I asked myself what does 'take such a view of things' refer to?
As I looked at these verses, “take such a view of things” reminded me of what I learned about, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14, NIV)

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the significance of Philippians 2:15-17?
The Apostle Paul is calling out those who are mature in their faith to act it out by forgetting what is behind and straining to reach the prize in Christ Jesus. And if at any time they think differently, he is confident that God will make it clear to them. They need to live up to what they have already attained and join with others in following his example though he is in prison in chains. Not only does he want the Philippians to model after him but to take note of those who live according to the pattern Paul gave them so far.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
I need to live in the present taking it as a present from the Lord and strive in His power to 'win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus!' I need to join with others to follow the Apostle Paul's example and the examples of those that have been living according to the biblical pattern Paul taught them  from God's Word. I can do that when I reflect on the prize I will receive in Christ but also reflect on what I have already attained in Christ!

^"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6, NLT)

I know Jesus will help me to follow the example of the Apostle Paul and others to pattern my life after Biblical teaching. Thank you Jesus. Jesus will help you too because "Being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will finish it to completion!' (Philippians 1:6)

I ask you now dear friends, who or what are you willing to P.A.T.T.E.R.N your life after?
Dear friends, the world will give you so many options to pattern your life after but the only thing that really matters is what Jesus told Martha when she was so busy doing things for Jesus that she did not even take time to be at the feet of Jesus.

I remember a time  Pastor Hugo Cheng  reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha to reflect upon when we become so preoccupied with new student outreach thinking we are doing it for Jesus but in the process can be in danger of burning out because we have not spent time at the feet of Jesus. Wanting to do outreach for Jesus is no excuse for losing our focus on the Lord and not spending time with Him daily in prayer and Quiet Times meditating on His Word. As Keng reminded us long ago that there is a huge difference between doing things for Jesus and being with Jesus. Also, recently Elder Calvin did a lesson on Mary and Martha for our Community Bible Time, where we reflected on the differences between Mary and Martha looking for implications for our own lives.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

 I found it very interesting that Martha opened her home to Jesus just like many of us have opened our hearts to Jesus asking Him to come and live in us.

Then what happens?

Martha is so pressured that Jesus is in her home that she becomes so busy doing things for Jesus thinking what she is doing is right. Of course what she is doing is not wrong. In the same way, when Jesus comes to live in us, we can be so excited to do things for Jesus that we forget a key component of Christian living: Spending at the feet of Jesus. Doing things for Jesus is not necessarily wrong but it is amazing how Jesus answered Martha when she complained:

She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

But the key sentence is 'Mary has chosen what is BETTER, and it will not be taken away from her.'

What Jesus is telling me here is that sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from Him is way better than keep doing things, thinking we are doing it, for Jesus. In essence, getting to know Jesus and being known by Him is way better than doing things for Jesus. This is how I need to pattern my life after. In practicality, it means spending time in prayer and in His Word, meditating on it and studying it, allowing Jesus to speak to me through prayer and His Word.

There is a wonderful song by Larnell Harris called, 'I Miss My Time With You' as if Jesus is speaking to us. Jesus wants to spend time with us and misses His time with us when we let the things of the world crowd out the time or even ministry to crowd of the time with Jesus. Let us not forsake our time with Jesus.

There is an extreme danger of doing things for Jesus without knowing Jesus which Jesus reminds us:

"Many will say to me on that day,‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22-23, NIV)

This does not mean Jesus does not want us to do anything for Him, for He does but it has to be done knowing Him and being known by Him.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13, NIV)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

"For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ “And I, the King, will tell them, ‘When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:35-40, NIV)

Ask the Lord to take you into the Holy of Holies so you can rest at His feet as you spend time with Him. Let that time be unrushed and qualitative that quantitative. If you can have it be quantitative and qualitative at the same time, then great. The important thing is that you spend at the feet of Jesus learning from Him, knowing Him and being known by Him. That is the pattern of living with a blessing.

If we want to pattern our life after fun, fame, and fortune then our mind will be on whatever way to attain those things. Even if we get these things apart from Christ, our life will be empty without the Lord. It may not seem like that right away but it will come.

Whether we pattern our lives after other people's relationships, other people's academic success, other people's parenting, other people's careers, etc, it has to all be done with the blessing of the Lord otherwise it will become a waste in the long run.

Jesus said, 'Apart from me you can do nothing!' (John 15)

Why take the risk when the Lord Jesus wants to be part of your life and gives you a pattern to live by. The pattern is wonderfully set in the Word of God for you and me to follow. How amazing and awesome! Thank you Jesus!

My sweetest wife Chandraleela and I could have gone after money by becoming lawyers as we wanted to but both of us gave that up for different reasons at the time. My wife gave up a singing career and a desire to be a lawyer because her beloved dad wanted her to be a nurse to take care of the sick. I felt called into the ministry so I gave up on law school to counsel broken hearts with the love of Christ and minister to undergraduate students. Both of our pattern of following a career rested on Christ and our love for Him. Thank you Jesus. Apart from Christ, we don't know where we would have been. Thank you Jesus for your help! Even now our heart is to do online publishing ministry as the Lord provides for us in His own way for our provision.

Because of Christ, we can have a biblical pattern of living where we do not dwell in the past anymore but with confidence can move ahead in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. He has already given us a prize that we have attained in Christ because of what Christ already did for us. And we can be confident of the riches in grace, He will continue to provide for us and the ultimate prize of seeing Jesus face to face!

There are so many patterns we can live our life after. But not all the patterns have the approval of the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is any approval we need, it should be of the Lord Jesus Christ. If what we do is approved of the Lord, then we should continue in it regardless of those around us who live after their own patterns.

Jesus gave me a signature verse, I want to live by: "But life is worth nothing to me unless I use it to do the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about God's mighty goodness and love!" (Acts 20:24, TLB)

Living a pattern for the Lord is not easy but I know as we seek the Lord, His Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us. When we mess up, the Lord will be there to pick us up and help us get back on the biblical pattern as we turn to Him.

It is so sad when we let our peers and those around us dictate our pattern of living if it is not according to Scripture. Paul was asking the Philippians to imitate biblical pattern of living. We can do that to as we find our pattern of living in Christ.

Will you accept the pattern Jesus has for you?
He wants to give it to you friend! It is His treat for you. Each of us was separated from God because we all missed the mark. We messed up and became a prisoner to sin.  But, Jesus came to free us. He wants to free you by His grace and give you a life of sanctification because of His justification and pontification for your redemption so you can take part in His glorification.

What if you were to die tonight, would you know for sure where your pattern of life will take you?

If God asks you why should I let you into Heaven, what would be your response?

If your response is all the good that you have done, what about that one wrong thing you did?

God in His Holiness cannot allow sin to enter his presence because this type of virus can be very contagious. There is no extra extra positives neutralize the negatives. Ninety nine good deeds in your mind will not take away the one bad deed you did from God's mind. So, God cannot let you into Heaven because of that.

What is the alternative?
It would be to let you be in a place where people with that virus continue to reside: Hell.

Then how can anyone be saved?
It is Salvation through God’s grace by faith offered to you and me through Christ’s cleansing blood and the power of His resurrection. When you claim the antidote, you will be covered with it. Now when God sees you, He will see Christ’s cleansing blood covering you and washing away all your sins. Because Christ washes away and forgives all your sins, you have entrance into Heaven because Christ's righteousness is imputed to you!

Isn’t that exciting?
I know it is for me!

Don’t you want that my friend?
You can know that you are saved and belong to the Holy One.  You can pattern your life after Jesus Christ! Thank you Jesus! Praise the Lord!

Governors, presidents, and prime ministers, are ordering people to stay at home to prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading. People have to isolate themselves. This is what sin does to humanity too. It isolates us from the presence of the Lord. But the Good News is that we have an antidote for this virus that we can take: It is called JESUS.

I want to share with you a poem the Lord helped me write in the first-person as if the Lord is speaking to you to treat you and me.

Treat of the Savior
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Love to see you in my presence, I am the Holy One
Love you so much, for you I gave my only begotten Son
Believing in Him you will have Eternal Life.
Being delivered from the deadly power of sin’s strife
No matter what the sin virus has done
With my antidote, in life, you can victoriously run
My Son went to the cross to produce it
As His hands and feet, with 3 nails, were pierced with
And his body, for you, was bruised & broken by every hit 
Now for humanity His cleansing blood flowed bit by bit
He died and came back to life to save you from Hell’s pit
Heaven and Hell are real and it is no myth
In Heaven, at my Right Hand, my Son does sit
Jesus is His Name!
For your redemption, He came.
To save you from Hell’s flame
And to give your life a new aim
His antidote of blood can rescue you from sin’s deadly game
But you gotta make a choice whether Satan or Jesus, you pick
Remember all of Satan’s ways are a trick
Jesus wants to deliver you from the sin that makes you so sick
Won’t you accept His free gift of Grace?
Letting His Spirit help you overcome the virus you face?
His grace is what sets you free to win life’s race
His precious cleansing blood will  deliver you from sin’s ways
It is by grace you are saved through faith
Not of any works that you should boast, Jesus saith
You coming to me, Satan does hate
Because Satan is all evil to this date
Upon me He does not want you to wait
For He knows I can deliver you from Hell’s place
And set you on Heaven’s base
Come to me my child
No matter how your life has been wild
For I am gentle and mild
You, with love, joy, & peace I want to treat
And One day in Heaven personally greet
I want to receive you with the power of my love
Giving you Holy Spirit that came upon me like a dove
Sin separated you from me
But my blood was shed to set you free
So together we can once again be
Life with me you gotta experience and see
Though trials and tribulations come, I will be your Key
Whether you are a child, adult, or teen
No matter how your life has been
I want to take you by my side
In my presence, you can abide
For you I came back to life after I died
My love for you is so deep, high, and wide
You are special and precious in my sight
I want to help you in life with all my might
Helping you do what is right
To escape sin’s destructive bite
Now Satan’s ways you can fight
And come into the beautiful Light!
Amen!

May you allow the Lord Jesus Christ to  help you in your pattern of living! Amen!

“Pattern All Things Trusting Emmanuel's Redemption Now!” (P.A.T.T.E.R.N)/"Who or what are you willing to P.A.T.T.E.R.N your life after?"

If you want to receive God’s gift of Eternal life won’t you pray this prayer and mean it in your heart:

PRAYER:
 Dear Jesus, there are so many patterns of living we are faced with but not all patterns of living pleases you and glorifies you. Forgive us Lord for the times we have gone our own way and done our own things. We have not always loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved others as you would have us love them. We are sorry Lord and ask you for your help in our lives. Thank you Jesus for loving us so much and dying for our sins! Thank you for coming back to life to save us. We come to you now and give ourselves to you and ask you to be the Lord of our life! Give us the willingness and strength to live for you that can only be done through Your power. I thank you Lord when our pattern of living deviates from how you want us to live, you will make us aware of how we have been thinking differently than how you would have us think. Help us to imitate the commandments from your Word. For we trust you and believe in you. Thank you for hearing us and answering us! Thank you for being in our life this day! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”