Before we get started today, I came across this video that I had bookmarked some time ago and watched it again.  It is called “cardboard testimonies” and is amazing.

I was incredibly moved by God’s power to transform human life.  It’s kinda long but is definitely worth it.  Hope it moves you like it did me.

Philippians 3:2-3 – “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. ³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.”

A brief and simple observation today.  In first century Rome, dogs were considered low life scavengers…and not very popular.

In addition, Jews didn’t like them either because they considered them to be unclean animals.  In fact, during this time, Jews often referred to Gentiles (non-Jews) as dogs.

This is a powerful contrast to the message of the video above.

Check out Matthew 15:21-28.  By the way, in this story Jesus is purposefully using hyperbole to make a point to this followers.

He is sarcastically playing in to their indifference toward the woman in order to get their attention.

Back to Philippians.  The tables have turned.

Here you have Paul, a Jew’s Jew, speaking to non-Jews and referring to the Jews that were insisting on the religious practice of circumcision to make oneself right before God as dogs.

In other words, these are fightin’ words for Jews – incredibly insulting.

The author did that on purpose.

It hit me how hard it is to keep the main thing the main thing.  How easily we slip into adding things to Jesus in the name of standards, righteousness, holiness, etc…

What’s tragic is that when we do this, the tables turn on us without us knowing it and pretty soon we find ourselves in a “woe” moment – Luke 11:52.

Let’s conclude today with David’s prayer from Psalm 139:23-24 –

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”