Philippians 2 ~ encouragement in Christ

Philippians 2

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.



12 Therefore, my beloved,
as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

16 Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith,
I am glad and rejoice with you all.

18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.


19 I hope in the Lord Jesus t
o send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Hearts are doing this. However, MOSTLY the news has photos and testimony of hardship and destruction of Hurricane Harvey.




We live in and odd and wonderful time. We all know this. We are in the age of Jane Jetson. Presto. And with social media, we pick who is far away to live with. Not the coworker. Not necessarily the neighbor. $300 and off in the airplane. This is good and bad. My oldest son is alive because medical advancements realized just Humidity kept premature infants alive. Jackie and John Kennedy did not have this option when their newborn son died while they were at the White House in the early 1960s. Humidity. I Love Ya!!!


Corrie Ten Boom discovered she could love fleas because the Nazi's stayed out of their cabin and they could live.


I had the good fortune to work with a Pro-Life Organization for 3.5 years. I learned valuable, immeasurably valuable traits from helping others. The people who do not burn out have these traits:


1. Be honest. With Mercy. If you are tired, say so. You don't have to go on and on, just say so. Find help to refresh yourself. You will find others willing in the service of Jesus Christ.


2. Be Grateful. What you have today - is not an accident. God did not ever, ever, ever dump the disciples for being - Human. Imagine looking into the eyes of Jesus - knowing the Widow of Nain's son lived and Lazarus and Jairus' daughter and saying, "HELP MY UNBELIEF!" Being human - we might get huffy - or walk on by. Not Jesus. Bubbbeye Peter in the glug glug - how Funny!!! Man, what a hoot. No Jesus is Real. He allows us to be as we are. And Jesus still wants to help us when we have expressed doubt looking into the eyes of Jesus with our "son" (biblical analogy of "IMPORTANT, DIRE PRAYER NEED") - the disciples couldn't heal.

3. We are like Jesus. We can't go where Father God, Abba, is not taking us.

4. Number 3 is dire, right - no this is Good News. Be where God places you.

5. "My Burdens are Light"
And if you say to yourself - 'Hey, you don't know my job, my family, my image, my needs for even Jesus, Hey?" You are missing the point. Jesus is is IS caring your burdens. You are wanting your way. God says the "Work" of mankind is to believe in Him whom God has sent. God is saying He well recognizes that in Christian struggles - God is Still God. He is not worried.

6. Jesus tells us to live a worry free life. How? How would you if you had the type of social worker job requiring you to hear endless prayers. Endless problems. You believe you are not in charge. And believe in the principal of the parent who's child went to college. Famous Mom Dad Camp Granada - send Help. College counselors will tell you, this is True. "It's sooo Bad. The cow won't give milk. The barn burned. There was an earthquake. A fire. Gas was out of the car. The Alarm didn't sound. I was at the Hospital. I tried." And this truly is very sincere. No con. A cry of the heart.

The answer is Jesus. We needed to tell Him and be heard. The Truth is - Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If we try to carry someone else's burdens - we are not going to receive the GRACE God gives them to do their lives. His Strength meeting the need. His Plan. His Goodness. His Willingness. God is Good.


Sometimes we get within a Nano of being able to be worry free. But we are a Traitor if we don't pick up the burden of worry. Cold hearted. Really. Really. Really? God told us we are allowed to believe God is in Charge. To be quiet if we need to be quiet. To be angry if we are upset. And anger is ok. We just have to not sin while we are honestly angry. God gets Angry. And people say, "Surely God would not get angry." Om. God is God.


Father God goes further.
Father God says I am the God of Love.
Father God says I am God of Encouragement.
Father God says I am God of Hope.


7. What do we do when we feel anxiety from all over and feel depressed?

Say the Lord's Prayer. Slowly. Savor each word and verse. Probably - you are going to feel better. And if you don't - then live the time and the season God has given you.

The fastest way to have less oppression internally - help someone else. Care for someone else.


8. Hurricanes. And in the storms of Life. Tears appear. People have sorrow for you. People move over. And you feel weaker yet. Usually all people have tear ducts. And no one has discovered how to put on armor for these tear ducts. So Father God allows us to have emotions. The Bible says we have discomfort to find comfort to be able to comfort others.

9. God Values You.
God is personal. He heals and the stories of the Bible are events of one life to Father God.
Jesus finds a quiet spot away from the multitudes who follow Him to heal a blind man.
Jesus finds a quiet spot to heal the deaf man and takes time to show him as a deaf man what the process is.

10. Process.
The Prodigal son did not take place in 30 minutes.
Time to plan the sale of an inheritance. Deal with the shame- at the time - of a sale. Time to travel. Time to sink. Time to wallow in sink. Time to work. Time to heal. Time to have the idea God would be willing. Time to travel. Time to be seen from a distance. Time to allow the Father to process. Time to Rejoice. Time to be run to by a Willing God. Time to really Rejoice. Time to hear the comment, the comment. Time to deal with Joy rising anyway. Live past the comment, the comment. Time to Rejoice. Time to decide to Rejoice. Time to savor the miracle of return of Love. Time to self decide to Love and stay with Love. Time to be strengthened by Love. Time to hold on to the Truth. Time to deal with the realities. Time to stay with Love, hate is too great a burden to bear. Truth arrived. Hold on to the Truth of Jesus Christ.

Abba, Our Abba.
Our Very Own Abba. Abba.

Trouble and emotion - unwanted and pressed in arrives. What shall we do?

Call upon Jesus Christ. Our Wonderful Savior. Jesus is willing to Mediate. Jesus brings us straight into the Throne of God the Almighty. Straight into His arms. Our God. His Universe. His Heaven. His Heart. His Love for us. Jesus our Confidence in Abba. Our Savior.


We need more of the Holy Spirit? Why? We decide how we will react to the comment, the comment. And the attitude, the attitude of not living in Heaven. We actually need the Holy Spirit to do like the Long Life John the Disciple found. To find the Wisdom, the bounce, the recovery, the forgiveness, the Grace, the Strength of the Almighty God to press on for the Prize of Jesus Christ. In all circumstances.

We need more Holy Spirit in all those we Love. When we persist in Believing in Jesus
- we will go Far.
So much farther than we ever thought in the Plans of God our Father.
God's Plans are more than we can ever imagine.

Bigger than the disaster of Hurricane Harvey. Bigger than our storm. Begin with the Lord's Prayer and stay with Jesus Christ.

Today I chewed out someone today. And then I felt badly and went to read wisdom of our ages on helping others and helping our self. Everything I read said, "Oops, you made a mistake." But I was honest and not over the top. Finally the talk was a finished, with more conversation. A circle and by being honest and allowing mercy, Truth was reached. Peace. Love. I read the next article. Love others as you want to be loved. There is the answer. Thank You, Father God, for Your Help.

Help us to be merciful, and Jesus to receive mercy.

We need more of God, Abba. Holy Spirit. Thank You, Abba.



We put Jesus in the ones we Love. Their Love and Jesus directly in their Soul where they Love.
We light the Light of Jesus Christ and put these cares where He dwells.
We offer Joy, Love, Peace and Healing in the Name of Jesus for the people He has given us.

We think upon the multitudes who Believe Jesus is God and ask Him for help. These prayers circle our world. We ask for more Heaven on earth. And put forth our communities, Churches and Nation before Jesus and in His Love.

We ask for All of God's Fulfillment of His Good Word in our lives.

Thank Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †