BE CONTENT

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Philippians 2:14-16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever been around someone who complains constantly?

I know I have and having to listen to someone constantly grumble and groan gets old fast.

The truth of the matter is that everyone could sit around and whine about life and its circumstances if they want to. We all have problems or could bring up a multitude of things we’re not happy with. It’s an easy life attitude to adopt.

But does the Bible support this behavior?

As we see in today’s passage from our continuing study of Philippians, chapter 2, it’s obvious it doesn’t. Look again at these words from the Apostle Paul:

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Vv. 14-16

Note here that avoiding a life filled with complaints isn’t optional. Rather, we are commanded not to do it.

Do everything without grumbling.

So we have to refrain from grumbling, not just in some things we do in life, but in everything. The scriptures don’t allow us to pick and choose what we protest over. Rather, we are to do all things without griping.

Friends, if Christians really took this command to heart and carried it out as they should, their behavior would stand out against the way those in the world conduct themselves. They would show themselves as true children of God, obedient to His ways, while living in a “warped and crooked generation”. And they will shine among others “like stars in the sky” as they “hold firmly to the word of life”, God’s holy Word.

If you are a Christian reading this today, the scriptures are calling you to check the way you are responding to your life circumstances.

Are you a complainer or do you let others see that you are content in life, obedient to the word of God and trusting in your Lord to handle any and all matters you are dealing with?

Let all believers strive to show they are in and of the very God who is with them and in them.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

GOD IS WITH US AND IN US

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Some people wonder if God is with them or is even real in their lives, usually in the midst of some hardship or difficulty. Those who feel this way need to get into the word of God, for it’s there that the assurance of God’s presence is found. Look at the two verses in our passage for today from Philippians 2:

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. Vv. 12-13

Note here that the first step to having God with you and for you is to become a Christian. One must place their belief and faith in Jesus as Savior.

When you believed, you were marked in Him (Jesus) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13b-14

All Christians are granted the Holy Spirit when they believe in Jesus and gain their salvation. The Philippian believers had done this and were living in obedience to their Lord at the time or Paul’s writing from his Roman prison cell. The Apostle sought to encourage the Christ followers in Philippi to persevere in the Gospel work they were called to for they had God working within them through His gift of the Holy Spirit and He was leading and guiding them to follow His will so that His good purposes could be fulfilled.

Today, the same God who provided direction to the Philippian Christians through the Holy Spirit so His good and perfect will might be done is with Christian believers today. God is in us and for us, no matter what life brings and, friends, this is the kind of amazingly joyous news that should buoy us up in hope, each and every day.

For as Paul writes in His letter to the Romans:

If God is for us, who can be against us? 8:31

The message here is clear. Stand firm in faith and trust in the God who is with you and in you. Through Him, there is nothing you can’t overcome and have victory over as you allow Him to lead you to achieve His good purposes for your life.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

WHO JESUS WAS AND IS (PART 4)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What are the benefits associated with humility?

Consider these verses from the scriptures:

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4 ESV

Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 15:33

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:10 ESV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. 1 Peter 5:6 ESV

And from the very mouth of Jesus Himself:

“...those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11

The scriptures make it clear that humility will be honored and rewarded richly by God.

Why go into this when we are learning about who Jesus was and is?

Because as we conclude this series today, we once again see a validation of the word of God and how so many of the promises and assurances culminate in Christ. Look at verses 9 through 11 from Philippians, chapter 2:

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In the three prior messages, we have seen how Jesus displayed perfect humility in the way He lived. He was one with God and yet didn’t consider this equality as an opportunity to gain advantage (v. 7). Rather, He willingly chose to make Himself nothing and assume the “very nature of a servant” (v. 7), hardly something that would be expected from the One who was the Son of the God Most High. Finally, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to His Father’s will to the point where He would suffer death by crucifixion on a cross (v. 8).

Let’s apply this to the scriptures we looked at earlier through two questions and answers:

Did Jesus show humility and respect (what fear translates to) toward the Lord?

Yes and therefore He was deserving of “riches and honor and life”.  

Did Jesus humble Himself before His Father God?

Yes and thus He was warranted exaltation.

Indeed, Jesus deserved to be awarded for the way He lived His life, perfectly carrying out the will of His Father to bear the sins of all mankind and pave the way to salvation for anyone who would place their belief and trust in Him. And as we see in our passage for today from Philippians, chapter 2, God delivered.

Jesus humbled Himself and so His Father God “exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name”. God honored His Son’s humility by placing Him in full authority over everything “in heaven and on earth and under the earth”. Jesus said so Himself right before He delivered His Great Commission to His disciples.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18

Now sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus reigns and rules over all creation. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. Everything in heaven and on earth is subordinate to Him. At the very name of Jesus, “every knee should bow” and “every tongue” confess that Christ is Lord “to the glory of God the Father”.

Jesus humbled Himself, sacrificing His humanity and life for the good of others. Although fully God, He surrendered Himself to suffer and die in the place of all sinners.

But death wasn’t the end for Jesus anymore than it will be for anyone today who chooses to humble themselves and surrender their lives to His will and way. For God exalts the humble and brings them honor and riches and life. He did it for His Son and He wants to do it to every person who places their belief in Jesus as Savior.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

WHO JESUS WAS AND IS (PART 3)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

... He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5, 8b NKJV

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Although His conception was diving and holy in nature, Jesus developed in His mother Mary’s womb and was born like any other child, “made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7b). As we saw in yesterday’s message, He then went through all the customs of the Law after birth: circumcised after eight days, dedicated at the temple forty days after his birth, and attending His first Passover observance at age 12. He would grow into adulthood and be found in the appearance of a man as He began His ministry at age 30.

What’s amazing about all this is that this was the promised Messiah, the One promised to save and deliver. Some Israelites expected a mighty warrior who would slay all their foes and deliver them from the oppression of Roman rule. This Jesus was one with His Father God which meant He possessed the same power and might. And yet, this Son of the God Most High didn’t use equality with His Father as an advantage. Rather, He made Himself nothing by assuming “the very nature of a servant” (v. 6-7).

This is what we have learned about who Jesus was and is up to this point. In today’s third message, we see how far our Savior was willing to go as a servant. Look at the latter part of verse 8 again here:

... He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

When we look at the life of Christ, we find humility at the center of His character. Yes, He was one in the same with God but instead of carrying Himself as superior to people here on earth, Jesus “humbled Himself” and willingly surrendered His life so that a multitude of others could live for all eternity. This sacrifice was required by God to atone for the cumulative sin debt of all mankind and Jesus, always tuned into His Father’s business, “became obedient to the point of death”, even when that death came by way of a humiliating, criminal’s execution by crucifixion.

Jesus could have saved Himself as He was challenged to do by those mocking Him as He bled and died while nailed to the cross but He didn’t because it wasn’t about His will but the will of the God who sent Him from heaven to earth so He could be the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Christ allowed Himself to die for us so we could gain salvation by just believing in Him.

This is who He was and is today, the humble sacrificing Savior of all, the One who brought us hope, the One who is the only way a person can get to be with God the Father.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com