Friday, June 12, 2026

Opening Scripture

Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:13-24

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank You that Your mercies are new again this morning! Help me to desire You above everything else today. Guide me in Your truth. Give me Your perspective. Help me to rejoice in You and give thanks in all things. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Philippians 3

Further, my brothers and sisters, 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. Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised 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; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 

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

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us, then, 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. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, 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.

Reflection  

Paul begins today’s text with the command (again) to “rejoice in the Lord!” It seems clear that, since Paul keeps hitting on this theme throughout his letter, the Philippians must have really needed to hear it. We all do.

We are never told to rejoice in our changing and difficult circumstances. We are told to rejoice in the unchanging goodness of God! The fact that this encouragement is coming from a prisoner is all the more striking.

In yesterday’s reading, Paul addressed the problem of rivalry, division, and personal ambition in the church. Today, he confronts the Judaizers who were still infiltrating and threatening the congregation. These are the same old legalists who have been trying to undermine the gospel from the beginning. They weren’t just a distraction; they were dangerous!

These “dogs, evildoers, and mutilators of the flesh” insist that a person must become Jewish to become Christian. “Circumcision” represented an entire identity and way of life built around strictly keeping the law of Moses for sanctification. Paul reminds his listeners that “we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, put no confidence in the flesh.” We are the “true circumcision”!

Paul lived that legalistic life for many years as a Pharisee, to the point of zealously persecuting the young Church, but after his dramatic conversion, Paul realized the futility of trying to earn righteousness by keeping the law. That old life was “garbage” (skybala) – literally “dung” – compared to Paul’s new life in Christ. The Lord had changed the entire economy of Paul’s life! His confidence had radically shifted from himself and what he could do, to Jesus and what He had done.

Paul declares that his wonderful relationship with Christ was also the source of true righteousness – being right in the sight of God. That “right standing” wasn’t based on Paul keeping the law or following the religious rules, as he previously believed. True righteousness comes from following Jesus each day by grace through faith.

Paul obviously “knew” the Lord well already, but the blessing of that intimate relationship only made Paul want to know Him even more! “The surpassing worth of knowing (gnōseōs) Christ Jesus my Lord” refers to having experiential knowledge – learning and understanding through experience. Paul wanted more of it!

Paul wanted to experience the power of Jesus’ resurrection. He understood that the energy and strength (dynamis) that raised Jesus from the dead was now at work in the lives of those who have been “raised with Christ.” That divine power enables us to live out our mission according to God’s will.

Paul also longed to share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, being conformed to his death. This sounds like Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 16:24-25, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

Paul understood that following The Jesus Way is a lifetime journey – a long obedience in the same direction. We never “arrive” at spiritual maturity here on Earth. There is always more of God’s truth to learn and share. The mission will not be complete until Jesus comes again.

Like Paul, we need to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

In 1519, Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés embarked on a mission to conquer the Aztec Empire. He arrived in Mexico with a fleet of eleven ships and over six hundred men. Facing a vast and powerful indigenous population, Cortés recognized the need for absolute commitment from his troops.

When the fleet arrived at its destination, Cortés directed that everything be taken ashore, then he ordered the ships to be burned. This dramatic move eliminated any possibility of retreat and ensured full commitment from his troops to the task at hand. Physically and mentally, there was no going back!

There’s a certain “burning the ships” that takes place when we pledge allegiance to King Jesus. When we’re saved, filled with the Spirit, and adopted into God’s family, there’s no “going back” to the old life. We are on The Jesus Way forever – forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Just like Cortés’ troops, we’re all in this together. We succeed or fail as a team. Burning the boats united the Spanish soldiers in their shared mission, forcing them to be resourceful and depend on one another. Their individual flourishing depended on the group flourishing. The same is true for us.

Paul’s burning passion was to grow more intimately connected to Jesus. “I want to know Christ! Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”

Paul goes on to say, “And if you’re a spiritually mature follower of Jesus, you’ll feel the same way. If not, God will make it clear to you. Just start by living up to what you already know.”

We depend on each other to keep going and growing. In Hebrews 10:23-25 (which we’ll look at later this summer), the writer urges, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

What is God saying to you?

What do you need to do about it?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!