BLESSINGS IN BEING WATCHERS

 My Dear Precious Child,
    In Paul's letter to the Philippians he told them that he was repeating what he had already taught to them.  He repeated to beware of religious dogs and to watch out for believers who cause mischief.   He warned them to watch out for "cutters."  He was referring to the believers who would try to entice them to yield to unnecessary circumcision in order to fulfill the Law.   Paul said that people who have experienced real circumcision are those who have been circumcised of the heart.  He explained it by saying that he and his converts worshiped Me in accordance with the Holy Spirit and that the real Christians have their own glory from Christ Jesus without relying on a physical operation. (Philippians 3:1-4)
     Paul testified that if becoming righteous depended upon a physical operation that he would qualify and would be a better qualifier.  He testified that he was born into the race of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents, and he was circumcised when he was 8 days old.   He said that even by his persecuting Christians, as a Pharisee he was a confirmed persecutor of the Church.  He surmised that as far as how the law can make a person perfect, he was faultless.  But, because of Christ he had come to consider all of those advantages that he had as disadvantaged. Knowing that, for sure, he said that nothing could happen to him that would outweigh the supreme benefit of knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord.  He professed that because of Christ that he had accepted the loss of everything and looked on everything else as rubbish if he can only have Christ and be given a place in Him and His glory.  Paul said that he no longer tried to be perfect by obeying the Law, but he only wanted what comes through faith in Christ which is from Me and is based on faith.  (Philippians 3:5-9)
     In his confession of faith in the letter written to the Philippians, Paul wrote that his only desire was to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings even to death.  Paul felt that that was the only way that he could reproduce the death of Jesus.  He wrote that he was not there yet, that he was still running the race, trying to capture the prize which Christ Jesus captured for him.  He wrote to his spiritual brothers that he was a long way from thinking that he had won.  (Philippians 3:10-13)
    Then Paul told the believers to whom he was writing that his motivation was to forget the past and to strain ahead for what was still to come, that he was straining ahead for the finish, for the prize to which I call people upward to receive in Christ Jesus.  He said that if he is wrong in anything that I would make it clear to his followers.  He told them to keep their eyes on the road ahead, not to look behind.  He advised them to follow his own rules of life, not the Pharisee's Law.  He said for them to model their lives after believers who had already attained the same workings as Christ and that they should pattern their lives after them.  He reiterated to them not to follow the people who were behaving as enemies of the cross of Christ.  He said that they were on the path to destruction.   They were worshiping other gods, made food for those gods, and they were proud of  some things that they should think shameful which are earthly.  
     Paul professed that our homeland is heaven and from heaven came the Savior for whom they were waiting who would transform their bodies into copies of a glorious body.  Paul said that He would do that marvelous task by the power of the Holy Spirit with which He can also subdue the universe.  (Philippians 3:20-21)
     Paul's advice was to watch out for people who have tasted Christ and then have returned to the Law in an effort to be made more righteous, as if having the same righteousness of the Holy Spirit that was in Christ Jesus were not enough.  There is no higher Power than My Holy Spirit's power.  Yielding to His power, His wisdom, His insight, His Truth and His knowledge will elevate you into being the image of Christ with the mind of Christ. (Romans 8:1)
    Your Father of Thrilling Rewards