was it really, or was it just something fantastic that caused them to say that? If you do a study of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit from the New Testament, it is clear there would come a point in time where they would cease. That time has already passed, as we read in 1 Cor. 13:8-10, along with the understanding of how these gifts were received as well. However, God did enable the church in the first century to have special gifts.
Joel prophesied that the church would be able to prophesy. Prophecy was one of the miraculous gifts. Paul says "And God has appointed in the church fist apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" (1 Cor. 12:28-30). He also says "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith..." (Rom. 12:6). The early church clearly had miraculous gifts given by the Spirit, and prophecy was one of them. This was not only fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2, but it was also fulfilled throughout the first century. In Acts 21:9-10 we read about the evangelist, Phillip who had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses, and there is a prophet named Agabus who came from Judea to make a prophecy about Paul. Prophecy was a big part of the early church that came to pass just as Joel mentioned.
Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord Will Be Saved
I heard James Watkins give an excellent lesson one time at a Gospel Meeting at the Gordonsburg Church of Christ on the subject of calling on the name of the Lord. He took the subject and examined it from the entire scope of the Bible, showing that it is much more than many people advocate. Calling on the name of the Lord does not indicate that anyone who verbally calls out the name of the Lord will be saved. Jesus touched on this subject in Mt. 7:21 when He said "'Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.'" Obedience is implied in this prophecy of Joel's and it is echoed by what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount.
Peter told the multitude on the Day of Pentecost to repent and be baptized according to Acts 2:38. This came after the multitude knew that something had to be done. Saul of Tarsus called on the name of the Lord by being baptized when Ananias uttered these words to him: "'And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name'" (Acts 22:16). Calling on the name of the Lord is essential for salvation. Consider what Paul says: "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
Thanks be to God that we have a record of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Joel's in Acts 2, as we see the establishment of the church that first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ. Not only were they fulfilled then, but they also apply for us today in the sense that the church does receive the pouring out of God's Spirit and that those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Are you among the number of the saved today who have the Spirit of God in you?

Preview of In the Woods

Hey everyone, I was working on a fictional hunting novel, for the outdoorsmen out there who might be interested. I was wondering if you would give me some feedback on whether you think this is enjoyable reading. The book is titled In the Woods. Thanks!

Prologue

It was dark, so dark the hunter couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.

“Was it gone yet?” he wondered to himself as he sat motionless in his tree stand. Normally he would have been back at the house twenty minutes ago, but tonight was different. Whatever was out there in the pitch black had let out a piercing howl which nearly knocked him out of his stand right at dark, and he probably would have fallen out had it not been for his safety harness. He had been too frozen to move since he heard it, and he for sure wasn't getting down out of the tree.

It was the same frightening noise he had heard that morning that sent the deer scattering everywhere, but this time as it got dark, he was really afraid. He was literally shaking the tree as he sat glued to his seat.

Welcome to the world of Robert Jackson. Just what had him so scared out of his mind that he couldn’t get down out of the tree? You’ll have to read this book to find out. However, along the way you’ll learn about the Jackson family and the woods around their house in southern middle Tennessee. Pull up a chair and prepare to be gripped with fear as you go “In the Woods!”

Chapter 1                   The Hunt

Robert had been dreaming about this day all summer as he saw it drawing nearer every day that passed. He would even take a red pen and cross off the days to get a feel for how close he was getting to opening day of archery season for deer in Tennessee. He had his trail cameras out in various spots to help him keep on eye on what was out there in the woods. He had all his gear arranged so he would be ready for that day. He had even been practicing every available moment so he would be ready for that shot. He believed in what one of his coaches had taught him at some point in his life: proper preparation prevents poor performance.

“Many things I might be, but unprepared is not one of them” he would say.

As the day before season rolled around, Errica, his wife was cooking supper that night.

“What’s for supper?” he asked.

“Vegetable soup and cornbread” Errica replied.

Robert loved her soup and cornbread, enough to even momentarily forget about hunting the next day. It was at this moment the three kids came down from playing upstairs to wash up for supper. Charlie was eleven, Spencer was eight and Brittney was five.

“Is it ready yet?” hollered Brittney.

“I’m hungry” yelled Charlie.

“What are we having?” asked Spencer.

“Yes it’s ready, and if you’re hungry come eat this vegetable soup and cornbread!” said Errica.

Robert knew it was great to spend this family time together before he embarked on his big hunt the next day. 

“I heard you got a pic of Big Boy” said Charlie, talking about the big buck Robert had caught on the trail camera.

“Yes, he just never seems to show up at a consistent time, though” replied Robert.

Robert had dreamed about this buck since he saw him last year on the opening day of rifle season chasing a doe. Running through the woods, the big buck never offered him a shot. This year, he hoped it would be different.

The next morning Robert’s alarm clock sounded at 5:00 and his feet hit the floor. Having already laid his clothes out, it didn’t take him long before he was ready to stroll out the door and into the woods around their house. It was very convenient to be hunting so close to the house. They bought 100 acres three years ago, and Robert made sure it was managed properly.

After a ten minute walk, Robert arrived before daylight at his treestand in the corner of the bean field. As he climbed the steps attached to the cedar tree, he made his way into the seat at the top and attached his safety harness. Making sure he had his pack looped over the last step of the ladder, Robert pulled his bow up with his haul line. After getting settled in, Robert’s eyes scanned the field for any signs of movement as he noticed it was starting to break light.

Two hours had gone by before Robert caught a glimpse of some deer walking along the far edge of the field feeding on the beans. There were two does, but no bucks. He still had some meat in the freezer from last season, but if they presented a shot without him seeing any sign of a buck, he might just have to put one down.

All of a sudden, the sound of antlers crashing came to his attention. Two bucks made their way into the corner of the field where the does came out. Their antlers were locked together in a sparring match, kicking up dust and the hair was standing up on their backs. This was true entertainment in the woods after seeing nothing for a few hours. 

Positioned about seventy yards from the bucks, Robert knew they were too far for a shot. Something was going to have to give to provide him with an opportunity for the kill. The two bucks eventually stopped at a standstill and stared each other down.

At that very moment, a deafening scream from some kind of wild animal sent the deer into a frenzy, and they went scurrying off in all directions. Robert felt as though he needed to change his pants after hearing such a noise. A few moments later there was a commotion followed by some kind of death moan, as it seemed that whatever made that horrendous scream or howl had caught one of the deer.

“What was that?” he thought, bewildered from the experience and mad that the deer had been spooked by whatever had made such a racket. Having sat there stunned about  another ten minutes, he realized he needed to call it a morning. Descending from the stand, he was leary as he wondered if it was anything he needed to be afraid of.

“Nonsense” he said to himself, “there’s nothing to be afraid of out here.”

As he was about to cross the creek on the way back to the house, he saw a track.

“I don’t know what that is, but I’ve never seen anything like it around here” said Robert as he compared the size of his hand to this track. He grimaced as his hand fit inside the track of this beast. Whatever was out there had his attention, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until he had some kind of encounter with the creature. Little did he know that this evening’s hunt would be soon enough.

An Indestructible Kingdom

You probably have the image etched in your mind. The day that Saddam Hussein's statue came crashing to the ground on April 9, 2003 in Firdos Square, Baghdad, Iraq. It was a symbol to everyone around the world that Hussein's regime in Iraq was over. As was reported by Paul Wood, journalist for BBC, "Saddam's 25 year death grip over Iraq had been broken; the suffocating sense of fear had been lifted" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3611869.stm).
I thought about that statue the other day when contemplating the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great image that was mighty and of exceeding brightness and had a frightening appearance. It had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze and legs of iron with feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A stone was cut out by no human hand which struck the image on its feet, breaking them in pieces, along with the entire image. It "became as the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Dan. 2:35). Daniel informed the King that the head of gold represented his kingdom, the Babylonians. The chest and arms of silver represented the next kingdom, the Medo-Persians. The middle and thighs of bronze represented the next kingdom, the Greeks. The legs of iron which was to be stronger than all of these other kingdoms would crush them, and this was the Roman Empire. It would be in the days of the fourth kingdom that God would set up His kingdom which would never be destroyed. He goes on to say that this kingdom would "break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever..." (Dan. 2:44).
We know that that God's kingdom in this prophecy is the church. Unlike this image that was broken to pieces and scattered in the wind or the image of Saddam Hussein's statue being pulled down and broken, the church will never be destroyed. Jesus even spoke of this aspect of the kingdom when He said to Peter "...upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it" (Mt. 16:18). Not even the death of the Son of God would stand in the way of accomplishing this goal; rather, God would raise Him from the dead to accomplish this goal and use this as the centerpiece of the gospel message to establish the church. Isn't it great knowing that almost 2,000 years later the church is still here just like God said it would be? The church, God's kingdom, is truly indestructible.