"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 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."
- From the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians written from a Roman prison (chapter 1, verses 18-26)
- From the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians written from a Roman prison (chapter 1, verses 18-26)
5 comments:
What a riveting picture! One I had never seen before. It is a captivating image that takes you inside those dark and dank Roman prison walls! Your bold message from yesterday was as powerful as you have ever exegeted! I was especially moved by our journey through the entire book, saying to myself, “read it again Tony!”
Rembrandt's work...
That passage hits me as so real and moving, it's almost as if a close Christian friend is writing me from prison, due to a trumped-up, unconstitutional charge against him. I get it. I could be in Paul's place. I identify with his longings.
Here's a question for you: Have you ever heard the word, "omnisapient," used in the context of being an attribute of God, or in any context for that matter? I know what it means, because the guest preacher at our church defined it (Dan. 2:20-25). But, in all the decades of me being a Christian, I'd thought I'd heard all the "omni" attributes of God until I heard this new one yesterday. It left be scratching my head for not knowing that I'd somehow missed this one in my studies, or in the sermons I'd listened to.
I had never heard of "omnisapient" before now. Apparently it means "all-wise" or infinitely wise. God is certainly that.
How encouraging and how reassuring Paul was in his epistle to Philippi, here the Apostle teaches us as you pointed out in the newsletter that we as Christians should become thankful, practice selflessness, praising God regardless of our lot, placing our trust in Him, and being content.
I think allot of times in times of want and need we too feel imprisoned by our everyday circumstances, Paul reminds us to praise God for everything!
Philippians 1: 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Amen!Amen!Amen!
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