Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 121

April 30;       Philippians 3:14;        177/260;        ‘The Prize’

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The more I read about the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts and the epistles he wrote, the more respect I have for him.  This passage of scripture in Philippians 3 is a perfect example. In verses 7 and 8 he tells us that he is not the least bit interested in anything he was interested in before meeting Jesus.  He goes on to say that he lost everything in the natural when he became a Christian and could not care less about it.  In verse 10 Paul cries out desiring to know Jesus more in every way.  He continues to share personal things in verses 12 and 13 that he presses on to be everything the Lord called him to be and the he is always reaching forward to whatever lies ahead.  In this verse Paul calls the ongoing upward call of Jesus on his life ‘the prize.’  He was never satisfied about where his fellowship with the Lord was and always wanted to minister more powerfully and know Jesus better.  The things of the Lord are supernatural and we can never know everything there is about the Lord Jesus.  Paul had made up his mind that he was going to do everything he could to know Jesus more personally everyday.  What a goal.  The ministry, as Paul had come to know, is an incredible adventure.  The anointing of the Holy Spirit empowered Paul to teach and flow in the miraculous.  His ability to minister and his hunger for ministry, was always increasing.  Nothing could stop him, regardless of the continual harassment of demonic forces.  Paul told us to follow him as he followed Jesus.  What an honor it is to do so.