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FourHippiesLoggingCompany(SufferingForTheCauseOfChrist)

(ServingGod)

NowIwantyoutoknow,brothersandsisters,thatwhathashappenedtomehasactuallyservedtoadvancethegospel.Philippians1:12

TheBasicBibleTruth

GodhasnotpromisedChristiansthatourliveswouldbedefinedasabedofroses.Therealityis,Hehaswarnedusofquitetheopposite.Ourliveswillbefilledwithsuffering,becauseChristsufferedforus.Butthoseheartachesandheadachesthatseemtofenceusinhaveadivinepurpose.GodusesthetoughtimesinourlivestofurtherHisgospel—ifonlyweparticipatewillingly.Paul’slifeasanApostletotheGentilesremindsusofhowmuchdifficulty can comeourway. Buthis reaction to thosedifficult timeswas tofreelyadmitthatGodwasincontrolandthatthosetroublingtimesalwaysresultedintheexpansionofGod’skingdom.

TheObject

ACheesySimpleHomemadePowerPointPresentationAboutAHippyLoggingCompany

ThePowerPointissimpletomake,butrequiresalittlebitofsillinessonyourpart.TheFourHippiesarearecurringcharacterforme.Theyshowupdoingallkindsofstrangeandwonderfulthings.Iboughtalonghairgraywigatalocalpartysupplystore.Aredbandanaandpairofsunglassesandtheoutfitwascomplete.Ithenhadafriendtakenumerousphotosofmeinvariousposes.Twentyorsophotoslater,all taken fromapproximately the samedistance, thecameraharddrivewasuploaded tomycomputerandeachpictureprintedonglossyphotopaper.Icarefullycutoutthesilhouetteofmyphotofromanybackground,attachedasmallstickorotherfasteningdeviceandIhadcharactersthatIcouldplaceinstillshots and use inmany stories over the years. Printing animals and other items allow for an infinitenumber of settings that can be created very easily. The characters are placed into normal landscapesettingswiththecameraverycloseinandaphotoisthentakenofthescene.ThephotoontherightwasfromanepisodewheretheFourHappyHippyHippoHunterswentonahuntintheoutbackofAustralia

searchingfortheelusiveAustralianLandHippo.Thesameresultscouldbemanufacturedusingaphotoeditingprogram,butIfoundthiseasierand,overall,lesstimeconsumingforme.

TheLesson

Anin-depthstudyofthelifeoftheApostlePaulisanamazingone.Itdoesn’ttakelongtorealizethatthisman was subjected to intense suffering. When he was called by God, he was warned that a life ofdifficulty awaited him. (Acts 9:16) He took on that responsibility with a confidence that is hard toimagine.In the book of Philippians, we find him in Rome in prison, chained between guards, and facing theextremehardshipsofhis situation. Hewrites tohis friends that the things thathavehappened in thepast,andarecurrentlystillhappeningtohim,aretheretoadvancetheGospel. Thewordtranslatedas“advance” in this verse is translated “furtherance” in theKJV. It is awordassociatedwith theRomanarmyofthatday. Asthearmywouldadvanceacrossacountry,thereusuallywerenotadequateroadsuponwhichtheycouldmoveamassiveRomanarmyandmachineryandsupplies.Oftentreesobstructedthewayandneededtobecutdownandremoved. Thewordtranslatedas“advance”here is thesamewordusedtodescribethejobofthoseRomanlumberjacks.Paul is telling the Philippian believers that his predicament made him a DivineWoodcutter in God’sprogram.Heissandwichedbetweentwoguardsdayandnight,whowouldhavenodoubttalkedtotheircaptiveandthensharedtheirstorieswiththePraetoriumguardof10,000handpickedRomansoldiers.Hewouldeventually testifybeforeCaesarhimself. What anaudience—thatmightnothaveeverbeenreachedwereitnotforPaul’swillingnesstosufferforthecauseofChrist.Thedifficulties inour lives, thehardships thathedgeus in, thehandicapswe face—theyarealldivinewoodcutters,clearingthewayforustosharetheGospel.Paulwrote,“MostgladlythenwillIrathergloryinmyinfirmities,thatthepowerofChristmayrestuponme.”IICorinthians12:9ScripturetakenfromtheHolyBible,NEWINTERNATIONALVERSION®,NIV®Copyright©1973,1978,1984,2011byBiblica,Inc.®Usedbypermission.Allrightsreservedworldwide