<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Philippians 1;12-14<div><br></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ;</b></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.</b></div><div><br></div><div>According to our sinful human nature, we are tempted to play the great “Good/Bad” game.</div><div><br></div><div>In this game we sit in judgement, deciding if something in our lives is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’.</div><div><br></div><div>Things like wealth, health, fame, power, freedom, independence, security from enemies, and&nbsp;pleasures of the flesh, these are generally considered, ‘good’.<br><br>Things like, poverty, sickness, weakness,&nbsp;imprisonment, dependence, insecurity, oppression, and&nbsp;depravation, are according to the flesh considered, ‘bad.’</div><div><br></div><div>Christianity holds an&nbsp;entirely different value system. &nbsp;What ever circumstance we find ourselves in&nbsp;we&nbsp;understand&nbsp;as being allowed into our lives by God, and are always intended for good. &nbsp;This is to include even the uncomfortable, painful, tribulations of life in this war zone called earth and even our very own flesh.</div><div><br></div><div>God’s promise to us is, <i>“We know that in everything God works&nbsp;for good with&nbsp;those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. &nbsp;For those whom he knew, he did also predestine to be conformed to the&nbsp;image of his Son in order&nbsp;that he might be the first-born among many brethren.”&nbsp;</i></div><div>(Romans 8;28&amp;29)</div><div><br></div><div>Paul affirms his own imprisonment,&nbsp;being in chains, and&nbsp;facing death, is ‘good’. &nbsp;He teaches us that his sufferings are advancing the gospel among his captors,&nbsp;and encouraging the brethren with boldness to speak God’s Word.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharing in the sufferings of Christ is the right ‘game’ for us. &nbsp;Playing that game requires faith.</div><div>&nbsp;Playing the ‘Good/Bad’ game is putting ourselves in the place of God, (as Satan understands God, which he does not do at &nbsp;all). &nbsp;Playing that game requires no faith, and&nbsp;makes us worshipers of self.<br><br><br>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to suffer fearlessly&nbsp;with Jesus, in the joyous assurance that you are using everything we endure in faith, for good. &nbsp;We praise you Father for setting us free from the dominion of sin. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Philippians 1;12-14
12.  I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,13.  so that it has become known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ;14.  and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord because of my imprisonment, and are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.
According to our sinful human nature, we are tempted to play the great “Good/Bad” game.
In this game we sit in judgement, deciding if something in our lives is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Things like wealth, health, fame, power, freedom, independence, security from enemies, and pleasures of the flesh, these are generally considered, ‘good’.

Things like, poverty, sickness, weakness, imprisonment, dependence, insecurity, oppression, and depravation, are according to the flesh considered, ‘bad.’
Christianity holds an entirely different value system.  What ever circumstance we find ourselves in we understand as being allowed into our lives by God, and are always intended for good.  This is to include even the uncomfortable, painful, tribulations of life in this war zone called earth and even our very own flesh.
God’s promise to us is, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he knew, he did also predestine to be conformed to the image of his Son in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.” (Romans 8;28&29)
Paul affirms his own imprisonment, being in chains, and facing death, is ‘good’.  He teaches us that his sufferings are advancing the gospel among his captors, and encouraging the brethren with boldness to speak God’s Word.
Sharing in the sufferings of Christ is the right ‘game’ for us.  Playing that game requires faith. Playing the ‘Good/Bad’ game is putting ourselves in the place of God, (as Satan understands God, which he does not do at  all).  Playing that game requires no faith, and makes us worshipers of self.


Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to suffer fearlessly with Jesus, in the joyous assurance that you are using everything we endure in faith, for good.  We praise you Father for setting us free from the dominion of sin.  In Jesus we pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”


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