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Enjoy this reading by Daniel Lovett of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians from the WEB translation with electric and acoustic guitar instrumentals in the background.
Follow along here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+1&version=WEB
Philippians 1 World English Bible (WEB)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ;To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers [a] and servants[b]: 2 Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God whenever I remember you, 4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy, 5 for your partnership[c] in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; 6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (keep reading here!)
I was reflecting on how Jesus made himself of no reputation. There is a tremendous freedom that comes when we decide to have no reputation. No one can hold something over us when we are completely open and transparent about who we truly are.
Consider the ways Jesus had no “reputation”. He was born in a barn to poor peasants from Nazareth. He had the stigma of being a bastard (Who really believed his mom was a virgin?) The Scriptures tell us he was average looking or even ugly! He wandered about during his ministry homeless and dependent on charity from women and on the welfare of his day. At his death he was publicly whipped and mocked and crucified naked.
God truly chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (1 Cor. 1:27).
Here is an excerpt from Philippians 2:
“If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus Christ is Lord!