Verse 3:2 opens with a warning:<\/p>\n
\nWatch out for the dogs\u2014wicked workers who\u00a0run in packs<\/em>\u00a0looking for someone to maul with their false circumcision.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
During this time in the church there was a battle between the Jewish Christians who believed that one should be a Jew in order to follow Jesus, therefore following the Law was part of following Jesus. Never mind the fact Jesus said \u201cI came to fulfill the Law\u201d, they still pushed this agenda. Their belief was a \u201cfaith plus\u201d belief which you find often in the world today. Their plus was being Jewish and living by the Law, today it\u2019s more works based which is a whole different tangent.<\/p>\n
Either way it doesn\u2019t matter what we do, we are saved by faith alone and nothing more. That is the point Paul is trying to drive home since once the relationship becomes a acts based one legalism creeps in and faith is pushed out. Suddenly we become the Pharisee who prayed how good he was because of all he did, while the tax collector prayed for mercy. It\u2019s all faith and after that what we do is to show the love of Jesus, not to convict others.<\/p>\n
Verse 3:14 gives us perspective on life:<\/p>\n
\nI am sprinting toward the only goal that counts:\u00a0to cross the line,<\/em>\u00a0to win the prize, and to hear God\u2019s call\u00a0to resurrection life found exclusively<\/em>\u00a0in Jesus the Anointed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The problem with life is our goals often do not mesh with God\u2019s. We tend to focus on the immediate issue or crisis which quickly pushes aside God. Sure often the crisis will bring us closer to God in the end, but often it starts by drawing us away. Suddenly we are sprinting towards a project that MUST be finished now. In the end we turn and run towards that next project when we really should be like Mary resting in Jesus and not Martha preparing the feast.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, we cannot spend our lives resting in Jesus without working, but we need to know balance and ensure time is always given to Him. Now one would say Paul did not do this and was always taken care of during his ministry. Maybe that is the point!! We should spend our lives resting in Jesus and if it means getting the job done, then it\u2019s being done for Jesus.<\/p>\n
Verses 4:12 & 13 talks about what Paul went through:<\/p>\n
\n12\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>I know how to survive in tight situations, and I know how to enjoy having plenty. In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances: fed or hungry, with or without.\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I am learning this, reluctantly! We have had to make adjustments based on my lack of income and major bills looming. After 6 years of struggling to get out of a huge hole, we are getting ready to dig another. Sure we are being fed and always seem to have something in the end to pay bills; it\u2019s the stress that is literally killing me. Today I am learning to be content in each, but not rest in that contentment and still work.<\/p>\n
This brings up the old joke of the man sitting on the roof in a flood. His neighbors came to help him, he said \u201cI am waiting for God to save me.\u201d A rescue boat pulled up to help and he said \u201cI am waiting for God to save me.\u201d Finally a helicopter came and he again said \u201cI am waiting for God to save me.\u201d When the flood waters finally took his life he asked God why he did not save him, God said \u201cI sent your neighbors, a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?\u201d Don\u2019t be waiting for an opportunity when it\u2019s looking right at you! We kills the Messiah because He did not fit our mold, don\u2019t miss read what God has in store \u2026 but be content in all that happens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Philippians 3 \u2013 4 Verse 3:2 opens with a warning: Watch out for the dogs\u2014wicked workers who\u00a0run in packs\u00a0looking for someone to maul with their false circumcision. During this time in the church there was a battle between the Jewish Christians who believed that one should be a Jew in order to follow Jesus, therefore … Continue reading “Don’t Be Stuck On The Roof!!”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/emailsfromdad.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}