Category: Philippians

Distracting Distractions

Philippians 3-4

Devotion by Jenn Haynes (OH)

Let’s talk about distractions. One of my greatest frustrations and fears while driving is distracted drivers. I feel a bit ridiculous when I say things like, “It didn’t used to be like this,” with the unsaid “back in my day” hanging uncomfortably in the air.  But it’s true. I started driving before cell phones, screens in cars, and most other technology that might take my attention from the road. But now I can’t go anywhere without being cut off or having to swerve my car out of the way of someone crossing that center line. I notice it even more now that I’m teaching my daughter to drive. It’s terrifying. 

Speaking of teenage daughters, it seems every time I give them a task and come back later to see it is not done, the response is always, “I got distracted.” I’m just as guilty. We all are. We are a distracted society. 

I had to read through these two chapters a few times, trying to decide where I wanted to focus this devotion. What was God trying to tell me here? But I saw a common theme that I’ve never noticed before, and it was distractions. 

Paul talks first about being too focused on our own past and on ourselves. We get so wrapped up in everything we’ve done and said that we lose sight of the fact that none of that matters. Pride or shame sets in. Paul lists why he had every reason to be proud of who he was and where he came from, but that it all meant nothing. We get distracted by ourselves and are no longer focused on a relationship with the only one who can actually save us. Paul tells us in 3:13, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Don’t get distracted by the past or yourself but push on toward Christ. 

Next, we are distracted by worldly people and their ways. He says in 3:17, “keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” Stop trying to be like those of the world and surround yourselves instead with Christ-like examples. Stop trying to impress those that don’t matter with what you wear, what you do, and what you say. Reserve your attention and your actions for Christ and his message. 

And, finally, my personal favorite distraction – anxiety. Whether you worry about everything, or overthink, or are overly concerned with what others think or do – all distractions. Paul tells us what to focus on instead: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

Reflection Questions: 

What is distracting you from a real relationship with Christ? What attitude within yourself should you change? What habits should you destroy and with what should you replace them? 

What are some true, noble, pure, and praiseworthy things you should be focused on and how can you shift your attention toward them more often?

Prayer: 

My prayer for you today is that you are able to pick out distractions in your life and burn them away. I pray that you have a closer relationship with Christ and that it outshines everything else. Like Paul said,  “…press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Press on and focus on Jesus. 

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A Slippery Sin

Philippians 1-2

Devotion by Jenn Haynes (OH)

One of the sins that always frightens me most is the sin of pride. It’s slippery and hard to recognize because one of the symptoms of this particular sin is the inability to see a fault in ourselves. I’ve seen many people who claim humility – they are quick to point out their easily recognized flaws and will readily acknowledge when someone else is better than them at something that they are terrible at. I think of that as easy humility. It’s a quick reassurance to ourselves that we are not guilty of the terrible sin of pride. It makes us feel better about ourselves and our attitudes.

But pride doesn’t have to show up in every aspect of our lives. You can be humble about your skills playing an instrument, while still being enmeshed in pride in some other area. Sometimes pride disguises itself. For example, not seeking counsel because you believe you already have the answers? Pride. Insisting on things being done a certain way because you think it is the RIGHT way, when really it’s just the way you PREFER? Pride.

Philippians 2:3-4 says:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

It’s an easy thing to say. I bet most of us think we already place others before us. We serve others, we give of our time and resources, we pray over their needs. But Paul calls us to do more than this. He says do NOTHING out of selfish ambition or conceit. 

We all have agendas. We all have goals. Do every single one of our agendas and goals look out for the interest of others? I know mine don’t always. I struggle with shopping for gifts for others because I keep seeing things I would like to get myself! We are trained by the world to look out for ourselves! We must do what is best for ourselves! 

Let’s be clear – God wants you to take care of yourself and do good things for yourself as well. But in this letter Paul is talking to the church as a whole and to the people working within that church. We, as a body of Christ, are to be working together in complete humility, putting others before ourselves. I’ve had to say many times, both to myself and to others, “This isn’t about you.” 

Because it’s not. None of this is about you. The types of songs we sing in worship. How we conduct meetings. How the furniture is arranged. How we do prayer requests or announcements. What type of public events we hold. I could go on. None of those things are about you. 

We have one mission as a church. We are to live and serve like Christ. We are to go and make disciples, baptize, teach, serve, and love. We are to do Christ’s work, and not once did Jesus ever put his own agenda before God’s agenda. He was the ultimate example of what it looks like to put God’s will before our own. 

Reflection Questions: 

Where are you guilty of pride? Don’t stop at the easy answers either. Look deep. Do you find yourself getting frustrated over people in church doing things “the wrong way” when really it’s just not the way you would do them? Do you find yourself not asking for counsel in an issue because you think you already have the answer? Do you find yourself not praying over decisions?

What areas of your life would look different if you put others before yourself? What areas of your church would look different if you put others before yourself? (Note that I didn’t ask what areas would look different if OTHERS were more humble or selfless. We are looking just at ourselves, so don’t start down that dangerous path.)

Prayer:

My prayer for you is that our church bodies be united in humility to do Jesus’ work. I pray that we are able to keep the slippery sin of pride far away from us. I pray that others are able to see Jesus Christ in us because we are continually showing them love and putting them first above ourselves.

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Together in Christ

Old Testament: 2 Kings 24-25

Poetry: Psalm 89

New Testament: Philippians 2

The second chapter of Philippians is a lesson in unity and behavior. 

Conflict happens. Any time there are people gathered, there will be a difference in thinking. God gave us beautiful brains and the ability to reason and rationalize in different ways. He blessed us with the ability to form opinions. And those opinions are bound to differ. 

Too often, though, we give our own opinions too much power. We allow them to shoulder their way into our relationships with great force and little apology and we let them overshadow the important things like love, compassion, tenderness, and humility. 

Humility. It’s such an underrated quality in society. But which is more important: having your way, or being more Christ-like? Sounds like an easy answer, but it’s SO DIFFICULT to practice. 

Have you ever allowed your opinions too much power? Have they ever kept you from displaying the humility of Christ? Is there a current relationship that could be improved if you showed more humility in the name of Jesus? 

Verses 1-4 lay out such a heartfelt plea from Paul to the believers in Philippi. He begs them to be united. 

He tells them, and now us, that if we have any blessings from being united with Christ, from his grace and his salvation, then we must be united with each other as believers. Value others above ourselves. We must lay our opinions to the side and focus on our job as Christians: to show others Christ and further his message. 

In verses 5-11 he lays out the mindset of Jesus Christ – the one who had the ability to ask anything of God and have it granted to him, but instead chose to make himself a servant to others. Because Jesus loved that hard. 

I lay aside my own opinions and preferences for my family all the time. It’s easy because I love them more than I love myself. I frequently do the same for my friends. But what about the church member or coworker or acquaintance or family member that I find “difficult”? Am I so willing to lay aside my opinions or preferences on how things “should be done” for them? Are you? 

 And yet that is what Christ asks of us. As a church body we are called to unite. And so many churches and Christians struggle with this. I struggle. I struggle so hard. When I should be loving hard. Like Jesus. 

Do you get distracted by doing things your way? Does your method really matter in the grand scheme of spreading the gospel message? What relationships could be improved if you showed more humility? How could your faith and relationships be better if you placed Furthering the Kingdom over Getting Your Way? 

Verses 12-30 sting a little bit for me. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” I like to call it “venting” but it’s really complaining. And I’m told not to. We are called to be united as Christ followers so that when we are out in this wicked world we can “shine among them like stars in the sky.” 

The world is full of darkness and we are called to be stars. Paul asks us to show others love and humility, like Timothy and Epaphroditus. He asks that rather than look after our own interests, we look after the interests of Jesus Christ. 

That’s so powerful: look after the interests of Jesus Christ. 

My prayer for you today is that you are able to examine your relationships with others in full humility and see how you can place others before yourselves. I pray that we, as believers, can interact with one another in a way that will show the world Jesus Christ. I pray that we can all stop letting our differences get in the way of our purpose, and that we would instead focus on furthering the gospel message in unity. Blessings and love from your sister in Christ! 

-Jenn Haynes

Reflection Questions Given aBove

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Furthering the Gospel Message

Old Testament: 2 Kings 23

Poetry: Psalm 88

New Testament: Philippians 1

I sat down several times to work on this devotion today. Every time I distracted myself. I struggle, often, to stay on task, as I’m sure many people do. There are just so many different things I can focus on! I stopped again just now and distracted myself by recounting all the things I did this morning rather than write this. 

Back to the topic at hand: Staying On Topic. The first chapter of Philippians (one of my FAVORITE books) is full of love and encouragement toward people that desperately need it. And Paul (who is imprisoned) gets right to the point: Their focus should be on spreading the gospel message. 

Verses 1- 14: Paul loves these people. Carrying on in ministry is not a job one accomplishes alone. We draw on each other for strength and encouragement. He loves his brothers and sisters in Christ and prays over them. 

Stop for a moment and pray over your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray blessings over them, particularly the ones who might feel discouraged. Who can you reach out to encourage today as Paul is doing here? 

Paul says his imprisonment is to be celebrated because he has been able to spread the message of Jesus Christ. In this he acknowledges that in all of our circumstances and trials, we are to use our lives as a testimony.

Ask yourself what trials or difficult circumstances you are experiencing at present. How can you use this as a testimony to others? How are you displaying Christ? How can you do it better? 

Verses 15-26: Paul cuts to the heart of the matter, and asks that his friends ignore motives for just a moment. Who can judge the heart but God, after all? Their focus, and ours, should be on one important mission: that the gospel of Jesus Christ be spread. Nothing. Else. Matters. 

Yes, the present life is difficult. Yes there are people out there trying to create harm, trying to make circumstances worse for Paul. But we must keep our focus on spreading the gospel. And any time the Good News is shared in ANY way, we are to rejoice!  

“In every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” 

Do you get sidetracked, sometimes, worrying about the motives of others? I know I do. I’m frequently suspicious. And I must force myself to ask, as Paul does, “What does it matter?” So long as the gospel message is preached, I should rejoice. 

Verses 27-30: Paul encourages the Philippian church to stay on track. No matter what happens, be concerned first that the gospel is preached in your words and in your actions. Don’t be distracted by those who oppose you or by those who may have false intentions. Live a life that glorifies Christ and spreads the message of the kingdom.

Are you distracted by the negative voices and actions in your life? Have you lost focus? The gospel of Christ is first!  Are you conducting yourself “in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”? What adjustments do you need to make in your life to be a better representative of the kingdom? 

As your sister in Christ, I’m praying over you now that you find encouragement in whatever your situation is. I pray that you are able to defend and confirm the gospel in your actions and your words. I pray that you find support in your fellow believers to continue on in your important task of spreading Christ Jesus to others, and that you do so without distraction! Let’s continue to advance the gospel together. I love you!

-Jenn Haynes

Reflection Questions

  1. See above – lots of great questions in Jenn’s devotion
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To Wander or To Dwell

Philippians 4

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Our minds wander. We can’t help it. Our brain is processing hundreds or even thousands of stimuli a minute through our fantastic five senses. In the midst of a great conversation, a beautifully delivered sermon, the most engaging of lessons, or important advice, we can be interrupted by a stimulus that snowballs into full-blown distraction.  It begins with the slightest tinge of pain, a quick movement entering peripherals, a muted rapping, a whiff of a smoke, or an unexpected bitter flavor rolling across our tongue.  Our mind goes into troubleshooting mode.  It begins to play out all of the possible threads to a perceived threat and searches for the worst case scenario, so it can prepare the nervous system to react.  We place much trust in our senses but in turn, we create narratives that do not exist in order to protect our bodies from ill-perceived observation.

When we allow the responses to take over, we are experiencing, on some level, psychosis. The lines between what is fact and fiction begin to blur.  We begin to believe lies and have adulterated perceptions.  We begin to live in the dark and the undesirable.  We begin to worship terrible and disgraceful moments we have self-induced.  We think about such things, and replay them over and over again, fiction becoming “our” truth.   I know it because I have been there. On my darkest days, I contort and twist every action into a gospel of fear, pain, and anxiety.  Wandering minds, when not properly anchored to Christ, can be our undoing.  First, and foremost, if we are in this place, we must pray for God to guard our hearts and quiet our minds.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” 1 Philippians 4:7-9

Don’t take the bait.  Don’t respond to the stimulus.  Instead, plant your feet even deeper into the foundation of Jesus Christ and stay.  Dwell here, rent free.  What is true? You are first and foremost loved by God.  The Creator of the heavens and the earth is the Creator of your very life.  You declare God with your very existence because he has fearfully and wonderfully made YOU (Psalm 139:14).  What is pure? The blood of Christ has sanctified you.  While there may be sin in your life, you are washed white as snow through repentance.  There is no sin greater than the Lamb of God’s sacrifice.  (Romans 3:23-24)  What is noble? You have an inheritance that makes you a royal priesthood.  You are from an adopted bloodline that will reign alongside Christ. (Revelation 5:10)  What is lovely? How beautiful are your feet when you bring Good News, proclaiming that your God reigns and brings living peace in the midst of the tumult of life (Isaiah 52:7) What is admirable?  You have not laid your eyes on Jesus, and therefore, you are greatly blessed for your belief (John 20:29)  What is excellent and worthy of praise? On my worst days, God confronts me.  He loves and comforts me.  He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.  He doesn’t take His promises from me.  I can walk through the darkest valley.  Hit rock bottom.  And guess who’s there?  My God.  (Psalm 23) He doesn’t see me for my shortcomings. He loves the faithful, but equally loves the prodigal (Luke 15:22-24).  He is the shepherd to the ninety-nine and the one (Matt 18:12).  Do not be deceived by your senses or your wanderings.  Let your mind dwell only on these things.

-Aaron Winner

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. When has being led by your thoughts and feelings and senses led you into a troubled place? Do you often tend toward anxious thoughts? What has helped you in the past?
  2. How do you rate at bringing every situation before God in prayer and petition and with thanksgiving?
  3. What do you let your mind dwell on?
  4. What does the world say is the secret to peace? What does God say?
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Update Your Status

Philippians 3

Monday, August 22, 2022

Paul had more religious credentials than any of the original twelve apostles of Christ.  His resume started in his infancy.  He was circumcised on the eighth day, his family strictly adhering to God’s rule.  His heritage came from the tribe of Benjamin, who were faithful warriors of God.  He was disciplined and studious, becoming a Pharisee. He passionately persecuted the church, having a direct hand in the stoning of Stephen. In so doing, he obtained and maintained a fleshly status that would easily make him an important member of the Sanhedrin in no time.  But that’s all it was.  Someone who lived with a long list of labels, accomplishments, and titles, but ultimately, will be a victim of the same death as those who live without them.

“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”  Philippians 3:4b-6

Status, which once was predetermined by feudal, caste, tribal or class systems, is now something that changes with our emotions or musings. Our connotation of the word has changed with the invention of social media..  The evolution of “status-ifying” oneself, has led to the rapid (d)evolution of a crushing identity problem.  Occupation, education, pronouns, history, trauma, gender, race, family, and religion have become our most featured bullet points. We become these things or sometimes, these identities are thrust upon us.  As unpopular as this messaging may be in my place and time, the words of Paul still ring true: It’s all garbage.  Every. Single. Bit.  Anything that doesn’t have eternal value is a name or stigma I no longer bear under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”  Philippians 3:7-9

We are not simply made righteous by calling ourselves Christian.  Neither are we made holy because we’re a good mom, dad, or child.  Nor are we not justified because of our bloodline or heritage.  And we are not forgiven because we found a new definition for the same old sin. We are “status-ified” by Christ. So, what exactly is it?  We are, through faith, redeemed and adopted Children of God. It is not our first status.  It is our ONLY status. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul states there isn’t slave, free, man, woman, Jew, or Greek, meaning every title, other than that achieved through faith in Jesus Christ, is negligible, conditional, or temporary, — even dead. When we acknowledge him, He grabs hold of us and doesn’t let go. His Father calls us to resurrection and the treasure that is stored in heaven, ready to descend with the promised return of Jesus Christ, and on that day, there is only one group placed in the Lamb’s Book of Life: those who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ.  Hit the refresh button, and take a good, long look.  It might be time to update your status.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10,11

-Aaron Winner

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. IF you were to follow the ways of the world what COULD you use to give yourself status?
  2. What is the eternal value of each item you listed in question 1?
  3. What will/does it look like to reorder your life to gain Christ instead?
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Walk in Humility

Philippians 2

Sunday, August 21, 2022

For many of us, the last few weeks we have been reestablishing our school time routines.  The lackadaisical jazz of summer has transitioned into the tight structure of a concert march. Alarms begin to sound once more and the the score begins. Many times, my day begins with a morning run.  I pride myself in the ability to time this run in such a way that I squeeze in all my other to-dos before the school day (like shower, pack, dress, eat breakfast) and be in the school building with a minute to spare.  Everything was again like clockwork – run, shower, pack, breakfast – until I had an important realization as I crossed the threshold of the school door and met the flow of air streaming from the vent:  I had not stopped sweating since my run.  My body still thought it was summer.  My shirt was now mostly covered in sweat, and it didn’t show signs of slowing.  I walked down the hallway, was questioned multiple times about the appearance of showering in my shirt, but I was committed to going about my day with a sweat-filled shirt and a pride-filled attitude.  Fortunately, through the insistence of an administrator, I took up the offer of a sweat-free replacement. I finally humbled myself, and let my pride go.

Humility comes easier when you are sweating through your shirt with nothing else to wear, but it is more difficult to be humble when you’re on top.  You’re in charge.  You’re the boss. You’re the expert. You’re the best. When you have a history of achieving or exceeding large and meaningful goals. We beam with pride because we feel we “are” or “have” something. When our ego wins, we make a case for why we are better than others. We expect God to acknowledge us more, and when he doesn’t, oftentimes, we deny Him completely, becoming our own god, roleplaying as the savior, the judge, and the ultimate source of “being” in our own life. Pride becomes our sweat-filled shirt – it’s not a good look.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit [vainglory]. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5

If there was anyone to ever walk upon this earth with pride, it should have been Jesus Christ.  He is the closest to God a human will ever get, yet “being in the form of God, he didn’t see equality with God as something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:6) Here is the deepest of theologies about the nature and relationship of Jesus Christ to his Father.  Jesus Christ serves God Almighty alone, and we should do the same (see: the greatest commandment, Matt 22:37,38)   Jesus didn’t care he was viewed as an amatuer by many of the Pharisees. Who cares? He didn’t identify himself in the status in the company he kept.  Not on his radar  All he could lay his eyes upon was in his grasp. (Matt 4:8,9) He flatly refused.  He had a critical role to play for our Heavenly Father.  He chose humility, a life of service, knowing that His Father exalts those who humble themselves to His will, and also humbles those who choose to lift themselves higher than others (Luke 14:11; Phil 2:9-11)

Likewise, we are called and mandated to be humble. Less of me and less of you until only Jesus remains. How do we do this? In all our ways acknowledge Him (Prov 3:6), but are ready to give up time, effort, energy (life) for someone else (Matt 20:28) so they may know the Kingdom of God.  We can still be ambitious, but it must be driven by God, not simply a feather in the cap or degree on the wall. We can look for glory, but it is bestowed upon our heavenly Father, not to us. We must be on our knees, known more for the top of our head than the self-satisfaction of our face. We must minister to those who can give us no status or possessions in return, only a life given over to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are to walk in humility, no longer run away with our pride.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12,13

-Aaron Winner

Questions for Reflection

  1. When does your pride and ego prevent you from being Christ-like?
  2. Would you rather humble yourself before God or be humbled by God?
  3. How can you fix prideful attitudes?
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Eternal Perspective

Philippians 1

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Philippians 1:10 – For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

Perspective is everything. As a junior high school science teacher, I got to teach students about galaxies within the universe and molecules and atoms; from the macro to the micro and everything in between. And what we learned is that depending on your perspective, your observations and conclusions may vary. 

It’s very easy (at least for me) to get wrapped up in the business of each day. Which means I sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. What I appreciate about this specific letter from Paul to the church in Philippi, is that it’s a wonderful reminder to keep the most important things at the forefront of our thinking at all times. 

When we view life with an eternal perspective, instead of a right here, right now point of view, we are able to consider what really matters. Life becomes less about grabbing drive through dinner after a long day of work and more about being pleasant to the fast food worker. It becomes more about continuing to give to your family even though you’re exhausted from making tough decisions earlier in the day. It becomes more about being grateful and expressing joy because you’re making a difference in the lives of others. 

When we live with an eternal perspective it becomes easier to give even when we don’t feel like we have much to offer. It becomes more important to meet up with your neighbor to extend assistance for a need that they have when you understand the potential impact it might bring. It becomes a joy to worship, a pleasure to study Scripture, and a relief to rest in the shadow of our Rock when we are mindful that nothing is more important than seeking Him through whom all blessings flow. 

May today be your reminder to take some time to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

-Bethany Ligon

Application Questions

  1. What is most important to you?
  2. How does your life show what is most important to you?
  3. What situations cause you to forget your eternal perspective? How can you renew your dedication to the eternal perspective?
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Joy Forevermore

Make Yourself Ready!

Over the last week we have focused on Philippians, and especially the theme of joy. Joy is a state of happiness and contentment in the midst of any and every circumstance because of our response to the gospel and our connection to God through Christ. When we live like Christ, we experience deep levels of joy. Joy is found also in overcoming those who try to turn us away from the gospel message, and those tendencies within ourselves. Finally, we are reminded, even commanded, to rejoice in the Lord always. Joy is available to us in every situation, not just good ones, but in suffering and pain, because of who we are and whose we are. (We are brothers of Christ, which makes God our Father!) We are able to have joy at all times; what great news!

In the Christian tradition there have been some documents that have really helped Christians explain their faith or aspects of their faith well. The Confessions of St. Augustine, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, The Chronicles of Narnia. Even if we don’t agree with everything in these works, they have made quite an impact on the Christian faith. (Especially the Chronicles of Narnia.) One other document is the Westminster Shorter Catechism, a document used to teach the Christian faith that has been around from the 1640s. The first question it asks and answers is :

What is the chief end of man?

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever. 

To explain, this is saying “the greatest goal of every person is to give God glory and praise, and to be in joyous relationship with him forever.” It’s not scripture exactly, but that sounds about right to me. The last state of the believer is joy with God.

In Revelation Chapter 19, there are three times that a great multitude exalts God and praises his name for casting down wickedness in the world. Revelation 19:6-8 say. “6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure…” In this picture of the great multitude, which are those who have been saved by the Messiah, they are saying that what they will do is to exalt and glorify God, but also to REJOICE in him. They are finding joy in God. 

That is the final state of those who have followed Jesus. When we think of the eternal life of the saved, it is not just living for a really long time, it is a fulfilled, joy, content life. It is life to the fullest. Yes, it will last forever but it will not be dull, boring and monochromatic, and it won’t be sorrow, struggle filled, and just like this life. 

We will feast with Jesus at his wedding to his bride, the Church. (Rev. 19:9) We will be exalted to live and reign with Christ, whatever that looks like. (Rev. 20:6) My favorite promise is that we will look into the face of God, and he will wipe away our tears. (Rev. 21:4) That is what it means to enjoy God forever. We will have EVERY REASON to find joy, because “God will dwell with us, and we will be God’s people, and God himself will be with us as our God.” (Rev. 21:3, in the first person) 

My brothers and sisters may Jesus be your savior and lord so you may feast and rejoice at his wedding supper.

May you be raised again so that death will have no power over you. 

May your tears be wiped away, and may you enjoy God forever. 

“Rejoice in the Lord, always” and forevermore!

-Jake Ballard

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Jake Ballard is pastor at Timberland Bible Church. If you’d like to hear more from him, you can find Timberland on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TimberlandBibleChurch/ ) and on Instagram (https://instagram.com/timberlandbiblechurch?igshid=t52xoq9esc7e). The church streams the Worship Gathering every Sunday at 10:30. Besides studying and teaching God’s word, he is raising three beautiful children with the love of his life, plays Dungeons and Dragons and is really excited about going to a Renaissance Fair this Fall. If you’d like to reach out to talk Bible, talk faith, or talk about your favorite D&D monster, look Jacob Ballard up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jacob.ballard.336 )or email him at jakea.ballard@yahoo.com. 
God bless you all!

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 17-18 and Colossians 2

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Rejoice in the Lord, Always

Philippians 4 – Friday 

“TGIF”. Most people in our culture seem to only be happy when they are NOT working, when their weekend has started, or it is their day off. They long for the precious moments where they are not bound to the clock. It’s in our pop culture. Whether it is some teen-idol that is singing about what happened last Friday or whether we are all working for the weekend, many people think happiness is a 3-day-a-week affair. As Christians, maybe we think life is pretty dull until Sunday rolls around. That is the day where I get to be happy. 

However, that’s not what Paul wants for the Philippians. He says “Rejoice in the Lord, always!” It is a command. “REJOICE!” Maybe we think it’s a little strange for Paul to give a command to rejoice. “You better rejoice or else!” But that is not his point at all. Paul knows that if we truly understand the gospel we would see it for what it is… good news! 

Look at what is said in the following verses. 

The Lord is near.(4:5) Christ is coming soon to reward those whom he has saved. That is cause to rejoice!

God hears your prayers and supplications. (4:6) God is near and cares for our needs. That is cause to rejoice!

God will give us peace to protect our hearts and mind in the middle of trouble. (4:7) That is cause to rejoice!

The peace of God will be with us because the God of peace will be with us (4:9). That is cause to rejoice!

When you focus on the true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputably good, excellent, and praiseworthy, you are dwelling on good things that come from a good God. Every one of them is a cause to rejoice!

God is not a God of sorrow and somberness at all times. It is true he is a serious God. We should never take him flippantly or lightly, and he calls sins out when and where he sees them. But he is a God of joy, gladness, drinking deeply in the good things of this world. He rests in a world that he called very good. (Genesis 1). Therefore, God wants his creatures to rejoice to the praise of his glory. 

May this shorter devotion push you to praise God today, my brothers and sisters. 

May you focus on the true and good things, and may they cause you to rejoice. 

May you rejoice in the God of peace. 

May you rejoice that the Lord is near. 

May you rejoice, always. Again I will say it, rejoice!

-Jake Ballard

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading passages at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 15-16 and Colossians 1 (Devotions are focusing on joy/Philippians this week, but charge on with your reading.)

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