JULY 8

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES:

NAMES GIVEN TO JESUS IN THE BIBLE:

MERCY SEAT IN THE SANCTUARY/  SHEKINAH GLORY

WATER THAT CAME FROM THE ROCK IN THE WILDERNESS

MANNA THAT FELL FROM THE SKY/BREAD OF LIFE—Ex 16; Jn 6:35

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This month we will read the book, “Whatever Happens – How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the World is Falling Apart.”  By a contemporary author of many best-selling Christian books, Robert J. Morgan.  He took care of his wife when she had MS, until she went home to her Savior.  “He knows of which he speaks.”  I pray that this book blesses you.

WHATEVER HAPPENS………REMEMBER GOD IS STILL WORKING ON YOU

Philippians 1:3-8

“I  thank my God upon every remembrance of you,  always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;  just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.  For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”

I try to keep a healthy perspective, don’t you?  As of now, I’ve not faced a major, sudden, traumatic tragedy in my life for which I’m grateful.  But I’ve had a hard series of recent losses, and I’ve adjusted more slowly than expected. 

I stepped away from my life’s work as a senior pastor to care for my wife until she passed away.  After that, I tried to continue serving my church of four decades, but that became untenable, so I quietly slipped out the back door.  Then one of my dearest friends died prematurely.  And now, to make matters worse, I haven’t been able to shake prolonged COVID fatigue. ( book  was published in 2024).

One morning while trying to rally my spirits, I decided to study the Old Testament book of Ezra and I found this verse:

“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem.  From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”  (Ezra 5:16).  In capital letters, I wrote in the margin:  “THAT’S ME!”  I’m still under construction, but not yet finished.

It’s with the same emphasis that Paul opened his letter to the Philippians in verses 3-6:

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,  always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

This is Paul’s opening prayer for the church in Philippi – and for us.  It’s actually one long sentence in the Greek and continues through verse 8.  As he sometimes did, Paul became so excited he didn’t stop for punctuation or pauses. 

THANKFULNESS

Paul began by saying, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”   He could have said, “I thank God,” but he said, “I thank MY God.”  He was practicing the presence of God.  He thought of God as very personal, very near.

Several years ago I read about a missionary – I think it was Amy Carmichael – who kept a thanksgiving list alongside her prayer list.  Every day she jotted down something for which she was thankful.  I decided to do the same, and every morning I added something new to the list.  It might be something as simple as a hot shower or as significant as a good lab result from the doctor.

But in studying Philippians 1:3, I became convicted.  I tend to thank God for THINGS.  Paul thanked God for PEOPLE.  You can follow that theme through his letters.  There’s no doubt he was grateful for all his blessings, but most of his expressions of thanksgiving involved individuals.  Since considering this verse, I’ve taken more time to list two items each day for which I’m thankful:  a WHAT and a WHO.

This kind of gratitude doesn’t come naturally.  It takes training.  It takes practice.  We have to work at it all the time.

If you want to truly change your personality, search for how many times the bible uses the terms “thank, thanks, thanksgiving, gratitude, and grateful.”  Ake a serious study of this.  Write down he verses, study the context, track down the cross-references, systematize the, and choose some of them to memorize.

The British poet George Herbert prayed, “thou hast given so much to me, give me one more thing – a grateful heart.”

PRAYERFULNESS

Alongside thankfulness comes prayerfulness.  Paul said, “In all my prayers for all of you.”  Then, in verse 19 we read:  “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,”

Prayers are flying in both directions!!!

Just after  WWII, missionary Frank Laubach wrote an urgent book about prayer that swept across the nation and impacted millions of people.  He called on every believer to intercede for one another and for our leaders.  He gave several examples of how we can learn to pray with greater frequency for others:

When reading about a world leader in the news, pause and pray for ten seconds for that person.

Pray for your pastor in church while listening to his sermon.

Pray a short prayer for anyone you meet throughout the day.

He described a man who kept cards for ministries he prayed for.  When his clock struck the quarter hour, he offered a brief prayer for the one on top of the pile, then put that card on the bottom.  We could do that with individuals also.

Laubach said, “Enough people praying enough will release into the human bloodstream the mightiest medicine in the universe, for we shall be the channels through who God can exert His infinite power.”

Paul wrote with similar passion, saying, in effect, “I am praying for you every time I think about you.  I am praying and counting my blessings, and as you pray for me, too, I know I’ll receive God’s provision of the Spirit and what has happened will turn out for good.”

James 5:16:

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

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