Philippians 1:3-6, NIV: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1: 3-6, the Message: “Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. “
BarbTalk:
I think that everyone who has seen a new baby marvels in wide-eyed wonder at this magnificent creation. Little toes, little hands, beautiful nose, mouth and wiggly wonder. Imagine eyes that see the world for the first time. Thrust into a new environment, a baby looks around and seeks comfort. For many months, the sound of their mom’s voice brings a sense of warmth and safety as they floated easily in their womb-home. Now, this little one needs to figure out how to feed, what to feed on, what to stay away from, and how to communicate needs. Even in the worst of situations, we find joy looking into the face of new life.
What stands out in the above scripture is joy. Paul was overjoyed watching the birth of new life in those to which he has ministered. He was up close and personal, witnessing new life, new commitments, new learning, new discoveries, and new journeys, even when he was far away from his ‘little ones’.
If you have never been to an adult baptism (full dunk, rather than sprinkle), I urge you to go. The celebratory scene is like no other. To witness adults and children, expressing faith, speaking of new starts, rejoicing in freedom, is the experience of a lifetime. The church explodes into applause, singing, laughter, and joy. It gets pretty noisy and wild. The noise compares to when the Niners won the Super Bowl.
What is the reason for this rejoicing? What is going on? Are they all crazy? Perhaps. Nothing compares to witnessing new birth. I look back at pictures of me ‘BC’, before Christ. I see a vacancy in my eyes. Striving was all I knew how to do, and I was miserable. Looking back, I believe hundreds were praying for me. I actually thought it was my idea to accept Christ. Ha! The divine plan was set in motion years before, and “God who started this great work in me will keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears”. I am confident of this. This great love with arms that never let go, hands that touch and heal, words that comfort and calm. I stand in awe that my God loves me so. He is never too busy, never out of sorts with me, I do not have to tiptoe around Him, or make an appointment to speak to Him. He is always patient, always kind, and always full of mercy and compassion. There is no one like my God. He heals my spirit and brings me joy. He removes hurts and gives hope. I do not think I can adequately describe Him. He is the Light in the darkness, and the song in my heart. When ugly thoughts assault my mind, He is the best cleanup crew ever! He soothes me and brings me purpose. He lets me see with His eyes into the hearts of so many. I am grateful. He helps me to not be so self-consumed; He opens my ears to listen and spreads love in my heart. There is no one like Him.
God has given me such a wonderful family of brothers and sisters in Christ. I love watching Him work in their lives. I get to witness, first hand, imprisoned minds being set free, men and women released from addictions, and healings of bodies and souls. He never gives up. For those who do not know Him, He pursues with an endless holy love. He is bigger than I can ever imagine and His faithfulness reaches the skies. He is glorious, amazing, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. There is no one like Him.
He pulls me out of the dark pit and sets me on the Rock of Jesus Christ with a hope and a future. He is for me. He is with me. He is eternal. He is my Source and my Goal. He is the Author of my faith and He constantly works with me to perfect it. He is always kind, always generous and always there for me. He is my first thought in the morning, and my last thought before I drift off to sleep. He fills my dreams, and shows me truth. Oh, I wish I could describe Him to you! He gives me the desires of my heart and puts a giggle in my heart. He is the Beginning and the End. He is always. He is good. I want you to know Him. His joy never ends. My joy erupts when men and women come to know my God.
Today is a new day. I pray that in some way, somehow, you will seek Him. He wants to be found by you. His Heart is wide open for you. His hands are wide open for you. He allowed His Son to spread His arms wide open on a cross for you. When you say yes to Him, He sees you through the lense of the sacrifice of His Son for you. Nothing can separate you from His love. No person, no thing, no illness, no society, no law and no crime can ever keep Him from you. If He is for you, who can possibly be against you? He defends the weak, heals the sick, and provides for the orphan and widow. He supplies everything we need and gives us light to understand what is really going on. He longs to spend time with you and He even likes you! And, best of all, He is returning to take you home with Him to spend eternity together.
I will never give up praying for you. I am His and He is mine. I do so desperately want to share Him with you.
Philippians 1: 3-6, the Message: “Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. “
BarbTalk:
I think that everyone who has seen a new baby marvels in wide-eyed wonder at this magnificent creation. Little toes, little hands, beautiful nose, mouth and wiggly wonder. Imagine eyes that see the world for the first time. Thrust into a new environment, a baby looks around and seeks comfort. For many months, the sound of their mom’s voice brings a sense of warmth and safety as they floated easily in their womb-home. Now, this little one needs to figure out how to feed, what to feed on, what to stay away from, and how to communicate needs. Even in the worst of situations, we find joy looking into the face of new life.
What stands out in the above scripture is joy. Paul was overjoyed watching the birth of new life in those to which he has ministered. He was up close and personal, witnessing new life, new commitments, new learning, new discoveries, and new journeys, even when he was far away from his ‘little ones’.
If you have never been to an adult baptism (full dunk, rather than sprinkle), I urge you to go. The celebratory scene is like no other. To witness adults and children, expressing faith, speaking of new starts, rejoicing in freedom, is the experience of a lifetime. The church explodes into applause, singing, laughter, and joy. It gets pretty noisy and wild. The noise compares to when the Niners won the Super Bowl.
What is the reason for this rejoicing? What is going on? Are they all crazy? Perhaps. Nothing compares to witnessing new birth. I look back at pictures of me ‘BC’, before Christ. I see a vacancy in my eyes. Striving was all I knew how to do, and I was miserable. Looking back, I believe hundreds were praying for me. I actually thought it was my idea to accept Christ. Ha! The divine plan was set in motion years before, and “God who started this great work in me will keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears”. I am confident of this. This great love with arms that never let go, hands that touch and heal, words that comfort and calm. I stand in awe that my God loves me so. He is never too busy, never out of sorts with me, I do not have to tiptoe around Him, or make an appointment to speak to Him. He is always patient, always kind, and always full of mercy and compassion. There is no one like my God. He heals my spirit and brings me joy. He removes hurts and gives hope. I do not think I can adequately describe Him. He is the Light in the darkness, and the song in my heart. When ugly thoughts assault my mind, He is the best cleanup crew ever! He soothes me and brings me purpose. He lets me see with His eyes into the hearts of so many. I am grateful. He helps me to not be so self-consumed; He opens my ears to listen and spreads love in my heart. There is no one like Him.
God has given me such a wonderful family of brothers and sisters in Christ. I love watching Him work in their lives. I get to witness, first hand, imprisoned minds being set free, men and women released from addictions, and healings of bodies and souls. He never gives up. For those who do not know Him, He pursues with an endless holy love. He is bigger than I can ever imagine and His faithfulness reaches the skies. He is glorious, amazing, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. There is no one like Him.
He pulls me out of the dark pit and sets me on the Rock of Jesus Christ with a hope and a future. He is for me. He is with me. He is eternal. He is my Source and my Goal. He is the Author of my faith and He constantly works with me to perfect it. He is always kind, always generous and always there for me. He is my first thought in the morning, and my last thought before I drift off to sleep. He fills my dreams, and shows me truth. Oh, I wish I could describe Him to you! He gives me the desires of my heart and puts a giggle in my heart. He is the Beginning and the End. He is always. He is good. I want you to know Him. His joy never ends. My joy erupts when men and women come to know my God.
Today is a new day. I pray that in some way, somehow, you will seek Him. He wants to be found by you. His Heart is wide open for you. His hands are wide open for you. He allowed His Son to spread His arms wide open on a cross for you. When you say yes to Him, He sees you through the lense of the sacrifice of His Son for you. Nothing can separate you from His love. No person, no thing, no illness, no society, no law and no crime can ever keep Him from you. If He is for you, who can possibly be against you? He defends the weak, heals the sick, and provides for the orphan and widow. He supplies everything we need and gives us light to understand what is really going on. He longs to spend time with you and He even likes you! And, best of all, He is returning to take you home with Him to spend eternity together.
I will never give up praying for you. I am His and He is mine. I do so desperately want to share Him with you.
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