God's Work Within You

2 Peter 1:1-15

Do you smell what The Cephas is cookin'?

"1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."

It's always important to note who the intended recipient of the letter was. Based on what Peter writes in 3:1, it's understood that this second letter is intended for the same people who received his first. In 1 Peter, the Apostle greets more specifically then his second letter. He opens his first letter with "to the elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (modern day Turkey area). The fact that he identifies his recipients as those who have "obtained a faith" and as "elect exiles" is of great importance.

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love."

The list of qualities in verses 5-7 is not a list of things to check off as you go through life (that would be legalism), rather it is a list of the desires of a regenerated heart. Remember to whom this letter is addressed, those who have already received faith "by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." This is a list of qualities that reflect a faithful, obedient heart.

Consider what this list is not. This is certainly not a list of things the believer should avoid. There are lists in the New Testament telling us the things to avoid. Actions and desires that are not of the Spirit, but of the flesh (Col 3:5; Gal 5:19-21). Paul makes it quite clear that it is not possible for a human to put those desires to death without the Holy Spirit acting within us (Romans 8:13; Philippians 2:12, 13; Colossians 1:28, 29). This is why it's so important to understand who is receiving this letter: those who have already been chosen by God for salvation (1 Peter 1:1, 2, 2 Peter 1:1). By faith in Christ, they already have the Spirit at work within them. If the list of qualities Peter lists in verses 5-7 are made plain in the believer's life, he will have assurance of his own salvation for the Spirit is at work within him. Salvation belongs to the chosen children of God, and it is confirmed by obedience.

The means for this assurance of eternal security to occur is shown in verses 3 and 4. There is no doubt that it is only by God's divine power that salvation is made possible, and that salvation occurs only through the knowledge of Christ (v3). "The knowledge of Christ emphasized here is not a superficial knowledge, or a mere surface awareness of the facts about Christ, but a genuine, personal sharing of life with Christ, based on repentance from sin and personal faith in Him" (MacArthur, 1929). Peter tells us what God's divine power provides in verse 3, "all things that pertain to life and godliness." Therefore, through Christ, we are given everything we need to confirm the fact that we are "called to his own glory and excellence" and away from "the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." Through Christ, we are called to life and away from death. Otherwise stated, the only way to escape sinful desire (i.e. desires that take you away from the qualities in verses 5-7) is to be called to God's own glory and excellence.

"8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The Greek word that "ineffective" is translated from is argos, meaning, "idle, lazy, thoughtless, unprofitable, injurious." While the word for "unfruitful" is translated from akarpos, which means, "barren, profitless." If we are called to God's own glory and excellence (v3), we will start looking more and more like Christ. Words like lazy, barren, and profitless have no business in a Christian's life because they do not describe our Savior, Whom we are being made to look like. "Salvation is by grace. But once you have been saved by the grace of God, you will begin to look like someone who is saved" (Dever, 463). When these qualities (vv5-7) leave your life you have, as Peter puts it, not only do you become unfruitful but "blind" to the forgiveness of your sins! Even though the elect are never without salvation, a fruitless faith will blend in nicely with the corrupted world from which they were saved. "He (the believer) may be saved and possess all the blessings of verses 3 and 4, but without the excellencies of verses 5-7, he will live in doubt and fear" (MacArthur, 1930).

"12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things."

Living a life glorifying to the Lord is not only how we confirm our election, it's also a great way to remind our brothers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! By word and action, let's display the work of the Spirit within us!

Sources:

ESV Study Bible, Crossway, 2008.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary, John MacArthur, Thomas Nelson, 2005.
The Message of the New Testament, Mark Dever, Crossway, 2005.

Grace and Peace

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:1-2, ESV

Grace and peace. I have become enamored with these words and how Paul delivers them so often. He starts all 13 of the letters that he authored in the New Testament with them. It shows that Paul was a man of habit, much like myself. However, repetition can have a negative effect on the perception of others. Like an axe blade that gets dull from use, losing effectiveness at the one job that it has. I see this a lot in the church. We've heard John 3:16 and Psalm 23 a thousand times. These are universe and heart changing passages! We've seen words like grace, peace, and mercy thrown around a lot. These words remind us of so much in this life. This is when slowing ourselves down and really dwelling on the Word of God is beneficial. If Paul said, "grace and peace" so much, it must be very important.

What is grace? Webster's defines it as, "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification." That's the way I've heard it the most, or shorter still, "unmerited favor." What a thing to be reminded of! The love and patience of the Creator of the universe is consistently directed toward you, believer, for nothing that you have done! It wasn't a one shot deal, either. Peter starts his epistles by going one step further, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you…" The grace that we receive by the blood of Christ has on-going, lasting effects that are multiplied as we grow nearer to Jesus.

As we exist naturally, we don't stand a chance in the presence of God. His holiness, His righteousness, and His perfection would destroy us. We are born into sin, our natural desires are of the flesh and are apart from God. We tend to worship the creation and not the Creator. This is due to the fact that the world, created for His glory, is fallen and we are in need of a Savior. A perfect atoning sacrifice is necessary to cover the iniquity of man in order for the wrath of a holy, righteous, and perfect God to pass over us. The Greek word for Gospel is euaggelion, it means "good news." The sacrifice of God's perfect Son covers us with His perfect blood allowing us into the presence of a holy God. That's the good news!

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:17-18, ESV

Why is the unbeliever "condemned already?" Paul elaborates on this in Romans 5. The Apostle contrasts the original sin of the man, Adam, with the redeeming grace of God through the man, Jesus Christ.
 

"But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." Romans 5:15-18, ESV

Whoa. What in the world is "justification?" This word is translated from the Greek word dikaióma. Which is defined as, "a thing pronounced (by God) to be righteous; or the restoration of a criminal, a fresh chance given him; a righteous deed, an instance of perfect righteousness." Instead of "justification" used in the ESV translation of Romans 5:16, the New Living Translation makes things a little simpler and translates dikaióma as "our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins." Brothers and sisters: That's grace. Paul elaborates further in the second chapter of Ephesians:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10, ESV

Paul reminds the recipients of his letters that they receive this grace and whom they receive it from. What of peace? What's that? Is "the opposite of war" an appropriate definition? That is the definition at its most simple, and probably the first thing you think of.  The Greek word here is eiréné. Defined as, "peace, peace of mind; wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together." This Greek word is the word most often used for peace in the New Testament (92 times, 84% of the time a word is translated as "peace"). The Hebrew philosophy of shalom influenced the New Testament writers in their use of eiréné. Shalom is not just a greeting, it doesn't mean "hello" in Hebrew. It's a hope that signifies a "right relationship or harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant." True peace is only obtainable by the grace of God. There are no exceptions.

The events that unfold in our lives are a physical manifestation of our search of this true peace. This search for peace is a war. For both the believer and the unbeliever our lives are a constant struggle for the peace that only Christ can award. We attempt to satisfy that craving with desires of the flesh. Alcohol, drugs, lust, materialism, laziness; there is always something that we think will satisfy- but it never does. We are born into this state of yearning for the peace of Christ and it's only by grace that it's given. This state of  yearning is due to a separation between the unrighteous man and the perfectly righteous God. Through Christ, that yearning is satisfied.  Through Christ, that wall of hostility is destroyed. He is the only mediator between man and God.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." Ephesians 2:13-16, ESV

Praise be to God. Paul, by greeting the recipients of his letters with "grace and peace," was reminding them in two words of the Good News! Two words, when unpacked, remind the reader of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'll be working through Ephesians and attempting to make sense of it to the best of my ability. This post is way longer then I hope the others will be, and it took me way longer than I anticipated. I did not anticipate that I would be defining the entire redeeming work of God through Christ by discussing two words!! Keep on the lookout for two primary themes throughout the rest of the book: 1) Christ has reconciled all creation to Himself and to the Father. 2) Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and to one another in His church.  Read, comment, let me know your thoughts on these matters. Grace and peace! 

Where Your Strength and Passion Meet

I have been struggling to find a way to get into and stay into the Word for the past 8 months. Everything I've attempted has ended in failure. Studies have been started in Hebrews, John, Zechariah, and Psalms- none of them to completion. I barely get past the first chapter. It feels as though I'm in the fiction aisle reading the backs of Sci-Fi novels looking for the one that will really give me what I want. The story with the most "wow factor" is what I want. Give me the good stuff. Show me something that will give me great stories to tell to my friends. Reveal to me some great secret that's gone 2,000 years without being discovered. Some great revelation waiting for a barely educated wannabe theologian. Yeah, right.

Rewind to when I was in Scripture on a daily basis. Man, things were great. I had a job I hated that paid well, and a routine that I loved that paid well in other means. The job was an 8-5 gig. Well, more like 8:30 to 4:45 most days. As soon as my alarm went off at 6:00 in the morning, I was up and yearning for the wheels to start spinning. In less than 10 minutes, I was going to be neck deep in God's Word! A quick five minute shower. No time to waste, I'm almost to my desk! My desk was amazing. It had everything I needed. ESV Study Bible, Strong's Concordance, Bible Dictionary, internet- All the tools I need! My coffee, a necessary compliment to my quiet time, was waiting patiently for me after my shower. Being on such a routine, my coffee maker was on a timer. Finally. Showered, dressed, and with coffee in hand, I'm sitting at my desk and ready for the riches of Scripture.

God changed me drastically during this time, and my routine was a tool he used to do so. My strength at this time, a gift from above, was my routine and my love of structure. Yeah, He changed me during this time, alright. That was a different time, though. A time that is past that I've been attempting to hang on to. Like the silver under Achan's tent (Joshua 7). Presently, much to my dismay, I don't have a routine. That's okay, though. God will use this time to continue His work on my heart. He will point out the obvious things I already know, and they will bring fear and trembling to my heart as if I were hearing them for the first time. His perfect patience, His lovingkindness, leads us to repentance. Praise His name!

Now, I'm going to try to start doing something a little different. Maybe it's the step He's been showing me for the past 8 months that I've been too blinded by pride to see. During my period of routine, I catered to that routine, to that strength. Through one of my greatest gifts (fellowship and community) something else has been revealed to me. Another strength I need to cater to, and I pray God is glorified by my pursuit of this gift. 

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart: Slovakia Part 1

When agreeing to go on my first trip to Slovakia (also my first trip to Europe), I truly feel that it was not my decision. The Adam that made that decision was completely incapable of understanding the ramifications of agreeing to trust in God to such an extent. Mostly due to the fact that I am so used to only considering the limits of my own strength. That helps me to define trust: To completely rely on the strength of someone else; confidence in someone else’s abilities. Pride tends to cause us to put the trust we have in ourselves on the same level as trust in God, or even higher than Him. For some, trust in self completely eclipses a trust in God. This is a restraining, foolish endeavor, as a complete trust in God is the very definition of freedom. Proverbs 3:5-8 reads;

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.”

My anxieties started early in the preparation for this trip. Around the New Year, both the lead pastor and the discipleship pastor at my church were encouraging me to go. This immediately “cut against the grain” in my selfish heart. After all, I had other plans. It was announced in November of 2014 that the company I had been working for the past 11 years had been acquired by another company. Myself, and the rest of the office staff, would end up losing our jobs. Leaving the country around the same exact time as losing a job did not sound like a great idea to me. “It sounds like a lovely idea,” I thought, but the timing just did not seem right. There were many other fears, as well. I’m not the typical “crazy American” this camp is accustomed to. How can my introversion be of use in such a high-energy setting? How am I supposed to raise support? I don’t know people with a lot of money, and I certainly do not have a lot of cash lying around. All these fears (and many more) had me asking myself an important question, "Was my trust in myself or God?"

Prior to leaving I prayed intently about my trust in the Lord. While reflecting on this, I had no idea what level of trust I was lacking. This revealed an important lesson in how well sin can disguise itself in our lives. It can be right under our noses! As we grow closer to Christ, His righteousness will continually reveal iniquity in our own lives. Also, I had no idea how this trust would be added to me. That’s the thing about prayer; once you surrender and admit your need for him, he will astound you at how he delivers. That in and of itself is a provision; the capability to witness his work. As He proves that not only is He far above you, but he is for you, as well. Consider Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The “who” in this verse often times can be our own sin and pride, manipulated into an opposition that can stand between us and our goal of surrendered lives.

Why then, was my heart gripped with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty? These are sure symptoms of a lack of trust, even a lack of faith. Only considering my limits, I doubted God could use me in any way in Slovakia. Selfishly, I did not consider the eternal attributes of God. The Christian life is one of surrender, implying complete trust in Him. If we are to truly become disciples of Christ, a Christian, we will hear the words of Jesus and live by them. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). Pride will fight the denial of self to the death, but a life of surrender will kill pride and our “old self.”

As we surrender, it is important to realize what we are agreeing to. The Christian life carries itself out in the individual in two primary ways. The first is a type of “inner warfare.” This is our “vertical life.” Our heart is open and focused “up;” this is where we are getting “right” with God. The life of a Christian is also aimed outward to others, in what we can call “work.” This is our “horizontal life,” which is the effect of our “vertical life” on the world around us. These two aspects of the Christian life are summed up nicely in 2 Peter 1:3-15, emphasis on vv 5-8. Also, consider the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God (Exodus 20:1-21). The first four are focused on your relationship with him. The rest focus on our interaction with the world around us. Let’s look at a popular passage written by Paul to the Ephesians:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

There are two aspects of this passage I would like to point out. The first is that we are a new creation in Christ (“his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…”), yet we are still flesh. Therefore, the new creation is at war with our “old self.” However, our old, sinful desires do not magically go away with an altar call (consider Romans 7:13-20; Ephesians 4:17-24).This is the aforementioned inner warfare of the Christian. My pride was getting in the way of me accepting this call to Slovakia. I had many excuses; I was losing my job, raising support seemed impossible, I’m starting school, I’d be of better use in Africa. These excuses were me attempting to reason or barter with God; my “old self” trying to get one over on the new creation.

The second part I would like to point out is the last line; that we should walk in these good works. This is the “horizontal life” I mentioned. Doing this is impossible without having our “vertical life” centered on God. Walking in these good works, which are in a “manner worthy of the Lord,” requires “knowledge of his will”. Only then will we see “fruit in every good work” and even an “increasing knowledge of God” (consider Colossians 1:9-14). The six months leading up to my trip to Slovakia have revealed to me a trust that I was lacking; this same lack of trust was a lack of knowledge of his will in my life. The trust gained is the fruit of this good work.

If the trust that I learned over the past six months was a good work that God prepared beforehand, what do I have to be anxious about? The love of God displayed by Christ casts out all fear (consider 1 John 4:18). Therefore, the anxieties of raising support, teaching English for the first time, being older than the students, etc. should not exist. The removal of these fears in the face of complete trust in the Lord is liberation like I had never imagined. A liberation that can only be defined as “peace.” Isaiah 12:2 says,

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

Brothers, sisters, and friends who may not know Him, I pray that this trust is also yours. The trust gained in the Lord is a lifelong process that has to begin somewhere and it does not stop. He reveals new glimpses of his character everyday. I pray that the path to surrender and trust is illuminated by the “radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” Jesus Christ. You may already have this, and I pray that it increases as you walk in good works and give thanks and praise. Soli Deo Gloria!

Eleven Years Later...

Today is my last day working at a company I have been with for nearly 11 years. That's a third of my life! Needless to say this seems quite surreal to me. On Monday, I'll be unemployed for the first time since I was 15. That does not startle me, what startles me is that I will not be working for Moviestop. This company has been really good to me over the years, and I'm grateful to God that he guided me to the path I've walked for a decade now. When I look back at how things started and how they progressed, I'm dumbfounded and awestruck at seeing the sovereign hand of God in action. His divine nature is plain to me, and I have no excuse not to see it and give him thanks and praise. Romans 1:20 reads, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

Throughout this time, I have been through the darkest of lows and brightest of highs. The full spectrum of human emotion has been touched. Overtime, I learned that the "dark is just a canvas for his grace and brightness." That's where God truly shines; when you feel like there's nothing left on earth that can fill that void. "It's like you're eating every day, but never really full." Make no mistake, there is something out there and he's there for you. All creeds, races, walks of life have the opportunity to hear his call. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Can you imagine the freedom in that? The freedom in boasting in your weakness? When darkness comes, to know with absolute certainty that Jesus the Messiah will be there to comfort you is the highest form of freedom. July 4, 1776 has got nothing on that. James 1:2-4 has been a continuous reminder, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

The last 11 years have not only seen a lot of change in my heart, but also in the world. In August of 2004 I was still living in Macon. George W Bush was still POTUS. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were at their hottest, with reports of the Battle of Fallujah leaving a mark on my mind. The term "IED" became a household term, as we heard about these terrible devices nearly by the day. In August of 2004, only 3 years removed from 9/11, the base the Statue of Liberty finally reopened to tourists. Fear continued to grip the nation, as we allowed laws to be passed that tightened the grip on personal liberty. This shaped my view of the government and showed me how weak a fearful nation can be. These decisions, made hastily in the face of fear, continue to leave a dark shadow on the US. Furthermore, Hurricane Katrina happened. The first black President was elected. The last eleven years have certainly left their mark in the history books.

When I started with this company the first iPhone had yet to be released. If Karl Marx so famously said, "religion is the opiate of the masses," what would he say about the smartphone plague? Entertainment to continue to numb your senses and refocus your attention is now with you everywhere and continuously updated.

The company moved me around a good bit. In 2007 I moved to Richmond, Virginia. I quickly fell in love with that city. I'm thankful for the people I met there and the friends I made. Two people in particular planted seeds in my heart that God eventually grew into something beautiful. I am humbled by the patience that God placed in their hearts. A patience, or forbearance, that was necessary in dealing with a jack-wagon like myself. A patience, or longsuffering, that was born out of love that came directly from the Holy Spirit that is poured directly into our hearts. To them I say "thank you." James ends his letter with this, "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." Soli Deo Gloria.

I then lived in Baltimore, Maryland for a year. Taken away from a place I had only just come to call home. This is where my weakness took hold of my life. I was foolish and continuously sought refuge in things that are not of God. I placed idols, if you will, in my heart before God. This can be anything; drink, food, work, entertainment. I was alone, hurting, and attempted to find solace in temporary devices.  I was so relieved when work took me back to Richmond for a year (where I continued to make mistakes), then it was off to Kennesaw, Georgia. Hurting more than ever, I found myself accepting an invitation to a church. I denied it a few times, thinking it wasn't for me. I was stubborn, but eventually listened to a few of the sermon podcasts. The word of God cut deep into my heart. Despite the fact that the friend who invited me was out of town, I had to go to this church that very Sunday.

The friends I made through this fellowship quickly became my brothers and sisters; teaching me, encouraging me, affirming me, edifying me. And to think that the church is actually a gathering of sinners who have recognized their need for a Savior. Our mutual need for a Savior has lined our lives up to an intersecting point at Vertical Life Church. Which I never would have heard of if it were not for the company moving me to Kennesaw. Scripture, prayer, and fellowship have been an immeasurable provision of grace in my life. Through these gifts I have learned that life is not about my personal satisfaction; the chief end of man is to glorify God. We are made righteous by pursuing His righteousness.

"And the effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever." (Isaiah 32:17)

Thankfully, this pursuit of holiness never ends. I am shown new grace and mercy daily. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (Philippians 3:16). Through this confidence found in Christ alone, this day of transition will be set aside as a monument to all that He has done in my heart. Anxiousness has no place in my heart, for everything is lifted to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving (Philippians 3:6, paraphrased).

If you've made it this far through an out of control wall of text, know that you are in my prayers. Brothers and sisters, thank you. And if you have yet to begin your walk with Christ, I pray that He make Himself known to you. Let my story testify to the reality of God, his mercy, and salvation. His timing is perfect in all cases.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Phil 4:4)