<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Philippians 2;19-24<div><br></div><div><b>19. &nbsp;I hope in the Lord to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you.</b></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;I have no one like him, who will be genuinely&nbsp;anxious for your welfare.</b></div><div><b>21. &nbsp;They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me;</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp;and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come also.</b></div><div><br></div><div>To the end of his earthly life, Paul remained devoted to the Bride of Christ, the Church, (not only the Believers in Philippi, but the entire dwelling place of God). &nbsp;The heart of the Heavenly Father beats in Paul’s breast, the Mind of Christ rules his will and actions.</div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully, we do not know who the <i>“they” </i>are who&nbsp;<i>“look </i>(first) <i>after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” &nbsp;</i></div><div><br></div><div><i></i>Ministry has its’ heartaches. &nbsp;Pastors cannot help but have hopes to see the whole Church denying herself, carrying her&nbsp;cross, and following Jesus. &nbsp;But, the&nbsp;selfish sin&nbsp;of carnality remains a stubborn reality. &nbsp;The Church (you and me) are&nbsp;continually in struggle against our&nbsp;own flesh. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Certainly, Timothy was a true fellow servant with Paul. &nbsp;He shared the same spirit and vision for the work of the gospel. &nbsp;They were of ‘one Mind,’ as we all&nbsp;are to be.</div><div><br></div><div>Paul is waiting to see what the Roman authorities are going to do with him. &nbsp;He sincerely hopes to be set free and intends to&nbsp;come and visit the Philippians Believers again, therefore, he waits to send Timothy to them until he knows the outcome of his case.</div><div><br></div><div>Paul says, <i>“I hope in the Lord” and “I trust in the Lord”, </i>his ‘expectations’ are that his life and work will continue. &nbsp;But, all our lives come to their earthly end, God’s plan for each of us is only a ‘tour of duty’ before we are allowed to come home.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Our prayer is that we be found faithful, having accomplished the mission(s)&nbsp;He has commanded&nbsp;us to do. &nbsp; We get to go home, but the&nbsp;war continues until the King of kings returns. &nbsp;Our part in it is soon over, that is why Paul&nbsp;exhorts Timothy and&nbsp;us saying, “<i>preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching…</i></div><div><i>As for you, be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. For I am already at the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come.” &nbsp;</i>(2 Timothy 4;2,5-7)</div><div><br></div><div>As the ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ says in the wonderful&nbsp;movie <i><u>Scrooge</u></i>&nbsp;(1970):</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<i>“Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly,&nbsp;you’re not there anymore.”</i></div><div><br></div><div>Walking by the Spirit in the Mind of Christ means living with a sense of urgency in mission.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: O most merciful Heavenly Father, grant us to be found faithful, and in the Mind of Christ at his return, (or at our own quickly coming&nbsp;end of tour). &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,&nbsp;</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><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 2;19-24
19.  I hope in the Lord to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you.20.  I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare.21.  They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.22.  But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.23.  I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me;24.  and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come also.
To the end of his earthly life, Paul remained devoted to the Bride of Christ, the Church, (not only the Believers in Philippi, but the entire dwelling place of God).  The heart of the Heavenly Father beats in Paul’s breast, the Mind of Christ rules his will and actions.
Thankfully, we do not know who the “they” are who “look (first) after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”  
Ministry has its’ heartaches.  Pastors cannot help but have hopes to see the whole Church denying herself, carrying her cross, and following Jesus.  But, the selfish sin of carnality remains a stubborn reality.  The Church (you and me) are continually in struggle against our own flesh.  
Certainly, Timothy was a true fellow servant with Paul.  He shared the same spirit and vision for the work of the gospel.  They were of ‘one Mind,’ as we all are to be.
Paul is waiting to see what the Roman authorities are going to do with him.  He sincerely hopes to be set free and intends to come and visit the Philippians Believers again, therefore, he waits to send Timothy to them until he knows the outcome of his case.
Paul says, “I hope in the Lord” and “I trust in the Lord”, his ‘expectations’ are that his life and work will continue.  But, all our lives come to their earthly end, God’s plan for each of us is only a ‘tour of duty’ before we are allowed to come home. 
 Our prayer is that we be found faithful, having accomplished the mission(s) He has commanded us to do.   We get to go home, but the war continues until the King of kings returns.  Our part in it is soon over, that is why Paul exhorts Timothy and us saying, “preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching…As for you, be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. For I am already at the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come.”  (2 Timothy 4;2,5-7)
As the ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ says in the wonderful movie Scrooge (1970):     “Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you’re not there anymore.”
Walking by the Spirit in the Mind of Christ means living with a sense of urgency in mission.
Prayer: O most merciful Heavenly Father, grant us to be found faithful, and in the Mind of Christ at his return, (or at our own quickly coming end of tour).  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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