“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” We should be happy for other members of the body of Christ when they are honored or have been validated rightfully. When another member is sad, the rest of us should be in the comforting zone towards them. We are all in this thing together. Instead of tearing each other down, we should help others get built up. Envy can be a horrible detour leading to the dark side. The spirit of jealousy, envy, and greed have gotten the best of many of us having started out with good intentions, and then being turned around with envy, jealousy or greed. Sometimes it’s just because someone else is different than we are, we treat them with contempt. Looking at the ants who are always in step with the main purpose and function of their lives, which is doing the queen’s bidding. They may or may not have individual issues but the purpose inside of them overrules the ant’s individual issues with each other. We should take on the attitude of the ant when it comes to doing the King’s bidding. Yes we have human issues that are very real, but the Lord has laid out in the bible the way to make it all happen. It is the lack of knowledge that has kept you bound in ignorance so you become limited in everything you do. Be a team player and work together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

“For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them.” Whenever two or three christians are gathered in the name of Jesus, there He is in the midst. The power of agreement is a strong force to be reckoned with. The bible speaks of one putting a thousand to flight but two people in prayer, puts ten thousand to flight. What that means is there’s more power involved when two believing christians, on the same page in thought, purpose, and action, come together in prayer for any specific thing petitioning God’s help. The name of Jesus carries the weight and support and full power of the Godhead. When the name of Jesus is used in prayer, that adds the power and authority needed to cut through the evil forces trying to block your prayers to God. When at least two people are in total agreement with prayer being offered to God, the strength of that prayer is more effective than one person. But the effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much. The Lord will honor and receive all heartfelt, faith filled prayers originating from a place of burning desire and conviction. This is indicative of when you need answers immediately. Finding a prayer partner you totally trust with your deepest secrets is vital. Two or three in agreement in prayer is priceless.

“What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]” If God is for us, which He is, no one can successfully be against us. God is for us when we are about His business. When we are walking in our God given purpose, He’s for us. You may well be walking in your God given purpose and not realize you are. Your heart’s compassion, maybe something you’ve always loved doing since you were very young can be an indication of your God given purpose. Purpose has been given to every person since their birth, but many times it gets clouded from the pressures and distractions of life. Living your life knowing God is for you will change the game of life. When the Lord is for you, no one can successfully be against you. Our wrong doings can get in the way sometimes, but as we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us. This way we keep our journey consistent with God’s grace and favor leading the way. No one can come against you successfully without God’s permission, and if He allows us to go through something it’s for the development of our faith, which can only grow from troubles or crisis in our life.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” To become Jesus’ disciple we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. To deny yourself would basically mean preferring your neighbor before yourself. Losing the me, myself, and I mentality of it’s all about you, which it isn’t. To take up your cross has many indications. It’s doing the harder stuff in life that normally gets us bent out of shape. It could be treating others with love and respect even though they don’t deserve it. Your dealing with it to help yourself become more humble for the Lord’s service. Then there’s the command to follow Jesus. Jesus left us all kinds of examples for us in following Him. His time on earth demonstrated how we should conduct ourselves and how to deal with the forces of darkness victoriously. When we read in the text, whoever wants to save their life will lose it, that’s concerning. Once we’ve decided to deny ourselves, to become Christ centered in all we do and think, you have just saved your eternal life and sealed your stay on earth until God calls you home to Himself and not prematurely dying. Take up your cross, it was made for you to carry.

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” Paul was convinced in telling the Philippians God will continue the good work He started in them until the day of Christ Jesus, until His return to earth or when we’ve completed our course. He’s with us watching over us supplying our need to fulfill our individual callings in life. The Lord began the good work in us, and we must continue with His support and guidance until the day of completion. God is at work within us both to will and to do His good pleasure. Our faith in Him will help us finish the race. We are laborers together with God and cannot complete our mission successfully without Him. Your everyday business should include the Lord. He’s not around to be talked about like some unreachable far off entity, but He created us to be dependent upon Him. Draw near to God, and He’ll draw near to you. He unlike Satan, will never force or make us do anything. The Lord wants willing servants not robots or mindless people with hopeless attitudes. Our purpose, and direction becomes more clear when we acknowledge God in all our ways.

“HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!” There is a secret place we can go when safety is our greatest need at the time. Actually it’s a place we should dwell in on a regular basis. That secret place of the Lord is for those of more mature status in the Lord. Our knowledge of God draws us closer to God. We must be in relationship with the Lord and more importantly, in close fellowship on a daily basis with Him. Angels are in camp around us as the light of Christ in us shines more and more brightly. They are attracted to, and answer to the word of God coming out of our mouths mixed with faith on our lips. Angels are ministering spirits sent to help God’s children. They have been on the scene since the beginning. Our safety many times has been in their hands directed by God. The secret place of the Most High God is attainable to all. Living the lifestyle it requires demands a disciplined attitude for instruction and the precepts of God which has already been prescribed for us. We are in life or death situations most of the time without realizing it. God is our refuge and our fortress, come to Him now.

“He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins”. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our wrong doings. God sent His Son Jesus to be the sinless sacrifice for our mistakes. This happened while we were considered enemies with God, because of the sin nature in us. The sin nature in us happened way back in the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve through disobedience, gave rulership and authority of this world to Satan. That’s why mankind is so screwed up today. Through the Lord’s plan of redemption, we have a choice to come out from under the habitual sin nature. That nature has held us captive for many years. Because of God’s kindness and grace we have no excuse for bad behavior. A person, saint and sinner alike, must make a decision to want this new birth experience and be willing to accept the completed work at calvary for your justification and right standing with God. To never accept the sacrifice of Jesus for your sins, all the bad you’ve done and will do in this life will need to be paid for. There are two ways to pay the price of our wrong doings on planet earth. We can accept the finished work at calvary by making Jesus Lord and Savior of our life, or we can personally take our sin, (wrong doings) to hell. To pay in full while in hell, it will take all eternity. Justice must be satisfied!

“The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We can’t befriend everybody. Yes you’re a loving person and don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but, you have positioned yourself in line for abuse. Especially as a christian you can’t afford to allow frivolous, or platonic relationships that have no real value towards your purpose and what you’re called to do by Almighty God. Unreliable friends can lead to your ruin, especially if you trust them. We are all imperfect people having much to deal with in our everyday lives. Having so-called friends that lead you down the wrong path of where you’re supposed to be, is a serious diversion from the plan of God for your life. We must surround ourselves with people of like faith, and have a similar purpose. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and that’s Jesus. He will never leave you or forsake you under any circumstances because He has no pressure from circumstances like us. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. Putting our trust in Him for the completion of our purpose and destiny is vital for victorious living.

“Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.” There are those amongst us that are here to start trouble. They seem to be drawn to it, and then they excel in it. Many people have lost their way in life, and with little to no restraint have yielded to the evil forces in this world. According to the Lord’s command through Paul in today’s text, we are to overcome evil with good. If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat, if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing so the bible says, God will reward you, and it brings internal shame to that person. When a person’s heart has really become hardened, we love them from a distance until we become fluent in living in the agape love of God. That love pays no attention to a suffering wrong done to it, and would never delight in evil, but will rejoice when right and truth are allowed to stand their ground. To overcome evil with good, we must understand God is love and He has already through Jesus’ work at calvary defeated the devil (evil). The coast is clear to overcome evil with good, we just have to board the train of success through the lifestyle God has laid out for us in His word, the bible, otherwise evil could be hugging you a little tighter.

“Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus knew the joy of victory that was on the other side of the shame He had to endure. His sights were set on the prize that lay just beyond the death of the cross. Many times we get so lost in all the smoke of the crisis we’re dealing with we aren’t mindful of God delivering us at the moment. Jesus knew the Father God would bring Him through the task He had to fulfill. We must learn to despise the shame of our battle and to press forward in victory knowing God has our backs, and He won’t allow more on us than we can handle. Learn to look away from all that will distract you from staying in the battle until it is finished in victory. Since God is for you, who can successfully be against you, no one. Go through it, you got this!