Blog Archives

08 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #58)

Philippians (Program #58) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (6 & 7)

It has been said that anxiety is the totality of the natural human life. Day by day even hour by hour our human life is just consumed with the anxiety.  And it seems like the more thoughtful and sensitive we are the more anxiety we suffer. Yet the Bible says “let your forbearance be known to all men in nothing be anxious.”  These two things, anxiety and forbearance represent not just opposite ends of the spectrum but actually characterize two completely different sources from which our life experience might flow. more…

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07 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #57)

Philippians (Program #57) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (5)

In Ephesians chapter 1:3 and 2:6 the apostle Paul says that we have been blessed and have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Well it might say that in the Bible what does it say in your experience?  Day by day are you in the heavenlies or do you find yourself spending your time in anxiety?  Most of us would have to truthfully answer that we spend much more of our time wrestling with anxiety than enjoying a life with Christ at peace in the heavenlies. The truth is that after men fell, human life become a composition of anxiety and worry. So how it is then the apostle Paul also said in Philippians 4 “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.  In nothing been anxious.”? more…

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06 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #56)

Philippians (Program #56) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

Philippians 4:5 says “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.”  Today is our third life study out of five on the subject of “A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety”.  This matter of forbearance without anxiety is not a small thing.  If you miss these programs then you want to stay with us for there is something for you in this program.

This word forbearance in Greek is composed of two different words and combining these words the meaning of the term in Greek can be translated literally this way, “extensively reasonable or fully reasonable.”  Base on this kind of analysis of the Greek word, our spiritual experience and God’s activity in His economy plus the Lord’s living on earth I think we can realize to have adequate forbearance means we also have to have many other virtues as well.  Since forbearance is the all-inclusive virtues.

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05 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #55)

Philippians (Program #55) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

What word would you use to describe a life that expresses Christ?  Would you say loving, submissive, may be patient, humble or kind?  All of these words do describe aspects of Christ’s living. But none individually are adequate. It’s significant that the apostle Paul does not use any of these terms in the last chapter of Philippians focusing on the living out of Christ. Instead he uses the word forbearance. “Let your forbearance be known to all man.” He did not tell us to let our patience, our humility be known, but our forbearance. This all inclusive virtue of Christ is the topic today.

Philippians is unique in the New Testament, because it talks about the experience of Christ.  We are going to see that actually forbearance as virtue is Christ Himself and we need to let this Christ as forbearance within us be known to all man.

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04 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #54)

Philippians (Program #54) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (1)

In our reading of the book of Philippians it might seem that Paul’s thought in chapter 4:1-7 is not nearly as high as what was expressed in the first three chapters. In chapter 1 for example he speaks of “living Christ and magnifying Him”. In chapter 2 of “taking Christ as our pattern and shining as light in the world and holding forth the word of life.”  And in chapter three “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and pursuing toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. But then in chapter 4 he uses the expressions that apparently seem quite ordinary. He says “rejoice in the Lord, let your forbearance be known to all man and in nothing be anxious.”  Suppose you are pursuing toward the goal for the prize and suddenly someone encourages you not to be anxious. Would you not consider this an interruption and say “I am pursuing Christ, I want to arrive at the out resurrection. Why talk to me about anxiety?”  Well, we are going to focus on this practical Christ reveal in chapter 4. more…

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03 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #53)

Philippians (Program #53) – The Unique Mind and the Unique Walk

“Let us therefore as many as are full grown have this mind.”  What is this mind spoken of in Philippians 3:15?  When we find out what this mind is then it will affect how we walk in our daily lives.  In today’s program we are going to see as Christians we should have a unique mind inwardly and the unique walk outwardly of Christ.

Philippians 3:15 “Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.”  We shouldn’t take the apostle Paul’s word for granted but really seek the Lord what this mind is that we would been pointed out to here. We need to consider Paul’s word in verses 13 and 14 “Brothers, I do 1not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.” And finally as the concluding phrase Paul says “let us therefore have this mind.”

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02 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #52)

Philippians (Program #52) – Pursue Toward the Goal for the Prize of the High Calling

In Philippians 3 Paul says “I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.”  Paul’s spiritual pursue was focused on a particular goal and with the expectation of a specific prize. Since he has long received the eternal salvation through faith in Christ we have to assume that this goal and prize must be some other than the hope of life eternal. We will explore the goal and the prize that are worthy of all our pursuit.

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01 Nov 2021 Philippians (Program #51)

Philippians (Program #51) – To Obtain Christ by Attaining to the Out-Resurrection

In Philippians 3:10 – 14 the apostle Paul emphasizes what he calls the Out-Resurrection. Verse 11 says “if by any means that I may attain to the out-resurrection from among the dead.”  Paul’s endeavor was to obtain to this outstanding resurrection. Verse 12 goes on “Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I pursue, if also I may lay hold of that for which I also have been laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”  Here Paul admits that he has not yet obtain the out resurrection but he continue to pursue that he may lay hold of it. For this out resurrection Christ had led hold of him and now Paul’s desire is to lay hold of the out-resurrection.

We are going to talk about how to obtain Christ by attaining to this out-resurrection.

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31 Oct 2021 Philippians (Program #50)

Philippians (Program #50) -To Obtain Christ By Experiencing the Power of His Resurrection

The four books which make up the heart of the divine revelation: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians are an inexhaustible mine. The more we dig into this mine, the more we realize that its’ riches are inexhaustable. In one verse Philippians 3:10 we see at least four diamonds. Here Paul says “to know Him”. The pronoune here Him, of course denotes Christ as the all inclusive One. Second this verse speak of “the power of Christ’s resurrection”. Third, of “the fellowship of His suffering”. And fourth, of “being conformed to His death.”  What riches are in this verse?   Verse 11 Paul goes on to say, “that by any means I may obtain to the out-resurrection from among the dead.” Here we found another diamond. The out-resurrection from among the dead, the outstanding resurrection. We hope you stay tune today, because this life study of Philippians is all about diamonds; the precious truth led to us in Philippians 3 by apostle Paul.

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30 Oct 2021 Philippians (Program #49)

Philippians (Program #49) -To be Found in Christ in the Righteousness of God Through the Faith of Christ

Philippians 3:9 says “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is out of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith.”  According to this verse, Paul’s own righteousness was intimately related to the law but if we are to be found in Christ we must fulfill the condition of not having our own righteousness which is of the law but a righteousness which is not our own that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God based on faith.

A mysterious and deep matter in the book of Philippians and glad to have this opportunity to fellowship about it so that our listeners are to be very clear about what it means to be found in Christ.

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