FRIDAY, May 9th, 2008

PRAISE GOD IT IS FRIDAY!
Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads anything that I write up here. Especially when I say something like "write a personal application", or "make up some youth group names" and nothing ever happens...(?) I am not sure if you read it or not, so here is what we will do to test it out. At the very beginning of your Devos, THE FIRST WORD OF THE FIRST LINE, type your favorite candy bar. Then the people who dont read the top will have no clue WHAT we are talking about. Lets Try It.

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Jessica: Did I read that Wrong, or did you actually say: "not much to say"... WOW! :)
Rachel: It is so nice to have a network of friends that you can call on to pray for your friends: Everyone take a minute to say a prayer for Erica and Elizabeth.
Mr. Carl: Right On! Thanks for joining us! It is encouraging for us to see an adult get on here and read what we have to say. Come on here any time... or all the time :)
Everyone Else: When you are on here and you go a day or two without seeing someone specific doing their devotions call them up and encourage them to stay faithful!! That is one of the great benefits of doing them together like this. If you dont call that person, Who will?????

Philippians 3:1-11

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Butterfinger
This passage may be a little difficutl to understand, in fact, I went and read part of a commentary, so that I could explain it as best as possible to you. Have you ever heard someone say... "I am a religious person"? Well this passage is Paul writing to the church at Philippi telling them, DO NOT BE RELIGIOUS! But BE N A RELATIONSHIP with Christ. Paul even goes as far as saying, Beware of Dogs (refering to these packs of "religious zealots" that go around "barking" at everyone) Then he says beware of Evil workers, and finally the most interesting of all... Paul says Beware of mutilation... ?? What is he talking about? Well, I must be careful how I describe this, because I dont want to upset any parents, so here is what I will tell you to do. I will refer to this practice as circumcision or "cutting the body" and you can ask your parents if you are not sure what I am talking about.
When a baby boy was born in the old testament, If he was Jewish then he had to be circumcised, to be "saved", to show that he was a "child of God". However when Christ came to earth and died for the sins of man, Circumcision was no longer necessary for salvation.
But their were some people that would not believe it. During this time, their were Religious people that would go around telling people they could only be saved if they were circumcised, so Paul writes this letter as an explanation.

In verse 3 Paul makes it clear that "cutting the body" has nothing to do with getting someone saved. In verse 4 Paul explains that if anyone could be saved by circumcission then HE could! 5 and 6 explain his family "religious roots" He was born jewish, and so on...
and verse 7 is a key verse... Paul says those things that I thought were "good" I realized they meant nothing.

This is where our application comes in... Do we do "the right things" because we just follow the "religious rules" or do we do wat is right because of our relationship with Christ. You see, we have all kinds of "religious" things in our life... going to church, singing during worship, helping pastor Lee... Why do you do these things? To be religious? or to be closer to Christ.

Paul makes it clear that we should not live "religious" lives, trying to please men, by doing things withor to the flesh, HOWEVER, we must obey God, because our heart longs to KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERING.

It is not about Rules, But about the Relationship!
When we are in a good relationship then we will follow the rules with the right heart attitude.