Our sufficiency is in Jesus Christ because in Him we enjoy peace regardless of the circumstances of life 4:11

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things. may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Sometimes we may not have opportunity to give to those in need as we would wish. But we can always express our loving concern through prayer for those who like Paul find themselves in horrible circumstances. In this way although not in person the Philippians understood what it meant to be of one spirit with Paul 4:10

The fruit that abounds to their account 4:17 I believe when we give its not the gift itself but what the gift expresses that is rewarded its is an investment that will yield natural and spiritual fruit.

Two important things to remember, 1 we don’t give to get and 2 we should not wait until we have a surplus before we consider giving. Our giving must be accompanied by faith sacrificial giving blesses both receiver and giver and is an acceptable sacrifice that delights God 4:18

God will meet all our needs out of His boundless resource not because we are givers but because He is the God of all grace! 4:19

Memory verse

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need Philippians 4:13 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Happiness depends on happenings, Joy is a gift of the Lord who is our strength in every situation. God always delights to grace His children with Joy. Nehemiah 8:10

Christians should be full of joy because no matter what happens to us we know Jesus Christ is always with us. Its easy to get discouraged about difficult circumstances, but like Paul we can remain joyful in every circumstance if we see it from the right perspective! 4:4

Don’t allow disagreements to get out of hand, settle them quickly or else you may bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit Ephesians 4:30. When a disagreement becomes a Quarrel then both are in the wrong! We should all endeavour to become peace makers if we are true children of our heavenly Father. Mathew 5:9

Fix your thoughts 4:8. What we put into our minds will determine our thoughts and actions so fill your mind with Gods Word that is where what is pure lovely and admirable are found. 4:8

Don’t just read the Word meditate upon it and put it into practice. 4:9, James 1:22

Memory verse

Always be full of Joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! Philippians 4:4 N.L.T.

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We are saved. We are being saved this is called sanctification. We will be saved when Jesus returns. We are a work in progress! As Paul put it I am not all I’m meant to be yet but I keep on pressing forward to reach the goal the high calling of Jesus Christ. However we can’t go forward if we keep on looking to our past. This is what Israel did often longing to be back in Egypt, and in doing so a whole generation failed to reach the promised land. Is there anything from the past either good or bad preventing you from moving forward? God will help you to put it permanently behind you, you only need ask 3:13.

Paul compares the Christian to an athlete in training to win a race, just as the athlete focuses all his energies on the goal of being first pass the post, so we must lay aside everything that saps our spiritual energy and every distraction as we strain to reach the end of the race. Is there anything that springs to mind that you feel distracts you from whole heartedly running the strait race? The words of a hymn come to mind that teach this great truth “ run the strait race through Gods good grace “ God is not only cheering us on from the grandstand, it is He who graces us with all we need to finish the race and gain the prize, the high calling to live forevermore with Christ in heaven 3:14.

We don’t have to wait to get to heaven to become a citizen of heaven! Paul had all the rights of Roman citizenship and he made the most of those rights Acts 16:35-37. Knowing that he was a citizen of heaven had a profound effect on Paul what effect does it have on how you think and act? 3:20.

These thoughts are not meant to replace the audio message.

memory verse

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour. Philippians 3:20 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Reading and believing, keep on reading and believing the Bible, keep hearing God speaking again and again is safe for us, because as in Pauls day there are numerous false teachings out there devised to bring Gods children into bondage. The devil is the prince of the power of the air, he puts his thoughts in peoples minds his tactics don’t change he just uses new ways like modern media but he always tries to make us believe that his devilish thoughts are our own. Resist him take your stand in the name of Jesus and keep reading your Bible it will keep you safe! 3:1

You know your saved! keep on rejoicing don’t be fooled into believing that you can be favoured more because you were born into a christian family or Nation, or have Jewish heritage or done some spiritual exploits or good works, don’t forget God prepared them for you to do before you were born so you can’t claim any praise at all , whatever you do is all of grace.3:8 Galatian 3:3

Do you put anything above your relationship with Christ? Sadly I once did but God was gracious and helped me to keep my priorities right 3:7

These pause for thoughts are not meant to replace the audio message but to be in addition to it!

memory verse

And become one with Him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. Philippians 3:9 N.L.T.

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Paul called a spade a spade! He noted that the majority of Roman Christians cared more for their own comfort and safety ( my words) than they did for what is important to Christ. This was not only a first century problem it’s the same today, what is it that keeps most of us from leaving our comfort zone? and do you think it possible to win souls and make disciples for Christ with such an attitude? 2:20-21

Timothy had a good teacher in Paul they were like father and son,. We are not all like Paul but we can all encourage and be mentors to younger Christians, Jesus said we are to go and make disciples of all nations Mathew 28:19 this responsibility falls on every Christian 2:22

Epaphroditus was entrusted with gifts for Paul from the church at Philippi while Paul was a prisoner of Rome. He displayed reckless courage ( S. F. L. footnote) Have you ever asked yourself how far you’d be prepared to go for the sake of the gospel and those imprisoned for their faith? 2:30

Paul revealed the saviours heart of love when he sent Epaphroditis back to his home church. He wanted to spare Epaphraditus from becoming home sick, and the Philippians from distress after hearing that Epaphraditus had been near death with sickness. This was not simply Paul being loving and sympathetic but revealed the heart of love that Christ has for each of us in whatever difficult situation we find ourselves in 2:27-28

Memory verse

Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Philippians 2:4

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Unity through Humility

Although separated by Roman prison bars Paul enjoyed fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with his fellow believers in Philippi, there being no distance in the Spirit! We all need one another in fact unless we get together with other Christians in fellowship it would seem impossible to put 2:2 into action.

It is a danger signal when we think we can live “life in the Spirit” yet neglect having fellowship with other Christians 2:4

Where there is disunity in the church there is the very real possibility of grieving the Holy Spirit, and so we make it our aim to work together with one heart and purpose 2:2.

We should have the same attitude thatJesus did, “He chose to make Himself nothing” We can approach life expecting to be served, or look for opportunities to serve others 2:3-4

The humility and Exaltation of Jesus

The nature and work of Christ. 1 Jesus Christ has always existed with God. 2 Jesus Christ is equal with God because He is God. 3 He became a man in order to fulfil God’s plan. 4 He became a man to identify with sinful human beings. 5 Jesus Christ chose to lay aside His divine rights out of love for His Father. 6 Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we wouldn’t have to face death. 7 God glorified Jesus Christ because of His obedience. 8 God raised Jesus Christ to His original position at His right hand. N.L.T. Life application Bible.

Although Jesus limited Himself, He did not Lessen Himself 2:7

memory verse

Though Jesus was God, He did not demand and cling to His rights as God. Philippians 2:6 N.L.T.

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Paul had confidence that his situation would turn out for good which caused him to rejoice ! He was confident that his co-workers in the gospel (the Philippians) knew how to pray in line with Gods will. How important that we know how to pray when we pray for each other, what if they had prayed for Paul’s early deliverance from prison because of wrong ideas about the will of God regards suffering? It’s interesting that Paul emphasises the partnership between their prayers of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit 1:19.

Paul’s confidence in God to complete the good work He had started in his life 1:6 meant that he knew in his heart that whatever happened he would remain in the will of God, Paul had assurance that he would continue in his ministry until God said “come up here” When God calls a person into ministry he will always equip them for the work and give them the time to complete what they have been called to do 1:25 We may run out of time but God never does !

The residents of Philippi enjoyed all the benefits of Roman citizenship. As Christians we have dual citizenship we are citizens of an earthly country, we are also citizenship of a heavenly Kingdom through our faith in Jesus Christ. How we conduct ourselves in the community may well influence those around us to seek after God or confirm them in their unbelief and chosen destiny.1:27-28

Jesus suffered for us in His death on the cross, in fact when He died we were united with Him in His death Romans 6:4-11. The hold that the devil had upon us has been broken! We now longer suffer because we were sinners instead we have been given the honour to suffer for Jesus 1:29

Memory verse

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him. Philippians 1:29 N.L.T.

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Pause for thought

Rather than allowing his situation to get the better of him, Paul did not get bitter or give up. He had faith that God was in control and even though his circumstances were far from good he saw them as another opportunity for the spreading of the gospel 1:12.

The devil thinks that by bringing difficulties, or by putting sicknesses on Christians he can stop us spreading the good news and sharing our personal testimony of “what Jesus has done for me”, the church will always increase when it is under pressure! The same applies to every Christian who doesn’t allow unbelief or bitterness about their circumstances to take their eyes off Jesus, Keeping our eyes on Jesus means we will see the bigger picture and realise we were in Gods will all along 1:13-14.

Not everyone who preaches the gospel preaches from the same pure motives as Paul, some preach to build their own reputations. In Paul’s day some ridiculed Paul as they preached Christ hoping to cause Paul extra pain. But because Paul was certain that he was in the centre of Gods will even though in prison he was able to give praise for however and by who ever the gospel was preached. Paul was “Mr Great Heart” like him we should be equally pleased when the gospel is successfully preached by ourselves or others of a different church 1 Corinthians 1:12.

Thought for the week

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. Chuck Swindoll

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Pause for thought

Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church from prison in Rome in about A.D. 61, having previously preached the Gospel and established the church in Philippi in about A.D. 51. It soon becomes apparent as we read this epistle that Paul had a very special attachment to these believers 1:3 and Acts 16

Although they were not in prison with Paul they were standing with him in prayer and material support as they had done throughout the previous ten years right up to and during Paul’s Roman imprisonment. They didn’t let his imprisonment deter them they really understood what it meant to share with Paul in the ministry of Christ.To them remembering Paul “in the spirit” was no empty phrase! 1:7

Perhaps you sometimes think that your not making progress in your journey as a christian? But you can be certain that what God began in you when you accepted Christ He will finish! It started when Jesus died for you and will finish when Jesus returns for you! You are saved, you are being saved, and you will be saved, the process of growing as a Christian continues until Jesus returns 1:6

Our love for one another should be based on what Christ has done for us not on feelings, this was the love that bound Paul and the believers at Philippi together. I believe that just as our born again experience is supernatural so is the birth and the growth of the local church, we are brought together by God. This is another reason why Paul lays so much importance in 1:9-10 that we seek with the Spirits help knowledge and discernment about the things that really matter so that we continue to grow in our love for each other. As Paul says so that we can live sincere and without offence until Jesus returns.

Paul had faith that his prayers were being answered 1:8-9. The best way to influence others for Christ is to keep them before the Lord in prayer 1:10

memory verse

And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. Philippians 1:6 N.L.T.

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