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Monday, February 14, 2022

 Happy Valentine’s Day. For the majority of us, this is the day we go above and beyond the norm to express our hearts to the one true love of our life. For some of you this is a very hard day because the one true love of your life is already in the presence of the One True Love of their life, Jesus Christ. I hurt for those who have no one with whom to share this day. But I rejoice in the promise of God that His love is sufficient to sustain you, because He is the One True Lover of your life.

For those who have a valentine with whom to share love this year, read the Apostle Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Let me challenge you with some questions to ask yourself about each of these qualities of love. How you answer them could provide you with the greatest valentine gift you have ever given. 

1. Love is patient. Are you patient with your valentine, not demanding change according to your schedule, but letting God grow them and change them at His rate and according to His purpose? 
2. Love is kind and does not envy. Are you being kind to your valentine, even when they have done nothing to deserve it or even when they have hurt you? Are you doing acts of kindness out of the love you have in your heart for them rather out of a desire to solicit a response from them? 
3. Love does not boast and is not proud. Are you building up your valentine by focusing your attention on who they are or are you drawing attention to yourself? 
4. Love is not rude. Are you polite to your valentine, treating them with respect and honor, both in public and in the home? 
5. Love is not self-seeking. Are your choices and decisions made for the unconditional benefit of your valentine or do you hope to receive a personal benefit for what you have done? 
6. Love is not easily angered. Do you get easily frustrated with your valentine over little things that really don’t matter much in the big picture of your love? 
7. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Do you know how to truly forgive your valentine by never using that sin or mistake against them in the future? 
8. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Does your love remain constant and even grow when your valentine tells you the truth about something they have done wrong, or do you enjoy the times you can put them in their place because of what they have done? 
9. Love always protects. Do you protect your valentine by giving encouraging and uplifting reports of your valentine to others so they form positive opinions of who they are, or do you vent your frustrations to others and thereby diminish their status in the eyes of others? 
10. Love always trusts. Do you restore trust in your valentine after there has been a failure or disappointment, and do you believe the best about them no matter what has happened? 
11. Love always hopes. Do you see the full potential of your valentine and believe that it is achievable, and do you encourage your valentine to fulfill that potential? 
12. Love always perseveres. Are you committed to your valentine no matter what happens because your love is a decision of your will and it cannot be destroyed, or is your love based on your emotions and personal happiness and will change as needed? 

It doesn’t matter what kind of gift you give today if these qualities of love don’t define your relationship with your valentine. Your gift will be meaningless if not backed up with sincere love. But if true love as described in today’s Scripture passage is present, then it will never matter to your valentine what kind of gift you buy, because you will have already given them the greatest gift of all.

Pastor John

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Friday, February 11, 2022

Ah, spring is coming…soon I hope. It’s not been a bad winter, but I’m ready for outdoor fun. Soon we will be busy with yard work, garage cleaning, and house repairs. Maybe by May 3^rd the ice will be off the lakes in time for the fishing opener. The birds are chirping earlier each morning, even though the beauty of their songs is drowned out by the cackling of the crows. Soon we will see those first shoots of crocuses, daffodils and tulips coming through the ground as new life explodes around us, bringing beauty back to what was cold and dreary. I know…too soon for spring fever, right?

One thing I don’t look forward to in spring is all the work that needs to be done before enjoying the fun. It’s easy to miss the beauty of spring when we tend to focus on all that needs to be fixed. There will be trees that need to be trimmed or cut down. Yet seeing only the work causes me to miss the beauty of the new trees that are growing and will bring new shade and shelter for the yard. When I see all of the shrubs that need to be trimmed and all of the leaves that have to be cleaned from the flower gardens, I miss the beginning growth of the raspberry bushes that will soon produce the most delicious fruit for my ice cream. It’s easy to miss the beauty of things when our focus seems to drift towards what’s wrong.

We need to have a perspective adjustment. Here’s a story to illustrate. Four old men were out golfing for the first time in the spring. After several holes, the first man complained, “These hills are getting steeper every year. I’m tired already.”  In response, another said, “They’ve also made these holes longer.” The third man piped in, “The sand traps are bigger than they used to be.” The fourth man could take no more, and chastised the other men for their complaining: “Just be thankful we’re still on the right side of the grass.”

Some days it doesn’t seem like all that bad of an idea to be on the bottom side of the grass – at least I wouldn’t have to mow it anymore. But that’s not how God intends for us to see life. Every winter is a preparation for a productive spring. Every storm is an opportunity for a rainbow. Every sunset leads to a time of rest in expectation of a guaranteed sunrise. Every dark night brings a greater appreciation for the light. God has designed all of life so that we will see the glory of the product rather than the gauntlet of the process.  It’s time to focus on the joy of the finish line rather than the junk on the freeway that we’re travelling.

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.“

That’s why prayer is so important – it keeps our focus on the finish line. It changes our perspective from the present troubles to the future glory of God’s perfect presence. It brings His presence into our present, When we pray, we surrender to God’s authority. Our faith is strengthened as we learn to trust His perfect outcomes. Our resilience is increased as we patiently wait for His timing to accomplish His will. Our fears are diminished as we learn to trust His powerful right hand to sustain us and provide for us. Our spiritual eyes are opened to see the beauty of things that God is doing; things that indicate life is about to explode around us and bring beauty to what we thought were cold and dreary circumstances. Prayer – that intimate time of fellowship with God – brings us hope and peace.

So whatever winter you’re still in right now, get ready. Spring is coming! It’s never not come. Sometimes it’s delayed longer than normal, but it will get here, and soon we will be basking in the warmth of the Son of God as life explodes in beauty around us.

Pastor John

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Thursday, February 10, 2022

In the cafeteria of a Christian school, the children were lined up for lunch. At the beginning of the line was a large pile of apples. A note was hung in front of the apples: “Take only one. God is watching.” Near the end of the line was a pile of chocolate chip cookies. One of the students jotted a quick note and placed it on the pile: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.“

Cute story, but we need to consider the real truth: God is watching everything. 

Job 34:21-22  “His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.“

Our heads seem to know that, but our hearts overwhelm that truth with personal desires. We are deceived into believing that as long as people don’t know what we did, then neither does God. We have succumbed to the satanic seduction of satisfying self. At best, which is really no better than the worst, we have made ourselves accountable to people rather than to God. In reality we have made ourselves out to be God by being accountable only to self.

But God is watching. For the unsaved, that truth is a negative. God will punish all sin with final and eternal death. But for the saved, it’s a positive. God will discipline His children in life. For those who are in Christ Jesus, the ultimate price of death was already paid by Jesus. As His children, we are now subject to His discipline. We should consider that a blessing. His love for us demands that He work for our good. Sin is not for our good. When we sin, His love will correct us. If no correction is taking place, what evidence do we have that we are His children? Read what the author of Hebrews says in chapter 12.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.”

Every hardship, every unforeseen circumstance, every tragedy, every health issue, every financial problem, every relationship struggle, every emotional crisis, and every personal temptation should be viewed as God’s intervention in our lives for the purpose of strengthening our faith and increasing our spiritual maturity. He is treating us as dearly loved children. His love for us is perfect, and His love is being perfected through His discipline which produces obedience. “We know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But he who keeps his word, in him is the love of God perfected: this is how we know we that we are in him.” (1 John 2:3-5)

We need to adjust our attitudes. If we desire to keep our sin, we fear the eyes of God. But if we desire to live for Jesus, we also desire God’s observation of our every step. We cherish the moments of correction. We treasure the gift of love we experience when He uses His rod and staff to keep us in line. We excitedly move from the grace of forgiveness to the grace of fellowship, for there we experience the fullness of the Father.

“Lord, look upon our every step today. May every word of our mouths and every thought of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, and when they are not, show us clearly the lesson we should learn as you discipline us. We want to be like Jesus.“

Pastor John

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022

I love parties. This weekend I will be attending a party to celebrate several birthdays and accomplishments in our family. Of course, parties require food. Not just any food, but succulent and sweet temptations like cake and ice cream.  Everyone will be energized by the surge of sugar – everyone, that is, except me (and my wife). Don’t get me wrong, I love cake and ice cream, but my body hates sugar. I can’t have much if any of it anymore. Parties are hard because I’m constantly trying to justify having some because I want to gratify my personal desires without considering the big picture.

When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray prior to His arrest and crucifixion, He took His disciples with Him. He specifically asked three of them to accompany Him deeper into the garden to support Him while He wrestled with the will of God.  He asked them to pray for Him while He took His burden to His heavenly Father. When He returned from praying, the disciples were asleep. What Jesus says to them is very important for us to hear. 

Matthew 26:41  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Every day we are bombarded with temptations to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Jesus gives us three things with which we can fight off each of those attacks of the Enemy.

The first is the ability to discern the difference between right and wrong. Jesus tells His disciples to watch, which implies an ability to see. Jesus has given us the capacity to recognize temptation and to see its end result in our lives. We must walk each step of each day with our eyes wide open to what is going on around us. Satan is attempting to lure us into the lie that the world can satisfy our deepest desires. Watch for it – you will see it.

The second thing Jesus gives us to overcome temptation is prayer. Unfortunately for many of us, prayer is our escape mechanism and not our defense system. Corrie Ten Boom said it this way, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” We need to pray prior to being tempted, as Jesus taught us when He said, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We would avoid a lot of anguish over decisions and a lot of regret over actions if we would pray in advance and be prepared to always choose God’s will in every instance.

Cathy Fussell wrote an article about defensive prayer in the publication entitled Today’s Christian Woman. “Recently, my son, Andrew, reminded me of the need for daily prayer. He had accidentally spilled his drink and I went into a tirade. Andrew ended my harsh words when he quietly asked, ‘Mom, did you forget to ask Jesus to help you be nice today?’” 

The third thing Jesus gives us to withstand temptation is His Spirit. What an incredible promise – the spirit is willing. Most of us, however, tend to focus on the weak flesh portion of our existence. We’ve resigned ourselves to the lie that we just can’t help ourselves – it’s who I am and I can’t change it. Jesus says otherwise, and we need to listen to the voice of truth. His Holy Spirit in us is greater than the Enemy who is tempting us. What it really boils down to is what we really want. Sin is a choice. It is not an accident. It is not a psychological dysfunction. It is a choice. It is what we wanted at the time. It is the result of putting our own desires ahead of God’s will. It is the result of not praying and surrendering to the power of the risen Christ who lives in us.

So open your eyes and become sensitive to the subtle ways Satan tempts you every day. Pray that you will submit to the will of God in all things. And trust the Holy Spirit to provide you with the power to resist every sin. Today you can begin to walk in victory.

Pastor John

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Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The church I pastor is incredible. I am so blessed to serve the Lord at a servant-hearted, spiritually-minded, caring, giving, and praying group of people. It is an honor to be their pastor.

The praying part is especially strong. Not only do we pray about everything, but we pray for everyone, no matter what their need. It is a church of true intercession. Every Sunday morning there are people who pray before the worship service so that God’s Word is proclaimed in all its truth and people’s lives are transformed by its power. During each worship service we take a SELAH break – you know about SELAH from the Psalms, right? – and we pray for each other’s needs. Sometimes people even move about the sanctuary so they can be a part of praying for those with needs. 

The Scriptures give us plenty of examples of people who pray for one another. In today’s Bible reading from the pen of the Apostle John, he states that he has been praying for his friend Gaius.

3 John 1:2-4   “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 

John prays for three things. At first glance you may only notice two, but the third is really the most important, and we must discover it if we are to be true intercessors.

First he prays that Gaius would be in good health. A considerable proportion of the prayer requests we receive each Sunday and throughout the week have to do with health issues. But the health of a person is not their single most important need. In fact, good health is nothing more than the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Second, John prays that all would go well with Gaius. This can be applied to so many areas of our lives – from business to relationships to finances and on goes the list. Some have interpreted John’s prayer as a promise, and believe that with enough faith we can guarantee prosperity. That’s a huge stretch from John’s own condition at the end of his life when he was a political exile on a remote island, banished there for his faith. His faith brought him suffering, not success. Yet suffering for Christ is the benchmark of identification with Christ.

John puts both of these requests for his friend into their proper perspective with his third request – he prayed that Gaius’ soul would be getting along well. Here is the highpoint of intercessory prayer. John’s greatest joy was to receive news that one of his spiritual children was growing in his faith, being faithful to the truth, and living his life in obedience to that truth.

Today’s lesson is this – when we pray for others, our highest prayer for them must be for their spiritual health and prosperity, not their physical. It is good and acceptable to pray for their physical needs, but don’t stop there. Make sure you always pray primarily for their spiritual development and growth through whatever physical circumstance they are experiencing. All of God’s answers to our physical needs are temporary and will die with us. All of God’s answers to our prayers for spiritual health and prosperity bring fuller life, and that life will never die. When we pray, let’s pray for what really matters.

Pastor John

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Monday, February 7, 2022

Matthew 6:9-10  “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’”

A five-year-old boy was headed to McDonald’s for a Saturday lunch with his dad when they saw a car

accident up ahead. It was their family custom to pray for the people involved in accidents when they saw them, so the father asked his son to pray. From the back seat he heard these intense words – “Dear God, please don’t let those cars be blocking the entrance to McDonald’s.”

Lately I’ve become much more sensitive to selfish prayers. You know the type – prayers that tell God our

desired outcomes rather than ask God for His. Then, just to be safe and to seem spiritual, we add “In Jesus Name” to the end. We should have the courage to tell God up front that we are praying according to our own desires and not His.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He gave them two foundational truths upon which all prayers should be built. First, God is to be revered as ruler of all things, and second, that His will is to be done on earth in the same capacity that it is done in heaven. There’s where the problem lies – in  the second part of His instruction. You see, we would all probably agree that in heaven God reigns supreme and that He is revered. His will is done immediately and implicitly. What heavenly being, after seeing how God cast Satan and his followers out of His presence when they rebelled against His authority, would dare do anything but obey the commands of God?

Yet we have our problem  letting God reign supreme in our lives on earth. Even in our most sincere

prayer times, when we fully surrender the outcomes of our circumstances and needs to the Father in heaven, we tend to act contrary to our prayers when we return to the reality of life. We begin to speculate on how God will work. We arrogantly presume to know which outcome He will choose. We manipulate circumstances and people to accomplish our desired outcomes. We begin to suffer from worry, anxiety, and fear. We have taken back the control that we had surrendered in prayer. We have prayed in vain for God’s solutions. What we should have prayed for is faith: faith to revere God as supreme ruler, and faith to trust God’s outcomes as good.

Until we have prayed for the faith necessary to trust God as Sovereign Ruler of our lives, our prayers for His will to be done will quickly dissipate into our desires. But when we have fully surrendered to God the Father and in faith believe that He is working all things out for good according to His purpose, we will experience peace. Every interruption, every inconvenience, every incident, and every incapacity will be viewed as God’s direction for our next step rather than an obstacle to our next desire. Every prayer we pray should begin with an affirmation of our faith in God’s sovereignty and our submission to His outcomes.

So watch how you pray. Then, watch how you live after you pray. Are they both compatible with faith that God is ruler of all, and with your humble surrender to His will?

Pastor John

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Friday, February 4, 2022

Our final thought on joy in Philippians is this – great joy results in generous giving which results in greater joy.

Philippians 4:10 “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.”  

Paul says that he rejoices greatly because of the way the people of the church in Philippi gave generously to meet his needs. He even describes the gifts as a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice that is pleasing to God. Look at how Paul describes the nature of their gift in 2 Corinthians 8. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”

These people gave even when everything in them told them not to. They were poor. They had trouble paying their bills. They had needs of their own; but their joy in the Lord looked beyond their own needs and followed the sacrificial pattern of their Savior and they gave, and gave, and gave some more. They were super-generous, and it touched Paul deeply and filled him with joy.

My friends, if you are not experiencing great joy in your walk with the Lord, maybe it’s because you haven’t sacrificed enough. Maybe it’s because there is too much trust in your own power to provide for yourself, and not enough trust in the provision of God. There is not much joy in knowing what we can do: there is great joy in watching what God can do. Maybe we aren’t giving Him a chance to do great things.

How often do we look forward to being asked to give because we know it will result in joy? When we give our resources to the Lord’s work He fills us with joy. There is great joy in knowing the grand and glorious work of God was accomplished through personal sacrifice. That’s what gave Jesus the strength to endure the cross – the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Whatever sacrifice is necessary, keep your eyes fixed on the fullness of the joy that will be yours when you do it for God’s glory. 

The joy of knowing Jesus combines with whatever financial means we have or do not have and causes a spirit of generosity to flourish, which produces more and greater joy. Become a part of the cycle. Joy produces generosity which produces more joy.

Pastor John

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Thursday, February 3, 2022

In all the previous studies on joy from Philippians we have seen how joy is produced. Paul now switches his approach and uses joy to produce something else. Let’s see what it is.

Philippians 4:2-7 “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The discovery of what joy produces begins with a less than harmonious relationship between two women – Euodia and Syntyche. There seems to be a spat going on and the two women cannot reach a unified agreement about it. It is hurting the joy quotient of the church. Paul challenges the other members of the church to get involved in resolving the conflict, and he says the starting point for the fix is to rejoice. It is hard to be in disagreement with someone else when the focus is turned to rejoicing about our salvation. Try it! Next time you are in an argument with your spouse or friend, stop and ask them to join you in praising God for your salvation that Jesus paid for with His life on the cross. Whatever you’re arguing about loses its importance pretty fast, doesn’t it? Rejoicing in the Lord is the starting point of healing disharmony and disunity.

The second step in healing hurts is to be seen as gentle. Jesus describes Himself as gentle, and the word means to be humble and lowly. The idea here is that each of these women should not be so quick to want to get their point across but rather that they should learn to listen to the other and respect their opinion. Gentle is a word that describes true love in action – considering others better than yourself and putting their needs ahead of your own. That is what was needed as the next step towards unity.

The third step in the healing process when there is dissension is to not get so anxious and overly excited when things don’t seem to be going your own way. Instead, turn it over to the Lord in prayer, being thankful that you have the privilege of doing that. It is when we submit all of the outcomes to God that he brings us to a place of peace and gives us His peace that passes all understanding. These women may not truly understand one another, and may not accept the other’s viewpoint, but in prayer God will grant a peace that passes up that lack of understanding and guards our hearts and minds against sinful thoughts and behaviors towards another person.

On the road to unity, peace begins at the intersection of rejoicing and humility. How can we truly rejoice in the Lord unless we are humble, recognizing that all we are and all we have is from Him? We can’t. So when we rejoice, we pave the road with peace, and unity results. 

Rejoice in the Lord! And again I say: Rejoice!

Pastor John

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Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Philippians 3:1-11 “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!”

Paul begins the third chapter of Philippians by telling us to rejoice in the Lord. He then goes on in the next eleven verses to tell us why.  I suggest you grab your Bible and read those verses now before you simply read my summary of them.  Let God’s Word speak directly to you.  I’ll wait…..(sounds of the Final Jeopardy music playing in the background)

Here’s why Paul tells us to rejoice – because we know the truth and we continue to consistently uphold the truth. Being theologically pure produces rejoicing. Here’s how Paul explains it:

1. We can rejoice because our confidence is not in the flesh but in the finished work of Jesus Christ in our lives. We do not depend on what the flesh can provide for us, but we glory in what Jesus has provided for us, and we worship Him by the power of the Spirit of God. There is not much reason to rejoice when our hope is in the finite and failing system of the world.  However, there is every reason to be filled with joy when our hope is in the eternal and the never-failing power of God to save us through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Paul says that if anyone has a reason to rejoice because of the flesh it is him, but because he now knows the truth he considers all of that as rubbish compared to the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord. 
2. We can rejoice in knowing that we are running the right race, with heaven as the goal. We may not have always been running the right race, but we can rejoice that now we are, and that is due to the awesome love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ that has forgiven us for the past, allowed us to forget the past, and restored us to relationship with Himself for all eternity.
3. We can rejoice in knowing that none of us, not even the Apostle Paul, can achieve perfection in this life, and yet God still uses us for His glory if we live up to what we have already attained. What is it that we have attained? The status of heirs of the King. Let us rejoice that no matter what happens in the flesh, we are spiritually secure in Jesus Christ.
4. We can rejoice that our citizenship is in heaven and not of this earth, and that Jesus is coming soon to take us to Himself and transform us into His likeness in a glorified body.

Paul closes this section in the first verse of chapter 4. He says, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

We are able to stand firm in the Lord when these four basic theological truths are the foundation of a joyful life. Are they your foundation?

Pastor John

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Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Many of us find it emotionally challenging to find joy in the midst of deteriorating circumstances. We base our joy on what’s happening to us instead of Who’s working in us.  But according to the Apostle Paul in his letter named Philippians, our joy is not a product of our circumstances, but rather it is the product, or fruit, of the Holy Spirit in us. Joy is experienced to the fullest when there is intimacy of relationship with God. That intimacy will then flourish in our relationships with people, so that even when circumstances are ugly, our spirits are filled with joy.

Paul had a student whom he was mentoring and molding for ministry. His name was Timothy, and he brought Paul great joy. Paul had discovered that true joy is based on  intimacy.

Philippians 2:20-22  “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.”

Look at how Paul describes his relationship with Timothy: he has no one else like him who takes a genuine concern for the people he serves. Timothy is described as a humble, compassionate, caring, loving and sacrificial servant of God and a servant of God’s people. He has proved himself worthy of leadership because he has put the work of Jesus Christ ahead of all else. We can hear in Paul’s words the joy in his heart to have a partner in the work like Timothy.

Here are some challenging principles for us from this passage:

1. Are we being a Timothy to each other by showing genuine concern for the welfare of others? Our compassion and concern for others should never be an obligation. When we are expressing our spiritual gifts it is with love and grace that that considers others ahead of ourselves.
2. Are we being a Timothy to each other by sacrificing anything and everything for the sake of God’s work? This is a huge struggle. We are being blessed by God with sufficiency and abundance of resources, yet we have the desire to give it all up to see people saved and the church flourish. Do others see in us the willingness to give anything up for the cause of Christ?
3. Are we being a Timothy to each other by being open and approachable at the level of intimacy needed for spiritual growth and development? I hope you know that there is nothing more important to me than being able to listen to what God is doing in your life and to connect with your heart on a spiritual level of intimacy. I also hope you know that you have the incredible privilege of giving that gift of intimacy to each other.

These 3 points are emphasized by Paul in the rest of Philippians 2, where he tells the story of Epaphroditus, another of Paul’s intimate joy producers. Read the rest of the story below. It is obvious from the story that the church at Philippi understood intimacy because of their relationship with Epaphroditus, and that intimacy brought them great joy. There was genuine concern from both sides of the relationship. This was a shared intimacy, not a one-way giving and taking. Like Timothy, Epaphroditus was a sacrificing servant of Jesus Christ who was willing to die for the cause of Christ and the love of Christ’s people. He went beyond the call of the average and became a man worthy of our honor.

I pray our legacies will be like that. May it be said of us that we went beyond the call of the average and genuinely loved others. Genuine joy overflows from that kind of intimacy. 

Pastor John

Philippians 2:25-30 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.