PJP2 “7 PRAISES” - 161130 - GOAL GOAL: Give Obedience, Attain LIFE Psalm 8:4 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."What is man That You Are Mindful of him, And the son of man That You Care for him?" This Christmas Season brings to my noggin' the above Question (Psalm 8:4), Inspired by The Holy Spirit and recorded by David. In a follow-up question, one might ask, "Lord, what's Your GOAL with regards to having a personal relationship with us, with me?" The Holy Spirit, by this line of questioning, brought up the thought on God's GOAL (Purpose) via His Sending His Son, our Lord Jesus, via His First Advent (as well as Preparing us for our Lord's Second Advent as well)..... So Ponder with me if you will..... From Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 our Lord Consistently Shares with us that IF we Give our Full OBEDIENCE to Him, His WORD and His Guidance in our Lives, THEN He Blesses us (that we Might Be His Blessing to others). IF we are DISOBEDIENT, THEN we suffer the consequences of our selfishness and sinfulness. BUT we sons/daughters of Adam have a tough time with this very straightforward Concept. We've pursued our own agenda (at least I know I have), 'creating' our own 'godly laws' (even under the camo of being based on God's Holy Law of LIFE)......The Lord Calls our hand on this legalistic effort..... 1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."And Samuel said, 'Has The Lord As Great Delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As In OBEYING The Voice Of The Lord? BEHOLD, To OBEY IS Better than sacrifice, And To LISTEN than the fat of rams.".... So shouldn't our personal GOAL be one of OBEDIENCE (which involves our FAITH and TRUST in a True and Faithful God The Father, His Son, our Lord Jesus, and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us)? Ok, so, once more, what would God's GOAL be, or, what's The Result of our OBEDIENCE to God's GOAL with a Personal Relationship with us? Well, as you would expect, His Holy Spirit Summarizes His Answer by Inspiring Paul to Record the following..... .....Romans 5:15, 17, 19 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."BUT The FREE GIFT Is NOT like the trespass. For IF many died through one man's trespass, Much More Have The GRACE Of God And The FREE GIFT By The GRACE Of That One Man Jesus Christ Abounded For many. For IF, Because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, Much More Will those who Receive The Abundance Of GRACE And The FREE GIFT Of Righteousness Reign In LIFE THROUGH The One Man Jesus Christ. For As By the one man's DISOBEDIENCE the many were made sinners, SO By The One Man's OBEDIENCE The many Will Be Made RIGHTEOUS.".... In a WORD.....OUTSTANDING!!!! Thus my overall PJP2 Prayer for us today would be to simply Share His Holy Spirit's Inspired WORD as Recorded by Paul in his Letter to the Philippians..... Philippians 3:1-3, 7-14, 16 (ESV/emphasis & paraphrase added/jaj)...."Finally, my brothers/sisters, Rejoice In The Lord. To Write the same things to you Is No trouble to me And Is Safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we Are The Circumcision, who Worship By The Holy Spirit of God And Glory In Christ Jesus And Put NO confidence in the flesh— BUT whatever gain I had, I Counted As Loss For The Sake of Christ. Indeed, I Count Everything As Loss BECAUSE Of The Surpassing WORTH Of Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His Sake I have suffered the loss of all things And Count them as rubbish, In Order That I May Gain Christ And Be Found In Him, NOT Having A Righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, BUT That Which Comes THROUGH FAITH In Christ, The Righteousness From God That Depends On FAITH— That I May Know Him And The Power Of His Resurrection, And May Share His Sufferings, Becoming Like Him IN His Death, That By ANY Means Possible I May Attain The Resurrection from the dead. NOT That I Have Already Obtained THIS Or am already Perfect, BUT I PRESS ON To Make IT my own, BECAUSE Christ Jesus Has Made me His Own. Brothers/Sisters, I Do NOT Consider That I Have Made IT my own. BUT ONE THING I Do: Forgetting what lies behind And Straining Forward To What Lies Ahead, I PRESS ON Toward The GOAL For The Prize Of The UPWARD CALL Of God IN Christ Jesus. Only Let us Hold TURE To What we Have Attained.".... Lord Jesus, In Your Holy Name we Lift Up our Prayers and Praise....Amen and Amen....jaj