Editors Note: The devotional has a background song called
'All in All', which can be heard if you use Internet
Explorer.
SCRIPTURE:
“But I think it is necessary to send back to you
Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your
messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you
and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost
died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me
sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when
you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in
the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the
work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.”
(Philippians 2:25-30, NIV)
OBSERVATIONS: I asked myself how does Paul label Epaphroditus?
I learned he does it in 4 ways:
1. My brother.
2. My fellow worker.
3. My fellow soldier.
4. Your messenger.
INTERPRETATIONS:
I asked myself the significance of the Apostle Paul
labeling Epaphroditus this way?Labeling Epaphroditus as his brother before giving him other titles showed me
Paul’s closeness to him. Later, he goes on to say what a worker and soldier he
has been. I found it significant that he was labeled as a soldier too because
being a soldier is not easy and it shows his work ethic. There are a lot of
things soldiers need to do to prepare themselves and Epaphroditus became a
soldier for the Lord. He must have conditioned himself and done multiple
spiritual drills. His life was also in danger and he almost died but thanks be
to God that He was spared!
Later, Paul says that Epaphroditus is their messenger sent to him to take care
of his needs. Now Paul wants the Philippians to know that there is a Homecoming
on the horizon as a brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier will be returning
to the Philippians as their messenger and he wants them to give him a welcoming
reception for all that he has done.
IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life. It is in the concept of
homecoming. Just as the Apostle Paul saw Epaphroditus being so excited to go
home to see the Philippians for his homecoming, others need to see how excited I
am to be part of the homecoming that the Lord Jesus has prepared for me. Wow,
the King of Kings is preparing a homecoming for me and when everything is ready,
He will come and get me so that I can be with Him. Even right now, Jesus wants
to be part of my life as He prepares my homecoming and I need to let Jesus be
part of my life. Help me Jesus!
HOW GOSPEL
GIVES TESTIMONY REGARDING H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G:
Homecoming can be so exciting and I am going to share with you about Ryan whose
life may actually be describing my own experiences, your own experiences, or
someone you know!
There was once a girl named Ryan. She was so bold and beautiful. She had
everything going for her when she entered college. She had transferred from
Santa Barbara to study religious studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
Settling at Pitt was not easy for her. She missed the good old days. She
belonged to a band called 'Young and the Restless'. She was always restless with
personal issues taking a toll on her. Ryan would always search for tomorrow
hoping it would be better than the present day she was facing. One day she heard
a women praying, "Lord, I want all my children to come to know your love and the
grace you offer amidst the problems in this world for you are my Lord and
personal Savior
and can be my children's Lord and personal Savior! Please save my children. You
will have the best homecoming for us. Thank you Jesus!"
After hearing the woman, Ryan's hope of a fun and exciting life does not have
to end in misery but can end in everlasting joy just as the woman felt. As
students on university and college campuses, she knew she faced another world compared to high
school or the work force. She knew this world can be hard on all of us. There
could be continuous pressure from parents or guardians to excel in studies and
pressure from friends to conform to their standards more than in high school.
Ryan also knew, as the world turns, we are left in a dilemma that could produce suffering or
joy. It does not matter even if our home is in Port Charles. Many times we
choose the wrong choices and suffer the consequences because our passions are in
the wrong direction. Some consequences are tragic that lead to death as we have
only one life to live. Some consequences take us to the general hospital whether
we are dealing with a pregnancy, overdose of drugs, alcohol intoxication, or
various types of sicknesses from depression to suicidal tendencies, etc.
Is there a hope for us to continue in our studies and still have an exciting
time without worrying about pressures we face from our parents or friends?
Can
we find activities that are fun and do not have negative consequences?
Ryan, knew the answer had to be yes as she thought
about what the woman prayed. She wanted to know more about Jesus and the
homecoming Jesus offered. So, she went and found the woman to talk to her. The
woman sat her down and explained to her that there is only one true Homecoming
and it starts with Jesus Christ. She told Ryan about Jesus Christ and how only
Jesus Christ can be her Guiding Light on Pitt's campus or anywhere she is at.
The woman shared with Ryan about what Jesus Christ did
for her and how much Jesus loves her. She showed Ryan verses from the Gospel of
John especially John 3:16: "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall
not perish but have everlasting life". After
talking awhile, she prayed with Ryan who accepted Jesus Christ into her heart
and surrendered her life over to Christ. The woman not only gave her the Gospel
of Jesus to read everyday but also 'My Heart Christ's Home' by Robert Munger.
As the days went by whether she moved to Dallas or
stayed in Pittsburgh, her life was being transformed by the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, she wanted to share her new found joy with all her other
classmates and people she came across because she found the true Guiding Light!
Friend, so can you! Ryan's hope became Jesus Christ and
that same hope can be for you too. There is hope in Jesus Christ for each one of you no matter where you
are in your life right now. All the days of our lives we can turn to God who
loves us so much and has a wonderful plan for us. Yes, we can!
Some of Ryan's story describes me actually and other
parts of it describes others. It maybe describing you too. No matter what you
are going through remember that God has promises for you and these promises are
for your uplifting.
"I know the plans, I have for you says the Lord, they are plans for good and
not for evil to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11)
That's God's plan for you my friend! God loves you so much that He sent Jesus
Christ to give you hope.
Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears me calling
him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with Him and he with me"
(Revelations 3:20)
Jesus wants to be your Guiding Light. He wants to guide you throughout your
life and give you peace of mind and heart just as Ryan received it and became a
sister, fellow worker, and fellow soldier for the Lord.
Maybe you say that none of this vignette describes you
and your life is all peachy and going well. Lest you fall, be careful because it
is usually those that think they have to all together that come crumbling down
due to pride and other vices. Take it from me because it happened to me.
Yet, I thank Jesus so much for coming for the sick and
not for those who think they have it all together. I had issues like Ryan and
did not have it all together and sadly, I
have not always wanted Jesus to be part of every facet of my life.
Instead, I would compartmentalize my life which areas I
wanted Jesus to be involved in and which areas I did not want Jesus to be
involved in. But, through it all, Jesus has prepared a Homecoming for me
waiting for my return as the story of the prodigal Son illustrates. I am so glad
Jesus did not abandon me in my own sin but wants to be part of my life and when
I hand over all the title deeds to every facet of my life to Jesus, He will
manage it the best way more than I can ever imagine. My homecoming with Jesus
will always be the best. Praise the Lord!
What better place to be than in the arms of love of our
Savior! He will hold us near and hold us still! For that I am excited! My
homecoming started the day, I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ surrendering
myself over to Jesus. Though there have been detours because of my sinful ways,
Jesus has always put me back on the right track! Thank you Jesus! Jesus restored me in my guilt, shame, etc washing me in
His precious blood to give me Eternal life. Thank you Jesus! I found my
homecoming in Jesus and so can you.
I ask you now dear friends, when will your
H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G begin?
Dear friends, Epaphroditus' homecoming began when he gave his life to Christ and
also after he served the Apostle Paul for awhile as his brother, fellow worker,
and fellow soldier in the Lord. You maybe able to say that your homecoming began
on so and so date or you may not even be able to say that you have a homecoming
around the horizon. I don't know where you are in your walk with the Lord Jesus
Christ but this I do know for sure that your homecoming is something that will
make Jesus so happy because He who created you wants you to be part of His
glorious Kingdom. It started with Jesus who prepared for your Homecoming. The
preparation was done with His precious cleansing blood on the cross of Calvary
so you can have magnificent entrance into Heaven when you turn your life over to
Christ. You can do that friend no matter where you have been or what you have
done.
It will be more spectacular than any school’s Homecoming for you will be
Homecoming to the One who loves you so much that He died for you and came back
to life to save you! That is exciting to know!
Don’t let the enemy deceive you and lie to you making you think that you will
not be accepted. For the Lord Jesus will take you in and you can receive His
abundant blessings His ways and peace His way as you confess and repent of your sins and ask for
His help to guide you and lead you!
I am not talking about a prosperity Gospel
but the life-saving, life- changing Gospel of Jesus Christ whose promises we can
claim. In Jesus Christ, you can have a “Homecoming to find the Light of the
World”
I do not know about you but I need Jesus to be my Guding Light to show me the
way through life. I hope you join me in having Jesus become part of your life
daily so He can transform you by His grace.
Jesus says, "I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart, and the
peace I give is not like the peace the world gives, don't be troubled or afraid"
(Read John 14)
Jesus loves you so much and will accept you just as you are. You do not have to
prove yourself for Christ to love you. You are important to Christ just the way
you are. If you are having difficulty in any area of your life, give it to the
Lord and leave it in His hands to take care of it. His hands are Helping Hands
and He will help you.
If you are enjoying your life and think you don't need
the Lord, remember He wants you to be His son or daughter because He loves you
so much. Jesus died and came back to life to save each one of us and to give us
a life of hope, love, and faith. The greatest of these is love. May you
experience healer offers magnificent emancipation, multiplying nurturing
guidance!
"Healer Offers Messiah's Emancipation Coming Over,
Multiplying Inspirational, Nurturing Guidance!" (H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G)/"When
will your
homecoming begin?"
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I have heard that you love me so much
just the way I am. I want you to be the whole of my life. There are so many
things that are happening in my life right now and I need you to intervene to
help me out. I am so sorry for my sins. I confess my sins to you Lord and repent
of them. Please be in control of my life and be my Guiding Light. Thank you so
much Jesus. Please forgive me of my sins and help me. Thanks for forgiving me of
my sins. I come now and acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior who will
be my Light for eternity as I come home and find you as my Light of the World.
Thanks Lord, I do not have to be alone but you are with me. I give my life to
you Lord because you want to show me the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Please
come into my heart and make my heart your home. Thank you Jesus for coming into
my heart and making my heart your home! Thanks for living in me Lord and I will
live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thanks again for
this new life and all my sins are forgiven and I am washed clean. Thank you for
dying for me and coming back to life to save me. Thanks for hearing me and
answering me. You are my Heavenly Father and have given me the best homecoming
as you are ready to take me in your arms of love. Thank you I need not go by
feelings but on your promises! I claim your promises Lord! In Your Name I Pray
Jesus! Amen!
You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace,
Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a
life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I
need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround
me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your
presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you
love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek
your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for
your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case.
Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!
(Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)
May you experience the POWER OF
CHRIST'S RESURRECTION this day, and give Him the LOCKED areas of your
life too so you can experience His PEACE as you become an ACTOR in the
film called LIFE being directed by your DIRECTOR, JESUS CHRIST who comes
to give JOY and PEACE.
You
don't have to be locked away anymore for Christ is here to free you and
give you peace to LIVE out your actions.
How do you look at GODISNOWHERE?
One of my pastors, Pastor Hugo SHARED this
example one Sunday at the
RESURRECTION DAY SERVICE in the combined worship service of Pittsburgh
Chinese Church-Oakland & Oakland International Fellowship:
If
you look at it as GOD IS NO WHERE, you will still be lost in your sin
and be in bondage locked away in your sins and problems finding no
peace.
But
as my pastor spoke to the congregation and spoke to me, I am here to
tell you that GOD IS NOW HERE.
Yes,
friend God is aLIVE and wants to bring a transformation in your life
through the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ for He paid the penalty on
the cross to rescue you and me and came back to life to save us and LIVE
with us.
Yes,
friend that is exciting to know that we can experience HIS SAVING GRACE
& LIVING GRACE.
When
we mess up, we can go to Jesus with our shortcomings and He will forgive
us and RESTORE us to Him and we will find peace in Him.
"For the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9, NIV)
Friend, we need Jesus because we have been separated from God due to our
sin. Because of our sin, Jesus had to pay the price to become our bridge
so we can reach God now not of our own good works but because of the
finished work of Christ, the Lord on the cross.
"For it is by GRACE you have been saved,
through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not
by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
Come to Jesus as you are and pray this prayer to accept Jesus as your
Lord and Personal Savior. He will transform your life around! Praise the
Lord! You don't have to have all the answers! You can come as you are!
If you want to be a soldier in the Lord's army, you can become it right now.
Now is the time of Salvation! You do not have to wait but can pray this prayer
and give your life to Christ to serve Him daily! There is no draft but coming to
Christ is voluntary. He loves you so much and wants you to come to Him! He will
take care of you, guiding you and leading you!
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank you for loving me so
much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of
Man and LIVEd here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to
death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You
died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your
blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being
my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried
to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you
for all that you have done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place
where accused and condemned find mercy and GRACE. Thank you Jesus, it is at the
cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the
cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you
gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to
life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving
me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something
that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to LIVE
for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never
repay you. I want to LIVE for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please. I
thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me.
Whatever your will give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you
Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray
precious Jesus! Amen!
No matter what you feel in your heart,
know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To
make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him
as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the
Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into
prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel
of John or Gospel of
Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord
show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to
help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches
the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our
crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But
beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but
there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.
As a professional, it is not too late to join a
church! As a student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus this new year of 2009! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His
love now and forever! Amen!
Friend, if you have prayed this
prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and
all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may
feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your
new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave
you nor forsake you! Amen!
Spend time in His word and let the Lord
speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out
the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.
Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church
fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be
part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the
Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in
Bible LIVE Eternally!
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible,
pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My
number is 412-720-4579
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
Devotional of yesterday:
"How would you Q.U.A.L.I.F.Y in other people's
lives?"
(Aug 13, 09, 11:46 a.m.)
With Jesus Christ in our lives and the personal relationship we have
with Him, getting to know Him and be known by Him, the
qualifications Paul saw in......
Oakland
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Sundays at 10:00 a.m. near North Dithridge St. followed by Sunday School at
11:30 a.m. and fellowship lunch at 12:30 p.m.
Book
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Lovingly, Leading Searching SOULs!”(June
04, 09, 2:51 p.m.) "Lord Change My Attitude:
Before It's Too Late!" is a mesmerizing book of 224
pages that will keep you glued to your seat bringing to life the
attitudes that have brought you down into the wilderness using Biblical
examples but...
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