Quote from Forum Archives on August 6, 2002, 10:10 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Last evening I had a conversation with my (almost) eight year old
son about the importance of being honest and also the importance
about making scripture reading an important part of each day. I
asked him if he had read his Bible. At first he said, "Yes, I
read Philippians 31." Naturally, that told me that he had done
no such thing, since there is NO Philippians 31. But there is a
great chapter about being on our guard, not living like the
people in the world around us, not even like many of our leaders,
but instead living for Christ. My son and I decided to read the
first five verses of Philippians together.

But being one who really loves the book of Philippians
especially, and the entire Bible in general, I had to come back
and read more! 🙂

This morning, I read and also listened, by audio, a couple of Old
Testament passages, one about how Israel would be overrun by the
Assyrian people, as told in 2 Kings 19, but with the promise that
there would remain a remnant of people to serve God, then I also
read Nahum 1, which writes about how the enemies of Israel in
Nineveh of Assyria would never again overrun their land.

When I read the promises of God, I can see in the Old Testament
how the people of that time couldn't possibly know the things
that God told them, yet they came true.

There are other things in scripture that have not yet been
completely fulfilled, yet their words are as sure and true as the
words and things that happened long ago and can be verified by
history.

Paul's letter to the Philippians is part of an honest confession
from Paul about what Paul once did, and how God changed his
entire heart, his every thought and attitude.

Today, I include in the message the entire third chapter of
Philippians because it tells a complete story of a man who was
changed by God, and it warns people to beware of the things
around them, and to live for God.

That message is not directed only toward the Philippians, it
applies to you and me, too. Each of us needs to examine
ourselves before a Holy God, put aside the way we've been, choose
to follow God - completely by faith, often not having any idea
what's next, except believing with our entire heart that if God
is really our God, every single one of His purposes for our lives
will be completely accomplished - as long as we live for Him and
trust in Him completely.

Have you had your own private appointment with your Savior today?

Lord,

I am determined to be conformed to Your likeness. It's not like
I have to work to do that - the work, if anything, is letting go
of my own ways entirely and allowing you to completely have every
aspect of my will and my life. It will continue to be a battle
if I choose to hold onto what I want. It will be a joyful
surrender as I give myself to You!

I want others to know the love that You have and the joy of Your
salvation. Help me put aside excuses, fears, and anything else
that impedes me from sharing the hope that I have in You with
others.

I also continue to pray that You would help me to be a genuine
encouragement to others, and that I may also be encouraged by
others. May we be one in the common hope that we find complete
in Christ. I ask each of these things humbly in Christ's Name.
Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Philippians 3: 1 - 21

1 Whatever happens, dear brothers and sisters, F8 may the Lord
give you joy. I never get tired of telling you this. I am doing
this for your own good. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those wicked
men and their evil deeds, those mutilators who say you must be
circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship God in the Spirit
F9 are the only ones who are truly circumcised. We put no
confidence in human effort. Instead, we boast about what Christ
Jesus has done for us.

4 Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If
others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have
even more! 5 For I was circumcised when I was eight days old,
having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a
branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever
was one! What's more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand
the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 And zealous? Yes, in
fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish
law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault.

7 I once thought all these things were so very important, but now
I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes,
everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless
gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything
else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9 and
become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my
ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For
God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 As
a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty
power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to
suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that, somehow, I can
experience the resurrection from the dead! 12 I don't mean to say
that I have already achieved these things or that I have already
reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I
will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me
to be.

13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,
F10 but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I
strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for
which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. F11

15 I hope all of you who are mature Christians will agree on
these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will
make it plain to you. 16 But we must be sure to obey the truth we
have learned already.

17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and
learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you
often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that
there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the
cross of Christ. 19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their
god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all
they think about is this life here on earth. 20 But we are
citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are
eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take
these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious
bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use
to conquer everything, everywhere. FOOTNOTES: F8: Greek
brothers; also in 3:13, 17. F9: Or in spirit; some manuscripts
read worship by the Spirit of God. F10: Some manuscripts read I
am not all I should be. F11: Or from heaven.

The New Living Translation

Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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