Waiting for Change

Waiting for Change

Philippians 3: ¹⁷ Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. ¹⁸ I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. ¹⁹ They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. ²⁰ We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. ²¹ He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

 

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Things were not going as I expected so I decided to hang out with various people who seemed to be having “fun.” Weekends were spent prowling in the clubs, but soon that got old. I decided to go to church. I ran into a guy at church who recognized me and said loudly “We had a great time at the club last night!”

 

• I was trying to live two lives; one to fulfill my bodily desires and one that sought to do right.
• I was embarrassed that my hidden side had been exposed.
• I was upset that the example I pretended to set was now besmirched.

 

Paul makes a bold statement when he says “Keep on imitating me.” He also mentions to pay attention to those who follow the right example. Were they perfect and never made mistakes? No. They simply placed their hope in “eagerly” waiting on the LORD.

 

My Observations

• I am not a citizen of this world, rather a citizen of heaven through CHRIST JESUS.
• I must eagerly wait for our Savior, the LORD JEWSUS CHRIST to come from heaven.
• I look forward to having my earthly body changed into the same glorious body CHRIST has.

 

As I live and breathe, I will continue to make mistakes. I mean, I am a sinner who craves sin. BUT GOD has something better than me fulfilling my sinful desires. HE gives me purpose in HIS SON, JESUS our LORD and Savior.

 

I can now say “One day there will be no pain, no misery and no hurt.” I can also say “HE will wipe away my tears and I will one day be free from all sin and shame.” The ultimate example is not acting perfect, rather eagerly waiting on perfection to return. I am glad JESUS paid for all my sins and will one day return for me and you.

 

Challenge

• What enemy does the writer mention?
• Is there a part of your life that you may be fighting GOD?
• Will you allow the HOLY SPIRIT to enter into your life and guide you to follow the right examples set forth by JESUS today?

Found Out

 

Found Out

Acts 22: ²⁹ Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

 

³⁰ The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

 

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Not wanting people to be “offended”, I hid my relationship with JESUS at work. I mean, I worked with people who worshipped other things than the LORD of my life. I hid the relationship so well, I acted like everyone else. When they were mean, lying, undermining, and slanderous, I figured that was just part of “the game.”

 

• There were times when I hid who GOD wanted me to be.
• There were times when I denied my relationship with GOD so I would not “offend” anyone.
• There were times when I felt my godly actions would speak for themselves, but my actions were like everyone else.

 

When the commander found out Paul was a Roman citizen, he put a stop to the interrogation. The soldiers were about to beat Paul, possibly trying to see if he were a spy from some other nation. When the commander found out Paul’s citizenship, he wanted to find out why the leaders of the Jews were accusing him.

 

• GOD wants people to find out my relationship with JESUS.
• GOD wants me to be overt with my relationship with JESUS so people can find out what salvation means.
• GOD wants me to be ready with an answer about salvation at a moment’s notice.

 

Shining my “light” and adding “salt” are terms used to mean “let people know.” Light is very distinct when it is dark and salt is very distinct when placed on food. When I hide GOD’s light the darkness prevails around me. When I do not add GOD’s salt, the other flavors of philosophies permeate the meal of life.

 

Fortunately, I only need a little light and salt to make a point. JESUS is my Savior, in HIM I believe. I am glad that is all the light and salt I need.

 

• Are you hiding your relationship with JESUS?
• Are you trying to be covert with your relationship with JESUS so you will not “offend” someone?
• Will you allow people to find out who you really are by telling them your sins and about JESUS who forgave you for your sins today?

True Citizenship

 

True Citizenship

Acts 22: ²² The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

²³ As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. ²⁵ As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

 

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷ The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

²⁸ Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

 

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Feeling out of place became the norm for me. After a while, I accepted my misfit status and sat alone in many places. I did not like those who laughed at me or who talked negatively about me. I felt alone.

 

• There were times when I felt alone in a crowd.
• There were times when I felt I did not belong.
• There were times when I felt there had to be another place where I felt welcome.

 

Paul explained his background as a Jew, but when he said he was sent to the Gentiles by GOD, the crowd got angrier. The commander ordered him to be taken inside and flogged. Paul questioned this move, knowing the local law. Paul was a citizen and knew his rights.

 

• GOD wants me to know where I came from.
• GOD wants me to understand that this cursed world is not my home.
• GOD wants me to focus on HIS kingdom while I am still in this cursed world.

 

Before I was born, GOD made me. I mean, HE knew everything about me before I was ever born. HE chose me and I chose HIM. I believed in HIS SON JESUS as my Savior and HE added me into HIS kingdom as a citizen. The only kingdom that matter is HIS eternal one. I am glad to be part of GOD’s family and a citizen of HIS kingdom.

 

• Do you feel alone, even in a crowd?
• Do you feel like your life has a higher purpose than the one you are living?
• Will you become a citizen of GOD’s kingdom by believing that JESUS died for your sins and is now alive with all authority today and forever?

Where am I a citizen?

Philippians 3: ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 

who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

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When I arrived in town I didn’t know anyone. I went to the grocery store, bought food and settled into my apartment with nothing to do.  “Maybe the people at work would bring me some companionship” I thought, but at the end of the day everyone cleared out like some sort of whistle had blown.

Cliques were difficult to crack and soon I became homesick. I had so many “friends” at home. “Will I be stuck here?” I shuttered.

• No matter how fun I make life, this not my home.
• No matter how much I try to fit in, this is not my home.
• No matter how much money I make or what title I achieve, this is not my home.

I worked extremely hard on jobs to get promoted chasing a dream only to find when I arrived there was another destination. I worked hard to get accepted into groups only to find the group wanted to be in other groups. I worked hard to look like the world wanted me to look only to find GOD didn’t want me to look like the world.

• I eagerly await my SAVIOR JESUS who is the CHRIST to wipe away my tears.
• I eagerly await my SAVIOR JESUS who is the CHRIST to fix all my broken ways.
• I eagerly await my SAVIOR JESUS who is the CHRIST to transform me into an eternal being who never has to experience pain, misery or death.

GOD made me to be with HIM forever. The things of this world that worry me should actually have no effect on me because this is not my home.  I should act like I belong to a greater place one with no worries, no pain, and no sorrows.

• What are you chasing?
• Are you spending all your time trying to chase the world’s standards?
• When will you spend a little time with GOD?
• Can you slow down chasing your Earthly dream and focus a little of your attention to heaven?