Progress

As I mentioned in the first post on this new blog, my quiet times had been severely lacking at the beginning of this year and I desired to get back on track with them. Since that day one month ago, things have drastically improved. For the first couple weeks it was a slow process with gradual improvement. Then, about a week and a half ago, on Friday the 19th to be exact, I went out to lunch with one of my closest friends and brothers in Christ, Josh Puckett. We had a long and very encouraging talk. As he told me about how he had come to see the value and gain the motivation for a personal quiet time, I gained a new since of motivation. Since that day my time with the Lord has been extremely focused and frequent. To God be the glory! Thank you God for using Josh to encourage me.

Over the next few posts, I want to share some of the notes I've jotted down in my times in the Word. I've been reading through Paul's letters, and also following a daily subscription to Park Community Church's (Chicago) "8 Minutes with God" Daily Devotionals (You can subscribe on Park's website.)

We'll start today with some stuff I found as I read through Philippians (My last post came from a specific finding in this letter.):

• In chapter one there is a huge focus on unity within the church. Something our churches definitely need to be reminded of. "one spirit, one mind, striving side by side"
• Also in Chapter 1, we are granted permission to suffer. Let me repeat that... we're GRANTED PERMISSION TO SUFFER!!!
• Chapter two continues to talk about church unity. "same mind, same love, full accord"
• We are told to be selfless, "Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." While this is very true, and we are commanded to make others "more valuable than ourselves", God still does not want us to neglect our own interests.
• With unity still as the theme, Paul says that we are to fill each others weaknesses in service with in the church. We are to work together to get everything accomplished!
• The things that the world counts gain and that Paul had counted gain flew directly in the face of what gain for the cost of Christ is. So I asked myself, "Are my desires and goals I'm working toward flying in the face of the worlds definition of success?" That's tough...
• On top of the command to do good, Chapter 4 tells us to talk about good things and dwell on them.
• Not only did Paul say he could be poor and hungry because Christ strengthened him, he said he could be rich and abound because of the same thing. In order for anything to be done successfully it must be done with Christ.
• Paul was happy to receive gifts because of what that meant about the heart of the giver.

Thanks for reading! Your $0.02?