Category: QuietTimes

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:18-21 -> me: There is some good conversation on who the ‘many’ are that Paul is talking about here in verse 18.  One idea is that these are Jewish Christians who are still leaning on the law as way to attain righteousness and justification.  The other is that these are a group of teachers who are saying that the body was an irrelevance once the mind had been illumined and the soul redeemed.  Therefore moral constraints could be ignored and no carnal sin could stain the pure soul – in some cases using grace as a ground of license (a false teaching Paul addresses in Romans 6:1 and following).  I tend to think he is talking about the latter group.  BUT!  Unlike these, our citizenship is in heaven!  I love this!  I am still drawn to Paul’s ‘tell you with tears’.  As much as these people were the enemies of the cross, Paul’s heart still ached for them.  I have to ask myself – do I have a deep sorrow for the people I see false teaching, no -> I find myself angry at them…even bitter toward them.  I need a heart more like Paul’s.

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Philippians 3:8-9 -> me:  Today is (and will continue to be) a day of reflection and meditation on God’s Word.  I have about 10 – 12 passages memorized and after a time of prayer in the prayer closet this morning I realize my deep need for this.  I am reminded in my quiet time today that all that matters is ‘being found in Him’…that’s it…’being FOUND IN Him’.  When I am found in Him, there is nothing about me that matters because it is His righteousness I wear.  The more that I live in this place of fellowship IN HIM, I will find myself only doing things that reflect HIM.  When I live this life I am called to, it is in recognition that I have ATTAINED nothing…I have been GIVEN everything.  As far as committed memory verses, I am working on growing my list of memorized passages but here (in the comments) is what I have committed so far.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” Philippians 2:14-15 -> me: Another very impactful passage for me today during my quiet time.  ‘Do ALL things without grumbling or disputing’ strikes right at the heart of my struggles this week.  This, is in fact, exactly what I have been doing lately in regards to some answers to prayer I have been petitioning God about.  How am I supposed to be blameless and innocent of hypocrisy if I am not trusting and in active application of my faith?  What is crazy is that God has come through in spite of my grumbling.  Why is He so good to me when I am such rambunctious child of His?  I need to stay focused on what it means to be a shining light in light in the darkness for my Lord and Savior.  I have been rescued from this ‘crooked and twisted generation’, I need to act like it.  Lord God forgive me of my grumbling and discontentment.  Help me to stay strong in the peace and comfort you provide.  Help me to understand with wisdom the right decisions to make when faced with a direction to choose.  You Oh Lord are a Faithful and Resolute God; full of mercy and grace.  Who am I to question you?

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” Philippians 2:5 -> me: The verses that follow are very well known (Phil 2:6-11).  Here is what I am taking away from that passage, in how my attitude needs to adjust. Verse 6 -> I should not focus on who I can be but on who God is through me.  Verse 7 -> remember the sinner I am and that I am less deserving of any grace than anyone else around me. Verse 8 -> I need to be driven to the goal of crucifying my sin everyday…dying to myself and my own motives.  Verse 9 -> My worth is in Jesus Who has been exalted to the ‘highest place’.  It is for Him that I do all that I do.  Verse 10 -> My knee goes to the ground in front of My Savior everyday.  Acknowledgement of Jesus as the king of my life.  Verse 11 -> I must be vocal about my allegiance to Jesus Christ.  My ‘mouth’ must confess Him as Lord so that if I am accused as a follower of His, I can easily be convicted.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 -> me: As a person who struggles with pride, humility is an area of focus in my Christian walk.  I love how Paul directs us to look at the good points and qualities in our own fellow-Christians and to be watching for them so that we can recognize the good we do when those things (in faith) appear and are emulated in our own lives.  I just got done going through Peter’s letters where in 1 Peter 5:5-6 he says that we are to clothe ourselves ‘with humility towards one another’ as we humble ourselves ‘under God’s mighty hand’. Unless our humility begins in a recognition of our creaturely dependence upon God and our true condition in his sight, it will only show itself to the world as humbug and a false self-depreciation.  So, my pride and self-sufficiency go hand in hand to work against a true humility.  Said more clearly – If my humility doesn’t start with an understanding of the infinite evil that my sin is to an infinitely Holy God, then my so-called humility will be not be genuine; actually working against my faith as note of hypocrisy.   Lord God, help me lean into you for all my needs, not let my flesh lose faith and rip control away.  Help me to be aware of the people you bring into my life, who are a model of good, like Paul was to the church at Philippi.

“for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19-21 -> me:  This attitude of Paul’s is something that I need to take note of and apply to my own life.  Paul is in a prison and shackled.  He just got done talking about how his imprisonment has been an advancement of the Gospel in spite of obstructions and dangers.  Now here, he leans on 1) the prayers of the saints and 2) the help given by the Spirit of Jesus to secure his deliverance…but that deliverance may be in life or death.  Paul knows that he should not be ashamed of how God uses him.  Christ will be exalted in his body either way.  If God continues Paul’s life through legal vindication, then Paul gets the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ further on this earth.  If God takes him in his captivity then he gains the promise of paradise in heaven.  What a way to live!  Paul walks so close in fellowship with the Almighty that his entire self is surrendered to the God Who saved him.  Paul’s priorities are in line with God’s will and purposes, and he knows that in whatever way God delivers him, God will be glorified.

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 -> me: I so needed this today!  This prayer of Paul to the saints, elders, and deacons at Philippi is awesome because of the bases it covers.  Sometimes, when I am dwelling on a passage, I will consume it in reverse -> First and foremost, everything I do must be for the glory and praise of God.  In doing this I will abide in Jesus where I will have the fruit of HIS righteousness.  As I dive into His Word, I will receive the discernment necessary to see and choose what is best, what is pure, and the path of blamelessness.  All of this is surrounded by an abounding love that grows and grows.  This could not have come on a better day than my daughter Bella’s 16th birthday.  Reading through the book ‘A Prayerful Life’ has brought to an understanding that this is my prayer for Bella this whole next year.  What an awesome way to support her in this next year; to cover her with these words when ever I pray for her.  Happy birthday beautiful girl – I pray that your dependence on God for the answers drives you ever closer to Him as you begin to move away from your mom and I for your needs under this sun.

“[Build] yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” Jude 1:20-23 -> me: This passage in Jude today is so appropriate to our current situation!  This scripture has 5 important points I am taking away and dwelling on today – 1) I must STUDY the scriptures if I am to grow in the faith and be of any use to others.  FAITH is most holy because it is utterly different.  2) I must PRAY in the Holy Spirit.  The battle against false teaching is not won by argument.  3) I must REMAIN in the sphere of God’s love.  False teachers have shown that it is possible to turn one’s back on the love of God.  I must cultivate that love relationship with Him.  Jesus Himself said, “I have loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:9 4) I must keep alive the FIRE of Christian HOPE.  True Christianity is ‘world-affirming’ in the sense that it rejoices in God’s world, made by Him, redeemed by Him, and to be enjoyed with Him.  5) I must be active in SERVICE.  Showing mercy and encouragement to those who doubt.  Active in evangelism in being used by God to reach for and save the lost.  I must also retain the hatred of sin while loving the sinner.

“Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17b-18 -> me:  This passage today (finished 2nd Peter) was a great reminder of the focus I must have through this time.  It is a focus that should carry us to the end of our days but I just needed to re-hear it.  My stability needed to be in the law of the Lord, not the error of lawless people.  Dwelling on God’s word day and night will be the way that I grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In all things that I do, I do to the glory of Jesus alone….but I must ‘do’!  I must be about the work of my King.  It is easy to sit back in our nice home and rest comfortably away from the virus; but am I reaching out to those who need God?   Am I reaching out to those who just need checked in on and possibly get the opportunity to share the goodness God brings in times like this?  I am not doing all that I can, and I am not currently leading my family in this way either.  Spending time in prayer is good and that communion with my Savior is precious, but I also need to act on the prods of the Holy Spirit to aspire to please my Savior in ALL things.