Thanks for reading the message this week. I hope that all of you are well. I am doing some better, and I am thankful that I have been doing ok through all of the stormy weather that we've been having.
Today, we will be continuing with our series on the book of Philippians. In our message last week, we focused on the importance of proclaiming the message of Jesus.
In our passage today, Paul begins by expressing that it is his desire to never do anything of which he would be ashamed. It was his hope and prayer to always do the things that brought glory and honor to Jesus.
This is an important message for all of us. First of all, as followers of Jesus, we should all want to live in such a way that Jesus would be pleased with what we are doing in our lives. We should never want to fall into a sin that would cause others to be turned away from the message of Jesus as a consequences of our actions. Furthermore, we would not want to be engaging in some sort of sin at the moment of Jesus' Second Coming. That would be a horribly shameful thing. We all should strive to live in the way that Jesus told us to live. As the Bible says, we want to live in such a way that people will see our good works and give glory to the Father in Heaven.
In verse 21 Paul states, "If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more." This should be our attitude as well. As long as we are living on this earth, we need to be following the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. We need to be sharing the good news of Jesus' love. As ambassadors for Christ, we need to be living in such a way that people will see Jesus in our words and in our deeds. Our lives need to be controlled by Jesus. He is our Lord. We follow Him, and He is to be the center and focus or our lives.
At death, those who are in Christ will go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. That will be a great day. To die is gain as Paul says. Those who die in Christ will be with Jesus forever, and there is nothing better in all of the universe than that.
In the remainder of our passage today, Paul writes about a dilemma that he is having that I can really relate to. Paul is in prison. He could be executed at any time. He longs to go and be with Jesus. Life isn't really easy at all for Paul as he is writing this epistle. He wants to go and be with Jesus, but he also knows that he has things to accomplish on this earth. As long as he is living and working on this earth, he can continue to spread the message of Jesus and help those in the churches that he has worked to establish.
I can really relate to what Paul is saying. I've had some bad health problems since the time I was born. It all really gets me down a lot of the time, and I often long to be out of this world and be with the Lord. I can't wait to be with Jesus. However, I know that that Lord has a reason for me to be here.
Whether the Lord calls me home or wants me to remain here, it is all about Him. It is up to me to do what Jesus wants me to do at all times. I have to follow Him. He knows what is best, and I want to be committed to His Lordship.
In all that we do, let us follow and honor the Lord Jesus. Let us be good representatives of His while we are on this earth. Let us do all that we can so that we will not be ashamed when we stand before Him face to face. Amen.
Prayer Requests
I am thankful that I am making it through all the bad storms. Thank you for your prayers. Please pray that I will continue to get to feeling better.
Let us pray for peace. Israel and Gaza need peace. Pray that aid will reach the people of Gaza, and pray that the remaining hostages will be freed. Keep praying for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Yemen.
Pray for an end to the measles outbreak here in the US. Pray for an end to the Covid outbreak and pray for an end to the mpox outbreak.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Madagascar and Bosnia. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all.
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