Joy Inside Chain

One prisoner sit down with chain for im wrist, dey wait to hear whether dem go free am or dem go sentence am to death. And e dey write letter. Again and again, one word dey show for di letter. Joy.

Paul dey write to di church for Philippi, for northern Greece. Na di first church wey e ever start for Europe. E remember am well: Lydia, di woman wey dey sell cloth, wey open her house, and di night for di Philippi prison when im and Silas sing hymns for midnight and one earthquake shake di doors open. Di believers there love Paul. When dem hear say e don enter prison again, dem send one friend wey dem dey call Epaphroditus with gift to help am. Now Paul write back. Dem must dey worry about am. So di first thing e do na to tell dem how e really dey.

I want make una know, brothers and sisters, Paul write, say wetin happen to me don actually help di good news move forward. How? Everybody for di whole palace guard, and everybody wey dey around, know say na because of Christ I dey for chain. Di soldiers wey dey take turn guard am don all hear why e dey there. And e no stop there. Because of my chains, Paul talk, most of di believers here don get more confidence for di Lord. Dem dey bold to talk God word with more courage and without fear. Paul chains suppose stop di message. Instead, dem push am forward.

No be everybody heart clean, Paul agree. Some people dey preach Christ because of envy and rivalry, dey hope to cause more trouble for Paul as e dey hold for prison. Others dey preach with good mind and love, because dem know say Paul dey there to defend di gospel. You fit expect make Paul vex. But hear wetin e talk. So wetin? Any way wey e be, whether na pretence or na truth, dem dey preach Christ; and because of dat one I dey rejoice, yes, and I go continue to rejoice. E no be about me, Paul talk. People dey talk about Jesus. Na dat one matter. And I know say through una prayers and di help of di Spirit of Jesus Christ, all dis one go end with my deliverance.

Then Paul face di hardest question of all. E go live or e go die? Im hope be say e no go shame, but say Christ go receive honour for im body, whether by life or by death. Because for me, to live na Christ, and to die na gain. If I continue to live, Paul talk, dat one mean more work wey go bear fruit. If I die, I go go stay with Christ. Which one I go choose? I no know. My heart dey between di two. I dey long to depart and be with Christ, wey better pass. But e dey more necessary for una say I stay. So, Paul talk, I dey sure say I go remain, and I go continue with una all, for una progress and una joy for di faith. Then, when I come meet una again, una go get even more reason to boast for Christ Jesus because of me.

Dem name Philippi after King Philip of Macedon, di papa of Alexander di Great. For forty-two before Christ, di armies of Mark Antony and Octavian defeat Brutus and Cassius, di men wey kill Julius Caesar, for one famous battle just outside di city. After dat, Rome settle old soldiers from im army there, and Philippi become Roman colony. Acts call am exactly dat name. So when Paul mention di palace guard, im friends for Philippi, wey dey live for city full of old soldiers, know exactly di kind men wey e mean.

Joy inside chain. You go find am for Philippians chapter one, verse twelve to twenty-six. One prisoner wey no fit know im future, but e know say anything wey happen, Christ go receive honour, and dat one dey enough to fill am with joy. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. For one hard situation wey you dey face, how God fit dey use am for good?