Monthly Archives: January 2025

PARTNERS IN POWER

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 1:19 NLT
[19] “For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.”

Philippians 1:25-26 NIV
[25] “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, [26] so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”

Despite Paul’s longing to be with Jesus, he didn’t live his life with a death wish. There was work to be done and, as long as he was alive, he would do it faithfully with enthusiasm. For this reason, he needed to be delivered from prison.

His partnership in prayer with his fellow believers in Philippi was God’s way of getting him out of jail. As much as he was able to reach people in Caesar’s palace through his imprisonment, he had no desire to stay there. He wanted to be free to continue his mission to the Gentiles across the empire for as long as possible.

Paul knew that God could deliver him as He had done many times already. Paul was no stranger to the Father’s miraculous interventions. However, as always, he was subject to the Father’s will.

I think Paul knew that martyrdom was inevitable. He had already tasted the enemy’s hatred towards him in many ways. Hounded from one city to another by Jews and Gentiles, beaten and imprisoned more than once, accused and threatened with death for blasphemy, stoned, shipwrecked…you name it, Paul had survived many life-threatening situations, but he knew he faced a violent end. However, he was not daunted by the possibility.

Engaging in prayer meant engaging with God the Holy Spirit. Release from prison didn’t involve a jail break. It meant that God would intervene with a miracle that would legitimately set him free to go on his way. He was no stranger to God’s power through prayer.

And so it was! Before his arrest and final imprisonment in Rome ending in the martyrdom Paul had long anticipated, he was given more time to finish his task.

How do we know when our work is done? Only God knows because…

  1. He has written our story before we ever lived it, to the last page.

Psalms 139:16 NLT
[16] “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

  1. He has chosen others to carry on His work. It’s not for us to be concerned but to be faithful in the work He has given us to do. He will see to it that all His plans are fulfilled.

2 Timothy 2:2 NLT
[2]” You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

It’s easy for us, when we know we are near the end of life, to be either fatalistic…karma – what will be will be…or passive…waiting to die. Not Paul!

He mobilised his strength and the strength of others with him to continue with his task until his last breath. There was no lack of power, through the prayers of his partners and the Holy Spirit’s work for him, to sustain him to his last day.

Let us also resolve, like Paul, to continue, persevere, and be faithful as long as God gives us the strength to fulfil our calling. We know that He will raise up others after us because His work to establish His kingdom on earth will continue until Jesus comes.

PARTNERS WITH A GOAL

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 1:19-20 NLT
[19] “For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. [20] For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.”

Paul’s attitude to life and its circumstances, easy or difficult, was closely allied to his goal. His purpose was to glorify Christ in all of life, good or bad. “And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.”

Living or dying, and everything in between! This meant that he embraced every circumstance as an ally, not an enemy of his goal. It also meant that his goal was so big that he could not achieve it alone. “You pray for me!” “The Spirit helps me!” The outcome, “My deliverance!”

Paul was not a fatalist. He was determined to stay alive until his work was finished. He engaged those who could help him to get the job done…fellow believers and the Holy Spirit in partnership with him.

Paul was also not afraid to die…in fact, he welcomed death as a release from his struggles and a reward for his faithfulness. In life and in death, he had the same goal, to become what Jesus had called him to be, a replica of Himself. .

Philippians 1:21-24 NLT
[21] “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. [22] But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. [23] I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. [24] But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”

At that moment, as inviting as dying was, Paul chose to continue living because he could carry on his work fruitfully for the Lord.

His circumstances were no hindrance. He could live one day at a time, one step at a time because he was not in charge. He trusted the one who shaped his circumstances for him and make the best use of each moment knowing that, in His time, he would reap the reward of his labours.

Paul was also not concerned about the way his life would end. As his witness for Jesus drew the noose tighter around his neck, he could say with confidence and without fear…

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

Living or dying, all that mattered was “Christ in him, the hope of glory.”

PARTNERS BY DEFAULT

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Philippians 1:15-18 NLT
[15] “It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. [16] They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. [17] Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. [18] But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.”

Paul was delighted that others joined him in preaching the gospel because they loved him and wanted to enhance his ministry during his imprisonment. However, he was not oblivious to the fact that he had enemies, even among so-called believers.

Who were these who preached Christ with an ulterior motive? Paul does not say. Perhaps some were Jewish “believers” who opposed him because he did not uphold obedience to the law. These Judaisers were hindering his ministry by trying to convince new Gentile believers to be circumcised. They taught that Gentiles should become Jews first before they could believe in Jesus. The enmity of Jews against Gentiles was filtering into the very gospel of Jesus.

Perhaps they preached the gospel with tongue in cheek, hoping to make more trouble for him among the Jewish community.

Paul vehemently opposed this false teaching. He understood that Jesus and His work on the cross cancelled every obligation to keep the law. Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly for every person on earth and gave His life as punishment for all who broke the law. In effect, the Old Covenant law, with all its requirements, was obsolete. Why, then, were Gentiles to submit to the circumcision ritual that was not a requirement for salvation?

Other believers were seemingly jealous of Paul’s authority and influence in the churches he had founded. They wanted a piece of the pie, so they preached Jesus to win converts for themselves.

Paul was not concerned about motives. The gospel, so he had discovered, was God’s powerful tool for saving sinners.

Romans 1:16 NLT
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”

For whatever reason Christ was preached, it was the message that aroused faith in those who heard it.

Romans 10:17 NLT
[17] “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Thise who preached Jesus from impure motives had also inadvertently become partners with Paul! This made him very happy! Teamwork, partnership was all that mattered. He was not alone in this arduous task of taking the gospel to the Gentiles.

Everyone who participated with him extended his ministry beyond himself into the places he could not reach. Everyone who shared his hardships in fulfilling his ministry partnered with him in the suffering he experienced through his obedience. Everyone who prayed for him and his ministry shared in the rewards of his labours. Everyone who gave generously towards his needs played a significant part in helping him to harness his time to fulfill his calling.

All-in-all, Paul was happy to receive all the help he could get.

What about us? What will it take to convince us to stop being spectators in this “game” of life. We have been delivered from darkness. Paul said that we are “light in the Lord”.

Ephesians 5:8 NIV
[8] “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

Children of light are the offspring of God who is the source of all light and enlightenment. To live as children of light implies participation in every aspect of the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:12-13 NLT
[12]”…He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. [13] For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son…”

We are neither spectators nor passengers in the spread of the gospel. We are a team, fitting into its function in whatever way the Holy Spirit has called and gifted us. A team is an entity, functioning as one in cooperation and collaboration with one another. There are no loners in a team.

So, let’s get back to the Bible’s pattern for the church. Let’s partner with God, the Holy Spirit, and our leader/leaders to make this team as effective as it can be.

PARTNERS IN CIRCUMSTANCES

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 1:12-14 NIV
[12] “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. [13] As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. [14] And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

Paul was indomitable! How could he view his imprisonment as a good thing when being locked up in prison was close to the worst that could happen to him? How could he fulfil his ministry to the Gentiles across the whole Roman empire when he was incarcerated in jail?

Paul saw his circumstances differently. They could restrict his body but they could not shut his mouth. No matter where he was or who came in contact with him, he used the opportunity to share the message of Jesus with them and to testify to the reason for his imprisonment.

Paul’s whole life was about Jesus. He did everything in, through, and for Jesus. A prison cell was as good a place as a palace, as far as he was concerned, in which to live his life and to share his faith in Jesus.

Now, imagine the impact he would have on the Roman soldiers who were in and out of the jail every day as well as on his fellow prisoners who were near enough to hear him. Did Paul complain about the unfairness of his imprisonment? Was he angry and bitter about his circumstances? Not if we go back to the story of his imprisonment, together with Silas, recorded in Acts 16. After being treated like dangerous criminals, lockrd up and in the stocks, these two faithful ministers of Jesus sang and prayed their way through their pain.

Acts 16:23-25 NIV
[23] “After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. [24] When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. [25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

…and the outcome was miraculous!

Acts of the Apostles 16:26 NLT
[26]” Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!”

Paul’s unconquerable spirit led him to view his cell as a pulpit from which to preach the gospel of Jesus….and it worked! His story and his message spread like wildfire throughout the prison among prisoners and guards alike. And Paul was elated!

Not only was Paul’s own ministry effective where he was but other believers also, emboldened and spurred on by his example, began to share Jesus as well.

With this attitude, Paul became a partner, not an enemy, of his own circumstances. He would never allow where he was to hinder his work for the Lord. In actual fact, how would he ever have penetrated the palace itself, through the guard, with the gospel, had he not been a prisoner?

Paul embraced his circumstances with the confidence that Jesus was the Master of his life. Nothing could ever happen to him that did not pass the test of Christ’s love and His will.

In his letter to the Roman church, he penned the words that were a part of his life philosophy…

Romans 8:28 NLT
[28] “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

What an outlook to adopt in the worst of circumstances! Paul’s attitude powerfully enhanced his message. His joyful spirit was a witness to a life unfazed by hardship and difficulty because Christ was in him, providing grace and peace beyond explanation.

Paul, then, valued the parnership of his fellow believers at Philippi, both in their care and prayers for him, and the partnerdhip of the Holy Spirit through their prayers for him, but he also recognised the opportunity to partner with his circumstances. His imprisonment was enhancing, not hindering the spread of the gospel in a place he didn’t imagine possible, a jail cell in the emperor’s palace!

What if we, too, would adopt Paul’s way of viewing life? What if we used every circumstance, good or bad, as an opportunity to trust God, to advance His calling on our lives,
and to glorify Him by our faithfulness no matter what?

No only would we have a positive impact on those around us but we would also encourage others to do the same.

PARTNERS WITH THE SPIRIT

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 1:9-11 NLT
[9] “I pray that your LOVE will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on GROWING in knowledge and understanding. [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. [11] May you always be filled with the FRUIT of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

Paul’s recorded prayers are sublime and rich with purpose.

Love is always prominent, together with knowledge, understanding, and righteous living which is the fruit of our relationship with God. .

Why is love so important to Paul?

First, he commends the love already evident in the lives of the believers and prays for their love to increase and grow in their church fellowship and in the wider body of Christ. This love they show to one another is proof positive that they are new people in Christ.

1 John 3:11, 14 NLT
[11] “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another…
[14] If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.”

  1. Love is the nature of God.
    Together with holiness, God’s hatred for and separation from sin and His faithfulness to His nature, is His love. He is holy love. His goal is to recreate in us the image of His Son who is the perfect replica of the Father…holy love.

1 John 4:16 NLT
[16] “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

  1. Loving one another is the evidence that God’s love is in us, His children. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us pours God’s love into our lives to be lived out in daily life.

Romans 5:5 NLT
[5]”And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Colossians 3:10,14 NLT
[10] “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him….
[14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”

  1. Loving one another is one of only two New Covenant commandments.

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

  1. Love fulfills all 613 Old Covenant commandments.

1 John 2:7 NLT
[7] “Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.”

Romans 13:8, 10 NLT
[8] “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law…
[10] Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.”

  1. Love demonstrates to the world that we are Jesus’ disciples.

John 13:34-35 NLT
[34]” So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. [35] Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Is it any wonder that Paul should put love as the first of his prayers for his fellow believers!

Second, Paul was passionate about the growth of his fellow believers in knowledge and understanding.

Knowledge provides the basis of our faith in Christ. God’s Word is the source of our knowledge about who God is, who we are, and what He has done to restore us to fellowship with Him. Knowledge is imperative for faith that is grounded in the truth. Hence it is important that we continually increase in our knowledge of Scripture.

Understanding is the work of God’s Spirit, providing meaning to the truths of God’s Word. The Spirit is the interpreter of the Word, opening our minds to recognise and apply the truth in our daily circumstances. This partnership between the Holy Spirit and us, based on our knowledge of God through His Word, is the foundation of spiritual growth.

John 16:13 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”

Spiritual growth, in turn, is imperative for spiritual maturity.

Paul gives us a picture of maturity and the path to maturity in his letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT
[11]”Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. [15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.
As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

How important it is, then, in our partnership with God’s Spirit and with one another, that we pray for the knowledge and understanding that move us towards maturity.

Third, fruit…! What does Paul mean by “fruit”?

Fruit is the purpose and outcome of a fruit tree. If a fruit tree fails to bear fruit and, since it grows for no other purpose, it must be cut down and destroyed.

Luke 13:6-7 NLT
[6] “Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. [7] Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ “

What, then, constitutes “fruit” in the life of a believer? Although leadimg others to Christ may be regarded as fruit, the Bible classifies fruit as the work of the Holy Spirit in us that reveals the nature of the tree, the character of Jesus being formed in us.

Matthew 7:17-20 NLT
[17] “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. [18] A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. [19] So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. [20] Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

Jesus said that the branches must remain connected to the vine to produce the fruit of the vine.

John 15:4 NLT
[4]”Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

So, first, to bear the fruit that identifies its source, the branch…that’s us, must remain in vital union with the Vine…that’s Jesus.

Second, the fruit that the branch in the vine produces will be grapes, not anything else. The fruit of the believer’s life will reveal the nature of the tree from which it grows. This fruit will reveal one of only two natures, Adam’s nature if we are not in the vine, called “the works of the flesh” or the nature of Jesus, called “the fruit of the Spirit”.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
[22] “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

This nine-fold fruit is a package of characteristics that grows from our union with Jesus. These characteristics are the attitudes and responses the Holy Spirit produces in us towards God, others, and ourselves in the circumstances of our lives.

First…love, joy, peace…Jesus’ legacy to all believers. Before He died, He gave His disciples His own disposition, “my love… my joy… my peace…” as a bulwark against the onslaught of hatred and opposition from a hostile world. Encased in His love, joy, and peace, nothing would deter them from loyalty and faithfulness to Him.

When we trace the story of the apostles after the resurrection, we recognise that the Holy Spirit in them was the key to their faithfulness to Jesus in the face of opposition, persecution, torture, and death itself. Despite all odds, they persevered because they were encased in the love, joy, and peace that Jesus had given them.

Second…patience, kindness, goodness…the disposition of Jesus in us towards all people, believers and “outsiders”. God’s grace through the Holy Spirit, produces in us the opposite responses to the way people in the world react…aggression, retaliation, revenge.

Ephesians 4:1-4 NLT
[1] “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. [2] Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. [3] Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. [4] For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”

Within the body of Christ and to people outside His body, patience, kindness, and goodness replace the ungodly responses of our old nature as we rely on the Holy Spirit for His grace.

Third…faithfulness, gentleness(meekness), self control…the ways in which we rein ourselves in and replace the old demands of “me first” with “God and others”. What is our attitude to ourselves in our interactions with God and people?

Faithfulness…setting ourselves aside for the sake of our duty and calling, the one requirement of a servant and the standard by which our work will be measured.

“In the Bible, faithfulness is a key characteristic of a servant, and is described as loyalty, trustworthiness, and dedication to one’s duties…” (quoted from Google…article, “a servant must be faithful”).

1 Corinthians 4:2 NLT
[2] “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.”

Matthew 24:45-47 NIV
[45]“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? [46] It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. [47] Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

Faithfulness implies setting aside one’s own concerns for the sake of one’s duty to others.

Gentleness…a better translation is meekness, not weakness but “inner strength, emotional intelligence, and moral character”, (according to Meta).

Meekness is the ability to control one’s self, to submit to another, like a horse that submits to the rider’s bit and bridle.

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
[21] “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Self control…the overall quality of self-discipline, which Paul calls “putting to death the deeds of the flesh”.

For harmonious relations in the church family and in the world, the believer must set aside self for the good of others. This cannot happen without the power of the Holy Spirit.

How important, then, as partners with Holy Spirit in prayer, we participate in the process of maturing, both in ourselves and in other believers in their progress towards becoming like Christ, the goal of the Father for us.