To know Christ

We heard an excellent and challenging message today by Brother Ledford.

The main text was taken from Philippians 3:10.

A lot of people KNOW Jesus but don't really KNOW Him - the word know having different meanings. I may know the president, even if I've never met him. But I don't really know him on a personal level.

A lot of people want Jesus to fit into their plans, but they don't want to fit into His plans.

It takes time to know Jesus.

After years of walking with Jesus, is the image of Christ stamped on your person?

If we're not reflecting Jesus, we need to reevaluate our walk.

Are you reflecting Him to the world?

It takes experience in the Word to Know Jesus!

We may read a lot of books, but the best source is to get it straight from the Bible.

It takes experience in prayer.

We heard the story of the struggle that a chick has when hatching from the egg. If we help that chick, it will die. It needs the struggle in hatching for strength.

In the same way, every new convert needs a struggle. Then they can look back and say, "God helped me back there."

How do you get experience? One day at a time!

To know Christ was Paul's consuming passion, his singular drive.

You can't do everything, but you can do a few things well.

To know Christ should be your drive.

You cannot love two lovers! That applies to God and the world. It also applies to you in the natural life.

Jacob had 4 wives, but there was only one he really loved and that was Rachel.

You CANNOT have 2 loves when it comes to God. Because God hates things of the world.

"That I may know Him!" Know comes from the Greek word 'Dunamis' which means "power." The English words dynamite and dynamic are derived from it. THAT I MAY KNOW HIM! Say that with power like dynamite!!!!

That same power that brought Jesus out of the grave will bring us out!

I want to know the power of the resurrection!  Galations 2:20

In our lives we may have a Gethsemane. Embracing God's will may seem like the very end for us! But God allows us to go through things, so that we may know Christ and that we may be able to say, "God helped me. He was there with me all the time. I know Him!"  It's in those dark times that we really get to know Christ.

The drive home was a pleasure. We were surprised that the streets in a main town were pretty bad, yet! It's like you could see the difference from one road contractor to another.

We counted it a privilege to be able to attend both morning and evening services as some of our friends were still snowed in!