No Advertising Gimmick

~~~ Philippians 3:17-4:1 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ Luke 16:1-8 ~~~ 

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters...

It is tempting to follow the wrong person
when they present themselves in an attractive manner.
Sometimes what they project is not genuine or true.
Paul was the real thing he put on no airs.
Paul never pretended to be something other than his true self.

Now he is appealing to his fellow Philippians to join him.
He has proven to be worthy of their imitation
 not for his own honor and glory, but rather for Jesus.

For many, as I have often told you 
and now tell you even in tears, 
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Paul is distraught by what he is witnessing among the people.
It brings him to tears to witness how so many
 have ignored and even denied the cross of Christ.

Paul realizes how unbelievable it was for our creator God
to send his son down to Earth...
to become one of us.
Not only did he send him here
but he was sent here to die on the cross for us.

Just how arrogant must one be to close their eyes to this gift.
Just because you may chose to discount or ignore
something does not erase it from existence.

We humans use all sorts of tactics
 to keep us from focusing on the facts.
We ignore taking care of our health
 even if there are clear warning signs.

We have a tendency to over eat
when we are having emotional issues.

We drink too much alcohol, we drive reckless, we smoke,
we spend money frivolously...
what are we running away from??? 

We cannot face the cross because
 we cannot face how we truly feel when
we face the reality it is.

The fact is that Jesus came down to Earth,
 took on human flesh, and died for you.
And furthermore if given a choice he would come back
 and do it all over again just for you.

This is why Paul was brought to tears.

...our citizenship is in heaven...

We are only here temporarily yet so often we act like this is it.
Our life here is all that really matters.
Why would there even be a need for Jesus to die on the cross
 if our life here was all that there was...our life here was the end.

Frankly if this is all there is to life
then this girl is going to be mighty upset.

What God has in store has to be way better than
the best earthly things he has given us.

What we see here all around us is likely to be
only a minute fraction of what God can actually create.

The cross is no advertising gimmick;
Jesus really did die upon that cross.

Paul, like Jesus, wanted all his followers to be imitators
of Jesus. Jesus loved us to the very last breath
his lungs were able to hold.

Hanging upon the cross Jesus
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...
even though he appears to be helpless and lifeless.

The Life he gained for us is definitely not of this dimension...
clearly not of this world.

Blessed with a future beyond this earthly life
~~~Peace~~~