18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
We are called to pursue a vertical relationship with God, entering into His presence, communing with Him, and allowing His Spirit to take control of our lives. In verse 19, we see the connection between Spirit-filling and relating to one another - we are called to worship together, to give thanks to God for all things, and to develop an attitude of submission. The body of Christ is called to experience God together, and as He fills all of us and moves through us, we become part of radiating an incredible testimony to the world.
The first few verses of Philippians 2 can reinforce our call to be submissive to the Lord and sensitive to the needs of others:
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
It was designed to be a night out for two teachers before the start of school in Lafayette, Louisiana. Turns out it was a night of terror, but also of heroism.
Last Thursday night, a gunman opened fire in a theater, and at the conclusion of this round of senseless violence, three people were dead, including the instigator of this unthinkable incident.
And, there may have been more, but for a heroic act by one of those teachers. ABC News reports that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said that one of the teachers heroically jumped in front of her colleague to shield her. One of them was able to pull the fire alarm to alert authorities despite being wounded. The governor said at a press conference: "Her friend literally jumped over her, and in her account actually saved her life," adding, "If she hadn't done that ... that bullet, she believed it would have hit her in the head."
Both teachers were shot, as the governor said, one of them was able to pull the fire alarm to alert authorities, which helped to save other lives.
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The first few verses of Philippians 2 can reinforce our call to be submissive to the Lord and sensitive to the needs of others:
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
It was designed to be a night out for two teachers before the start of school in Lafayette, Louisiana. Turns out it was a night of terror, but also of heroism.
Last Thursday night, a gunman opened fire in a theater, and at the conclusion of this round of senseless violence, three people were dead, including the instigator of this unthinkable incident.
And, there may have been more, but for a heroic act by one of those teachers. ABC News reports that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said that one of the teachers heroically jumped in front of her colleague to shield her. One of them was able to pull the fire alarm to alert authorities despite being wounded. The governor said at a press conference: "Her friend literally jumped over her, and in her account actually saved her life," adding, "If she hadn't done that ... that bullet, she believed it would have hit her in the head."
Both teachers were shot, as the governor said, one of them was able to pull the fire alarm to alert authorities, which helped to save other lives.
33-year-old Jillian Johnson, who was actively involved in the Lafayette arts community, and 21-year-old student Mayci Breaux, a student who was about to enter a medical x-ray program, were the victims, according to TheAdvertiser.com.
Obviously, no one sets out to be a hero in a situation like this, but it can cause us to think about the priorities in our lives. In a moment of tragedy or threat, would we think more of ourselves or of others? That may be an easy answer for some, not so much for others. And, that leads to another question - even in those not-so-intense times of our lives, when there is no pressure, where is our default set? Toward getting our own needs met or seeking the welfare of other people? We have the presence of Jesus within us, who teaches us and empowers us to develop a servant's attitude.
And, another thing - even though wounded, one of these teachers was able to make her way to the fire alarm. I do want us to think together about the concept of "sounding the alarm." There are threats that we face as a culture today, and we can be challenged to examine whether or not we just want to escape unharmed, which may not be possible, OR to sound the alarm. Even though we may be wounded by discouragement or intimidated by hostility, yet we can still stand strong in the principles of Scripture. The enemy would want to wound us and render us ineffective, but God is offering us the strength to do the right thing, to say the right words, and to proclaim His truth.
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