Philippians 3: 10-11 Part 4
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Make sure you take the time to read parts 1-3 in the sidebar on the right. The word Christ is a greek word that is the same as the Hebrew word Messiah. The word Messiah literally means "The Anointed One". The word anoint means to pour, or to smear on. In the old testament (the first part of the Bible), when someone would become a leader, or a king, they would be "anointed" with oil as a symbol of their new power. The Bible says that we've been given a new power too.
The Bible says that the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is at work in us. That same anointing that Jesus had, which allowed Him to perform miracles, heal the sick and raise the dead is the same anointing that God has placed on us. When we come to know Christ, that anointing that was poured on Him will rub off on us. That's what Paul means when he says he wants to know the power of God. I know that's what I want. I want to see God use me to perform miracles. How cool is that, right?
The last part of this verse talks about the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. God wants us to walk in the power of God, but if you remember back to our study of Phil 2: 9-11 the reason that Jesus was exalted was because he humbled Himself. When you go out of your way to reach out to someone, it's not because you're trying to be the bigger person. When you humble yourself to serve someone else, don't think of it as being humiliating. Because when you do those things, God honors that and gives you more of His anointing. If Jesus was the ultimate servant, and we want to be closer to Him, we need to be willing to serve.
-Jeff-
Philippians 2: 9-11
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
My mentor used to always say, when you're reading the Bible and come across a therefore, you better see what it's there for. Haha. Sorry, enough Bible study humor. God put Jesus in the highest place in the Universe, that at His name everything would bow. Now a days we don't bow to anyone. We don't need to. Even the President of the US gets a handshake. But back in those days they understood what it meant to bow. Failure to bow before a King meant death. Basically Paul is saying that anyone who refuses to obey and accept Jesus is doomed.
So the question is why. Why did God give Jesus this high place? What was so special about Him? This goes back to that therefore. If you read the verses before this one, you'll see that Jesus made Himself nothing. This reminds me of Jesus' words when He said: "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) Jesus made Himself last, became the servant (through dying for us) of everyone else, and therefore was pushed into this lofty position.
That's the way things operate in the Kingdom, so get to work making yourself last.
-Jeff-
Philippians 2: 5-8
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Yesterday we talked about how Jesus made Himself nothing, giving up everything that made Him God. Do you realize that Jesus didn't have to die? If He would have stayed in Heaven (and btw, He knew what was going to happen before He came down here) He had the power over death itself. He never had to experience the pain and suffering of the cross. He didn't have to do any of it, but He chose to be our SERVANT. What!?! God became our SERVANT? But He did what had to be done in order to bring us back to Him. That's the type of attitude that Paul wants us to model. We need to be willing to do whatever it takes to help those around us.
Who are you going to serve today?
-Jeff-
Philippians 2: 3-4
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Ouch. As we go through the Bible, we're going to hit on several passages that mess you up. This is another one. Paul isn't saying to never think anything good about yourself, and he definitely isn't saying that you shouldn't ever do anything that makes you happy, but we get too caught up in that sort of stuff. To sum this verse up in one sentence, it would be, don't get so caught up in yourself that you forget about anyone else. Try and find someone to help out today.
-Jeff-
Matthew 5:5 The Beatitudes
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
I think that we get this verse a little backwards sometimes. We assume that as Christians we need to be weak and allow people to step all over us. Meek does not equal weak! If we're going to inherit the Earth someday, we're going to need to know how to lead! Meekness is not the absence of power, in fact, to be truly meek, you need to have power and be willing to lay it down. If you have nothing, or are powerless and you let people push you around you've accomplished nothing. But if you're strong, and allow people to get there way anyway, then you are truly meek.
Allow someone else to be right today. Don't fight for your own way, but let them win. In doing that, we get a little closer to God.
-Jeff-
Matthew 5:3 The Beatitudes
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It's important to know what you don't know. In working with students, you meet a lot of people who are pretty sure they have life figured out. Of course, I'm not talking about YOU!!! But your friends and classmates have this problem where they think they know it all, don't they? As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more that there are gaps in my knowledge, and I'm okay with that. When Jesus talks about being poor in spirit, He's not saying that you have to be emo and cut yourself, but he is saying that you need to recognize your shortcomings, and make yourself lower than the person next to you. Remember when He said that the first would be last, and that in order to be the greatest in the kingdom you have to be the least? Find a way to serve someone today. And I'll throw this out for free, you don't need to look any further than your parents.
-Jeff-
