Fellowship then and now - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:3-6,

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all
of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the
gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus."

Paul spoke of his feelings for his brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Their partnership with him in the gospel brought him joy. In this
thank-you letter to the church in Philippi, he acknowledged their
fellowship with him. Paul speaks of what they shared together in God's
grace, 1:7; he acknowledged their prayers for him, 1:19; his remaining
in this life for their "progress and joy in the faith", 1:25; his
presence with them bringing them overflowing joy in Christ Jesus,
1:26; his gladness and rejoicing with the Philippians and theirs with
him, even in the midst of danger, 2:17-18. He talked of his
anticipation of being cheered when receiving of news of them (in his
imprisonment he was separated from them), 2:19 and he spoke of genuine
interest in their welfare represented in Timothy's concern for them,
2:20. Paul told them of his love and longing for them and reckoned
them to be his "joy and crown", 4:1. Paul "rejoiced greatly" in the
Philippian's concern for him, 4:10 and recognized their sharing in his
troubles, how good it was, 4:14. Paul recognized how generous and
giving the Philippians had been toward Paul in their sending him aid
again and again, 4:15-17. His desire was not so much his needs being
met, but that their giving to him would be "credited" to their account
in the court of the Lord, 4:17. Paul's desire and certainty was that
"God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in
Christ Jesus, 4:19.

Such was not always the case for Paul. When we first meet Paul in the
Scriptures we read he participated in the stoning of Stephen, the
first martyr of the church. He persecuted the church in its infancy.
In Acts 9:1-2 we read, "Meanwhile, Saul [Paul] was still breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high
priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so
that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or
women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem." Paul confessed,
"I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man..." 1
Timothy 1:13.

What a change the Lord brought about in Paul's heart! It is
astonishing to me to see what it is the Lord can do in the heart of
even the most hardened person!

What catches my eye this morning, though, is the love, care, joy,
concern that believers had for one another as represented in Paul's
communication with the church in Philippi. This is what biblical
fellowship looks like. Far from the "fellowship dinner" these day at
church followed by the business meeting where the new color of the
nursery is argued over, these folks had their eye on something else,
someone else. Someone who expressed an incomprehensible love by paying
for their sins to make a way into eternal life, a place in the Lord's
family at the Lord's table! These folks had their eye on someone who
changed them from the inside out, making the kind of fellowship
evident in Paul's letter to the church in Philippi possible.

It is my belief Paul's prayer was answered: "And this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be
pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of
righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise
of God."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com