Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke visited Philippe and founded the first church in Europe on Paul's second missionary journey around A.D. 50 (Acts 16:11-40)
This letter was written in about 61 A.D. from Rome while Paul was under house arrest.
He writes from a place of strength and joy to encourage his dear friends in Philippi, who were also facing many contradictions.
Phil 1:20 My immediate circumstances do not distract from my message! I am convinced that our conversation now and always will continue to give accurate account of the magnificence of Christ. The message is incarnate in me; whether I live or die, it makes no difference.
Phil 1:21 Christ defines my life; death cannot threaten or diminish that.
Phil 2:12 "Not only in my presence but much more in my absence..." Paul knew that he would be more present in his message than in his person! Ministry success is not measured by how many partners you can congregate, but how absent you can preach yourself!
Phil 3:1 The conclusion of your faith is extreme gladness in the Lord. He is your constant reference to bliss! I am not just saying this to be repetitive; joy is your fortress! There is no safer place to be, but to be ecstatically happy!
Paul encourages them not to allow religion to distract from the delight of romance.
Phil 3:7 The sum total of my religious pedigree and sincere devotion amounts to zero! What we have been gifted with in Christ has reduced what once seemed so important, to meaningless information. To esteem the law is to your loss! Faith is your profit.
Phil 3:8 In fact, I have come to the conclusion that every association I have had with that which defined me before as a devout Jew, is by far eclipsed by what I have gained in knowing the Messiah. Jesus Christ and his masterful redemption define me now. Religion is like dog pooh; and it stinks, avoid stepping in it!
Phil 4:4 Joy is not a luxury option; joy is your constant! Your union in the Lord is your permanent source of delight; so I might as well say it again, rejoice in the Lord always!
Phil 4:6 Let no anxiety about anything 1distract you!
Phil 4:11 I have discovered my "I am-ness" and found that I am fully 1self sufficient, whatever the circumstance. (Self sufficient, 1autarkes, self complacent, the feeling you have when you are completely satisfied with yourself.)
Phil 4:13 In every situation I am strong in the one who empowers me from within to be who I am! (Paul lived his life in touch with this place within himself. He discovered that the same I am-ness that Jesus walked in, was mirrored in him! I am what I am by the grace of God! 1 Cor 15:10)
Lydia and Francois met on the 25th of August 1974, while he was working with Youth For Christ. She was sixteen and he nineteen! The following year he studied Greek and Hebrew at the University of Pretoria for three years while Lydia completed her nursing training. In 1978 Francois also spent a year with Youth with a Mission. They married in January 1979 and are blessed with four amazing children, Renaldo, Tehilla, Christo and Stefan. They worked in fulltime mission for fourteen years, during which time they also pastored a church and led a training facility for more than 700 students over a five-year period. They then left the ministry and for ten years did business mainly in the tourism industry. They built and managed a Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and eventually relocated to Hermanus where they started Southern Right Charters for boat-based whale watching. In December 2000 Francois began to write the book, "God believes in You" which led to him being invited to speak at various Christian camps and churches. They are now back in fulltime ministry since February 2004, and travel regularly abroad and into Africa as well as South Africa. Francois has written several books in both English and Afrikaans, including God Believes in You, Divine Embrace, Done! and The Mystery Revealed. He is currently passionately engaged in continuing with his translation of the Mirror Bible. His work is being translated into several African languages as well as Chinese, Russian, Hungarian, German, French, Spanish, Polish, Portugese, Dutch and Slovakian. The Mirror is already completed in Spanish, Shona and Xhosa. More than 30 000 people subscribe to their daily posts on facebook. You can get more detail about them on www.mirrorword.net. The Mirror Bible is also available on Kindle. Then there is an iPhone or Android mobile app on the following website, www.mirrorbible.com
