4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9
What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?
In Philippians, Paul is not saying, “don’t worry, be happy.” He’s talking about a supernatural joy that comes not from circumstances, but from a deep contentment in Christ.
Andy Stanley recently had a message titled “Living in the Land of Er.” So many times we feel that if we could just be rich-er or smart-er or funny-er or ____-er you get the point. These can feel good short-term, but for ourselves, our families, and our marriages, comparison is a game with no winners. We tend to place confidence in our circumstances to bring joy into our lives. The reality is that our circumstances are always changing. Think about that last new car you got, when you got into it the first time with that “new car smell.” The new job, or how about that last raise that you received. None of those things are long-lasting. Circumstances are shifting sand and you can’t stand on them—or find deep joy in them alone.
The starting point is finding joy in the person of Jesus Christ; not success, not people, not money, not status, not drugs and alcohol, not therapy, but in a deep, abiding relationship with the Lord. So the question is “How do I do that?” In Romans 12:2 we read: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Renewing our mind encompass’ all we do: what we read, watch, listen to, where we go… Cultivate a relationship with Jesus through prayer, where you both talk to Him and listen to Him. You know you are having a good relationship with someone when you are actively trying to hear what they have to say. Spend so much time with Him reading His Word and praying that talking to Him becomes natural. Joy will now come, and over time, you will see that no matter what the circumstance, your joy and peace, as long as it is found in Christ first, will remain.
Father, help me this day to walk with you, help me to be quiet and listen to what you have to say to me today. Help me keep my mind on you and to “think about such things.” Amen
When you were under the fig tree, I saw you —John 1:48
Worshiping in Everyday Occasions. We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character.
A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God.
Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you.
God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found, is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint.
Please remember the important thing in all of this is the fantastic ministry that is going on at GECHAAN. We felt that telling the story could bring the awareness of this fantastic ministry out. There are so many ongoing needs at GECHAAN and the work that is going on in Nigeria. If you would like to know more about specific needs please use the contact us button to the left and we can tell you how to get involved.
Channel 5 did a nice job of telling the story and importance of the trip On Saturday:
Despite our greatest intentions and expectations, we can really never predict the exact outcome of our plans, no matter how noble we think they may be. Going to Nigeria to help out at GECHAAN was worthwhile and very rewarding. The work that Art and Dorothy have begun, with God’s grace, is truly amazing and I am proud to have given them the small amount support that I could. My biggest disappointment is that the focus of our visit now is on our travel difficulties and the harm inflicted towards us instead of how God is working in Gembu.
I am very glad to be home again. Thank you so much all of your prayers and concern. Please continue to pray for Art and Dorothy and the ministry at GECHAAN and for the Nigerian driver, Peter.
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