Archives for posts with tag: Philippians

Making Scripture Headlines by Being Nasty

November 21, 2013 //
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“So back then, what did you have to do to get your name into the pages of Scriptures?”  Somebody may ask.

“Well, what about a nasty little feud?”

That seemed to have worked for the second and third most famous women of Philippians. I am speaking of Euodia and Synthyche, since the most famous one is, no doubt, Lydia, though she is not even mentioned in the book. She is only prominent in Acts 16 as one of the charter members of the church in Philippi. Here is the little we know about these other two women:

1. They were saved. Paul says that their names were in the Book of Life. Warning: some people get saved but still continue to be nasty… what a shame.

2. They had previously labored side by side with Paul in the work of the Gospel. Yes, several women in the Bible exercised influential gifts in the early church.

3. They had a falling away. We should not be surprised if at times we come to disagree with other believers. No one is perfect and we need to learn to expect conflict and deal with it in a godly manner.

4. They had not been able to reconcile, in spite of the fact, (and here I am making an assumption), that previous attempts had been made.

Then a letter arrives from Paul by the hands of Epaphroditus. Now picture a pastor getting up to the pulpit and calling out the names of people who were misbehaving in the church. That’s similar to what happened here. The whole church assembles to read Paul’s letter. There was only one copy and it had to be read orally by one of the few people who knew how to read and write. It is possible that Epaphroditus himself was the one who read it aloud.

Everything is going fine until the beginning of the last chapter when the name calling begins: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:2-3).

Suddenly, two women rise up and leave the house where they were meeting, using opposite exits… Just kidding! I hope that instead they were moved by contrition (maybe a little dose of shame too) and decided to bury the hatchet. We don’t know what happened, but Paul certainly believed in the strong possibility that reconciliation could and should happen. But we will only know when we get to heaven, will we not? Sure, I will look them up and ask, “Did you guys work it out?”

We learn here that when trying to bring about reconciliation, it is good to remind people of their good past, especially if they labored together for the greatest cause there is. It is also paramount to treat people with respect. Notice that Paul was gentle even in his rebuke of the women. Finally, it helps to remind people that they share the same destiny. Why waste our time in needless arguing here on earth if we are going to share quarters in the heavenly dwellings anyway?

This is only one of the “Love’s Commands” we will study about this Sunday as we close our series in the little book of Philippians. Come expectantly and behave. Or I will call you out!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

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Categories From Jail With Love, Sermon Series

The Gift Of Suffering

October 18, 2013 //
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“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.”  (Philippians 1:29).

Privilege to suffer? According to whom?

Most of us come to Christ expecting only blessings. After all, we heard the “sales pitch,” didn’t we? “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” And isn’t the very definition of “Gospel” good news?

But is that all? Let’s look at that verse in Philippians again. The text literally says, “It has been gifted to you, on behalf of Christ, both to believe and to suffer.” The word translated “gifted” is the same one as the word “grace.” Charis in the Greek.  So is the gospel good news and bad news at the same time?

Well, in a sense, yes. The gospel is good news of salvation for those who believe. It is the greatest news any time anywhere. Through Jesus Christ we can experience forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and eternal life beyond the grave. That is awesome news. But it doesn’t mean that we are immune from suffering. Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The early Christians never expected a trouble free life on the way to paradise. They were fully aware that following Christ was a two-sided gift, on the one hand, victory; on the other, vexation. And they fully embraced both aspects of the Gospel.

In fact, the Apostle Peter warned the believers not to be surprised when they faced persecution, “… as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12, 13). So why do we act surprised when we face trials and tribulations? Jesus never said we were only going to have feast and jubilation. He also spoke of trials and tribulation. And He Himself experienced that. So did Paul. So did all 12 Apostles, who all died a martyr’s death, except John, who died in prison on the Island of Patmos.

The fact is that there has never been a time in the history of humanity when followers of Christ have been more severely attacked than now. Christians are suffering under the brutal hands of radical Islam in so many countries. Zealot Hindus are also targeting Christians. Christians in Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia, India, etc. have had their houses of worship burned and people have been frequently, brutally assaulted and murdered in the most vicious manners imaginable.

This Sunday we will remember to pray for the Persecuted Church as we continue to study the little book of Philippians. To prepare your heart, I encourage you to visit the following sites and educate yourself about the plight of the suffering church.

Resources:

I have also written in the past about this topic, if you want to check it:

As you pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith, remember the words of the author of Hebrews: “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” (Hebrews 13:3).

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

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Categories From Jail With Love

Living Above The Line Of Prison

October 11, 2013 //
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Last week I was confronted with an unusual dilemma. The manager at the Starbucks in Lititz approached me as I had just finished eating my Sausage McMuffin with Egg (no cheese) sandwich and told me that I was not allowed to bring other brand names into the store. She offered to take care of my trash, which I politely declined, as I was already too embarrassed for breaking the store rules. I immediately walked over to the trash and got rid of my McDonald’s bag. Then, two other employees walked over to me and apologized for what they had just witnessed. They know how much money I have spent in their store!

Well, I am cheap; consequently my biggest shrink is my pen, so I immediately posted, in jest, the following on Facebook: I need your help! Today I was told by the Starbucks store manager in Lititz that I am not allowed to bring in another brand name into the store (“I don’t mean to be rude, but it promotes another brand. You know we do have breakfast sandwiches here”). Explanation: I love Starbucks coffee and have spent hundreds of dollars in this store, but I don’t like their breakfast sandwiches, so I go to McDonald’s, order my sausage Mcmuffin with egg sandwich with no cheese, come to Starbucks, order my coffee, sit down and do my sermon prep work. Well, now I have a huge dilemma: 1. Order the sandwich from Starbucks and eat it there. 2. Order the coffee from McDonald’s and eat it there. 3. Do exactly what I am doing now, except put the McDonald’s sandwich in a generic (non-brand name) bag. 4. Do exactly what I am doing now, except pick a parking lot and eat in my car. 5. Stop coming to Starbucks altogether. Which one should I do? Vote and I will abide by the opinion of the majority, (for one month (:)). I don’t like Starbucks breakfast sandwiches, I don’t like McDonald’s coffee, and I don’t like eating in my car. I am stuck. “Oh what a wretched man that I am. Who will rescue me from this body of doubt?”

To my utter surprise, people took me seriously and I got the greatest amount of responses to anything I have ever posted on Facebook. As my son said, my Facebook went “mini-viral.”  People were too eager to offer suggestions, words of caution, biblical, motherly, political or simply mundane advice. The suggestions spanned the ethical divide, from sea to brewing sea. I was astounded to find people so passionate about such trivial matter, but I only had myself to blame for giving the impression that this was really a big deal to me. Well, it was a big issue to many people out there.

Which makes me think: what if we were as passionate about the things that really matter as we are about the small stuff of life? What would happen if suddenly followers of Christ decided they would care first and foremost about the things that are near and dear to the heart of God?

Often, I find myself complaining about trifle matters – the gray hairs on my head, the tire that keeps losing pressure, the glasses that fog up when I step outside my car, the smell of burned wood coming from the neighbors’ backyard, etc., etc. But what are the issues God really wants me to care about?

This week we start a study in the book of Philippians. I’m calling it “From Jail With Love” because in spite of the fact that Paul was in a Roman jail awaiting the sentence from his first trial, he was full of joy and hope and was able to write his most personal and affectionate letter ever.

Paul never allowed his circumstances to dictate his constitution. The somber mood of jail life and the uncertainty of his future did not stop him from living a life of purpose.  Somehow Paul learned the secret to living above the line of prison. His physical surroundings remained the same but Paul lived above it and while affected by it, he never allowed it to write the script of his life. Prison for him was only a tool to achieve greater things.

The following summarizes his approach which should also be our approach to living on a higher plane: “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14).

I hope that as we go through this series we will also learn how to live above the line of prison and discover the real joy that God has always intended for all of us to have. See you on Sunday!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

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