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We begin this week with the apostle Paul's statement in
Philippians Chapter 3:10:
"that I might know Him, and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death".
We're going discuss the first the words
"That I may know Him". First of all, Paul was an highly educated man
but something happened in his life one day while traveling to Damascus that would forever change his
life. He had an encounter with Jesus. Yes he was born again of the
spirit. There is something rather mysterious about receiving Jesus as our
Savior that the world will never understand except the spirit of God draws them to Himself in like manner as he did Paul and
I might say all who desire to experience Him. Let me say to you beloved, that there are
no shortcuts to knowing Him [Jesus] intimately. Paul had such an
intense desire to fellowship with the Lord Jesus and to fulfill the call Jesus had put upon his
life that he set out to 'Know Him".
Let's look at these words and see what Paul is saying to the church. The words "to know Him" are very
interesting here for several reasons. First of all, it describes a
man liken unto David of the old Testament who was a man after Gods' own
heart. What Paul is saying here is that he wanted to experience Christ in such a manner to where he could live
an overcoming life just as Jesus lived while here on earth. Nothing else mattered to Paul except that he get to know Jesus
intimately. Paul wanted to experience that resurrection power surging through his very being. Paul got a taste of this when he was
saved that day going to Damascus, but that was not enough.
Question: Have you experienced all you need to or want to in Christ or do you know there is more and
are seeking for it? I am convinced that the church of Christ is ready for more but we must desire to experience more in Him
[Jesus].
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