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Philippians Chapter 4 verses 14 through 19 read as follows: 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. These verses are particularly interesting in that Paul is talking about a spiritual account or accounting. He has been amply helped by the church of the Philippians, and cites that not one other church shared with him in the matter of giving and receiving, yet the Philippians came through with aid again and again. These gifts were probably along the lines of practical material things, but also could have included spiritual gifts such as prayer support and the like. Paul is writing that these gifts are pleasing to the Lord. The Philippians had a spiritual awareness, and a mindset that involved concern for Paul and his troubles and continually giving help to him. Others churches may have also known of Paul's troubles and predicaments, but the Philippians were the only ones who sent things to Paul. The major point though, is not only that Paul knows they are the only one, but the Lord knows that they were the only ones and is especially pleased that they did act on Paul’s behalf. Their gifts, were considered an offering to the Lord as per the witness of Paul. The Lord however can out give any giver. Because the Lord was pleased the last verse says, 19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The Lord had for the Philippians glorious riches in Christ Jesus that would be supportive of all their needs, which of course could be many and could be varied. Different circumstances and different people need different things and there is a diversity of needs. But the blessing bestowed would be according to these needs as a redress for their pleasing the Lord and being the only ones to help Paul in this matter. What Paul was talking about was indeed not an actual account like a bank account, but a spiritual account that had principles of sharing and also of being tracked by the Lord. As the Bette Midler song says, “God is watching us.” These verses show that there are real time effects within the realm of the church that the Lord is looking in on. Acts of charity, which are pleasing to the Lord, can result in the Lord amplifying the situation and coming right back with glorious riches, according to the needs of individuals. While the works of the Philippians were probably more so regarding material things, it might have also included important spiritual works. But whatever they consisted of, they were pleasing to the Lord and did provide direct and real help to Paul in his troubles. These principals show some of the particulars of just how personal the relationship with the Lord can be with regards to the back and forth aspects and how He meets with people according to their needs on the basis of glorious riches. The cross purposes here are direct. The Lord is present with his glorious riches, and there is a visibility to what is actually happening. Paul is witnessing to the Philippians, that the riches they are beginning to experience are because the Lord is pleased with their work for the Lord in helping Paul. There is a visible presence to what is happening. The help presented here, went into Paul's ministry and this also brings about the importance of finding and focusing on your ministry or to assist others in their ministry as something that pleases the Lord and will correspondingly bring about the response of meeting your own needs richly. The ministry might vary, for some it could be song, some it could be say a prison ministry, or simply a prayer ministry and so on. There is no need to take for granted that somebody else is doing it, it may be as in this case nobody else is coming forward and the Philippians were alone in doing this. The Philippians most likely did not expect direct and abundant rewards from the Lord according to their needs, but Paul is both witnessing to them in his letter and to us in this Holy Scripture that the Lord indeed does work this way. This also goes into discernment. In Ephesians Chapter 5 verses ten it says, 10and find out what pleases the Lord.” The scenario presented here is one key way to do that. As they the Philippians where met with glorious riches for their actions towards Paul, this was a way of discerning that the Lord was pleased and to continue to walk in those ways. There was a direct link between their actions for Paul and the appearance of great riches of some sort from the Lord. It is not specific as to what they were, only that they were according to all needs. The needs are met not in a small way but out of the Lord’s storehouse and abundance of riches and there is a pointed presence to these treasures. These riches might have a common or commonplace nature, but they are incomparable, you can’t get the results anywhere else. You can’t get to these levels otherwise. Examples would be the gifts of angelic help; there is nothing comparable to this. But other more everyday things could not be otherwise seen at levels the Lord can bring forth. Somebody might have extraordinary and luxurious hair, a commonplace area but brought to the extraordinary by the Lord. Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 7 says, “7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” For the new decade, there can be a greater awareness at the level of discernment as to what pleases the Lord, and insights that there is a ongoing spiritual accounting that should be heeded, and investment in it goes along the lines of sharing with others at the level of helping others, and the Lord will repay mightily according to particular needs that He sees which may be standard but also might be quite varied depending of the individuals concerned.
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