STANDPOINT360

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:3-11 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.3-11.NLT

Jesus is the example I follow.  Sure, I do it imperfectly.  So do you.  He already knows that about us. We follow Him, nonetheless, becoming more like Him the longer we follow. 

 The Apostle Paul gives us clear guidance in following Jesus:

• Don’t Be Selfish
• Don’ try to Impress others
• Be Humble
• Think of others as better than yourselves
• Consider the interest of others
• Have the same attitude as Jesus

What a list.  The last one on the list supports all of the others. Having the same attitude as Christ.

There is some specific information about Christ’s attitude that is important for us:

• He gave up equal standing – didn’t cling to it.
• He gave up privilege – specifically – divine privilege 
• He took the humble position of serving under another’s authority as if a slave.
• He humbled himself before God.
• Died a criminal’s death on the cross

God’s response to all of this is also key:

• God elevates Jesus to the highest honor.
• Jesus’ name is above any other name
• Everyone will bow to Jesus.
• Every tongue will declare that Jesus Christ is Lord
• All of this is for the glory of God, the Father. 

Reflection

This is a lot to take in.  Yet, the focus is very clear.  Have the same attitude as Jesus, give yourself up for the sake of others.  God will take care of you and raise you up.  This is the path of following Jesus.  

Encouragement

Let’s follow Jesus’ example together. It is a contrast to what the world encourages.  To follow Jesus involves spending time with Him, knowing the word of God, and doing what it says.  We need other people to encourage us who are doing the same.  

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your example of how to live.  May I have the same attitude as You.  Help me not to be selfish. I don’t want to live seeking the approval of others, yet I am prone to do so. May I live with a humble spirit, prioritizing the well-being of others over myself. May I trust God to take care of my well-being. Please lead me in following You. You are my example.

In Your amazing name, I pray, Amen

Try “Godliness”….  Here is a little video encouragement:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yqoru8cH1dh9yvPx9

Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil are misled by sin.

Proverbs 13:6 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.13.6.NLT

The word “Godliness” means following God and doing what He says.  In the end, it guards our lives. 

By contrast, sin misleads us every time. It is our downfall and ultimately destroys us.  

Reflection

Godliness is a way of living in a relationship where what is taught becomes the way one lives.  It is active and dynamic.  It is the nature of God being lived through one’s life to everyone else.  Godliness grows in our character with the help of the Holy Spirit.  It includes spending time with God.  Prayer, reading the Bible, and sharing the truth of God with others is all part of cultivating a life of being in a relationship with God. 

Godliness begins with repentance.  “Repentance” means coming to God and being sorry for the wrong things done in life.  Godliness continues by receiving a gift.  It is the gift of forgiveness by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Godliness grows by following God through Jesus Christ, repenting, and receiving forgiveness along the way, as we are not yet perfect!!!

There is not much to say about sin.  It is misleading and takes us to evil. There is no freedom in it. There is nothing good in it or about it. In sin, we don’t think right, act right, or care for others in the way God designed us to.  

Encouragement

One of the great benefits of following God is how our lives our guarded.  We have been made blameless through Jesus Christ.  As we follow Christ, we also become better at doing what is right.  As we live this out, our lives have a sense of being guarded by the integrity and truth of our lives in God.

Be reminded that sin leads us to evil every time. The only antidote to sin is found through Jesus Christ. Let’s follow Him into a life of integrity and freedom. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for these clear words contrasting life of following You (Godliness) with a life of being constantly misled (sin leads to evil every time). Help us to choose following You.  Thank You for guarding our lives with amazing gifts of integrity, compassion, forgiveness, grace, and wisdom.  

It is in Your name we pray, Amen 

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

Romans 8:6 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.6.NLT

When it comes to life and death situations, heartbeat, breathing, stopping the bleeding, consciousness, and vital signs are the priorities of first responders. The mind is not something we usually think about. 

The writer of Romans brings the focus of our mind to the center of attention as a life and death choice:

• The choice for death: Let your mind be controlled by your sinful nature.  
• The choice for life and peace: Let your mind be controlled by the Spirit of God. 

Choices around life and death provide such a contrast for us to seriously consider.  

Reflection

One of the uncomfortable truths of this scripture is the statement that my mind is going to be controlled.  The question is a choice of who and/or what. 

If sinful nature controls us, all of our thinking moves us to make choices that lead to the death of ourselves and others.  The landscape of the world is filled with proof of the sinful nature controlling our minds individually and collectively in ways that result in death. 

If the Spirit of God is directing our minds, everything is about cultivating life and peace in this world.  Our life is focused on lifting everyone up, life is precious and treasured, and peace becomes more and more of a reality in our experience.  

There is a popular line of thinking that is “as old as the hills” that believes we can manage sin by the making and keeping of laws.  However, if the mind is not focused on the life and peace offered through Jesus Christ, there is no amount of law-making and law-keeping that can overcome the mind controlled by sinful nature. Even the law of Moses did not accomplish this:

“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Romans 8:3 NLT

The choice of what/who our mind is going to live in submission to is a life and death choice. I choose God’s Spirit to shape my mind.  

Encouragement

Choose life and peace by letting the Spirit of God transform and renew your mind.  This takes focus and discipline to choose to follow God and His ways.  Believe in Jesus Christ as the response to all sinful nature and death with the gift of life forever. Live in submission to the Holy Spirit. He will only lead you to life and peace.

Prayer

Dear Holy Spirit of God,

Thank You for these clear words of life and death.  Thank You for giving us the opportunity to have our minds focused on You and the life and peace being offered through Jesus Christ. Lead us in stepping away from sinful nature.  Lead us in this life and peace You offer.  Help us to share this with others. We love You.  

In the strong name of Jesus, we pray, Amen

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts of the Apostles 2:38 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/act.2.38.NLT

Have you ever been in a situation where you were not sure how to respond?  

I can think of several experiences where I did not know what to do with what I was hearing, seeing, or experiencing. In those moments, it is wise to ask for help in knowing how to respond. 

On one occasion, I was in a community of Haitians in the Dominican Republic.  We were building a church there.  A few houses down, a young girl was electrocuted from bad wiring. People came running to us, and she was put in the car and rushed to the hospital.  I was preaching in that community the next day.  I had prepared to preach on a story in the bible where a daughter of a respected citizen is healed by Jesus.  With the girl’s electrocution and the outcome of her life unknown, I was questioning what God had prepared for me to share.  

That evening, I shared my concern with other team members.  I wasn’t sure how to respond.  I was reminded that God prepared me with this message, knowing full well that this little girl’s life was hanging in the balance.  I now knew how to respond.  Preach the message God gave to me. I did.  Following the message, I received word that the little girl was going to make a full recovery!  My faith in God grew that day.

Reflection

Peter has just shared the story of Jesus.  People have heard the story in their own language through the power of the Holy Spirit. The truth is amazing, and the people are not sure how to respond.  They ask Peter this question: “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Acts of the Apostles 2:37 NLT.

Just as my friends gave me good guidance when I didn’t know how to respond, Peter gives everyone very clear guidance.  Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “

On that day, thousands responded to Peter’s guidance.  

Encouragement

Ask God what He wants your response to Him to be today?  Ask someone for guidance in this.  Also, be ready to give a response to someone who asks you on how they are to respond to God. It might end up being the story of a little girl healed by God or the beginning of thousands responding to Jesus.  Your response matters. 

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Thank You for giving Peter such a clear response to those asking what to do in response to You.  Thank You for friends who gave me such a clear response to trust You in telling of You through the healing of a little girl.  Thank You for the change that comes to all of us who respond to You.  Thank You for the Holy Spirit. 

In Your name, Jesus, we pray, Amen

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1ch.16.34.NLT

A good dream and vision have been realized. It has not been without mistakes, setbacks, and challenges. It took a long time.  The experiences of getting to this moment draw up a wide range of thoughts and emotions:  

• The longing for the dream and vision has come to pass.  
• The hastiness of pursuit jeopardized everything.
• The dream and vision were put on hold, questioning the wisdom of it after all. 
• Even God and His ways were called into question. 
• God continued to lead in pursuit of the dream and vision.
• Obedience to see the dream and vision continued. 
• Absolute worship and praise was experienced as “God comes home”. 

The dream and vision were simple and profound: King David wants to bring the Ark of the Covenant home again.  This represented God and His dwelling with the people.

Bringing this dream and vision to reality was another matter.  There was a rush of enthusiasm to get this done.  Initial efforts did not consult God or the law.  It cost a man his life. Everything came to a sudden stop.  How could pursuing something so right have gone so terribly wrong?

Yet, God wanted King David to see this through.  God wanted the Ark of the Covenant to be returned to the people of Israel.  After a while, King David listened to God, consulted the law of God, and was able to adjust the implementation of strategy according to God’s leading. 

The moment has arrived.  People have gathered to worship.  The Ark of the Covenant is home.  God is with the people of Israel.  It is a time of rejoicing.  King David calls all of creation and all the nations of the world to rejoice at the reality of the one true God. 

It is in this moment King David declares:  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Reflection

The challenge for anyone pursuing a dream and vision from God is to consult and obey God every step of the way.  The consequences of not following God in the pursuit of His will is always hard.  Doing the diligent work of aligning with God and His will results in accomplishing things far greater than we could know or understand. 

Encouragement

Bring God home.  Bring Him home to your life, family, community, and nation. Yes, open your mind, heart, and life to His presence.  Do the diligent work of obeying and responding to God.  Pursue His initiatives for your life.  Realize a dream and vision that God leads you in.  It is incredibly satisfying. 

Prayer

Holy God, 

The thought of “bringing You home” to my life, family, community, and nation is a powerful dream and vision. I accept the challenge.  It will take all of my life to pursue it. May there be those special moments where we gather in holy celebration thanking You for coming home. 

In Jesus’ name, I pray,

Amen