For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. - Philippians 1:21 –22 (ESV)

Imprisoned. Silenced from preaching and planting churches. Restrained from traveling. The real possibility of execution looming. How would you respond? Hopelessness? Despair? This was the plight of the Apostle Paul. What would happen next was unknown.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. - Philippians 1:6 –7 (ESV)

In the Chinese calendar each year is represented by an animal. If I was making the calendar for 2020, I think this years animal should be  Eeyore. That's right, the sad donkey from the beloved children's story. I mean that's what 2020 feels like right? It has seemed like an endless string of horible circumstances that only worsen. (You have heard there is a double-hurricane sorta headed our way). So I'm calling it! 2020 is the year of the Eeyore.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. - Philippians 1:12 –13 (ESV)

What feeling or emotion comes to mind when we start to talk about evangelism? I think for many people it's fear. We are afraid that we won't have the answer to a question. We are afraid of rejection. We are afraid of persecution. We are afraid our lives won't match what we say. There are a lot of fears, but what if one of the ways to discover joy was actually evangelism?

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:1 –2 (ESV)

You have seen the memes. You probably have talked about it or at least you have felt it. 2020 is weird. It's the oddest collision of circumstances I can remember in my lifetime. A virus, confinement, endless cancellations and re-arrangements, unrest, political conflicts, disconnection and disunity, financial instability, etc. It will be a year to remember (although we'd like to forget).

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. - Philippians 1:9 –11 (ESV)

Where did you find joy this week? Did you remember that God is not finished with you even when you feel like a failure? Did that bring you joy?

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (ESV) - Deuteronomy 29:29

This summer we have been exploring the attributes of God in our series - No One Like. One of the obvious truths to come through in this series is God is not like us. (It was literally in the title of the series!) He is not just a bigger, super powered version of us. He is fundamentally different then us. He is omniscient, omnipresent, holy, just, loving to name just a few attributes.