Philippians 2:25-30

   

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, 

but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 

For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that you had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 

I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

      

Paul's letter to the Philippians congregation is heavy on Paul's heart.  And he is letting them know he was sending Epaphroditus for his own sake because of the worrisome lot they were to him, yet very close to his heart.  Paul had sent Epaphroditus earlier only to receive him back near unto death.  Paul wrote: Epaphroditus disregarded his life to supply your lack of service toward me.  Ouch.

Do you know people who continually take until they almost kill you.  Are you there now, perhaps listening to them in the background complaining and opposing you?  Or are you one of them, always taking in the teachings but never giving, never helping?

Help!   And, so, hopefully you run back to the LORD and He ministers life, first aide, to you through his body and his blood, through his Spirit and his Truth, until he is ready to "send you out" once again.  Right back into the very thing that almost killed you before, but this time, with the bluntness of true and godly friendship we make a difference through our early morning prayer time with Jesus.  And, in love and supplication, we make our request know to God with thanksgiving, and he always brings us peace and then we tell our friends truth in love, just like Paul did here with the brothers at Philippi. 

And we look at Epaphroditus, who stepped back into the Philippian congregation with the same drive he had in the beginning. And we desire to be like-minded as we move and breath and have our being in Jesus Christ our LORD and as we minister one to another in charity.  Amen and Amen

"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." John 14:14-17

Often, we don't know what to ask for, His disciples didn't always know either; Jesus asks for us, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you . . ."  and shares, "ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." 

Who is this Comforter Jesus asked the Father to give us in the above riddle:  "ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you"?  Jesus revealed the truth to John through the revelation of Jesus Christ,  "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."  Revelation 3:20

What a wonderful comfort knowing my Lord dwells in me.  He's not waiting off in the distance for me, He's not coming for me soon, He has said, "I will send you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever" and has said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

And, in Thessalonians, the Spirit of Truth comforts those whose loved ones have died.  "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep [died] in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep [died].  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 

Lately, my prayer has been very simple, "Lord, how can I be a comfort to your body?  What must I do, Lord, to comfort the body of Christ? 

I was amazed at the Lord's simple reply:  Enjoy and joy in my presence and as you take comfort in me, comfort my body with truth.

"Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles (Americas) afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD."

Jesus comforted his disciples: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."  

May we find comfort in knowing Jesus speaks to us through the Spirit of truth, and when we see Him, we shall be like Him, therefore, encourage, uplift and exhort the body of Christ today with truth, He shall never leave us nor forsake us and is come in the Spirit of truth to show his glory and his might, for whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak and He will show us things to come, we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Amen.

Proverbs 15:4  "All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast." 

Look at our weather-torn communities in five states this week after a chain of tornadoes cut a swath of destruction from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. Hope is rising out of the rubble.  People were afflicted greatly in the aftermath of destruction.  Reports are coming in of continual feasts as neighbors pitch in, and neighboring states pitch in, with money, shelter, food, water and helping hands in the spirit of hope. 

We can be afflicted yet walk in a spirit of merriment, righty choosing to hope in God, as the Lord gives to all men who seek him, liberally.  Our LORD is a man of sorrows yet He is described as the Son, anointed with the spirit of gladness above His fellows. Hebrews 1:9 quotes Psalm 45:7 regarding our LORD: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

In the Gospels, Jesus transformed water to wine at a marriage feast, miraculously provided food to the multitudes in desert places and regularly invited himself over for dinner to the homes of those who followed him.  The sinners heard him gladly.  He was even heard giving fishermen instruction in casting their nets to the right of boat, bringing in a haul of food so large the boats began to sink.  And, this happened after the fishermen confessed they'd fished all night and caught nothing.

After Jesus' death and resurrection he was seen cooking dinner for his disciples by the sea.

And, after Jesus' ascension into heaven in the sight of His disciples, after He descended upon the Church in the upper room, He sent instructions to Peter on spiritual truths.  ". . . Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. . . .  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him." 
 
The Gospels describe our Messiah, morning by morning, seeking His Father.  A long while before the break of day, Jesus brought his petitions before God . . .  Perhaps this is one of the ways our Lord was able to bear our sins and iniquities, while at the same time the oil of gladness was upon Him. Perhaps seeking God morning by morning as we walk through afflictions will give us a merry heart, also.

In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 6,  Jesus is seen coming out of prayer to a multitude of people....

Matthew 6:34-44

• 34   And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
• 35   And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 
• 36   Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. 
• 37   He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat.
• .    .    . 
• 41   And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 
• 42   And they did all eat, and were filled. 
• 43   And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. 
• 44   And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men."

Are you afflicted, yet filled with hope, as you look forward to joining Jesus at the marriage feast of the Lamb of God?   Hope will keep you, and hope will continually feed you and teach you how to feed others, as Jesus, in turn, gives back baskets full of hopefulness.  Jesus Christ our LORD; we have hope through the blood of His everlasting covenant.

The sorrow of false doctrines

My friend's mother is dying. She's 96, a beautifully kept woman, regal, even in her Alzheimer she has instinctively held her head high. My friend has shared, "Mom is not afraid of dying, she is not afraid of death nor is she afraid of hell."

Can you say that about yourself?

Yet, without Jesus as her personal Saviour, according to the Bible, Cleo's disbelief in her need for Jesus has doomed her to eternal death and the blackness of hell, and, the sorrow: she is without fear of either. How did she get here?

Three injustices of false doctrines, and, the fourth, unpardonable:

1) Believing God is unknowable.
2) Believing mankind is good.
3) Believing children make good choices without knowing God's Word.
4) Believing God did not send His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world.

Cleo was raised in a home that believed in positive thinking. Without the Word of God, she was taught that Christianity is a science, a program of do's and don't's. Toward the end, looking back, she feels pretty good about her life. Cleo has never believed that God sent his only begotten Son to save her. She does not believe mankind needs a Saviour. And, to the very end, refuses to listen to her daughter's pleading. She simply says, "I don't believe in what you believe."

And now, Cleo is in a coma.

May God reach into Cleo's mind and soul with truth, for His Word declares that He desires that none are lost but all come to the knowledge of his only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. Holy Spirit awaken her to her deep need for Jesus' redeeming blood, and cause her to confess with her mouth that Jesus is her LORD. May my sweet friend hear and be glad with all the angels in heaven as they celebrate Cleo's Salvation. Amen and Amen

The Remedy:

1) Believe and teach God is knowable through His Word, His Son, His Spirit, His Church and His brethren, the children of Israel.

2) Believe and teach that we are sinners in need of a Saviour:

• Romans 3: 22-26 declares: "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

• Ephesians 2:8-10 declares: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. It is by faith; faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

3) Believe in the importance of the Word of God, and work toward bringing the Word of God back into our public classrooms: The Word does not brain wash; the Word of God allows children to make informed choices, which disallows excuses.

4) Believe and warn others: Without the cross of Jesus Christ, without the holy blood of the Lamb of God, the Word of God tells us we are unclean and without righteousness. The world wants us to believe we are good. However, the truth, all around us, throughout history and throughout his Word, tells us we are badly in need of Salvation. Jesus' blood must be applied in order for us to be raised up with Christ.

Blood is not pretty, it is not stylish in the world's sophisticated eyes, but it is necessary for salvation. Remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Remember to apply his blood with thanksgiving, knowing and believing his blood continually saves, and raises, from ashes, beauty.

Our God Almighty is a personal God, a knowing God that loves each of us and sent us his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ the righteous, the propitiation for our sins, and not only our sins, but Jesus died for the sins of the world.

• I John 2:1-2 says, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." KJV

Here is truth:

• 1 John 1:7-11 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." KJV
  

Here is the importance of putting on Jesus Christ:

• Matthew 22:1-13 "And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." KJV
  

• Romans 13: 10-14 Paul wrote: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." KJV