October 3, 2020
WHAT KINDS OF THOUGHTS FILL YOUR THINKING? As the apostle Paul closed his letter to the Philippians, he urged them to always rejoice in the Lord. He gave them a couple of spiritual strategies for joyful living. One, was that they should turn their worries into prayers, not being anxious about anything, but praying about
October 2, 2020
THE PERFECT BODY YOU ALWAYS DESIRED This is what we believe, that the Resurrected One will return and our bodies will be transformed to be like His. Christ is the “firstborn” (Greek: “prototokos”) from among the dead, the “prototype” for the glorified bodies that we will receive at His return. Those who believe will have
September 30, 2020
ARE YOU WORKING OUT WHAT GOD IS WORKING IN? Physically, we are born with the muscles that God gave us. Yet, it is up to us to work them out. As we learn to crawl, then walk, and ultimately to run, we “work out” the physical strength that God has “worked in” us. If we
September 29, 2020
DO YOU HAVE A GOSPEL PERSPECTIVE? The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi from his jail cell in Rome. He wrote to encourage his gospel partners, so that they would see that his chains were actually increasing the “furtherance of the gospel.” He noted that the gospel had become evident to
February 29, 2020
TURN YOUR WORRIES INTO PRAYERS It’s Leap Day and there is no OYB reading for today, so I have chosen one of my favorite Scripture passages to consider. With the all the anxiety over the Coronavirus, politics and the economy, it seemed a good time to offer God’s prescription for worry. Consider what worry
October 3, 2019
TURN YOUR WORRIES INTO PRAYERS What is worry? Isn’t it anxious self-talk? It’s an internal conversation between you and you. Worry circles around your head like a cloud of gnats that you can’t swat away. What is prayer? It’s talking to God. Why not take the same amount of effort that you’re putting into worry
October 1, 2019
HOW DO WE WELCOME OUR MISSIONARIES BACK HOME? The apostle Paul urged the believers in Phlippi to welcome their own Epaphroditus back as one who had “risked his life for the work of Christ” (Phil. 2:30). He urged them to give him the “honor” he deserved, for he had almost died while serving with Paul.
September 30, 2019
LIVING WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL Paul taught the Philippians that they should live as “citizens of heaven,” remembering the gospel in their conduct. When we live as worldly, our message has no consistency and the gospel comes across hypocritical. Our lives should be consistent with the Good News we profess. Our lifestyle should in fact
September 29, 2019
DO YOU FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS? Paul prayed that the Philippians would understand what “really matters.” He prayed that their priorities would focus on becoming more and more like Jesus until the Day of completion when Christ returns. What are you focused on today? There are many good things that might occupy our
October 3, 2018
JOY OR HAPPINESS?
While imprisoned in Rome, the apostle Paul writes this command, “Rejoice in the Lord always!” He then repeats it for emphasis. What state of mind is this that even chains can’t remove its smile, nor imprisonment stop its song? It is the joy that comes from the Lord as a “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22). It is the gladness that always fills those who abide in the Lord (See John 15:11).
Everyone wants to be happy. But happiness is fleeting for it depends on favorable happenings. When circumstances are good, happiness is possible. External conditions affect happiness. But joy comes from within, where the Spirit of Christ dwells in those who believe. It is not affected by changing circumstance, but rests in the unchanging presence and promises of the Lord.
So, those who are in Christ can choose where to set their minds–– on the temporal things of this world, or on the eternal things we have in Christ. What will you choose today? God’s Word teaches us to always choose joy!