Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

Scripture: Gal. 1:1   Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the members of God’s family who are with me,    To the churches of Galatia: Gal. 1:3   Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Observation: The churches of Galatia were struggling. You’ll notice that Paul doesn’t greet the saints as he normally does in his letters, but simply the churches. Something radical had happened and it was at the hand of human influence. Preachers who were not called by God were coming and spreading their own version of the gospel. This had severely disrupted the new churches, their growth and development. Instead of being fr...

Scripture: Philippians 4:21-23 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Observation: As this letter comes to a close Paul sends out his special greetings. Implied in this is that there are those within the church who are being transformed into saints by the holiness of Christ. It seems to be a normal expectation for those who are in Christ Jesus.   Interestingly we catch a glimpse of the hidden saints which are now tucked into Roman life. The transformational work of the Holy Spirit had reached beyond human barriers and made its way into the household of the emperor. There, within the very bowels of power and authority were those who were being transformed into God’s holy people. They had now become a part of this new family of believers and sent their well-wishes to those who were servi...

Scripture: Phil. 4:15   You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. 16 For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. 18 I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Observation: Just as Paul finishes telling the Philippians that he has learned to be content in every and any state in which he finds himself, he then thanks them for their generous support. Other churches were not helping him,...

Scripture: Phil. 4:8   Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.   Observation: I love the way in which Paul brings together his thoughts regarding fear, anxiety, and dealing with daily struggles. He gives us advice on the self-discipline of positive thoughts. We are to take the time to think about things that are honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. I think he’s saying — make a list, and think about these things! Application: Sometimes the word of God becomes incredibly practical. In a world of social media and 24/7 news cycles, it seems that we live in the midst of a feeding frenzy for bad news. It’s as if we choose to dwell in the cesspool of negativity and we are all getting sucked down into the muck....

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Observation: Paul had been in enough situations in life that he would have understood the temptation to worry. At the same time he had learned much about the faithfulness of God. This was a man who learned to pray continually, in every single circumstance of life, always giving the situation back to God.  The result of Paul’s prayers was that he learned about the peace of God. This peace would wash over him, even when he couldn’t explain what it was that was happening in his life. He knew that by praying and spending time in God’s presence, the hearts and minds of believers would be guarded. Only in this way could peace reign in the most difficult of circumstances.  Application: ...

Scripture: Phil. 4:4   Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.   Observation: Paul was in prison and yet, he was rejoicing in the Lord, and encouraging others to do the same.   Application: I find it far too easy to get grumpy about first-world problems. It’s irritating when electronics don’t work the way they’re supposed to! We don’t like it when a flight is delayed, or when one of our favorite foods is no longer available at the local drive-through! Wow — how terrible is all of that? (dripping with sarcasm) It’s just not that bad, and yet, I think we live in a society that may encourage us to gripe and complain. We all believe that we ought to have things our way, and if not, somehow we have been terribly slighted.   Paul had given up every benefit for the sake of others. He was willing to live under house arrest — paying for his own “jail” — so that he could minister to others. He referred to the fact that...

Scripture: Phil. 4:2   I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Observation: Evidently there were two wonderful women in the church in Philippi who were not in agreement with one another. They seemed to have differing opinions about something and it may have been tearing up the church. Paul asks them to please “be of the same mind in the Lord.” In other words, find unity in what you really believe, and leave the rest alone.   If the women couldn’t come to the same mind on their own, he pleaded with others to help them. They were good women, who had worked hard together with Paul. Good women, who needed to come to a place of reconciliation. Application: Disagreement or discord among believers is te...