Philemon 1:1
¹PAUL, A prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work,
It is amazing how many letters Paul wrote even though he was in prison. It never held him back from spreading the gospel. He did not self-pity nor murmur, he did not let it hinder His purpose but rather, he kept on it. In chains of iron bound, yet at liberty of heart, Paul persists in spreading the gospel. In prison walls, his faith still shines bright. Though confined, his spirit flies free and the gospel greatly spread. The chains could not hold him down as he pushed on to preach to the jailers and hence he says,
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Often we could be caught in the prison of affliction that we feel we cannot push on, or even serve or minister because we feel that what we are going through is prison enough for us to let others out of their prison, or a feeling of inadequacy in ourselves. Nevertheless, we have a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1-2) who went through the toughest of afflictions that we will never perceive nevertheless, they lived with a mindset of Christ as their only Goal, In this, Paul speaks, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Is your affliction or circumstance a hindrance to your service or ministry? Are you aware that your soul purpose is Christ preached and Him glorified, for in Him glorified your prison doors are opened?
Philippians 1:18 kjv
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
(Philipians 1:18 niv
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.)
Prophetic Utterance:
I am limitless, beyond what chains can do, never bound but freely proclaiming the good news of Jesus’s for to me to live for Christ is to gain all things.
Halleluya
Guiding Text:
Philippians 1:12-14 niv
¹²Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.