Day 293: The Absolute Greatest Safeguard Of Our Life
Read: Philippians 3:1 - 11
Finally, I am back home safe and sound from my weekend retreat at the
Maryland Correctional Institute for men in Jessup. A small team of men,
including myself spent this past weekend helping the residents of the
facility to solidify what they'd learned during our shared Kairos
Prison ministry weekend. It was a powerfully inspirational weekend where
we got to share our lives and our testimonies together. The theme was
coming together as one community, setting up personal short, long term
goals to foster a committed long term relationship with Jesus Christ. As
I said, I am finally home and safe with my wife. So, my brothers and
sisters, how safe are you in life?
If you’re at home, you are
probably fairly safe. And you may well have several items in your home
to guard your safety: smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide
detector, several emergency safety lights, alarm system, etcetera. If you’re in
your car, you have seat belts, air bags, side air bags, smart air bags,
all-weather tires, anti - lock brakes, anti-whiplash headrests, tire
pressure warning, etc. And some cars actually come with a collision
avoidance system. Can you beat any or all that for auto safety?
Regardless of where we are, what we’re doing, we prefer to be safe. And
common sense is probably the biggest safety device there is. But "watch
out for those dogs,..."
Paul warns us in verse 2: ' Beware of the
dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;'
There is a conspiracy afoot. Some would try to rob those Philippians -
and us - of the truth of our greatest safety net, the truth of our
salvation. What makes the conspiracy so completely dangerous is it sounds rather innocent and even noble. Follow the law and be saved. Make a greater effort than the next guy and you will be the one saved. Paul rejects this rather emphatically - our
salvation comes through the death and resurrection of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ alone - and if effort was all it would take to save
us, then he, Paul and us would be the most saved. We are not the 'most' saved because we did more. We are all equally saved!
"I was
circumcised when I was 8 years old, Paul writes, I am a pure-blooded
citizen of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever
was one! Yet for all that could possibly boast about - righteousness,
authority, obedience to the law, as much as he, Paul, or we ourselves
today find these things to be the most valuable of our possessions, now that we are in Christ Jesus, they are held as nothing compared with the infinitely more valuable possession of knowing Christ Jesus as
our Savior. I believe deeply my friends in the physical safety of my
wife and myself. I protect both with my life. But the greatest safety
net against my Death remains my Christ Jesus!
Let Us Pray:
Elohey Yish'i, ADONAI, God of my Salvation, when I cry out to you in the
night, let my prayer come before you, turn your ear to my cry for help.
I pray, turn our hearts toward the God who surrounds us, toward the
love of God which enfolds us, toward the power of God which protects us,
and toward the presence of God that eternally watches over us. Wherever
we are, we are thankful that God is there also, And the very best news of all, that where God is, all is safe, all is well, all is secure. Thank you Jesus, I count nothing else in my life, nothing else I could
do as compared to knowing Jesus Christ now and unto the very furthest
reaches of eternity. Amen!
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Read: Philippians 3:1 - 11
Finally, I am back home safe and sound from my weekend retreat at the Maryland Correctional Institute for men in Jessup. A small team of men, including myself spent this past weekend helping the residents of the facility to solidify what they'd learned during our shared Kairos Prison ministry weekend. It was a powerfully inspirational weekend where we got to share our lives and our testimonies together. The theme was coming together as one community, setting up personal short, long term goals to foster a committed long term relationship with Jesus Christ. As I said, I am finally home and safe with my wife. So, my brothers and sisters, how safe are you in life?
If you’re at home, you are probably fairly safe. And you may well have several items in your home to guard your safety: smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, several emergency safety lights, alarm system, etcetera. If you’re in your car, you have seat belts, air bags, side air bags, smart air bags, all-weather tires, anti - lock brakes, anti-whiplash headrests, tire pressure warning, etc. And some cars actually come with a collision avoidance system. Can you beat any or all that for auto safety? Regardless of where we are, what we’re doing, we prefer to be safe. And common sense is probably the biggest safety device there is. But "watch out for those dogs,..."
Paul warns us in verse 2: ' Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;' There is a conspiracy afoot. Some would try to rob those Philippians - and us - of the truth of our greatest safety net, the truth of our salvation. What makes the conspiracy so completely dangerous is it sounds rather innocent and even noble. Follow the law and be saved. Make a greater effort than the next guy and you will be the one saved. Paul rejects this rather emphatically - our salvation comes through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alone - and if effort was all it would take to save us, then he, Paul and us would be the most saved. We are not the 'most' saved because we did more. We are all equally saved!
"I was circumcised when I was 8 years old, Paul writes, I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever was one! Yet for all that could possibly boast about - righteousness, authority, obedience to the law, as much as he, Paul, or we ourselves today find these things to be the most valuable of our possessions, now that we are in Christ Jesus, they are held as nothing compared with the infinitely more valuable possession of knowing Christ Jesus as our Savior. I believe deeply my friends in the physical safety of my wife and myself. I protect both with my life. But the greatest safety net against my Death remains my Christ Jesus!
Let Us Pray: Elohey Yish'i, ADONAI, God of my Salvation, when I cry out to you in the night, let my prayer come before you, turn your ear to my cry for help. I pray, turn our hearts toward the God who surrounds us, toward the love of God which enfolds us, toward the power of God which protects us, and toward the presence of God that eternally watches over us. Wherever we are, we are thankful that God is there also, And the very best news of all, that where God is, all is safe, all is well, all is secure. Thank you Jesus, I count nothing else in my life, nothing else I could do as compared to knowing Jesus Christ now and unto the very furthest reaches of eternity. Amen!
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You Are My All in All With Canon in D [Live]
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Music video by Bill & Gloria Gaither performing You Are My All in All With Canon in D (feat. Gaither
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