requests to God with thanksgiving; Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 4

Which would you rather have: the anxiety of this world or the peace of God? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 51 Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us? A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members. Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies. Summary This is a wonderful and familiar passage, and one that we're likely to come back to before the year is out. But for today, let's concentrate on v7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The first thing that jumps out is that peace is not just a fringe benefit of Christianity, rather it's the active agent by which Jesus preserves you in your faith. What a comforting thought, knowing that our risen Savior has control over all things, and that He's continually "defending us and keeping us safe from all enemies," as our catechism stated. This guarding that Christ does on your behalf has two aspects. First, it's defensive; just as the guards at Buckingham palace keep the riffraff out, so to Jesus keeps the wolves in this world from harming you. As you increase your knowledge, understanding and trust in Jesus, he tunes your mind to recognize truth and reject falsehood. Secondly, Christ guards you in such a way that keeps you from escaping. This sounds dark and ominous, but it's really quite the opposite. Our old sinful nature wants nothing more than to get as far away from God as possible (an impossible quest, since God is everywhere as we were recently reminded), but Christ helps you overcome that nagging temptation by "guarding your heart." He does this in conjunction with the Holy Spirit by causing your regenerated heart to long to be closer to Him. As Jesus said in John 10:28, no one - not even Sarx, your nagging sinful nature, can snatch you out of His hand! Dig Deeper This means, as we see so often in God's Word, that you must make every effort to follow the instructions that come in v6 - instead of stewing in anxiety, in every situation you face present your needs to God in prayer with thanksgiving. What a thought that even though the glorified Christ guards you omnipotently from heaven He does so in such a way that utilizes your action. Certainly Christ will guard you despite your own passivity, but if you truly want to trade your anxiety for the peace of God, the only way to do it is to continually live in God's presence, bringing your needs to Him while you simultaneously thank God for all that He's given you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the great and holy God, is near. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Do not be anxious about anything; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 25

Philippians 1:1-6 (NIV) 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4  In all my prayers for all He knew these Philippian people he loved were held tightly by our God and Father, and that God's grace Paul could have this confidence because he knew that He who began the good work in each of these Philippians

DailyVerses.net Philippians 1:27-30 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul writes this letter to the Philippians from prison people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel 4 way that helped meet the needs of others, especially their fellow church members, but also the entire Philippian

Philippians 1:9–11 (NIV) 9   And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 Summary Paul writes this epistle to the Philippians from prison (a few verses before this passage he must have prayed for these things, but that's not what he mentions praying for as he writes to the Philippians

Bible.com Philippians 3:7–14 (NIV) 7  But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4

Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV) 12  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4

Philippians 3:7–9 (ESV) 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed Today: Colossians 4

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV) CONTEXT: This passage immediately follows the famous passage about Christ that