Philippians 3:7-21

What I've been reading this week and last week, too! I am sorry that this has taken me SO long to post but life has happened and I have been very resistant to understanding/comprehending what I am trying to read. I have been in prayer about this and I believe that I am coming through the haze but I truly believe I needed to slow down and take every word to heart. God is working in me and I am no longer satisfied to just breeze through His beautiful word. I want it to LIVE in me. I want to claim it and hide it in my heart. So, again, I am sorry that this has taken SO long and I hope you are still with me. If not, I understand. I will just continue to press along for myself and Charlie, who is studying with me. Thank you so very much for the prayers you have sent up on my behalf. I truly felt and appreciate them! So, here goes:

7At one time all these things were important to me. But I decided that those things are worth nothing because of Christ. 8Not only those things, but now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all those things {I thought were important}. And now I know that all those things are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ. 9It allows me to be in Christ. In Christ I am right with God, and this being right does not come from my following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10All I want is to know Christ and the power of his rising from death. I want to share in Christ’s sufferings and become like him in his death. 11If I have those things, then I have hope that I myself will be raised from death.

Trying to Reach the Goal

12I don’t mean that I am already exactly like God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach that goal and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that. That is the reason Christ made me his. 13Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal. But there is one thing I always do: I forget the things that are past. I try as hard as I can to reach the goal that is before me. 14I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize. That prize is mine because God called me through Christ to the life above.
15All of us who have grown spiritually to be mature (perfect) should think this way too. And if there is any of these things you don’t agree with, God will make it clear to you. 16But we should continue following the {truth} we already have.
17Brothers and sisters, all of you should try to live like me. And copy those people who live the way we showed you. 18Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about these people. And it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19The way these people live is leading them to destruction. They don’t serve God. Those people live only to please themselves. They do shameful things, and they are proud of those things. They think only about earthly things. 20But our homeland is in heaven. We are waiting for our Savior to come from heaven. Our Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power. With that power Christ is able to rule all things.

I will post my notes on this sometime later today or tomorrow. For now, I just wanted to leave you with an update on where I am at and the easy to read version of Philippians 3:7-21, just in case you wanted to follow along. So, I will go for now and take care of my home and children! I will post on this later. Love you all,

Julie