1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and 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 and is by faith. 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.

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, 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.

A few encouraging verses I came across that are really helpful for Christian men in our struggle with temptation.

Proverbs 27:17

17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Hebrews 3:13

13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

I know I’m not regular with my posts on this blog but, as I said earlier it’s more for my sake than anyone else. So, that being said, it’s me that loses out. It’s an apology to self.

Since my last post I have started a bible study on Wednesday nights. I have found it very encouraging just to be regularly looking at God’s Word. Last night was about Prayer and I have been very encouraged and challenged.

I’ve also been to Katoomba Mens Conference with past weekend. That was great ’cause I’d heard so much about it but had never been. The most encouraging thing to me was simple the fact the so many Christian men (2500) where willing to give up a weekend to meet together to hear from God’s Word.

1 Peter 5:8-10

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

I read an interesting article today on Blue Letter Bible in a section called “Sayings Not Found in Scripture,” titled “Once Saved, Always Saved.” I am not sure as to who writes this article and it does seem to be written with a high degree of intellect. Although I think it is well worth a read.

It astounds me how often people seeing the word ‘baptize‘ automatically think of water. When in a clear example like Mark 1:8 it says,

“I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”

This mentions water baptism in the first half then goes on to say in the same verse the Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. There is no mention that this second Spirit Baptize will be through water. What it does say in 1 Peter 3:21

…not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.

Note the difference between the physical (dirt) and spiritual (conscience). Similarly in John 3 when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus.

5Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Irrelative of how you interpretate “water” here the distinction can still be made that water is physical and Spirit is spiritual (stating the obvious). My view here is that water refers to physical birth (or waterbirth) but I’d like to do more study on this.

[External Link]

edit: 12/06/09

⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6

“One baptism” mentioned here is talking about Christ’s baptism. Then in Romans 6:3 we were baptized into his death.

I was originally going to do a Thai language study but I was reminded of something my wife said. She encouraged me to give time to God. and so this is what I am doing.

BLB – Day by Day August 29

I have learned today that I should trust God more. Todays reading from Numbers 14:6-9
tells about Joshua and Caleb having returned from spying out the Promised Land. They are reminding the people not to be rebellious. I’d not thought of it this way before although in this passage it is quite clear. “…do not rebel against the LORD.” [v9] To not trust is to rebel. It’s quite sobering. We think we’re OK when we are actually rebelling by not trusting.

Using man’s wisdom the other spies saw the enemy and thought, “We can not overcome them.” I think I use worldly wisdom too much too.

This also fits in so well with something Greg was sharing with me this morning. He shared about David and how he trusted God through so much – even while Saul was chasing him wanting to kill him.

Cutting this short but I just want to say that God is so Awesome. how he brings these things into our lives to teach us.

later….

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