I'm leaving today to meet up with the U.S.S. Blue Ridge for two months of sailing and playing music all over Asia. Being underway is always a challenge that provides many opportunities to grow in Christ. I'm excited about the journey ahead. If you are reading this, please pray specifically for the following:

1. Daily consistency in the Word
2. God gives me wisdom in my study of Romans 1-8
3. God softens the hearts of people on the Blue Ridge to receive Christ
4. My surface warfare qualification
5. Growth in Christ, no matter the cost.

I pledge to write a weekly blog outlining my thoughts on Romans. I plan to spend a week in each of the first 8 chapters, and then I'll be back in Yokosuka. Consider it my attempt at a commentary if you will.

God bless.
Matt

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Philippians chapter 3 this last month in preparation for a weekly Bible study.  The focus of Paul continues to fascinate me and motivate me to shed more distractions from my life so that I may achieve a focus like that of the Apostle Paul.  Philippians is filled with the charge to rejoice from a man who endured more trials and suffering than all men (short of Jesus) who ever lived.  I’ve repeatedly asked myself “how can this be?” and have become even more aware of the simple truth that when we have our hearts, eyes, and minds on Jesus Christ, nothing becomes more precious or sought-after than fellowship with the risen Lord. 

How did Paul continue to preach joy throughout his years of persecution, rejection, abuse, and suffering?  He continued to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and considered everything else to be irrelevant apart from this greatest of all treasures. 

As I meditate on verses like 2 Timothy 2:15 which says: 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. 

It becomes clear to me that we have a great responsibility to make ourselves useful and serviceable to God.  We must be active in this command and taking all necessary measures to put ourselves in a position for God’s light to shine through us and transform our lives into the likeness of Jesus Christ.  Philippians 3 is full of great insight by the most focused man who ever lived and has been a great benefit to my walk as I consider the intensity and objects of Paul’s focus. 

 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (v. 14)

In verses 9-11, Paul is speaking of true righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.  Paul has his eyes fixed on the goal, which literally means the mark or the focal point.  Paul has a clear vision of the finish line and what awaits.  He is forgetting everything from the past, both his failures and his successes, and committing himself to living in the moment to his utmost with his eager anticipation of meeting Jesus at the end.  What a prize it will be...one that drove Paul to focus unlike any I’ve ever seen in another individual. 

 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (v. 11)

I neglect to consider the display of God’s awesome power in transforming fleshly, decaying, destruction-bound bodies into eternal, perfect, blindingly bright bodies made to worship God forever.  Paul didn’t.  He went as far as to say that he would gladly die the same death as Christ and gladly share in His sufferings in order to attain the resurrection from the dead.  Paul didn’t even hesitate to say this because he was convinced that eternal life with Jesus Christ was the greatest gain possible.  Taking the time to weigh the possibilities, I easily side with Paul on this one and I’m committed to growing closer to Christ so that this desire is lived out in my life. 

 But our citizenship is in Heaven (v.20)

Have you ever felt like an outcast because of your faith?  Does it ever seem like you are a foreigner in your own town?  Truthfully, we should feel like sojourners because we are.  We are exiles in this world.  This is a tent.  It is not our home.  What a fantastic thought!  The thinking I desire to rule my life is this:  regardless of what goes on in this world, I can rejoice knowing that I’m not home yet and home is more incredible than I can ever imagine.  That is something to focus on. 

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  (v.8)

If rejoicing is the charge of the letter to the Philippians, Jesus Christ is the reason to rejoice.  All throughout the letter, Paul speaks of the glories and riches of knowing Jesus.  He tells the Philippians to have the mind of Jesus.  He says that he yearns for them with the affection of Jesus.  He is confident that Jesus will finish the work He started on the Day of His return.  He praises the humility and obedience of Christ which culminated with the Cross and victory for God’s people.  He says that we should embrace the suffering that comes with alignment with Christ’s teaching.  And he ends the letter by saying the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

The will of God is that we rejoice always.  Jesus Christ is the reason to rejoice and we can always rejoice because He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  We can rejoice because Jesus conquered death.  He defeated sin.  He has given us new life!  He has given us eternal life AND teaches us to live in the fullness of life here and now.  He walks with us and desires our fellowship.  He loved us while we were still His enemies, hostile to the Gospel and ensnared by satan to do his will.  He loves us so much that He went to the Cross.  He is the radiance of the glory of God.  He is the exact imprint of the nature of God.  He upholds the universe by the word of His power.  That’s my Jesus! 

When I stop and think about it, it’s easy to see how knowing Christ surpasses all other pursuits.  We can make all the excuses we want to about being busy or tired, but these excuses cannot stand up to the truth that Jesus Christ is more important than the sum of everything else we will ever know.  Think about it.  How can we justify spending so much time and energy focused on a false reality?  What we see is not what is really real!

 The world revelation comes from a Greek word that means “to take off the cover.”  God is going to peel back the heavens and take the cover off and we will see what reality looks like.  Are we thinking this way?  Are we focused on reality?  Are we focused on the founder and perfecter of our faith?  If we are wise, we will be. 

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 
John 20:29

Believe it.  Nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ.  Chase after Jesus with all you’ve got. 

There will be no sweeter sound than hearing the Source of all relevance and importance say Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.  Matthew 25:21

I started another blog at http://trumpetmc.blogspot.com/ that will contain the same info as this one.  I just like the layout better on blog spot and have some friends that use it that don't use Xanga.  Feel free to check it out.