Philippians 3:12-16 ~ Christ Jesus took hold of me

Philippians 3:12-16

2 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. 13 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.

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

15 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.

16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Papyrus 46, 1 to 2 generations from Jesus. Near perfect condition for 1,900 years later.

Why have Philippians 3? What is God saying?


This is another aspect of the Holiness of God - reaching to us in our human frailties.


Paul could have stood saying how he was just that strong. He could have talked about his background. Paul choses to say that in life there are times of strength and weakness.

Would we place bets on the longevity of the Bull,
 the Bear or the Papyrus?

The Prophets die off or are killed.

Israel was deconstructed.

Jesus was always in trouble with the Governing of Temple Guards.

Jesus was killed and died.

Israel was deconstructed.

The Christians refused to scatter and quit.

And the Work of God continues. Past Anti-Popes and Empires. When the pendulum seems stuck.




Daily we are part of the stock market. The vast unpredictable emotions, events, good news, Glee, sorrow, memories of good, memories of bad. Hopes for Today.

We face the grizzlies of life - by being honest.

We lived in Cameron County, Pennsylvania for 4 years when I began High School. The Black Bears of the entire State are relocated to this excellent and beautiful county and the great Game Warden Country. My father's co-worker Bob, as a child, loved to scare his friends by screaming, "Bear!!! Run!!!" At believable intervals.

One day, they were on a ride up South Mountain on bicycles.  And the boys exactly repeated to Bob, "Bear!!! Run!!!" Bob laughed and said he was not falling for that old trick.... Something this time seemed - different. Bob, it is told, picked up his Bicycle and ran up South Mountain with his bicycle over his head. The Black Bear decided Bob was just too wound up tight to eat. Bob would later admit for decades and decades this was not strategy, so much as pure terror.

... Be like the Bible, don't be like Bob...

Jesus called this, "In this life, you will have trouble."

Appropriately this quote:

James 1:11
For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.


I love this. We are from the South, so, heat - check. We have all loved our gardens and yards - check. My grandmother and her sister, Eloise, prayed for decades to die like Camellias and fall whole to the ground, beautifully intact. Don't we all want to fade quickly away in the midst of our pursuits?

The Bible tells the truth, explains life is difficult (for north and south) and gives immeasurable Hope.

My first cousin, once removed,Maxine, was my Ward in the State of Texas for 12 years. We generally are a long-lived group of people and when she went into the Memory Loss Building of CC Young in Dallas - she was 81 years old - with her aunt still living at home in Louisiana. Maxine was an only child, who had no children. All 5 of her first cousins had tried to take care of her fiercely guarded wish for independence. Most of our family has died doing what they like to do in their 9th decade.


Well, her mother and father loved their home from 1931 and in the year 1999, my first cousin and Ward, Maxine, was living in the house after - 23 - twenty-three strokes. In life today, it's rare when we get to see a house deconstruct. But when you live alone and 5 first cousins are trying to help a family member in the 8th decade - things get pushed aside. My Ward was strong, strong willed and she dismissed Adult Protective Services - 5 times. (We called Adult Protective Services.)

The yard man died. And my cousin grew old, the grass became a forest. The driveway was always in full view of the house. No more. No view. The plumber was charging too much so the kitchen floor fell into the basement. (Food was being brought in daily.) And all of the family was very, very sad to see their childhood memories decay with our cousin.


The house today is on the 3rd owner since 1931. A family fixed it up. Enjoyed it. Got overwhelmed at more to do and after fixing it up, sold to house enthusiasts. The house looks as good as when Eloise and Cary and Maxine where young. I'm sure someone let them know in Heaven. Back in the 1930s, they broke a car axle on family vacation - bringing back as many boulders as a car couldn't quite carry.


After having been a witness to the family aging. The house falling to loved and then terrible decay, I'd have to say the Mercy of God is Quite a Gift.

The story of the house, rather mirrored some of the old age.

My Newlywed first married neighbor was 80 years old when we moved into our total fix up cottage. She had to have a professional painter come in when we had lived there the first 5 years. After 41 years of perpetually fixing her house, painting her own house, she hired the first painter the house had ever seen in it's 4 decades - she had worn the texture off the walls with so many coats of paint. There was never a ladder this 80 year old lady didn't like. Doris collected all her pecans and sold them for about a thousand dollars back in the 1980s.

I watched Doris fall into sadness when her second husband had died of old age. And then rise again.

That very brittle papyrus of 1,900 years is quite correct. Daily, we fall and rise with glee and joy and sad thoughts. Yet when we find God giving us His Willing Daily Blessings - we find we have the Strength behind the Very Word of God.


If this set of Papyrus from the long life span of John the Beloved Disciple can tell the truth, believe in the mercies of God and endure this long - I'd have to say God is still in the Answering Prayers With Steadfast Love Action.


Abba,

We Thank You for Your Blessing of Jesus. Today. In the Nature of Jesus, we are given Your Exact Nature.

Finding You Alive and Loving. Discovering again how 'for' us You are. God of Love.


Bless us to see You more clearly. Love You more dearly.
Bless our family. Bless our Loved Ones.

Let Your Glory sweep our Nation Trusting in You.

Let Your Majesty put all of Creation bringing more Heaven on earth. Bless the nations living in Your Brightness. Uphold, Bless, Keep Safe, Strengthen Encourage and Build up the Kingdom of Heaven in Your Beloved children all over Your Good Creation. More Jesus.

We are praying for Elliott to find his life is Blessed to be healed by Jesus and cancer is gone forever.

Let the Light of Your Love far outshine the darkness, to see the Victory of Your Son Today.

In Jesus, the Lord, God's Only Son, Alive, Working, Loving, Guiding us to Live.

Jesus God, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †