This morning I was at a men’s breakfast at our church, and my good buddy Jeremy shared with us from God’s Word about the joy there is in Christ through the partnership we share with other believers. His passage was Philippians 1:1-11. Paul shares how thankful he is as he prays with joy BECAUSE of the partnership the Philippian believers shared with him in the Gospel (1:5). This Gospel partnership was initiated by God and will be completed by God (1:6). This Gospel partnership fosters a tender affection between believers because we recognize we are all “partakers of God’s grace,” (1:7) both in imprisonment and in Gospel work. He then shares his prayer for these Gospel partners (1:9-11), that their love would increase, specifically as their knowledge of the truth grows, with the end result that their holiness, their purity and righteousness, would fill up in them, ultimately to the glory and praise of God. Great prayer we can each pray for each other!

All these thoughts led me to reflect on the many Gospel partners who have labored along with us over the years leading us to much thanks to God and joyful affection in our hearts for our dear brothers and sisters. We have mission partners in ReachGlobal, like Al and Brad and Mike, we have worked alongside for more than a dozen years. We have indigenous partners in Africa and globally, like Shadrack and Moses, that we care so deeply about as we labor together in Gospel work. We have churches and individual partners in America, like Brad and Jo, like Sean and Beckie, like John and Linda, who pray faithful and contribute generously so we can spread the knowledge of God through the faithful study and teaching of His Word. Some of these partners have been with us for nearly 20 years, and this grows in us a deep and abiding affection as we “hold them in our hearts.” (1:7) God’s Gospel work is not completed until “the day of Jesus Christ,” (1:6) and until that time our work and our partnership continues. So until that time, may we pray for each other that our love will abound in knowledge of the truth, growing in us a purity and blamelessness of character that God’s glory and praise may be manifest globally!

⁹ “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

If you are interested in partnering with us in our Gospel work, please click the link to the left: “Partnership (giving info)” or write us and we’d be happy to discuss this with you. (eric.belz@efca.org)