Confident Of This Very Thing

Tuesday Gathering - 7th December 2021

Philippians 1:2-8

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
[NKJV]

Reporting on our Tuesday Gatherings seemed like an easy task when we started, but it has become increasingly difficult. There are inevitably certain matters shared which it is not appropriate to broadcast — this was anticipated — but to capture the Spirit moving in a group of people is incredibly difficult. Even if our meetings were recorded on audio or video, we would undoubtedly lose that palpable sense of the moving of the Holy Spirit. It is something to be experienced in the moment and cannot be captured in a few words after the event.

It is a surer route to comment on some of the scripture that arose in our gathering, and on Tuesday we led with Philippians chapter 1. Gill noted that the first line (Philippians 1:2) formed the basis of an entire sermon some years ago, from an anointed preacher of our acquaintance. Even the smallest detail in the Bible can be incredibly uplifting and inspiring when the Spirit of The Lord brings it before us.

What stood out and reverberated in my spirit — and has done for these last three days — is the line being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Jesus inspires confidence. He will complete what He has started, of that we should have no doubting; yet we so often do. I know that to be true of myself. Why do I lose my confidence? The answer can only be that I am not looking to Jesus. We might think we are choosing aright, but careful consideration of the circumstances will confirm that we are not looking in the right places.

In the same way that the disciples in Matthew 8 (see ‘Meditate on these things’ below) felt they had to awaken Jesus to calm the storm instead of faithfully trusting in His presence with them, we must learn to trust what Jesus says to us and carry that through the storms of life instead of panicking into prayer and for Him to tell us “Oh you of little faith”.

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A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Peace
— Life In The Spirit --

O Lord, I do thank You for the relief and inspiration that has flowed into me and visited my inner kingdom. Fill me now with Your calm peace.
[from ‘Knocking at God’s Door’]

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“I’m Confident Of This Very Thing” — Pastor Chris

'Meditate On These Things'

MATTHEW 8:23-27 NKJV
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marvelled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

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