SURVIVING DISASTER 2

HAVE PLENTY OF WATER

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of [living water].

In a time of disaster you will notice that bottled water quickly disappears from the shelves of stores. It is one of the first things that disaster relief agencies carry into an area. People can not survive without the water.
It is true in our spiritual disasters too. To often when tragedy hits people do not have the spiritual strength to handle a crisis and they desperately have try to draw their strength from others. We do not need bottled spiritual water or a supply nearby. We need to have the rivers of living water flowing within us. We need to be filled with a love of Jesus and a trust in Him that he "will never leave us nor forsake us."
That comes from having a close personal relationship with Him through prayer and study of His word. Don't put yourself in a position to have to have it from an outside source. Always be ready to draw upon the spiritual streams within you and be willing to share your faith with others in a disaster.

Surviving Disaster Introduction

We know that disaster might strike at any time. It could be in the form of an earthquake, a storm, an accident, a hurricane, or even an attack on our country. We also have many spiritual disasters that strike and in the next few days I will be giving some hints on disaster survival.

SEEK REFUGE FROM THE DISASTER

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God refuge], and underneath the everlasting arms:

Many times we have warnings of disaster, such as tornadoes. We know that we should seek a safe place to ride out the storm.I rode out Hurricane Katrina in my Toyota parked beside an abandoned school house for about 6 hours. Next time I will know to get out of the way. We learn from experience.
The same is true with the spiritual storms that come into our life. Many times we can see them coming but we make no preparation to avoid them and take shelter. The best way is to walk daily with God and let Him embrace you each day in His everlasting arms. Trust Jesus and try to follow Him on a daily basis and there is no greater refuge in time of a storm.

Sorry about being late publishing today. I should be back on schedule now.

THE SONSHINE OF OUR LIFE

THE SONSHINE OF OUR LIVES “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5: 11 - 13King James Version I am so thankful for the redeeming, cleansing and atoning blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross of Calvary. Thank You so much, precious Saviour, for the sacrifice You made for us that day. To know that I am saved and that I will spend all eternity in Heaven with Jesus fills my heart to overflowing with happiness. How I praise God for my salvation. The day of my salvation is the happiest day of my life. That wonderful and happy day was August 14, 1980. I humbled myself and admitted that I was a sinner. I repented of my sins and asked God to forgive me for my sins and invited the Christ of Calvary into my heart to be my personal Saviour. I have a mansion in Heaven reserved for me. However, much more important than my mansion, I will have the privilege of seeing my precious Saviour. I will be able to hug Him and try to tell Him how much I love Him. Jesus willingly took our sins on Him and allowed them to crucify Him so that we may be saved. What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! However, not only is Jesus the Saviour of our lives; He is also the Sonshine of our lives. When the dark clouds of discouragement try to pull us under for the last time; when we can’t give another smile or take another step, the Sonshine of our lives is still in our hearts. We need to allow the Sonshine of our lives to rise in our hearts just as the sun rises in the sky. Have you allowed the Sonshine of our lives to rise in your heart and life? Have you opened the door to your heart and invited Jesus into your heart to be your personal Saviour? If not, I urge you; I plead with you to give your heart and life to Jesus right now before it is too late! Don’t miss out on spending all eternity with the One who loves you so much that He died for you. Give your heart and life to Jesus today!

Joanne LoweJune 19, 2009
joannelowe8@cox.net
www.hesetmefreeforever.blogspot.com

JEALOUS CHRISTIANS

By Jeremy Burkes

Lu 15:28-31 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. (29) And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: (30) But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. (31) And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

Here we meet the prodigal son's brother. Their father is celebrating the homecoming of the prodigal son with a party. This made the prodigal son's brother angry.
Like him, we sometimes become jealous of the way that God deals with others. We wonder why they have more money and more material things than we have.
God tells us that He loves us both. He tells us that what he does for someone else in no way takes away from how he loves us. It is then that we are most aware that "It's not about us." It is about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Go and tell others.
Leave your burdens with God and share Him with someone today.

GO TO THE SOURCE

By Jeremy Burkes

Luke 15:17-18 And when he came to himself, he said, How
many hired servants of my father's have bread enough
and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (18) I will
arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

God is the source of our Christian blessings. The
prodigal son knew where his source was. Everything he
had came from his father just as everything we have
comes from our Heavenly Father.
The source of our power and our salvation is the Cross.
The symbol fo the cross helps us remember the price
paid for our sins. Like the father of the prodigal son
when we turn to God He rushes to meet us.
Many times people will get so deep in sin that they
don't want to draw near to God. When we red the Bible
and God's word speaks to us we see ourselves as we
really are. Like the prodigals father our Heavenly
Father is ready to receive us with open arms.
If you are wandering away from God, go back to the
source of all your blessings. If you are unsure where
you are, meet Jesus at the Cross.

SEEKING HELP FROM OTHERS

By Jeremy Burkes

Luke 15:15-16 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. (16) And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

When we give in to our sins and they drag us down we seek help. The problem is that we often seek help in the wrong places and from the wrong people. We might go to a friend or a co-worker. There is nothing wrong with going to these people if they are Christians but we should first take our problems to God. He might then send us to the friend or right person to talk to or he might send them to us.
Don't join yourself to a citizen of a far country. Seek help from God and let Him be your guide.

SPENDING IT ALL

By Jeremy Burkes

Luke 15:13-14 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. (14) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

We've all been there. We see something on a shelf that we just have to have and then we see a few other things and the next thing we know we have spent it all.
When it comes time to give back to the Lord we have nothing to give. We can be like the prodigal son and waste our money on things to make us feel good and then we forget where it came from in the first place. It is a lot harder to dig ourselves out of a hole than to avoid the hole in the first place.
We should remember that our tithes come first, then our bills and necessities and whatever is left over is ours.
Keep in mind that God does not need your money! He just wants you to put your trust in Him first.

DO YOU WANT WHAT YOU DESERVE?

By Jeremy Burkes
Luke 15:11-12 And he said, A certain man had two sons: (12) And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
When Jesus left his disciples He went to prepare a place in Heaven for us. A place none of us really deserve. Here is an instance of a Son getting His inheritance that He deserves and willingly sharing it with us.
Because of His love for us we too have an inheritance in Heaven and He is preparing a mansion for us.
We hear a lot of people talking about getting what they deserve. I hope for their sakes they don't get it. I don't want what I deserve. With the sins I have committed I know I deserve Hell.
The world is going to get what it deserves. The world is going to be destroyed by fire. If we are honest with ourselves that is what we also deserve. I am glad I can look forward to his grace and mercy instead of what I deserve.
Do you really want what you deserve?

A FATHER'S PRAYER

Dear God, Grant me the wisdom to be there for my family. Give me the strength to do what I need to do, whatever it may be. Father, help me be a mirror that reflects you to my children.
Help me to teach and show them What and Who you are. Watch over me Father and help me not to make stupid mistakes. In Jesus name I ask all this, Amen.
On this day we ask a blessing for those fathers who are still living and a special remembrance for those who are already gone home.
Happy Father's Day.

A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER Hast thou not known? hast th...
A BEAUTIFUL REMINDERHast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.Isaiah 40: 28 - 31King James VersionI think all of us have days when it seems like everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. We become discouraged and sometimes feel like giving up because of all the hateful and critical words that people say to us. When we see the sun rising in the morning, it should be a beautiful reminder to us that the Son of God rises in our hearts every morning to start our day off right and empower us for the day. We are human and we don’t have the power to fight the world and satan and all the poisonous fiery darts he hurls at us. Only our precious Saviour is able to defeat satan. When Jesus died on the cross for us that dark and terrible day, He defeated satan and won the war over life and death. However, as long as we are in this world we will have attacks from satan. We may allow satan to win a battle but the war has already been won through the redeeming, cleansing and atoning blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Please don’t despair and give up. Please don’t stop serving Jesus because of hateful things that are said and done to you. I have good news for you, there is absolutely nothing that satan can attack you with that Jesus can’t overcome and conquer. Jesus is more than able to bring you through every dark, frightening and lonely valley victoriously. Our Saviour is a compassionate and understanding Saviour. He understands our fears and He feels our pain when we are hurting. He will take your hand and walk beside you through every heartache, every burden and every crisis and will once again set you on the mountain top of happiness, joy and peace. There is no one like Jesus! All hail, King Jesus! If you will only trust Jesus, He will take your hand and walk with you through every situation and crises of your day. He will be faithful to bring you through every crisis and attack from satan and the world victoriously. He will be with you to encourage you and comfort you. Allow Jesus to empower you with His strength for the day.Joanne Lowejoannelowe8@cox.net
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3:07:00 AM
by SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH- KOSCIUSKO, MS

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A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40: 28 - 31King James Version

I think all of us have days when it seems like everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. We become discouraged and sometimes feel like giving up because of all the hateful and critical words that people say to us. When we see the sun rising in the morning, it should be a beautiful reminder to us that the Son of God rises in our hearts every morning to start our day off right and empower us for the day.
We are human and we don’t have the power to fight the world and satan and all the poisonous fiery darts he hurls at us. Only our precious Saviour is able to defeat satan. When Jesus died on the cross for us that dark and terrible day, He defeated satan and won the war over life and death. However, as long as we are in this world we will have attacks from satan.
We may allow satan to win a battle but the war has already been won through the redeeming, cleansing and atoning blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Please don’t despair and give up. Please don’t stop serving Jesus because of hateful things that are said and done to you. I have good news for you, there is absolutely nothing that satan can attack you with that Jesus can’t overcome and conquer.
Jesus is more than able to bring you through every dark, frightening and lonely valley victoriously. Our Saviour is a compassionate and understanding Saviour. He understands our fears and He feels our pain when we are hurting. He will take your hand and walk beside you through every heartache, every burden and every crisis and will once again set you on the mountain top of happiness, joy and peace. There is no one like Jesus! All hail, King Jesus!
If you will only trust Jesus, He will take your hand and walk with you through every situation and crises of your day. He will be faithful to bring you through every crisis and attack from satan and the world victoriously. He will be with you to encourage you and comfort you. Allow Jesus to empower you with His strength for the day.


Joanne Lowe
joannelowe8@cox.net

SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION PART 5

CHECK OUR PULSE

Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in
Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven
Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works,
that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

A dead tree never produces fruit. A dead animal never
grows it just deteriorates. So many churches today are
not producing fruit and they are actually already dead
and deteriorating and are not aware of it just like the
church at Sardis.

We must be alive in our service for our Lord. We must be
growing in grace and in Spirit and then we will grow in
number. We can't be satisfied with just keeping the
doors open and having enough people to pay the bills. We
need to be actively pursuing new life for our churches by
reaching the lost.
Go back over the devotionals for this week and re-examine
your spiritual health. If you are not spiritually well a
good dose of prayer and a good soaking in scripture will
help you a lot.

SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION PART 4

AN EYE AND EAR EXAMINATION

Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
So many people are blind to the spiritual truths of the Bible. There are things they have seen in the lives of other people but never have experienced for themselves.Spiritual blindness is the cause of much frustration in the lives of believers. When we open our eyes to the truth in the Word of God it can change our whole attitude and our perspective on life. We then become useful vessels in God's service.
One of the most disheartening things I have experienced as a pastor is to preach on a particular thing over and over and then have someone else preach the same thing and people act as if they have never heard it before. They become so excited as if they have received a new message when all the time they had ears to hear and they heard not. Listen actively to your pastor. The message you receive is not his but is from God.
Sometimes we see and hear but we are too soon to forget the lessons we should have already learned. Don't forget the spiritual lessons you have learned. Incorporate them into your life and live them out everyday.

SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION PART 3

CHECK OUR TEMPERATURE

Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

So many times we hear the expression that a church is cold and indifferent and we take pride that our church is a warm and friendly church. Look at what Jesus says about lukewarm.
Lukewarm churches are made up of lukewarm Christians. What we need are people who are fired up about their salvation. If we could only muster a little of the enthusiasm found at a sporting event in our church services we could shake up the world.
Your church will never be completely on fire for the Lord until you are. Ask God to build a fire in your heart and get your spiritual temperature to where you can get excited and excite others about the Saving Power of Jesus.

SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION PART 2

A HEART EXAMINATION

Psalms 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

CHECK FOR PURITY Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
CHECK FOR SAVING FAITH Romans 10:8-9 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; {9} That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Sometimes to reveal problems with our heart we have to have a stress test. That is when the Problems really show up.
Only God and you know what is really in your heart. Sometimes we have to be reminded that God knows every thought and intent of our heart... and He loves us anyway.

SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION PART 1

2 Cor 13:5) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Introduction: We all know that occasionally we need to get a physical examination to see what condition our body is in. Shouldn't we also take time for a Spiritual examination to check our relationship with our Savior. We should ask God to examine us and reveal to us what we are. The next few devotionals will deal with examining our spiritual condition. Just for today I want you to think about this spiritual examination and pray that God will speak to you over the next few days about your relationship to Him.
We need to check some things.
Our Heart
Our Temperature
Our Eyes and Ears
And Even Our Pulse
Before you read each devotional, ask God to show you some things about yourself. Let's pray for each other as we examine our own selves.

SPECIAL- SHILOH PUPPET MINISTRY

Outside His Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it … in his mind's eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with his descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
copied

REDEEMING THE TIME

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Time is a gift that God has given us. We can have no more of it than God allows us to have. The important thing is how we use this time.
We must use some of the time to work and provide for our families the things necessary to live. I am afraid that I am like many others who have confused luxury with necessity.
We must have times of rest and times of relaxation but I think sometimes we carry some of those to extremes. How much time do we really give to the Lord? A few hours a week out of 168.
All of our time is a gift from God. Let us be mindful of how we are using it. We don't have an unlimited supply.

BEWARE OF ENTICING MEN

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Through the ages many have been spoiled by weird teachings of one philosopher or another. They are usually mean who know nothing of scripture and reject it without having applied it to their lives.
Most of the times those whose vain deceit lead them astray are not satisfied to go alone. They need to spread their confusion and gain followers to validate themselves.
Paul tells us to beware of these. They follow after the things of the world. The way to be on the safe side is to make sure any teaching is one that will lead you to a closer walk with the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
He can offer eternal life, peace that passes understanding, joy unspeakable and full of glory to those who love him. There is no other religion, philosophy or teaching in the world that can offer this and back it up with their own death, burial, and resurrection.

BY HIM

Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
This verse puts a lot of things into perspective. There was nothing before God. He has always been. He is. He will always be.
Everything that is, exists because of Him. It should give all of us who belong to Him comfort to know that He is in complete control of all creation.
When you look through a telescope at the great expanse of the universe you know it is His will that holds it all together. When you look through a microscope at all the atoms and molecules that make up everything you know that it is Him that cause it all to work in harmony.
Our God is an Awesome God. Take a minute and meditate on His greatness, His majesty, His Holiness and rejoice in it.

IN THIS TOGETHER

Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

It seems that the me attitude of the last part of the 20th century has not completely gone away. It is a sad thing to say but even in the Lord's Churches there are those who ask, "What's in it for me?" " What does the church have to offer my family?". (There is one answer that will fit most churches. They offer you an opportunity to serve and minister to others.)
Strife in a church is a sad thing. When people argue and want to have their own way without considering how others feel about it or how it impacts others, it brings reproach upon the church.
Instead of wondering how we can get what we want, it is better to pray about how we can give what others need and how we can minister for our Lord so that others can be reached.
One of the greatest lessons I have learned in my life, and I learned it early, is: "It's not about me." We are all in this together and "It Is About Him".

BEING LIKEMINDED

Philippians 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Paul was telling the church that he would be filled with Joy if they would focus together on what was really important. He wanted them to think alike.
We know that God made us all different and that is truly wonderful. The world would be awful boring if everyone was exactly the same. What Paul was aiming at was their spiritual goals and their doctrinal stand.
When he said be likeminded, he meant that they should try to conform their thinking to the mind of Christ. What would Jesus Do? When he said they should have the same love that was a love for Jesus. It should be a love that is stronger than self and above all others.
Being of one accord meant that their mission and their ministry should be Christ oriented and Christ centered and egos should be left out of it. That would bring them to the point of conforming to the mind of Christ.
How do we know the mind of Christ? Read and learn your Bible. It contains the mind of Christ and the will of God.

GIVE THEM A SMILE

“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Acts 3: 6 KJV

There are some people who are already planning what they are going to buy their families and loved ones to give as Christmas gifts. Someone said “I don’t have the money to buy anybody a Christmas gift”. You don’t have to buy gifts to make people happy. Give them a smile that comes from your heart.
A smile doesn’t cost anything and they will have the gift and memory of your smile for the rest of their lives. Be sure that your smile is genuine and that it comes from your heart. It would make Jesus very happy if we would give unconditional love and smiles to our families and our loved ones every day of our lives.
Heavenly Father, we give You thanks. Thank You for Your heart of love and compassion. Help us to be kind and loving to our families, our friends and everyone we see. When others look at us, may they always see the joy of Jesus in our smiles. Thank You for loving us unconditionally. I pray that we will bring happiness and joy to You instead of bringing sadness and sorrow to You. Amen.
Joanne Lowe

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.hesetmefreeforever.blogspot.com

Thank You

I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive.. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.
(copied)

HOMESICK

Philippians 1:23-24 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:(24) Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

From the tone of Paul's letter you can tell that he is a little weary and a little homesick to go on and be with the Lord. I know that I feel that way sometimes, especially when I'm not feeling well are things are not going so great.
It is wonderful to know that the Lord is really the only one who knows whether we are really needful for those around us.
Once when I was very sick and thought that I might not pull through I was very concerned about dying. I wasn't afraid for me. I was afraid for my wife and children. I could not imagine how they could get along without me. God touched my heart and let me know in no uncertain terms that He really could take care of my family with or without me. The choice was His.
He let me remain to see my children grow up and to get to know my grandchildren but it was not because He could not take care of them without me. It was because He had a needful purpose for me to remain here. I'm not real sure sometimes what the purpose is but I have learned that it is His business and not mine.

GAIN OR LOSS

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This is one of the most profound statements in the new testament. It proves that there is no substitute for Christ. Even in this statement if you substitute the word Christ for any other thing that people seem to live for you would also have to substitute the word loss for gain.
For me to live is wealth, to die is loss.
For me to live is fame, to die is loss.
For me to live is power, to die is loss.
For me to live is pleasure, to die is loss.
For me to live is work, to die is loss.
For me to live is family, to die is loss.
Only through Christ do we gain our joint inheritance with Him through death. What do you live for? One day when death eventually comes all you will have will be the treasures you have laid up in heaven.

LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY

Philippians 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Have you ever asked someone how they were doing and they answered, "I guess alright under the circumstances."?
I usually laugh and ask them "What are you doing under them in the first place?"
Paul was never under his circumstances, he was always right on top of them. If he found himself in prison he witnessed to his jailers. If he was hauled before a judge he shared the gospel with him. If he was confronted by a group of idol worshipers he told them about the true God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Paul knew that whatever happened around him didn't change his purpose. He understood that he like Esther might just have ended up in a situation where he could be used by God.
Maybe we need to quit being under the circumstances and just start doing what we should wherever we find ourselves.

GOOD OR BEST

Philippians 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent;...

I think in today's society we have come to accept things that fall short of excellent. We settle for a lot less than we should strive for.
We may have a good prayer life, but is it excellent? Is it the best? We may have a good relationship with others but is it the best it can be? We may have a good knowledge of the Bible but can we really say it is excellent?
It might be the same in other matters. We may strive to be a good employee but do we strive to be excellent? As a parent I always felt that I was a pretty good dad but looking back I can see where there was a lot of room for improvement.
Part of my problem, and it could be other people's problem too, is that we spend so much time taking care of that which is urgent that we don't spend enough time on what is really important.
As you start your day today strive for excellence. When urgent things (like a text message in the middle of a meeting) that are not really all that important start to distract you, ask yourself, "Is this really important?"

IMMORTAL

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
There are a lot of reasons to serve the Lord. The most important one should be out of thankfulness and out of gratitude.
Another reason is that he saved you for a purpose. It comforts me to know that as long as I am doing the work that God wants me to do and has begun in me that I am imortal.
I remember Josuha and Caleb. They fought bravely as they drove the inhabitants out of the promised land. They could not be killed in those battles. God had promised them that they would inhabit the land. That made them invincible to the enemy. God would fulfill His purpose in their lives.
I was once told by a doctor that if I didn't get a heart transplant I was going to die. Of course he was right, we are all going to die, but that was over 12 years ago, I didn't get a transplant and I haven't died yet.
I know that some day I will die but it will only be when the Lord is finished with me here on earth. I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I am immortal. Even when I do die I will be more alive than I have ever been before.
I think that is a pretty good motivation to keep on living for him and trying to fulfill His purpose in my life.