Good morning. It's time again for moments of melody. Five minutes to help you begin your day with a song. During World War II, a Christian sailor friend of mine, just back from the Pacific, was given a week's leave from his California base. Eager to see his girlfriend in Chicago... He tried to get a seat on the next plane. Twenty seats out of the twenty-one were already taken. He got the last one. He fastened his seat belt and waited for takeoff. The pilot started the engine. The right propeller churned the air. Then the left. The plane was about to taxi for the takeoff. Suddenly outside the ticket agent waved his arms frantically. Behind him an admiral was standing. Hold that flight, shouted the agent. sailor's heart sank. The door opened and his name was called. His name was at the bottom of the flight roster. The Admiral got his seat. The plane took off without him. Setting dejectedly on the grass, the sailor watched the plane disappear into the distance. Why did this have to happen? What about that verse that says, All things work together for good to them that love the Lord? Every fiber of his being cried out for home. Three hours later, he was able to get on another flight. At nine o'clock that night his plane was headed down toward the Kansas City Airport. Huge searchlights flared. Turn out those lights shouted the co-pilot to the tower. We don't need them to land. We know it, replied the airport, but which flight are you? Identify yourself. The co-pilot identified his plane. Where's the flight that left three hours before you? It hasn't come in yet, said the tower. And it never did come in. It had gone down somewhere over the Rockies. My sailor friend then realized that his disappointment had been God's appointment. St. Paul was thrown into prison, but through that experience the Philippian jailer was saved, and some ten years later, when he was in prison again, because of his faithfulness for preaching the gospel, Paul wrote a letter back to Philippi and to the believers there. We're going to be reading that letter after this musical number. St. Paul continues his letter to the Philippians. Now concerning myself, I want you to know, my brothers, that what has happened to me has in effect turned out to be to the advantage of the gospel. For first of all, my imprisonment means a personal witness for Christ before the palace guards, not to mention others who come and go. And then it means that most of our brothers, somehow taking fresh heart in the Lord from the fact that I am a prisoner for Christ's sake, have shown far more courage in boldly proclaiming the word of God. I know that some are preaching Christ out of jealousy in order to annoy me, but some are preaching him in good faith. The motive of the former is questionable. They preach in a partisan spirit, hoping to make my chains even more galling than they would have been otherwise. But what does it matter? However they may look at it, the fact remains that Christ is being preached, whether sincerely or not, that fact makes me very happy. Yes, and I shall go on being very happy, for I know that what is happening will be for the good of my own soul. thanks to your prayers and the resources of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Rejoicing in spirit. Yes, St. Paul was glad that others were hearing about the Lord Jesus. God uses circumstances in our lives to glorify him.