“as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Whatever befalls us and therefore what ever suffering we may encounter in this world, no one and nothing can ever burn Jesus out of our hearts.
Jesus is worthy, God is big. Both will continue to shine. The greater the darkness the greater they shine.
We submit to the Lord and there is suffering and joy in the same cup that we drink from. We get to share both.
“Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
We fix our eyes upon Jesus, He is the miracle. We in and of ourselves can do nothing. Everyone yielded, God can use so we take our eyes off ourselves and fix them unto Him.
To stand firm is to lay down.
There is no compromise, no bargaining rights. We choose. We choose Light or dark.
To choose life it is in His light, in Christ. To choose our self it is dead and darkness. Our choice for life is therefore an automatic to choose to die to ourselves. Suffering and joy within the same cup to be drank from.
Paul was very aware that we needed to understand the time and season we are in we will make error in our judgement and choices.
We are His temple, His dwelling place.
Having been cursed to separation from His presence by the sin in The Garden of Eden and then restored by the salvation at the cross where Jesus died to take upon Himself the debt owed, as people of the new covenant, we all have access to God again but we are still called to choose that freedom. Also to suffer for Him.
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”
There is never a moment of each day that we therefore do not need Him desperately when we understand this.
We need to make space for Him. We need to give God ownership of our hearts not just visiting rights.
We need to be fully available and flexible and allow heaven to invade.
Not just at our convenience when we are in worship. We need to let Him disrupt any moment of our lives. Where we are more in denial if we loose sense of His indwelling than visa versa to occasionally sense it.
What we desire and worship will be what we seek. We will hunger for more of His presence and be transformed. We make ourselves ready to receive. For heaven to invade.
He is currently reconnecting with our emotions and sensitising us again from a numbness of heart. The enemies attempt to harden as stone transformed again to flesh.
The suddenly is here. We need one another. We are created to need one another. We can together stand firm in one Spirit.
“you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”
The enemy fears our unity and recognises our strength as the body of Christ. The Lion of Judah gets ready to roar.
The illustration shows suffering and joy drunk from the same cup. Christ’s light emanating to push back the darkness.
Three Scriptures that come to mind:
“as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”Philippians 1:20-21 ESV
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”Philippians 1:27-28 ESV
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”Philippians 1:29 ESV
The song Stay Strong. Danny Gokey
https://youtu.be/kBU5QcuRa8o
Lessisgreater 