Todaywe are continuing in Philippians 1and we will be looking at verses 12–18 overthe next few days. Here in verse 12 we are talking about when life does notgo as planned—when your plans fall apart and it seems like nothing ishappening the way you dreamed or thought God intended for your life. You mayfind yourself wondering, “What is this all about?”

TheApostle Paul could have asked that same question, but he looked at it in adifferent light. He begins talking about his circumstances here in verse 12. “But I want you to know, brethren, that thethings which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of thegospel"

Thinkabout it—Paul is in prison. He is in chains. He is restricted. His plans havebeen interrupted. If I remember correctly, he had even planned to go on toSpain, but now he is in a prison in Rome. He is writing to his beloved friendsthere at Philippi. Yet he says that what has happened to him, as he sits in aRoman prison, has actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. It hashelped move the gospel forward.

Youknow, my friend, life does not always go as we plan it. The truth is, God isstill on the throne. God is still at work. Even in our setbacks, even in ourdisappointments, even in situations we would never choose for ourselves, Godcan use it all. What looks like a detour to us is often part of God’s designand God’s plan.

Oneof the best stories in the Bible that illustrates this is the story of Joseph.God had a plan for Joseph to save his family. Even as a child, he began to havevisions and dreams of how God was going to use him in a special way. One day,he went to check on his ten brothers. What he saw was not good. He returned andgave his father, Jacob, an honest report about them, but it was not a good one.As a result, his brothers—already envious of him because he seemed to be theirfather’s favorite—grew to hate him.

Later,when they had the opportunity at Dothan, they threw him into a pit. At first,they even considered killing him, but instead they sold him into slavery andmade money on him. Joseph ended up in Egypt. Now obviously things were notgoing according to Joseph’s plans. He had seen visions and dreams ofgreatness—of the stars and even his family bowing before him. Yet now he was aslave in Potiphar’s house.

Fora time, things went well. But then Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Herefused, and she falsely accused him. As a result, he was thrown into prison.Again, things did not seem to be going well. Yet even there, the hand of theLord was with him, and he made the best of his situation. Eventually, as youknow, he was brought before Pharaoh. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and waselevated to a position of authority—second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt.

Yearslater—about twenty-two years later—his brothers came to Egypt to buy foodduring the famine. Joseph recognized them, and instead of seeking revenge, hehelped them. He provided for them and eventually brought his entire family toEgypt. After their father Jacob died, his brothers feared that Joseph mightfinally take revenge. They came to him and pleaded for forgiveness. But Josephsaid, “No, no. You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”(Genesis 50:19-20)

Myfriend, when your plans fall apart and life does not go as expected, rememberthis: God still has a plan. God is still at work. He can use you right whereyou are, no matter what your circumstances may be. As you think about thesethings today, be encouraged—God is still on the throne.

Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is the prayer of theApostle Paul for the saints there at Philippi. He concludes that prayer withthese words: “to the glory and praise of God.”

Thatis why we were created—to praise and glorify the Lord. Everything we do—everydecision, every action, every attitude—is meant to bring glory to God. Notglory to ourselves, not recognition from others, but glory to Him. Now let meask you a question. When we talk about the glory of God, what comes to yourmind? What do you picture?

AsI study the glory of God in the Bible, I am overwhelmed with the thought thatliterally the entire Bible—from Genesis 1 to the last verses of Revelation—isall about the glory of God. I used to say the Bible is the story of redemption.It is, no doubt, the story of redemption—God redeeming man from his sin andrestoring him to a right relationship with Himself. Yet behind all of that, andeven before all of that, it is about the glory of God.

WhenI picture the glory of God, after studying both the Old and New Testaments, Ifind that the glory of God is the expressed presence of God Himself. In the OldTestament, when the glory of God came down on the tabernacle, the Shekinahglory cloud descended. It was the presence of God in the midst of His people.The glory of God rested over the cherubim—on the mercy seat, between thecherubim—in the Most Holy Place, where no one could enter except the highpriest once a year. There, he would encounter the manifest presence of God.

Thenwe read in Psalm 8:1, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in allthe earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens.” And in Psalm 19:1, “Theheavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Oh,my friend, do you realize that all creation cries out and declares the presenceand the glory of God—the One who created all things? Why? For His glory, tomanifest His presence. Creation is a display of God’s handiwork.

Thatmeans when we glorify the Lord, we are magnifying His presence—we are makingHis presence known. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ Himself came for thatvery purpose. Remember John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God.” Then verse 14: “And the Word becameflesh and dwelt among us.” John says this “flesh” is none other thanChrist—God Himself in our midst. John goes on to say: “And we beheld Hisglory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace andtruth.” Jesus was the manifest glory—the very presence of God—among thepeople. Joseph was told by the angel in Matthew 1:23; "Behold, thevirgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His nameImmanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Nowthe Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that: “our bodies are the templeof God. Therefore, we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit,which are God’s”. In other words, everything we do—every word we speak,every attitude we display—ought to reflect who God is. God is in our lives. Godis in control of our lives. That is why the Holy Spirit was sent. If you readJohn chapters 14 through 16, the Holy Spirit was sent to glorify Jesus Christand to glorify the Father in us and through us. Read Revelation chapters 4 and5. All of creation and everyone in it one day will be declaring His glory!

Myfriend, this changes everything about how we live. We do not serve to be seen.We do not give to be praised. We do not live for applause. We live for anaudience of One. Let me ask you today: Is your life pointing others to JesusChrist, or is your life pointing others to you? Which of the two, my friend? Itrust your life is reflecting the presence and glory of God to the people aroundyou. A life filled with the fruit of righteousness brings glory to God, becauseothers see God in us. That is what the world needs to see today in His people.

 God desires that our lives producefruit.

Taketime to read the entire chapter of John 15. It is in this chapter that Jesus isin the upper room with His disciples, and one of the things He speaks of thereis abiding in Him. If you abide in Him, He says that you will bear fruit. Inverse 5, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, andI in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Inverse 8, He goes on to say, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bearmuch fruit; so you will be My disciples.” Then verse 16: “You didnot choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bearfruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Fatherin My name He may give you.”

Wefind that the desire of the Father, the desire of Jesus Christ, is that weabide in Him and live a life that bears fruit—not just activity. So many of usbecome so active doing things for the Lord that we try to produce fruit by whatwe do. Activity is not the same as fruitfulness. We get so busy that weactually forget to take time to abide in Christ, to fellowship with Him, and toremember that our strength, grace, and power come from Him alone.

Thisis real spiritual fruit. Remember Galatians 5:22: “The fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, temperance,self-control.” All these things—these are the fruit of the Spirit. Thefruit of the Spirit is something God produces within us. When we yieldourselves, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when we are filled with theWord of God, then we begin to see the fruit of the Spirit being produced in ourlives.

Whatis the outward evidence of this fruit in our lives? It flows from an inwardrelationship with Christ. It is Christlike character. It is godly attitudes. Itis righteous activity. I cannot help but think of Psalm 23: “The Lord is myshepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leadsme beside the still waters.” Notice next: “He leads me in paths ofrighteousness for His name’s sake.”

Whenwe are following Jesus—our Shepherd, our Good Shepherd, our Great Shepherd, ourears are attuned to what He wants us to do. We are on mission with Him. We donot have our own agenda; we are His servants. We follow Him. We do what Hecommands us—to love one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and toshare with the world around us the wonderful good news of Jesus Christ.

Thesefruits of righteousness, as you see in verse 11, “which are by JesusChrist.” Literally, it is the life that Christ is living in and through us.That is why Paul would later write, “I am crucified with Christ;nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which Inow live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me andgave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Thatbrings me to James 3:13–15. We have been talking about the wisdom of God thatis in Christ and the knowledge of God to know Him. James asks the question, “Whois wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that hisworks are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy andself-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. Thiswisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Butwhere envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and withouthypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those whomake peace.”

Myfriend, that is the wisdom that is from above. “If you lack wisdom”—James1:5—"let him ask of God”. It is yielding your life to Jesus Christand allowing His life to live through you, and you will live a life full of thefruits of righteousness. Help us, O God, to have that kind of life.

Todaywe’re looking at Philippians 1:9–11. These verses teach us how to pray. Paulprayed these words for the believers at Philippi. This is a powerful prayer—aprayer that we can pray for each other. But I think it is also a prayer that weneed to understand can be applied even to ourselves.

Todaywe want to look at this phrase: “that you may be sincere and withoutoffense till the day of Christ”. Till the day of Christ—sincere andwithout offense. Of course, sincere carries the idea of being pure and genuine,without hidden motives. Did you realize that one day, when we are standing atthe judgment seat of Christ as believers, we will be judged? There we will bejudged for our works—not so much for what we did, but why we did what we did.What was the motive behind our work? (Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-15).

Didwe go to church? Oh yes, we went to church. But why did we go to church? Did wego so people would see us and think, “Oh, you’re a good Christian,” and we wantpeople to notice that we’re trying to be a good Christian? No. The motive isnot to go to church to show others what kind of Christian we are. The motivemust be to glorify the Lord. Why did we tithe? Why did we teach Sunday School?Why did we go on the mission trip? We will be judged and rewarded not for whatwe did or didn’t do, but for our motive behind the act of service or giving.

That’swhy Paul ends this prayer by saying that “we are being filled with thefruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise ofGod”. Whatever we do, we are to do to the glory of God through JesusChrist. Remember, it is not so much what you do—it is who you are. That’s whatJesus said in His first recorded message in the Gospels, in Matthew chapter 5.We call it the Beatitudes. I often say these are the attitudes that humanbeings ought to have—the attitude of Jesus Christ.

Rememberwhat they were in Matthew chapter 5. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of God.” It is the spirit of humility, not of pride.That’s the first thing that must be going on in our hearts. We are totally,absolutely dependent upon Jesus Christ.

“Blessedare those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” We are broken over our sin.The first words we have recorded that Jesus preached in the Gospel of Matthew4:17. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We have anattitude of turning from our way to God’s way. That’s what it means to repent.Then we become sincere, and we are without offense in our motives—genuine, withno hidden motives.

“Withoutoffense”means living in a way that does not cause others to stumble. We can say toothers, “Follow me as I follow Christ,” and we say it in humility. “Blessedare the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The word meek means thatwe are totally, absolutely yielded to the Lord in every aspect of our lives.We’ve given up ownership of our lives. We’ve given up the right to ourselves toJesus Christ. He is Lord of our lives.

Whenwe live in sincerity and without offense, it is “until the day of Christ”.Remember in verse 6, Paul used this same thought: “Now, being confident ofthis very thing that He who began a good work in you will perform it until theday of Christ.” One day, we’re going to give an account for our works—notjust what we did, but what we were. Did we do them in the name of Jesus Christ?Remember John 15—Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.”

Asyou think about these things today, ask yourself, are you living a life that issincere and without offense till the day of Christ—that is honest,transparent, and consistent? And why? Is it all to the glory of God?

Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is a prayer that theApostle Paul prayed for the church at Philippi—for the believers there. He waspraying that God would help them be the best they could be for the glory ofGod. Oftentimes we ask the question: How do I pray for my family? How do I prayfor my friends? How do I pray for my pastor? My friend, there are severalprayers in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul prayed for believers indifferent churches. Take time to look those prayers up. Make them your prayers.Write them out. Maybe memorize them, and pray those very scriptural, biblicalprayers for those you want to see the Lord work in. In doing so, you are askingthe Lord to fill them with His Holy Spirit and to give them what they need tobe all that they should be for the glory of God.

Asa matter of fact, that is exactly what Paul says in this prayer. Read itagain—Philippians 1:9–11:

Now,as we look at this prayer, we have already talked about how he first prayedthat their love would abound more and more. He prayed that they would have alife of knowledge—living in the understanding of who God is and dedicatingtheir lives to His glory. Then he prayed that they would have discernment. Howimportant it is to have spiritual discernment—to know what is right and what iswrong, what path you should go down, and which path you should avoid. Myfriend, that kind of discernment only comes from being in the Word of God andallowing the Word of God to be in you, guiding your life.

Nowtoday, we come to this next phrase: “that you may approve the things that areexcellent.” This takes discernment one step further. It is not just knowingwhat is right and wrong—it is choosing what is best. You see, there are manythings in life that are not necessarily wrong, but they are not the best use ofour time, our energy, our focus, or our resources. So Paul is praying thatthese believers would prioritize what truly matters in life. Some have calledthis living a life of significance. Too many of us today live on the level ofsuccess—we are always looking for something more or something better for ourselves,our families, and even our grandchildren. When instead, we should be asking,“What does God want for our lives?”

Rememberwhat Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, andall these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). My friend, we areliving in a day of what could be called “weapons of mass distractions.” Ourtelephones, our emails, our text messages, our iPhones—all of these things canpull us away from what truly matters. Let me encourage you: do not think oflife as a list of priorities—God first, family second, church third, and so on.Instead, think of it as a circle. In the very center of that circle is God—theHoly Spirit, the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

ReadRomans chapter 14, where it speaks of Christ being Lord of all. Is Jesus trulythe Lord of your life? Is He at the center of everything you do? This does notmean you simply rank one thing above another. It means that whatever you do,you do it for the glory of God, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and withHis blessing upon your life. That is what Paul is talking about here—“thatyou may approve the things that are excellent.” Choose carefully the thingsthat are best for your life.

Youmight consider reading Charles Hummel’s The Tyranny of the Urgent, which speaksabout how urgent things often crowd out what is truly important. They demandimmediate attention, and as a result, we neglect the important things thatmatter most. So I encourage you, my friend: read the Scriptures. The Bibletells us that these things are given to help us become men and women ofGod—complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let the HolySpirit of God take the Word of God and help you not only to do what is right,but to choose what is best.

“Approvethe things that are excellent.”

Todaywe are looking at Philippians 1:9–11. Here we have a prayer that Paul prays forthe believers at Philippi. Remember Paul is in prison. He is in chains back inRome. Many people would think, “Wow, you must feel useless. You are in prison.What can you do?” My friend, you can pray. Paul prayed and he sent a letter tothese people—his friends, the church at Philippi—to encourage them.

Thereis never a time in your life when you cannot pray. As long as you have breathin your body and your mind is working, you can call out to God in prayer. Youcan pray for others even when you are in dire straits like Paul. You can alwayspray. What did Paul pray? In these verses, he prayed several things. In verse9, he prayed that they would have a love that grows—a love that overflows. Heprayed that they would have a love with knowledge. He also prayed that theywould have a love with spiritual discernment.

Howimportant that is—not only to say, “I love you,” but to have a love that isgrowing for someone, a love that is based on truth—the knowledge of God’sWord—and a love that has discernment to know how to give, how to pray, and howto do what needs to be done to encourage those we are praying for. Paul ispraying for these people to have that kind of love.

Paulprays for them to have a love that grows in knowledge. As we were talking aboutknowledge yesterday and what that means, I could not help but think of a versein Psalm 9:10. It says this: “They that know Your name will put their trustin You. For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” To knowGod’s name—Jehovah, Yahweh—to know His many names. We know Jehovah Jireh, theLord who provides, and the list goes on and on. We have given lessons aboutthat on Pastor’s Chat.

Whenyou know His name, and you know who God really is, and you experience Hisholiness—as Isaiah did in Isaiah chapter 6—he fell on his face. He confessedhis sin of having unclean lips. He was cleansed by an angel and the Word ofGod. Then he heard the voice saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Me?”Isaiah responded, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

Manypeople believe this love with knowledge means a love that dedicates itself tothe glory of God, to the purposes of God, and to the mission of God. It says,“Here I am, Lord. Send me.” That is knowledge. That is dedication. That isdoing what is right. This knowledge, though, must be accompanied bydiscernment. We find that in this verse as well.

Discernmentis the ability to see things clearly—to know what is right and wrong and whattruly matters. We live in a world that is constantly blurring the lines betweentruth and error. Today more than ever, we need spiritual discernment. It helpsus make wise decisions, avoid deception, and stay aligned with God’s will.

Discernmentdoes not come automatically. It grows as we walk with God, as we study HisWord, and as we listen to His Holy Spirit. We do not need to ask God for moreinformation; most often, we need to ask for discernment. Becauseknowledge—knowing what is right—is good, but choosing what is best is evenbetter.

Thatis what real discernment will give us. We will not only know what is right; wewill know what is best—and how to do what is best in the right way. How we needto pray for our friends, our family, our church members, our church leaders,and even our country’s leaders to have discernment—so they will not only knowwhat is right but will choose what is best with what is right and do it theright way.

MayGod help us to do that, even today.

Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Notice the next words: “in knowledge”—that their lovewould abound in knowledge.

Nowthis is very important, because all love is not the same. Some people have whatwe might call an emotional love or emotional affection for someone. I amconvinced that this is what Peter had when he began following the Lord. He sawsome miracles and was excited about the external. As he began to follow theLord Jesus Christ, we find that even after three years, he had many failures.He was following externally.

Butone day, something happened that changed him on the inside after a majorfailure. He realized that he needed the truth—that to know the truth would sethim free. That is what Jesus said: “You shall know the truth, and thetruth shall set you free.” You see, Paul is talking here about an informedlove—a love that is guided by truth, not by our feelings. In other words, themore you know God, the more you will love Him. That is why Paul would laterwrite, “That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and thefellowship of His sufferings.” That means to be intimately acquainted with whoGod is—who Jesus is.

Thatis why, in Colossians chapter 2, Paul writes to the church there, saying: “thattheir hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining toall riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge ofthe mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ. In whom are hidden allthe treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Jesus said, “You shall knowthe truth, and the truth shall set you free.” It begins with knowing the truth.Your knowledge must be based on truth, and your love must be founded onthe truth of God’s Word.

Godso loved you. His love will never change. Nothing can separate us from the loveof God that is in Christ Jesus. As we come to know the Word of God, we come toknow Him. That is why it is so important to have a love that is based on thetruth of God’s Word—from Genesis 1:1 to the very end of the book of Revelation.As you study through the Word of God, you come to know God.

Thatis why I love 2 Peter 1:2–8. Carefully read these verses, and look for the word“knowledge.” “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in theknowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. As His divine power has given to usall things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Himwho called us by His glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedinggreat and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of thedivine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.Now for this very reason give all diligence to add to your faith virtue and tovirtue knowledge and to knowledge self-control to self-controlperseverance to perseverance godliness to godliness brotherly kindness tobrotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound you willneither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”An amazing change has taken place in Peter. He now understood theimportance of loving in knowledge!

Paul,go on to say in Philippians 3:8, “Yet indeed I count all things loss for theexcellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I havesuffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gainChrist.” I just want to encourage you today to make sure that your love isbased on knowledge—that you love in knowledge and that it abounds in theknowledge of Jesus Christ. Because, my friend, the more you know Him, the moreyou will love Him.

Itis a love that is based and rooted in truth. It is strong. It is wise. It issteady. It comes because we are in God’s Word and are thinking on His truthrather than simply listening to what our feelings are telling us. I trust todaythat your love will abound more and more in the knowledge of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ.

Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Weare continuing to look at Philippians 1, and today we begin looking at verses9–11, where the Apostle Paul tells us how he prayed, and what he prayed for,when he prayed for the Philippian believers. Remember, he had already said thathe gave thanks for them in every prayer of his (v. 4). So Paul was someone whofaithfully prayed specific prayers for these dear people. What do we pray forwhen we pray for others?

TheApostle Paul, in these verses, prayed that they would have abounding love withknowledge, that they would have spiritual discernment, that they would havesincerity and be without offense, that they would have the fruits ofrighteousness, and that they would live for God’s glory.

Wow—whata wonderful thing to pray for believers, that they might find real joy as theylive the kind of life this prayer would produce in them. We see in verse 9 alove that grows and overflows—a love that is joined with knowledge and guidedby spiritual discernment. “And this I pray, that your lovemay abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment…” 

Now,my friend, I would encourage you—if you are thinking, “I don’t know how to prayfor my wife. I don’t know how to pray for my husband. I don’t know how to prayfor my children. I don’t know how to pray for other believers at church”—openyour Bible to Philippians 1, read verses 9–11 out loud, and make this yourprayer for your friends, your family, and fellow believers.

Noticethe first thing Paul prayed for when he prayed for them. He did not pray thatthey would have more success. He did not pray that they would have morecomfort. He did not even begin by praying for knowledge itself. He first prayedfor their love. Now, this love he is speaking of here is agape love—God’s love.It is God’s love flowing through us. It is a love we do not naturally possess,but one that comes as we are filled with the Spirit. Remember Galatians 5:22—thefruit of the Spirit. The first aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is love. Thatmeans that God Himself is loving through us. It is Christ loving those aroundus through us.

Jesussaid to His disciples, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, ifyou have love for one another” (John 13:34). What kind of love was that? Hetaught them to love one another as “I have loved you” (John 13:35). AsGod loves us, as Christ has loved us—remember He died for us. He gave Himselfon the cross. It was an unselfish love. It was an endless, limitless love. Ifyou want to read about the quality and characteristics this love, look in 1Corinthians 13. He gives a description of God’s love:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does notenvy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely,does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice ininiquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Thatis the love of God.

Herein verse 9, Paul is praying that their “love would abound still more andmore”. That word “abound” means it would grow—it would grow deeper andstronger. It would grow wider. It would grow more intimate. And that love forothers only grows as our love for Jesus Christ grows.

Rememberwhat Jesus said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-5: “You are a greatchurch. I know your works, your labor—everything is commendable—but I have thisagainst you: you have left your first love. Return to your first love.” Thatlove that is from the heart—that love that is intimate, genuine, sacrificial, andsincere. That is what Paul was praying for. Oh, my friend, let us pray that wewould abound in love—for Jesus and for one another.

Letme ask you: Are you growing in love? Are you more in love with Jesus today thanyou were yesterday—than you were last year?

Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Todaywe are moving on to verse 8 of Philippians 1. The Apostle Paul has already toldthem in verse 7, “Inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense andconfirmation of the gospel, you are partakers with me of grace.” We havebeen talking about being partakers with him of grace. We are partners togetherin the grace of God as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ wherever we are. TheApostle Paul is in prison. He is in chains. So in verse 8, he goes on to say, “ForGod is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of JesusChrist.”

Thisis powerful for us to understand because here the Apostle Paul says that hislove for them is not just human affection, but it is the affection of JesusChrist. In the original language of this passage, where he talks about“affection,” the word there comes from the idea of the bowels—deep within mybowels, deep within my inner being. There is a love that overflows for you.

Whatlove is that? It is not human love. It is supernatural love. It is the love ofJesus Christ. When we become a follower of Jesus Christ and accept Him as ourLord and Savior, and we begin to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him,something supernatural takes place. There is a love in our heart for others—Imean everyone around us.

Nowsometimes it seems impossible to like certain people because of their attitudesand their actions. But no matter whether we can live peaceably with them or not, we are to lovethem. We are to have an affection for them.

NowI have always pictured this as understanding that God Himself is love. “God islove” (1 John 4:8 &16). I am, by nature, selfish. I am looking out for me.But God is love. When I now have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ,I have available to me the reservoir of God’s endless, limitless love. TheBible teaches us in Romans 5:1-8: “Therefore, having been justified byfaith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So it allbegins with salvation and justification. Verse 2: “Through whom also we haveaccess by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of theglory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowingthat tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; andcharacter, hope. Now hope does not disappoint.”

Nowhere it is: “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts bythe Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength,in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (v.5-6). Now Paul puts thistogether, I believe, helping us understand that as we go through trials—rememberPaul is in prison, he is in chains, he is going through a time ofsuffering—when we go through those difficult times, the tendency is to focus onourselves: our pain, our hurt, our suffering. But Paul says that when all thisreally happens, it should cause us to focus on God and His strength—His greatreservoir of love that is available to us. And the Holy Spirit supernaturallynow pours out that love.

SoI picture it this way: I reach up into that reservoir of God’s love, and I takeHis love—and whether I feel it or not—I give His love, His grace, His kindness,His gentleness, His affection, His compassion. I give it to the person whoneeds it closest to me. Who is my neighbor? It is the person closest to me whoneeds God and needs to experience His love. What kind of love is that? Here itis: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Thatis how much He loved us. He gave His own Son. That is the love we nowgive—supernaturally. Not our love, but God’s love to those around us.

Thatis why Paul said, “I have God as my witness. That is the kind of loveand affection I have for you.” And that is the kind of love and affectionwe should have for those around us as we gather together—even with otherbelievers who are sometimes hard to love.

Ihave good news. They have finally scheduled the surgery for May 7th. On top ofthat, it will be an in-and-out procedure. It is not highly invasive. They willperform the surgery, and when I wake up and begin to feel a little better, Iwill be able to get in the car and come home. Please continue to pray that everything goes well.

Now,we are looking at Philippians 1:7. In the previous verses the Apostle Paul hastold the church at Philippi and how thankful he is for them, how he prays forthem with joy, and is confident that God will complete the good work He hasbegun in them. Now Paul says in verse 7, “Just as it is right for me tothink this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in mychains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakerswith me of grace.”

Today,I want to talk about what Paul means when he says, “in the defense andconfirmation of the gospel.” The Apostle Paul saw his mission in life asproclaiming Jesus Christ and Christ alone. That meant he defended and confirmedthe gospel. What does that mean for you and me today? He says, “You arepartakers with me in this mission of defending and confirming the gospel.”

Todefend, of course, means to stand up for the truth. The Apostle Peter, in 1Peter 3:13-17 addresses this same subject: “And who is he who will harm youif you become followers of what is good?” He is talking about suffering. “Buteven if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do notbe afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in yourhearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reasonfor the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience,that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct inChrist may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to sufferfor doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for our sins.”

Basically,what he is saying is that suffering gives us the opportunity to stand up andproclaim the gospel. It confirms the gospel. And we need to always be ready togive a defense of the gospel because they will be amazed at the hope that youhave and they will ask, “How do you still have joy and peace when you aresuffering wrong?”

Ialso like what Jude wrote in the book of Jude, verse 3: “Beloved, while Iwas very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found itnecessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faithwhich was once for all delivered to the saints.” Why? Because certain ungodlymen had come in and were trying to undermine the deity of Jesus Christ (v. 4).

Now,my friend, in this world today that mocks and derides the Christian faith, youand I have the opportunity to defend and confirm the truth of the gospel. In 2Corinthians 5:17 we are told if we are in Christ Jesus, everything has changed.We are new creations. In 2 Corinthians 4 our conduct should reflect the “lifeof Christ in our mortal flesh” in the midst of our suffering. We have thistreasure in earthen vessels. It is often through suffering that the goodness ofGod, the grace of God, and the mercy of God are most clearly seen—and thatgives us an opportunity to contend for the faith. Not to be contentious for thefaith, but to contend—to speak up for it, to defend it, and to live it out soothers can see Christ in us.

Thisis so important. People are watching. What do they want to know? They want toknow if what you have is real. It is real when you have Jesus, and He is livingHis life through you in the midst of difficult times. That is what Paul isspeaking of in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. “You arepartakers with me.” Let us be partakers with Christ and with the ApostlePaul, even today, in a world that desperately needs the reality of JesusChrist.