Word for Today, Sat, 28 Jun 2003: Scripture from The Message

#1 · June 28, 2003, 10:16 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on June 28, 2003, 10:16 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I've not sent my usual daily messages this week, instead, it's
turned out that I've sent fewer, longer messages than has been my
custom.

Some of you know that I really like the letter of the Apostle
Paul to the church at Philippi. Though I enjoy all scripture and
I have several favorites, lately, I come back to this letter more
than any other one. From time to time, I like to read it using
different translations and various paraphrases, just to bring
out certain phrases to me, particularly if a passage is familiar
to me. This often causes me to take note of certain words or
phrases, at which point I'll often go to multiple translations
and think about what's being written.

So it is with today's message from The Message. Whether you like
this translation or not, it certainly is decidedly different. I
happen to really like it, and I often use it when I'm reading
long passages of scripture, not for strict literary accuracy, but
for the pure enjoyment of reading God's Word. Eugene Peterson
has quite a way with words. It's obvious that he's in love with
scripture, and he conveys Paul's love and passion for the
Philippian church in this chapter.

This is the chapter that says, in other translations, "Rejoice in
the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!" Eugene doesn't
put it that way, he uses the terms "celebrate" and "revel".
Don't you think that captures it?

I like how he "sums up" the kind of things we ought to be doing:
fill our minds and think about the absolute best things, all the
wonders of God's creation. This is worth bringing out, for it's
so easy to do otherwise.

My friends, one reason I read this chapter, and particularly
verses 4 through 9 so often is that I need to remind myself about
these things. I have so many things to deal with that AREN'T
that way. Without God's Word, I'd be a lot more apt to worry
about everything, bash others, think only about myself... well,
you get the idea. As someone who earnestly believes the
principles found here, I strive to follow them. But you know
what? It takes purposeful action, not just saying I believe
these things. I need to remind myself, I have to renew my mind
often. It is SO easy to fall into unhealthy thinking and habits.
It takes resolve and purpose to continually do what's right.

Therefore, I'm forever grateful for God's Word, which is there to
help me each day. I can rejoice because I have the model for
living that way... God's infallible Word.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
____________________________________________________________

The Message
Philippians 4: 1 - 23

1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the
very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such
pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. 2 I urge
Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up.
God doesn't want his children holding grudges. 3 And, oh, yes,
Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out,
do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand
in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans -
worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in
the book of life. 4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean,
revel in him! 5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that
you're on their side, working with them and not against them.
Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show
up any minute! 6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of
God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come
and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ
displaces worry at the center of your life. 8 Summing it all up,
friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and
meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic,
compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful,
not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into
practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and
realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together,
will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

10 I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess -
happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not
that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had
no chance to show it. 11 Actually, I don't have a sense of
needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite
content whatever my circumstances. 12 I'm just as happy with
little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the
recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or
hands empty. 13 Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it
through anything in the One who makes me who I am. 14 I don't
mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me - it did. It was a
beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. 15
You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget
it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out
with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take
of this work except you. You were the only one. 16 Even while I
was in Thessalonica, you helped out - and not only once, but
twice. 17 Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you
to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. 18 And
now I have it all - and keep getting more! The gifts you sent
with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling
sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance,
pleasing God no end. 19 You can be sure that God will take care
of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in
the glory that pours from Jesus.

20 Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out
into eternity. Yes. 21 Give our regards to every Christian you
meet. Our friends here say hello. 22 All the Christians here,
especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want
to be remembered to you. 23 Receive and experience the amazing
grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within
yourselves.

The Message - This edition issued by contractual arrangement
with NavPress, a division of The Navigators, U.S.A. Originally
published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in
Contemporary Language copyright 2002-2003 by Eugene Peterson.
All rights reserved.

Edited from the Web page
bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Philippians+4&section=0&version=msg&new=1&oq=&NavBook=php&NavGo=4&NavCurrentChapter=4

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
sbc.yahoo.com

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I've not sent my usual daily messages this week, instead, it's
turned out that I've sent fewer, longer messages than has been my
custom.

Some of you know that I really like the letter of the Apostle
Paul to the church at Philippi. Though I enjoy all scripture and
I have several favorites, lately, I come back to this letter more
than any other one. From time to time, I like to read it using
different translations and various paraphrases, just to bring
out certain phrases to me, particularly if a passage is familiar
to me. This often causes me to take note of certain words or
phrases, at which point I'll often go to multiple translations
and think about what's being written.

So it is with today's message from The Message. Whether you like
this translation or not, it certainly is decidedly different. I
happen to really like it, and I often use it when I'm reading
long passages of scripture, not for strict literary accuracy, but
for the pure enjoyment of reading God's Word. Eugene Peterson
has quite a way with words. It's obvious that he's in love with
scripture, and he conveys Paul's love and passion for the
Philippian church in this chapter.

This is the chapter that says, in other translations, "Rejoice in
the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!" Eugene doesn't
put it that way, he uses the terms "celebrate" and "revel".
Don't you think that captures it?

I like how he "sums up" the kind of things we ought to be doing:
fill our minds and think about the absolute best things, all the
wonders of God's creation. This is worth bringing out, for it's
so easy to do otherwise.

My friends, one reason I read this chapter, and particularly
verses 4 through 9 so often is that I need to remind myself about
these things. I have so many things to deal with that AREN'T
that way. Without God's Word, I'd be a lot more apt to worry
about everything, bash others, think only about myself... well,
you get the idea. As someone who earnestly believes the
principles found here, I strive to follow them. But you know
what? It takes purposeful action, not just saying I believe
these things. I need to remind myself, I have to renew my mind
often. It is SO easy to fall into unhealthy thinking and habits.
It takes resolve and purpose to continually do what's right.

Therefore, I'm forever grateful for God's Word, which is there to
help me each day. I can rejoice because I have the model for
living that way... God's infallible Word.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
____________________________________________________________

The Message
Philippians 4: 1 - 23

1 My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the
very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such
pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. 2 I urge
Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up.
God doesn't want his children holding grudges. 3 And, oh, yes,
Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out,
do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand
in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans -
worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in
the book of life. 4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean,
revel in him! 5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that
you're on their side, working with them and not against them.
Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show
up any minute! 6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers,
letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of
God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come
and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ
displaces worry at the center of your life. 8 Summing it all up,
friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and
meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic,
compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful,
not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into
practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and
realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together,
will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

10 I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess -
happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not
that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had
no chance to show it. 11 Actually, I don't have a sense of
needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite
content whatever my circumstances. 12 I'm just as happy with
little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the
recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or
hands empty. 13 Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it
through anything in the One who makes me who I am. 14 I don't
mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me - it did. It was a
beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. 15
You Philippians well know, and you can be sure I'll never forget
it, that when I first left Macedonia province, venturing out
with the Message, not one church helped out in the give-and-take
of this work except you. You were the only one. 16 Even while I
was in Thessalonica, you helped out - and not only once, but
twice. 17 Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you
to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. 18 And
now I have it all - and keep getting more! The gifts you sent
with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling
sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance,
pleasing God no end. 19 You can be sure that God will take care
of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in
the glory that pours from Jesus.

20 Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out
into eternity. Yes. 21 Give our regards to every Christian you
meet. Our friends here say hello. 22 All the Christians here,
especially the believers who work in the palace of Caesar, want
to be remembered to you. 23 Receive and experience the amazing
grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within
yourselves.

The Message - This edition issued by contractual arrangement
with NavPress, a division of The Navigators, U.S.A. Originally
published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in
Contemporary Language copyright 2002-2003 by Eugene Peterson.
All rights reserved.

Edited from the Web page
bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Philippians+4&section=0&version=msg&new=1&oq=&NavBook=php&NavGo=4&NavCurrentChapter=4

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
sbc.yahoo.com