Observations:
I asked myself according to v.6 what is Paul confident about?
Being confident of this,
1. That He who began a GOOD WORK in you
2. Will carry it on to COMPLETION
3. Until the day of CHRIST JESUS!

Interpretation:
I asked myself what does 'confident' mean?
What came to my mind is an assurance without any doubt.

Interpretation:
I asked myself why is it significant that Paul is able to write, 'being confident of this'?
It becomes that much more significant to see Paul being confident in Jesus Christ even though he is under arrest and in chains. It shows that Paul being confident goes beyond what he is facing to trust and have assurance in Jesus Christ that He will also bless the Philippians with three wonderful promises revealed in words such as GOOD WORK, COMPLETION, and CHRIST JESUS. Paul believes that for himself too and not just for the Philippians.

"Being confident" is a present confidence that Paul has even though he is in jail. This confidence lies in the fact that when God begins a GOOD WORK in someone, He will finish it to COMPLETION. We all can take comfort in knowing that just coming to Christ is a GOOD WORK the Lord has performed in our life. Since He began that GOOD WORK, He will carry it to COMPLETION (our Salvation is secure in Him). You can be confident this very moment that the Lord Jesus will finish the work He has started in you even in other areas of your life.

 It goes beyond just having Salvation but into the core of our lives as we are being sanctified by Him. Specifically, Paul realizes no matter what situation he is faced with, having a partnership in the Gospel is a good work that the Lord will finish to completion.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
No matter what I am faced with, I can be confident that the Lord Jesus is right besides me and will finish the GOOD WORK He started in me to COMPLETION. Praise the Lord! Even when I mess up, I know my Lord and Savior is there for me. No matter how I feel about myself and where I have been, I can be assured that when Jesus Christ saved me, Jesus began a GOOD WORK in me. Since Jesus began a GOOD WORK in me, Jesus is One who will carry it on to COMPLETION what He started until that day when it is completed and I see Jesus face to face. Until then I can be reassured everyday no matter what I am going through that my confidence can be in Jesus Christ for He is working in me through all the weaknesses, trials, and tribulations. Praise the Lord. He will finish the good work of my partnership in the Gospel to completion. I can have my confidence in Christ in all areas of my life! Amen!

When I look back at my life and see where I am now and where I was then, it amazes me how the Lord Jesus has used different events to bring me to a place of assurance that even my marriage with my lovely wife Chandra is a good work that He began that started with the Gospel impacting my life. When she was away from me from July 30, 2010 until Dec 30, 2011 due to visa reasons, the Lord Jesus made a way for me to be with my wife multiple times as I visited her 4 different times in India during that span of time. It has been such a blessing to be in India with her. Now that she is here and we also have a wonderful precious daughter in Esther is a promise of the Lord that He has kept. Thank you Jesus! We put our confidence in the Lord knowing He would join us together soon and that He will give us a child in His timing and He has! Praise the Lord.

As I contemplate where Paul was and how confident he is in the Lord, it makes me want to have that kind of trust towards the Lord. Help me Jesus! If Paul who was in chains locked up could exhibit that kind of confidence in God's promises, I can make that a promise in my own life that I can hang on to. For my Lord and Savior always keeps His promises for my good. Praise the Lord!

Being involved in church was never easy for me because I grew up listening to ministries on TV. What is amazing is even when I had no consistent involvement in church before 2007 and even though Pastor Hugo had his own congregation members to minister to, he sought me out in 2004: "How are you doing these days?  Where are you attending worship? Love to have you visit our new International congregation anytime." (Aug 12, 2004, 10:20 a.m.). It took me 3 years to become part of OIF and the Lord used Pastor Hugo to remind me He has not given up on me and my consistent church involvement.

 It is significant how the Lord Jesus used a small group of brothers and sisters in Potter's Clay [Christy, Elias, Keng,  Liz, Elizabeth, David, Min, Ryan, Luke, Rachel, Cathy, Antonia, Yohko, Ksenija, Steve, Zela, Edwin, Marie] to make me want to be involved in the church community which supplemented my time with Pastor Hugo Cheng. To this day, I still meet with Pastor Hugo as he mentors me.

I used to be a runner from areas of my life that got too heated for me but Jesus did not let me run in 2009 but held me steady by working in me. Even when things got rough in leadership for me as I led Living Acts, the Lord Jesus did not abandon me even though I resigned. That year, Jesus specifically used my mommy, Edwin, Marie, Pastor Hugo, and  Kristen, at the time to impact my life. Their interaction with me did not make me feel CONDEMNED but instead CONVICTING to stay the course especially at a juncture in my life where I had messed up.  I remember an encouraging word given to me: God is not done with you yet!!!

It is also so wonderful how the Lord Jesus used Pastor Hugo, Brian, Lyd, Josh, Kristen, Edwin, Marie, Calvin, and Elise when I was courting Chandra long distance to stay the course. Now, I am happily married to my sweetie.

What I realized is how God brings out good even through a waiting period, through suffering, etc whether it involves churches, families, friends, etc because it is His Good Work.

I am so thankful to Jesus that for the first time in my life, four years ago, through the help of Pastor Hugo Cheng and others, Lord helped me stay the course. Little did I imagine that the Lord would choose to use a broken vessel like me, to serve in different capacities in church to have partnerships with different brothers and sisters now in 2013 in Oakland International Fellowship. It is His good work in me that He intends to finish to completion especially in my weaknesses. Thank you Jesus. He wants to do the same for you.

I am not where I  desire to be when it comes to my relationship with the Lord but I know it is a process that begins with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus for your promise in Philippians 1:6 for me.

Amidst the trials, tribulations, sins, etc, I got to see that the Lord Jesus is not done with me yet in the GOOD WORK HE BEGAN. Even, now He will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of CHRIST JESUS! Thank you Jesus.

I know my confidence cannot be in any human being no matter how powerful I think they are, for no human being can finish the good work in me without the Lord using them. Every human being fails without the intervention of the Lord. But with the Lord there is hope!

"Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever." (Psalm 146:3-6, NLT)

I am confident in Jesus that He will work in me through all the weaknesses to make me and place me where He wants me to be for His honor and glory! Praise the Lord.

I thank the Lord Jesus for the new small group He placed me in at Transformers three years ago, which was led by Calvin, to continue the good work He has begun in me. It was an awesome small group to be part of. I am blessed still to be part of Transformers with my lovely wife as it is led by David and Yvonne. Thank you Jesus!

Friend, you too can have the confidence that the Lord Jesus will work in your life as you yield to Him. He has a way of placing the right people at the right time to make an impact beginning a good work in you to finish it to completion until His return. But for that to happen, you need to ask yourself, where are you confident in. For me, it has to start with  Jesus Christ alone, taking the help He provides.

I ask you now dear friend, where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?
Dear friend, I don't know where you are confident in. You maybe confident in your parents, your husband/wife, your boy/girl friend, your friends, your pastors, your accomplishments, your degrees, your awards, your training, and the list can go on and on but all these things and even people will fail us except ONE. Yes, you maybe reading this and thinking, I don't know what's he talking about because look at my life, I have things together. That's the problem friend when you think you have things together.

What happens when things are not together in your life?

Will you crumble and fall to the wayside or will you stand firm?

I don't know about you but this I know that Paul did not put his confidence in himself with all his training, degrees, accomplishments, etc. He did not even put his confidence in the good he thought he did but IN CHRIST ALONE THE HOPE OF GLORY. It is this confidence in Christ that helped him through years of prison, through shipwrecks, and persecutions. His confidence in Christ is what gave Him the strength to get through because He knew who was going to take care of Him no matter what happens.

It may seem like I have put my confidence in others alone based on all I shared but my confidence is in Christ who uses His body to impact my life. Without Christ, this would not be possible :)

When I have put my confidence in so many things without Christ, I have seen only shortcomings and failures because of allowing sin to take control of my life. Jesus does not want that for me and you. Jesus wants us to put our confidence in Him.

"No one is good, not one, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!" (Romans 3)

But, He who began a GOOD WORK IN YOU will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of JESUS CHRIST.  (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

It is not anything we can take credit for but all the credit goes to Jesus Christ for the price He paid when He died and rose again to save us. Praise the Lord for His intervention poured out in our lives by His precious cleansing Blood!  Amen!

Friend, Jesus calls you by name! You are precious and special in His sight. No matter where you are or have been, you are never out of His love and never out of His reach. You can come as you are to the Fountain of Blessing and find hope in time of need. Praise the Lord!

Only our confidence in GOD should be the ultimate confidence we should have. Because God promised a wonderful promise for not just the Philippians whom Paul could write with assurance but this promise is for you and me too, we can be excited. Our God in whom we put our confidence in will never fail us. I am talking about Jesus Christ who is God-incarnate who came to save you and me from the bondage of sin and death.

So, only in Christ should be where we are confident in and no one else. Yes, friend no one else. It is Christ the hope of glory 'Being confident of this, that He who began a GOOD WORK in you will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Jesus Christ!' (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

Allow Him to use people in your life to help you as the Lord has used people in my own life to help me. He is now using my wife Chandra amazingly in my life as she seeks after Him daily! Thank you Jesus.

Paul is able to write this promise from jail! Why is it we have such a hard time claiming God's promises? One reason is because we do not spend enough time with the Lord to realize how much He loves us and cares for us. When things seem to go wrong in your life, don't automatically think that God is far from you or has abandoned you. Scripture reminds us  we will have trials and tribulations but blessed is the one who perseveres till the end allowing God to finish the work He started. Please, please don't give the Lord second place in your life. Most of our sorrows and pain results because we give ourselves first place and give the Lord the meager minutes of the day if we even give him those minutes :( It is important to remember that Christ offers us forever infinite, daily, neverending truth in his promises.

May you experience your confidence in Christ alone the hope of glory knowing Christ offers now forever imparting diligently everyday nurturing Truth!

The purpose of today's devotional is to know that our confidence in life can always be based on Christ's work in us.

"Christ Offers Now Forever Imparting Diligently Everyday Nurturing Truth! (C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T)/"Where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me so much and dying for my sin.  Thank you for the confidence you gave Paul to rest in you and be assured that you will take care of the Philippians with the good work you began. Thank you Jesus that Paul's confidence was based in you though he was in jail. Wow! I want to be confident in you always Jesus. Please help me Jesus for I am really weak in a lot of areas but I thank you so much for your promise of He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. I praise you Lord and my heart wells up with joy. Thank you Jesus so much that you also promise, 'My grace is sufficient for you and in my weaknesses, in you I will find strength. Thanks Jesus so much. I pray right now for those who are confident in so many things other than you. Forgive them Oh Lord and bring them to you. Forgive us and help us by taking our fears and we thank you that we can rest in you knowing you offer now forever imparting diligently everyday nurturing truth! Amen! Thank you for hearing us and answering our prayer. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you when you give Him your heart! 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 by His grace alone!

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 412-641-9426

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

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