JULY 17

STARRY, STARRY LIGHT

PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16 | Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.

Paul is a man of aims. With everything he writes, he has one eye on the Church, one eye on the world, and a third eye, the eye of his heart, on the day of Christ.

Thus the imperative of verse 14: Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Paul’s aim here is three-fold: the health of the church, their testimony in the world, and their standing on the day of Christ when God exposes and judges the secrets of every heart.

Christ is coming for a Church that is innocent and free of all blame and blemish. But from the warnings and corrections in this letter, it seems that the Philippians are becoming too much like the world they’re supposed to be winning for Christ. They are behaving more like the generation that God rejected in the wilderness—”a crooked, twisted, and blemished generation (DEUT 32:5).

In their grumbling and disputing, therefore, Paul’s readers are in danger of losing their innocence and spoiling their testimony in Philippi. No wonder they’re losing their joy. Paul is alarmed. So much hinges on the health of the church. The progress of the Gospel in pagan Philippi is at stake.

But it’s not too late. If they listen to Paul and navigate out of their doldrums, they can recover their innocence and redeem their testimony in the community. They can renew their joy, get a grip on the Gospel, and hold forth the Word of life in a world bound for shipwreck.

Paul is a man of aims. Everything he writes has a so that, whether implicit or explicit. Here he spells it out: So that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain (:16). Paul wants to be in the number of those who turn many to righteousness and shine like stars forever (DAN 12:3). But he is not seeking his own stardom. He wants all his spiritual children to be there with him, when the saints go marching in, lighting up the new heavens and the new earth forever and ever. Amen.

STARRY, STARRY LIGHT

PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16 | Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.

Paul is a man of aims. With everything he writes, he has one eye on the Church, one eye on the world, and a third eye, the eye of his heart, on the day of Christ.

Thus the imperative of verse 14: Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Paul’s aim here is three-fold: the health of the church, their testimony in the world, and their standing on the day of Christ

JULY 17

when God exposes and judges the secrets of every heart.

Christ is coming for a Church that is innocent and free of all blame and blemish. But from the warnings and corrections in this letter, it seems that the Philippians are becoming too much like the world they’re supposed to be winning for Christ. They are behaving more like the generation that God rejected in the wilderness—”a crooked, twisted, and blemished generation (DEUT 32:5).

In their grumbling and disputing, therefore, Paul’s readers are in danger of losing their innocence and spoiling their testimony in Philippi. No wonder they’re losing their joy. Paul is alarmed. So much hinges on the health of the church. The progress of the Gospel in pagan Philippi is at stake.

But it’s not too late. If they listen to Paul and navigate out of their doldrums, they can recover their innocence and redeem their testimony in the community. They can renew their joy, get a grip on the Gospel, and hold forth the Word of life in a world bound for shipwreck.

Paul is a man of aims. Everything he writes has a so that, whether implicit or explicit. Here he spells it out: So that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labour in vain (:16). Paul wants to be in the number of those who turn many to righteousness and shine like stars forever (DAN 12:3). But he is not seeking his own stardom. He wants all his spiritual children to be there with him, when the saints go marching in, lighting up the new heavens and the new earth forever and ever. Amen.

PrayNow

■ On the international stage, Singapore is a shining star of effective governance (ST 28 APRIL 2022). Will the Singapore Church stand out as Jesus’ flaming ambassadors, holding fast to the Word of life in a perilous world of lies, pride, rebellion, and division? Will we be icons of Christ, blameless and without blemish in a devious generation that calls evil good and good evil, that puts darkness for light and light for darkness, that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (IS 5:20)? Or are we becoming more like the world we’re supposed to be influencing for Christ? Whatever it is, never give up. Determine to do your part in redeeming the situation. Live for Christ. Pray with love. Press on with hope until the Day of the Lord!

■ Stand in the gap for the Next Generation. The CNA 2019 survey on millennials is alarming. It’s not a pretty picture. Pore over the findings below. What do you think? How do Christian millennials compare with their pre-believing counterparts? Are they: very different, no different, or somewhat in-between? Don’t pre-judge. Seek God’s opinion. Pray deep. Pray long. Pray beyond.

HOW SINGAPORE SEE ITS MILLENNIALS (AGED 19-36) AND HOW MILLENNIALS ACTUALLY THINK OF THEMSELVES:

• Top Perceptions: They are impatient (meaning, instant gratification in this digital age), overconfident and materialistic. They scored low on being loyal, disciplined, and taking ownership of work. One social media influencer added: we are entitled, lazy, and lack respect for traditional institutions of power.

• Other Findings: They are the least likely to be married and the least likely to have a religion. They are more accepting of LGBT issues than the older generation. They are unwilling to put aside personal preference (make sacrifices, if these do not fit their personal interests) for the greater good. They are Singapore’s most educated generation but the least socially-gracious. For example, helping the needy cross the road, giving up seats to the needy on the train and greeting your neighbours. Millennials scored lower than the other generations. Maybe millennials get lost in the digital world (in such a way) that sometimes they lose touch with the real world (CNA 17 OCT 2019).

■ Who are the bright sparks among millennials in your sphere of influence that are bucking the trend? Invoke God’s blessings on each one by name. Ask God to set them apart as his blazing torch of righteous influencers in a world of deepening darkness overrun by crooks, twisters, and defilers. May they do their predecessors proud by stewarding the present well. May they pass on to those after them a brighter future marked by a greater legacy of Christlikeness and Christ-centred passion and purity.

■ Make this declaration with and on behalf of all Marketplace Christians: We are men and women of aims. Our purpose is not to become prosperous, popular or powerful, but to be like Jesus! We are in this world but not of this world. We will not run away from the world, but enter into the world, and with a different spirit, we will make a difference. We will hold firmly to the Word of life and shine like stars in the marketplace. We will stand out from the crowd as blameless and pure disciples of Christ. So help us, Lord. Amen.

PrayNow

■ On the international stage, Singapore is a shining star of effective governance (ST 28 APRIL 2022). Will the Singapore Church stand out as Jesus’ flaming ambassadors, holding fast to the Word of life in a perilous world of lies, pride, rebellion, and division? Will we be icons of Christ, blameless and without blemish in a devious generation that calls evil good and good evil, that puts darkness for light and light for darkness, that puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (IS 5:20)? Or are we becoming more like the world we’re supposed to be influencing for Christ? Whatever it is, never give up. Determine to do your part in redeeming the situation. Live for Christ. Pray with love. Press on with hope until the Day of the Lord!

■ Stand in the gap for the Next Generation. The CNA 2019 survey on millennials is alarming. It’s not a pretty picture. Pore over the findings below. What do you think? How do Christian millennials compare with their pre-believing counterparts? Are they: very different, no different, or somewhat in-between? Don’t pre-judge. Seek God’s opinion. Pray deep. Pray long. Pray beyond.

HOW SINGAPORE SEE ITS MILLENNIALS (AGED 19-36) AND HOW MILLENNIALS ACTUALLY THINK OF THEMSELVES:

• Top Perceptions: They are impatient (meaning, instant gratification in this digital age), overconfident and materialistic. They scored low on being loyal, disciplined, and taking ownership of work. One social media influencer added: we are entitled, lazy, and lack respect for traditional institutions of power.

• Other Findings: They are the least likely to be married and the least likely to have a religion. They are more accepting of LGBT issues than the older generation. They are unwilling to put aside personal preference (make sacrifices, if these do not fit their personal interests) for the greater good. They are Singapore’s most educated generation but the least socially-gracious. For example, helping the needy cross the road, giving up seats to the needy on the train and greeting your neighbours. Millennials scored lower than the other generations. Maybe millennials get lost in the digital world (in such a way) that sometimes they lose touch with the real world (CNA 17 OCT 2019).

■ Who are the bright sparks among millennials in your sphere of influence that are bucking the trend? Invoke God’s blessings on each one by name. Ask God to set them apart as his blazing torch of righteous influencers in a world of deepening darkness overrun by crooks, twisters, and defilers. May they do their predecessors proud by stewarding the present well. May they pass on to those after them a brighter future marked by a greater legacy of Christlikeness and Christ-centred passion and purity.

■ Make this declaration with and on behalf of all Marketplace Christians: We are men and women of aims. Our purpose is not to become prosperous, popular or powerful, but to be like Jesus! We are in this world but not of this world. We will not run away from the world, but enter into the world, and with a different spirit, we will make a difference. We will hold firmly to the Word of life and shine like stars in the marketplace. We will stand out from the crowd as blameless and pure disciples of Christ. So help us, Lord. Amen.

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