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Touching the power
'I want to know Christ...' Philippians 3:10
What's the most impressively powerful thing on the planet? A rocket blasting off into space? A nuclear reactor exploding atoms deep underground? Paul writes: 'I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.' Resurrection Power. The power that raised Jesus from the dead. That's truly impressive. Who else can do that! Think: what problem or need do you face that resurrection power can't handle?
What's dead in your life that needs to be raised? So how can you touch this power without just melting or exploding in the process? The answer is right there, 'That I may know Him.' When you make intimacy with Jesus your top priority, you tap into His power. But a lot of us would like to put a full stop after the words, 'The power of His resurrection.' If we do we're stuffed. If we're going to know Jesus intimately we must also know Him in 'the fellowship of His sufferings.' Depressed yet?
Yep, 'sufferings' means more than just putting up with bad hay fever or having to share your room with your little sister. For Paul it meant being beaten to a pulp and locked in jail! But it all created a special kind of friendship with Jesus that's impossible any other way. Think about it, what kind of friend say, 'I only want to share the good times with you, keep your suffering to yourself.' Getting the idea?
written by Bob Gass
