监狱来鸿
腓立比书一章1至11节
1基督耶稣的仆人保罗和提摩太写信给凡住腓立比、在基督耶稣里的众圣徒，和诸位监督，诸位执事。
2愿恩惠、平安从神我们的父并主耶稣基督归与你们！
3我每逢想念你们，就感谢我的神；
4每逢为你们众人祈求的时候，常是欢欢喜喜的祈求。
5因为从头一天直到如今，你们是同心合意的兴旺福音。
6我深信那在你们心里动了善工的，必成全这工，直到耶稣基督的日子。
7我为你们众人有这样的意念，原是应当的；因你们常在我心里，无论我是在捆锁之中，是辩明证实福音的时候，你们都与我一同得恩。
8我体会基督耶稣的心肠，切切的想念你们众人；这是神可以给我作见证的。
9我所祷告的，就是要你们的爱心在知识和各样见识上多而又多，
10使你们能分别是非（或作：喜爱那美好的事），作诚实无过的人，直到基督的日子；
11并靠着耶稣基督结满了仁义的果子，叫荣耀称赞归与神。
信息分享
然而，你读过这封书信之后，有没有发现保罗在抱怨呢？连一次抱怨也没有。反之，你却看见他与耶稣基督是那么的亲近和亲密，以及他怎样利用在狱中的机会向人传讲基督。试想，设若你因基督的缘故被下在狱中，你会在狱中做些甚么呢？
保罗在第1节表明此信是写给「凡住腓立比、在基督耶稣里的众圣徒」。你看见这些圣徒乃同时住在两个地方吗？首先，他们是「在基督耶稣里」，其次是住在腓立比。
当基督进入他们生命中的那一刻，他们并没有立即搬离腓立比；可是，他们的生命却发生了巨变--基督如今已在他们里面，而他们亦在基督里面。但他们仍然是住在腓立比--这个仍未给予基督应有尊崇的地方。
有些时候，我们会渴望搬到一个只有基督徒居住，周遭再没有罪恶包围我们的地方；我们若在这样的地方居住，就一定较容易为基督而活了。但首先请记着，除了天堂之外，世上根本没有这样的地方。其次，神把我们留在原来居住的地方，为的是要我们向周遭邻舍见证基督带给我们的改变。
另一些时候，我们又宁愿自己独处，认为这样就更能轻松自在了。可是，我们若在基督里，就不可能独处。首先，我们有祂的同在；其次，我们与全世界的基督徒乃结连起来。请再读第4和5节，然后，请为到各地在基督里的弟兄姊妹代祷。
赞美：
在这个包含普世信徒的神的大家庭中，我真高兴自己是当中的一份子！
A Letter from a Roman Jail
Philippians 1:1-11
1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Message
Yet when you read this letter can you find Paul complaining? Not once. On the other hand you will read about how near and dear Jesus Christ is and what an opportunity Paul has to tell about Christ. Stop and think what you might have done had you been there in jail for Christ's sake.
In verse 1 Paul writes to the 'saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi'. Can you see the two places where they were living? First they were 'in Christ' and secondly they lived at Philippi.
When Christ came into their lives these people didn't immediately move away from Philippi. But a big change had happened - Christ was now in them and they were in Christ. But they were still living at Philippi - a place where Christ was not honoured as he should have been.
We often think it would be so much easier if we could move away to a place where everyone was a Christian and we could live for Christ without the sin of the world around us. But remember, there is no place like that outside of heaven. Secondly, God has left us where we are so that we can live there and show to others in that place just what Christ means to us.
It is easy for us at times to think we are all alone - but we are never alone if we are in Christ. First we have him and then we have the fellowship of other Christians all over the world. Read verses 4 and 5 again and pray today for all your brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere.
PRAISE NOTE:
I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God everywhere.