Observations:
I asked myself according to v.6 what is Paul confident about?
Being confident of this,
1. That He who began a GOOD WORK in you
2. Will carry it on to COMPLETION
3. Until the day of CHRIST JESUS!

Interpretation:
I asked myself what does 'confident' mean?
What came to my mind is an assurance without any doubt.

Interpretation:
I asked myself why is it significant that Paul is able to write, 'being confident of this'?
It becomes that much more significant to see Paul being confident in Jesus Christ even though he is under arrest and in chains. It shows that Paul being confident goes beyond what he is facing to trust and have assurance in Jesus Christ that He will also bless the Philippians with three wonderful promises revealed in words such as GOOD WORK, COMPLETION, and CHRIST JESUS. Paul believes that for himself too and not just for the Philippians.

"Being confident" is a present confidence that Paul has even though he is in jail. This confidence lies in the fact that when God begins a GOOD WORK in someone, He will finish it to COMPLETION. We all can take comfort in knowing that just coming to Christ is a GOOD WORK the Lord has performed in our life. Since He began that GOOD WORK, He will carry it to COMPLETION (our Salvation is secure in Him). It goes beyond just having Salvation but into the core of our lives as we are being sanctified by Him. Specifically, Paul realizes no matter what situation he is faced with, having a partnership in the Gospel is a good work that the Lord will finish to completion.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. No matter what I am faced with, I can be confident that the Lord Jesus is right besides me and will finish the good work He started in me to completion. Praise the Lord! Even when I mess up, I know my Lord and Savior is there for me. No matter how I feel about myself and where I have been, I can be assured that when Jesus Christ saved me, Jesus began a GOOD WORK in me. Since Jesus began a GOOD WORK in me, Jesus is One who will carry on to COMPLETION what He started until that day when it is completed and I see Jesus face to face. Until then I can be reassured everyday no matter what I am going through that my confidence can be in Jesus Christ for He is working in me through all the weaknesses, trials, and tribulations. Praise the Lord. He will finish the good work of my partnership in the Gospel to completion. I can have my confidence in Christ! Amen!

HOW THE GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING CONFIDENT:
When I look back at my life and see where I am now and where I was then, it amazes me how the Lord Jesus has used different events to bring me to a place of assurance that even my marriage with my lovely wife Chandra is a good work that He began that started with the Gospel impacting my life. Though I miss my wife so much when she is far away, I can have confidence that He who began a good work in me will finish it to completion. Praise the Lord! So, I am confident no matter the delay in visa, my Lord and Savior will join my wife and I together soon and she can come here soon. Thank you Jesus so much. More than anything, He will build our partnership in the Gospel to reach souls for Christ who He will bring to completion.

As I reflect on my past, when things were not going my way, it was hard for me to remain positive and upbeat. Instead, I would wallow in my misery being negative about things. As I contemplate where Paul was and how confident he is in the Lord, it makes me want to have that kind of trust towards the Lord. Help me Jesus. If Paul who was in chains locked up could exhibit that kind of confidence in God's promises, I can make that a promise in my own life that I can hang on to. For my Lord and Savior always keeps His promises for my good. Praise the Lord!

Being involved in church was never easy for me because I grew up listening to ministries on TV. Many times I was more built up, growing in the Lord listening to those sermons than sitting in a church pew consistently until 2007.  I would have continued to be on that path if it were not for Pastor Hugo Cheng, Missionary Paul Bucknell, Edwin Chan and Potter's Clay small group at the time.

What is amazing is even when I had no consistent involvement in church before 2007,  even though Pastor Hugo had his own congregation members to minister to he sought me out in 2004: "How are you doing these days?  Where are you attending worship? Love to have you visit our new International congregation anytime." (Aug 12, 2004, 10:20 a.m.). It took me 3 years to become part of OIF and the Lord used Pastor Hugo to remind me He has not given up on me and my consistent church involvement.

I used to be a runner from areas of my life that got too heated for me but Jesus did not let me run in 2009 but held me steady by working in me. That year, Jesus specifically used my mommy, Edwin & Marie Chan, Pastor Hugo, Kristen Agnew Lippert, and Josh Lippert at the time to impact my life when I seriously contemplated changing churches.  To this day, they are the ones I feel the most close to :) I cannot also forget how hospitable Bryan Baird has been alongside Lyd Chang, now his wife :)

What I realized is how God brings out good even through suffering whether it involves churches, families, friends, etc because it is His Good Work.

Their interaction with me did not make me feel CONDEMNED but instead CONVICTING to stay the course especially at a juncture in my life where I had messed up.  I remember an encouraging word given to me: God is not done with you yet!!!

I am so thankful to Jesus that for the first time in my life, two years ago, through the help of Pastor Hugo Cheng and others, Lord helped me stay the course. Little did I imagine that the Lord would choose to use a broken vessel like me, to serve in different capacities in church to have partnerships with different brothers and sisters now in 2011 at the same church as mentioned in the previous devotional. It is His good work in me that He intends to finish to completion especially in my weaknesses. Thank you Jesus. He wants to do the same for you.

I am not where I  desire to be when it comes to my relationship with the Lord but I know it is a process that begins with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus for your promise in Philippians 1:6 for me.

Amidst the trials, tribulations, sins, etc, I got to see that the Lord Jesus is not done with me yet in the GOOD WORK HE BEGAN. Even, now He will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of CHRIST JESUS! Thank you Jesus.

I know my confidence cannot be in any human being no matter how powerful I think they are, for no human being can finish the good work in me without the Lord using them. Every human being fails without the intervention of the Lord. But with the Lord there is hope!

"Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever." (Psalm 146:3-6, NLT)

I am confident in Jesus that He will work in me through all the weaknesses to make me and place me where He wants me to be for His honor and glory! Praise the Lord. I thank the Lord Jesus for the new small group He placed me in at Transformers this past year, which was led by Calvin Chiang, to continue the good work He has begun in me. Thank you Jesus. I know He will bring it to completion.  Help me Jesus!

Friend, you too can have the confidence that the Lord Jesus will work in your life as you yield to Him. He has a way of placing the right people at the right time to make an impact beginning a good work in you to finish it to completion until His return. But for that to happen, you need to ask yourself, where are you confident in. For me, it has to start with  Jesus Christ alone, taking the help He provides.

I ask you now dear friend, where are you confident in?
Dear friend, I don't know where you are confident in. You maybe confident in your parents, your husband/wife, your boy/girl friend, your friends, your pastors, your accomplishments, your degrees, your awards, your training, and the list can go on and on but all these things and even people will fail us except ONE. Yes, you maybe reading this and thinking, I don't know what's he talking about because look at my life, I have things together. That's the problem friend when you think you have things together.

What happens when things are not together in your life?

Will you crumble and fall to the wayside or will you stand firm?

I don't know about you but this I know that Paul did not put his confidence in himself with all his training, degrees, accomplishments, etc. He did not even put his confidence in the good he thought he did but IN CHRIST ALONE THE HOPE OF GLORY. It is this confidence in Christ that helped him through years of prison, through shipwrecks, and persecutions. His confidence in Christ is what gave Him the strength to get through because He knew who was going to take care of Him no matter what happens.

It may seem like I have put my confidence in others alone based on all I shared but my confidence is in Christ who uses His body to impact my life. Without Christ, this would not be possible :)

When I have put my confidence in so many things without Christ, I have seen only shortcomings and failures because of allowing sin to take control of my life. Jesus does not want that for me and you. Jesus wants us to put our confidence in Him.

"No one is good, not one, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!" (Romans 3)

But, He who began a GOOD WORK IN YOU will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of JESUS CHRIST.  (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

It is not anything we can take credit for but all the credit goes to Jesus Christ for the price He paid when He died and rose again to save us. Praise the Lord for His intervention poured out in our lives by His precious cleansing Blood!  Amen!

Friend, Jesus calls you by name! You are precious and special in His sight. No matter where you are or have been, you are never out of His love and never out of His reach. You can come as you are to the Fountain of Blessing and find hope in time of need. Praise the Lord!

Only our confidence in GOD should be the ultimate confidence we should have. Because God promised a wonderful promise for not just the Philippians whom Paul could write with assurance but this promise is for you and me too, we can be excited. Our God in whom we put our confidence in will never fail us. I am talking about Jesus Christ who is God-incarnate who came to save you and me from the bondage of sin and death.

So, only in Christ should be where we are confident in and no one else. Yes, friend no one else. It is Christ the hope of glory 'Being confident of this, that He who began a GOOD WORK in you will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Jesus Christ!' (Philippians 1:6, NIV)

Allow Him to use people in your life to help you as the Lord has used people in my own life to help me. He is now using my wife Chandra amazingly in my life as she seeks after Him daily! Thank you Jesus.

May you experience your confidence in Christ alone the hope of glory knowing Christ offers now forever imparting diligently everyday nurturing Truth!

The purpose of today's devotional is to know that our confidence in life can always be based on Christ's work in us.

"Christ Offers Now Forever Imparting Diligently Everyday Nurturing Truth! (C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T)/"Where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me so much and dying for my sin.  Thank you for the confidence you gave Paul to rest in you and be assured that you will take care of the Philippians with the good work you began. Thank you Jesus that Paul's confidence was based in you though he was in jail. Wow! I want to be confident in you always Jesus. Please help me Jesus for I am really weak in a lot of areas but I thank you so much for your promise of He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. I praise you Lord and my heart wells up with joy. Thank you Jesus so much that you also promise, 'My grace is sufficient for you and in my weaknesses, in you I will find strength. Thanks Jesus so much. I pray right now for those who are confident in so many things other than you. Forgive them Oh Lord and bring them to you. Forgive us and help us by taking our fears and we thank you that we can rest in you knowing you offer now forever imparting diligently everyday nurturing truth! Amen! Thank you for hearing us and answering our prayer. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!