1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home: 3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

This is a personal letter from Paul to his friend Philemon, who hosts a home church in Colossi.  He writes because Onesimus, the escaped slave of Philemon has been with him in prison. He says that Onesimus is like a son to him and a servant of The Lord.  He wants to return him to Philemon’s household, not just as a slave but also as a brother in Christ. Essentially this letter is full of love and tact in paving the way for reconciliation between slave and master.
Philemon is commended for his kindness, faith and love for the people of God. Because of this Paul is confident to implore him to be generous.
This is a pattern which works in our relationships too. Keeping in contact, especially with our Christian friends we don’t see so often. Encouraging them by pointing out their strengths and the good things you have heard about them.  I may be old fashioned but there is something very special about receiving a personal snail mail letter. You can open it, hold it, read it slowly and keep it in a special place, where you can re-read it when you need encouragement. (I know- you can save email too!)
If someone sent me a letter which started like this, I would be open to listen to the request which followed.

Dear Lord, I need your help to get around to using my time and love and words to bless and nurture my brothers and sisters. Thank you Father for the ‘love letters’ from you that we can re-read each day. Amen.

Written by Dimity Milne

7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our[b] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Paul writes to the Colossians during his first imprisonment in Rome, and he wants the Colossians to know that he doing quite well. He sent Tychicus to let the people know not to worry. Onesimus was probably the slave mentioned in Philemon and he was probably from Colossae.

Paul describes Tychicus as faithful, so we know he was consistent in his walk with Christ.  Paul calls him a fellow servant in the Lord, he was thought of as an equal, and he was also humble and willing to serve wherever was needed.

Onesimus was a faithful and beloved brother, and he was consistent and loving also.  Paul loved those he worked with and compliments them with praise and encouragement. Paul treated his fellow workers with courtesy and respect. He shared his knowledge but always on a basis of personal equality. As a result he gained their respect and their voluntary surrender to his requests.

What does God value? He does not ask us to be popular, brilliant, or widely accepted, but he does ask us to walk humbly and be faithful in whatever He has given us to do.

Fellowship and a sense of belonging are wonderful things.  God designed us to need each other.  We are all joined together as one body.  Belonging to Christ means we operate on love.  God will equip us to bear fruit and we are all given abilities to build up the body.

Are you using your gifts for God’s glory and building up the body of Christ?  Pray and ask God to reveal where you should begin using your gift.  It’s all part of the process of becoming who God wants you to be.  

Help me Lord to walk humbly before you, and to glorify You in all I do. Amen

Written by Cathy Croft

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. 4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

God wants us to treat each other well in every situation – at work, at home, with our friends. He wants us to remember that He is there to guide our actions and our attitudes. He wants us to have His attitude to those we interact with.

God’s attitude to us is one of love and grace and peace. What a beautiful picture for us to take to heart. How would our relationships be if we took God’s ideas to heart? He is our Lord. Let’s ask Him to highlight some places in our world where we could bring more love and grace than we currently do.

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Thanks Lord that You love us so thoroughly that you want to fill our lives with grace and peace. Help us to pass that on to those You bring into our lives.

Written by Therese Manning

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I am struck by the way God orchestrates these events to not only protect Jesus, but fulfill his good plan. Jesus, a young child, and his parents, have no way of knowing this plot from Herod who was really wanting to kill Jesus. They had no way of defending or protecting themselves. They were completely vulnerable to the plot of Herod and the Jewish leaders.

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Yet God was their protector. He warned the Magi in a dream not to go back to Herod, and they obeyed the dream rather than Herod. And so Jesus and his family remained undetected. Who knows the religious views and background of these Magi. But God spoke to them in a way they understood, and they heeded his warning.

This passage reminds me of God’s goodness towards His people, and me in particular, because of His good plan and purpose for us. Romans 8:28 comes to mind. It also reminds me that God has got the big picture under control, is moving events and people into position to fulfill his good purpose (even when opposing, destructive purposes are afoot), and is orchestrating all sorts of events and people to fulfill his Gospel purpose on the earth!

Thanks God for bringing me under your good purpose, which also means your care and protection. I couldn’t be in a safer place.

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh