Focusing on Christ so we can rejoice.

Today's study was in Philippians 3:8-11

⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 

A loss?  Garbage?  Well yes.  This is what we as Christians aim for.  We want Christ as the most important thing in our lives.  Americans have a hard time with this because we have so much.  TV bombards us with the fact that we "need" more.  However I have learned how much I don't really need.  How less is more and Christ is becoming all the more important to me.

⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

I'm have finally beat this into my head.  My righteousness is from God based on faith it Christ.  I can't earn it.  I don't deserve it.  Once I got past pride and independence I realized how desperately dependent on Christ I really am.

¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Do you want to know Christ?  He promised that if we stand with him the world will hate us.  Matthew 24:8-10  ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

   ⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

 It's coming America. The world is pushing God out of everything.  You need to make a choice.  Will cling to the American Dream and walk away or will you participate in the Lord's suffering?

I don't want to end this with gloom and doom.  Remember that Paul wrote this letter while in prison.  Yet he found ways to rejoince.

Philippians 1:18; 2:18; 3:1 

God Bless