Philemon 1:11 (KJV) Are You A Profitable Christian?

Philemon 1:11 (KJV)

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

Sometimes the thing we think is bad turns out for a greater good. Onesimus had run away—an unprofitable servant. Gill supposes he was lazy, an embezzler, a thief, and in many other ways a poor example to others.

But in leaving, Onesimus met Paul, and through Paul he was saved. His time with Paul was productive, his salvation was sincere, and when Paul sent him back to Philemon, he returned a completely different man—profitable now, not only to Paul, who could have used him at his side, but to Philemon, at whose side he belonged.

A true believer is profitable to everyone he is around. Like all of us, God has created him for a specific place, and in that place he must learn to abide; but he is the kind of man who would be well placed just about anywhere.

Christian, has your relationship with the Lord made you such? Or are you the sort that some Christians like to be around and are helped by, but others cannot abide being around you?

It seems to me, if you are the latter, you would do well to examine your relationship with the Lord.

#ProfitableServant #ChangedByGrace #PhilemonTruth #ChristianCharacter #UsefulForGod

Are You A Profitable Christian? The Change Every Believer Should Experience 

What do you think—are you becoming more profitable to those around you, or is there room for growth? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and share what the Lord is teaching you from this passage.

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To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

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Philemon 1:11 (KJV) Are You A Profitable Christian?

Philemon 1:18 (KJV) Living on a Shared Ledger

Philemon 1:18 (KJV)

If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

I’m thinking just now of what I’ve seen in shows about small towns in earlier years, where a person would have an account at the general store. I’ve often wondered how those storekeepers survived. They would have had to maintain an inventory. I assume they weren’t able to have a large account with their suppliers. They operated as both storekeeper and banker, sometimes bartering for goods rather than receiving money. How they could keep track of it all, how they could collect when necessary—it’s beyond me.

Paul implies in our text that both he and Onesimus have an account with Philemon. He requests Philemon to transfer Onesimus’ bill to him.

While the commentaries say the context refers to literal financial loss and repayment—Onesimus may have caused Philemon significant loss—Paul offered to raise the money to pay it back. In a sense, each of us has a running account with all men. We are not in this life alone. We survive off the same good air we breathe and water we drink. Every resource we use, every choice we make, more or less affects not only ourselves and our immediate circle, but also those who will live after us.

We are debtors one to another.

But how do we pay so great a debt?

At our disposal, if only we will accept it, are all the unsearchable riches of heaven. We must not be stingy with such vast resources. We must learn to be kind one toward another—generous, forgiving one another. We need to give to every man the right of free conscience. We must learn to love one another, be tenderhearted. We’ve got to learn to be patient with one another. As much as lieth in us, we need to learn to live peaceably with all men.

By the grace of God, we ought to learn to be a witness for Christ. Every man has a right to accept or reject Christ, but we owe it to them to present the option before them.

Today, you and I will make transactions with every human we face—those we speak to, those we encounter on the roads, those to whom we give a greeting, and those to whom we shrug our shoulder. They in turn will make transactions, until eventually these transactions circle the globe.

As Paul did, let’s determine to repay the debt.

#PutItOnMyAccount #LivingInGraceAndDebt #OwingLoveToAll #WitnessWithCompassion #TransactingChristlikeKindness

Living on a Shared Ledger: Living Generously with Eternal Riches

💬 Have you ever had someone step in and cover your debt—spiritually or otherwise? Paul did that for Onesimus in Philemon 1:18, and it’s a beautiful picture of Christ’s grace toward us. 🙌

Let’s talk: Who has shown you grace when you didn’t deserve it? Drop a comment below and share your story of unexpected kindness or forgiveness. 👇

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

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To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
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Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Philemon 1:18 (KJV) Living on a Shared Ledger

Philemon 1:7 (KJV) Good Works in God’s Service

Philemon 1:7 (KJV)

For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

 

The context indicates that Paul had received word of Philemon’s love and faith for both the Lord and the believers, and that he effectively communicated or demonstrated his faith through the many good works he had done. This demonstration of faith and love had refreshed the believers, and this testimony had brought joy and consolation to the Apostle. 

 

Exactly what those good things were that were in Philemon is not specified. However, I am under the impression that the church in Colosse met in his house.[1]

 

Gill writes, “Meaning not only that their bellies were filled with food, for the phrase is used in Philemon 1:20[2] where that cannot be intended; but their hearts were filled with gladness, the load upon their spirits, the pressures upon their minds were removed, and they had an inward pleasure in their souls, and rest, refreshment, and comfort, through the liberal communications of Philemon to them; who did what he did cheerfully, so that it did their souls good, as well as their bodies; and in doing which, he acted the part of a brother in Christ.”

 

I believe the lack of detail is intentional from the Lord, because you and I, in our corrupt condition, might naturally assume that if we did only those specific things mentioned, we would have met our obligations for good works. The fact that we do not know exactly what "every good thing" in Philemon was opens the door for you and me to communicate every good thing that God places in our power to both the Lord and the brethren. 

 

What good things God enables me to do and be may not be exactly the same as yours.

What good things God enables you to do and be may not be exactly the same as mine.

 

The point is not what the specific good thing is. The point is that it is freely given toward the Lord and toward the saints of God. 

 

I may not know exactly what you can do to refresh the bowels of the saints, but my goal is to be a blessing to those who are members of the church in which God places me, and thereby to be a blessing to all those whose lives are touched through our church.

 

#FaithInAction  #ServingTheSaints  #BiblicalEncouragement  #LoveAndGoodWorks  #ChristianFellowship

Good Works in God’s Service: What Does It Mean to Refresh the Saints?

 

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[1] Philemon 1:2 (KJV)

And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house

[2] Philemon 1:20 (KJV) 

Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

• What’s one way you can be a blessing to someone in your church this week
• Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
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Philemon 1:7 (KJV) Good Works in God’s Service

Philemon 1:16 (KJV) From Servitude to Salvation

Philemon 1:16 (KJV)
Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

Onesimus fled the home of Philemon a servant. He returned so much more.
He was still a servant
Faith does not often change our world station.

He was now more than a servant
He would have returned saved, a more conscientious worker.

He was now a brother
In that he had come to trust Christ, as had Philemon.

He was more than a brother
He was beloved of Paul. Paul expected the same would be the case with Philemon. Some people, upon trusting Christ, take on such a pleasant quality they are especially beloved.

He was all of this; both in the flesh and in the Lord
What is doctrinally true of the saved was clearly true in his manner.

I cannot say that every professing believer has this testimony. I can say I love being around those who do.

 #FromServantToBrother #FaithAndBrotherhood #BelovedInChrist #ChristianTestimony

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6200 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Philemon 1:16 (KJV) From Servitude to Salvation

Philemon 1:5 Hearing, Telling, and Praying

Philemon 1:5 (KJV)

Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

I think it is refreshing that, when Paul heard of their love and faith, he wrote to them and prayed to the Lord concerning them. 

He didn’t spread what he heard to others.

Some saints, it seems like, only know how to spread what they hear. Having little real understanding of those about whom they speak, they travel from one to the other, spreading the “gossip” they think they know. Feigning concern, they seek out bits of information they believe makes their conversations interesting and meaningful.

It would be better if we 

• Hear only those things we ought to hear 
• Rejoice in what we hear that is a blessing 
• Go directly to those we’ve heard something about
• Take everything to the Lord in prayer and 
• Speak only about matters that concern us

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Philemon 1:5 Hearing, Telling, and Praying

Philemon 1:23-24 (KJV) Don’t Go Easy

 

Philemon 1:23-24 (KJV)

There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

At the time Paul wrote this letter, Demas was still with him. This is significant because this is while Paul was in the Roman prison. So, I think it is safe to say that, at this point, the fate of Paul had not been determined. 

• He wrote of Philemon’s preparing him a lodging. 
• He trusted that the prayers of the believers might lead to his release.

But at some point, the situation changed. By the time Paul wrote Second Timothy, he knew that “the time of his departure [was] at hand.”[1]

It was in this context that Paul wrote 2 Timothy 4:10 (KJV)
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; …

This context puts a new light on what Demas loved. It was his life. Paul was about to be executed for his faith. Demas forsook him, almost certainly, so as not to be next on the chopping block.

This also sheds light on the expectations of the Apostle. I think of his reaction to Mark when he left Paul and Barnabas. Paul was nearly unforgiving of a man who would quit under pressure. Though that was eventually resolved, Paul’s attitude toward those who left him in tough times did not change.

It seems to me that one lesson would be that, while we ought to always leave room for restoration, we should not go easy on those backing down from Christ.

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[1] 2 Timothy 4:6 (KJV)
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5500 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Philemon 1:23-24 (KJV) Don’t Go Easy