“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
~ Philippians 4:19
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you want to be entrepreneurs – like your dad and ma, when you are their age? Your dad and ma began a cyberspace business for the temporal purpose of paying bills, putting food on the table and accruing wealth. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are also entrepreneurs. What your grandmaa and grandpaa are doing as missionaries is for eternity’s sake as they help lead guys, gals and kids to encounter the gift of internal life, as they exhort guys, gals and kids to pursue Biblical knowledge and as they admonish guys, gals and kids who are Christ-followers but who at times do not live a Christ-follower life that is Christ-centered. What your grandmaa and grandpaa are doing needs to have a Biblical knowledge and faith underpinning. What your dad and ma are doing needs to have a structural and monetary foundation. Just as your dad and ma need to have a consistent flow of funds for their business overhead, monthly mortgage, electric, water, telephone, cable, etc. payments and food, clothes, gas, insurances, leisure, etc., expenses, your grandmaa and grandpaa also need to have a consistent flow of funds for ministry costs – which includes a mission pro rata for receipting remittances and regular mailings of prayer/news letters, traveling, along with monthly rental, electric, water, telephone, cable, etc. payments and food, clothes, gas, insurances, leisure, etc., expenses. Your dad and ma generate their financial income by offering a service which guys and gals are willing to pay money to use. Your grandmaa and grandpaa depend completely on the generosity of other guys and gals – such as your dad and ma, for their financial support as the service that they offer to other guys and gals is a free service which they are doing for God’s sake. What your dad and ma are doing benefits guys, gals and kids who are living on planet Earth. What your grandmaa and grandpaa are doing benefits guys, gals and kids whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Lamb’s Book of Life is a book in which God – as God the Father, registered – before He created planet Earth, all the names of the guys, gals and kids who He adopted to guarantee them an eternal home in heaven.
Apostle Paul received money gifts from guys and gals – such as from Christ-follower guys and gals who were in the Christ-follow community that was in the city of Philippi, to help him do what he was doing. In his letter that Paul sent to the community of Christ-follower guys and gals that was in the city of Philippi, Paul thanks them for their kind generosity. Paul wrote in Philippians 4 about the liberality of guys and gals who were in the community of Christ-followers that was in the city of Philippi. Per what Paul wrote in his Philippians Letter, Christ-follower guys and gals – who were in the community of Christ-followers that was in the city of Philippi, gave Paul money gifts and were continuing to give him money gifts for his travel expenses when no other community of Christ-follower guys and gals were giving him gifts. Because Paul had learned that God will always be through him his strength, Paul tells the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Philippi in the letter that he sent them that he is content in whatever situation that he finds himself – whether it be having plenty or being in need or whether it be being well fed or having no food. A money gift that Christ-follower guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Philippi sent him via Epaphroditus appears to have been a special gift that Paul had not expected getting. Paul is essentially writing a thank you letter to the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Philippi thanking them for the money gift – telling them that their money gift was a fragrant offering, a sacrificial gift and a contribution that was very pleasing to God. Ever since your grandmaa and grandpaa began in their missionary vocation, your grandpaa has sent every couple of months a thank you letter to guys and gals and to churches who are sending your grandmaa and grandpaa money gifts every month and your grandpaa sends a thank you letter just as soon as he can to any guy or gal or church who has sent your grandmaa and grandpaa a one time money gift. Paul in verse 19 also reminded the guys and gals who were Christ-followers in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Philippi how a pleased God will bless them for the special money gifts that they were sending him, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” When your grandpaa memorized this verse over thirty years ago, your grandpaa called this verse his birthday verse. Do you know why your grandpaa called this verse his birthday verse?
Apostle Paul also used this letter that he sent to the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were in the community of Christ-followers that was in the city of Philippi to exhort them to practice living joyfully – to always to rejoice no matter what, to bring their requests to God through prayers and petitions – with thanksgiving, and not to be anxious about anything, that God would give them an internal peace that would belie all head knowledge. Paul also pleaded in his letter that he sent to his Christ-follower ‘yokefellows’ in the community of Christ-followers that was in the city of Philippi that they sit down with Euodia and Syntyche to help these two gals settle their differences so that their being at constant odds with each other would no longer distract them from having a happy fellowship. Your grandmaa at this time is helping two gals in the finance department at Adventures in Missions headquarters to resolve their disputes with each other. This chapter gives all kinds of ways how guys, gals and kids can please God.
Philippines 4 (941)