That I may Know Him

Re: Phil. 3:10That I may know Him,and the power of His resurrection,and the fellowship of His sufferings,being made conformable unto His death;Since we are entering the season, may we sharewith one another, what it means to you.To Know Him More,Pastorfrin

Questions:Can we know Him without knowing the power ofHis resurrection?What is the fellowship of His sufferings?How can we be made conformable unto His death? :-) Have a wonderful dayTo know Him more,Pastorfrin

That I may know Him,Hi Pastorfrin, You have opened up a very important question, and one that deserves attention. This is so intrinsic to our calling. It is not a matter of knowing ABOUT our Lord, but KNOWING him intimately through identification. I think of the Psalmist who identified with his suffering by experiencing the same thing. We too, when we are living in Christ and for Christ suffer the rejection that comes with our identification with him. The world wants to "spit" us out, just like they didn't want Jesus - beginning with his birth. .. No room for him... As we decrease, his resurrection power is at work within us. This power is not impressive to the world. It doesn't look like power as the world knows. In fact, it looks like weakness. It is foolishness to the world. Those are only a few superficial thoughts, and I'm sure others have much wiser thoughs to add. Perhaps you do. Pastorfrin, I see that you have joined us recently, and it would be wonderful if you shared a bit about your own spirtual journey. How has Christ been taking you through this process? Diane

Re: short historyDiane,Sorry for abruptly coming on the site with no introduction.I totally enjoy reading all the different threads.Ok,introduction.pastor/sheperd since 1976.Currently pastor asmall home missions church, our second. Married 40 years to my sweet heart and motherof our 7 children. A quiver full. We have 14grandchildren we call our crowns.I work a secular job,so as not to be a burdento our church. A tentmaker, not really but close, a bricklayer.I was introduced to my Lord Jesus Christ asa young teen in 1960 and shortly thereafter He called me and I said ok, not really knowingwhat I was saying ok too. To make it short,after much running He convinced me that I was never going to outrun Him.Yes, The Lord is my Sheperd and my cup runneth over. I should not want, but I do and I always will. I want to KNOW HIM MORE.Questions: I would really enjoy hearing fromall of you. Your thoughts on these things.I've heard mine for 30 years.Yours in Christ,Pastorfrin :-D :-D

Married 40 years to my sweet heart and mother of our 7 children. A quiver full. We have 14grandchildren we call our crowns.I work a secular job,so as not to be a burdento our church. A tentmaker, not really butclose, a bricklayer.Wow! And you are just one person?? Even brick laying itself is a very demanding job. You must be in good shape physically. Now, if you live in a hot climate - that would make it even more challenging.I'm sure that you could write a book about your life experiences - about your family, your church experiences etc. If you hang around, you'l likely share bits here and there, and also learn about us.I've been here on SI since last May, and have throughly enjoyed it - lots of great people to meet and chat with. It's a good place to get your mind challenged. There are so many sermons and articles, that I know I will never be able to hear/read them all. It's such a gold mine of rich material. Above all, we learn from those who know the Lord, have walked closely with him, those who are a good role-model for us.

That I may know Him,and the power of His resurrection,and the fellowship of His sufferings,being made conformable unto His death;I love this verse even thou I am scared of suffering , my dad is a block paver he also believes in working and being a pastorThis verse in fantastic because to know him, that phrase is a sermon in it self . Ge 4:1 - Show Context And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.Ge 4:17 - Show Context And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.Ge 4:25 - Show Context And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slewThis is a love relationship I have just got to mediate on that but his relationship is one. I have only commented on the first part and all I want to do is worship

Hi everyone,Or should I ask where is everyone? This old pastor has been waiting to feast on your thoughtsand it appears I will starve.Please, some food. :-) I was walking to my work van this morning and Iheard the joyful singing of many birds coming from a little bush. I walked over to it and on every branch and twig sat a sparrow singing its heart out. Not one of them showed any fear, they just sat there and sang. As I stood there it hit me, their singing because they KNOW HIM.So I joined them. There I stood, in front of admissions at the V A Hospital, where I work,singing with a bunch of sparrows, We Know Him,We Know Him, Praise His Holy Name, We Know Him.Oh, Bless God what a time we had. I got into the van to leave and Matt. 10:29,30 came to mind.Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head areall numbered. Oh how He Knows us1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should becalled the sons of God. Oh how He Loves usEph.3:17-19 that Christ may dwell in your heartsby faith; that ye being rooted and grounded inlove, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath, and length, and depth,and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Oh that we may KNOW HIM MOREPs. 150:6 Let every thing that has breath praisethe Lord. PRAISE YE THE LORD. pastorfrin

Greetings pastorfrin!Some quick thoughts to your invitation to share......and the fellowship of His sufferings,There are many times the Lord asks us to forgive others for wrong doing. I remember a small incident where I was on the recieving end of some careless but financially costly offense...what it was is not at all important except as a prelude to a testimony relevant to your inquiry. After comprehending the severity of the offense I was given the grace to forgive and love, and acted accordingly...and the moment I resolved to do so I could almost hear the Lord telling me, that forgiveness for no other reason than love had enabled me to know a little more of His character, which is the very essence of fellowship with Him. It that particular moment, I saw fellowship with the Lord as a sharing, or partaking, even a mingling in with, His character. Indeed, dare I say that such precious fellowship and tasting of the Lord's Spirit blesses not only ouselves, but it is also a blessing to Him. I believe whenever we can identify with even some aspect of His nature, we are bringing Him joy.Now I temper this testimony with all of the many many times I have failed the Lord in this regard. Still I felt the incident related to your question enough to post it!Blessings sir,MC

Thanks MC for your post,obedience in forgivenessgreat thought.Why do we as His children find it so hard to obey His Word, when the reward for doing so is fellowship with Him?1 Sam. 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, toobey is better than sacrifice, and to hearkenthan the fat of rams. To know Him is to obey Himjust a country preacher,pastorfrin

Hi MeAgain,Off subject for just a moment. I gather from reading some of your post that you were at onetime AoG. I was originally ordained through theAoG. I resigned in 1989, you will understand why, by the end of this post.Back to subject:Do you think this might apply?Matt.7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; buthe that doeth the will of my Father which is inheaven.22. Many will say to me in that day , Lord, Lord,have we not prophesied in thy name?and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?23. and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.24. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,which built his house upon a rock:What is the will of His Father?To love Him, The Lord our God , with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love one another as He has loved us. A new commandment.To do this, or I should say, the only way to be able to do this, is to KNOW in whom we believe,and then to be persuaded Because WE KNOW HIM,THAT HE IS ABLE to keep that which we have committed ( our hearts,souls,minds, and strength)unto HIM against that day. 2 Tim. 1:12 Matt. 11:15 He that has ears to hear, let him hear.We must know Him or our house will be built on asandstone.To know Him is to do His will. Look at the rich young ruler. Luke 18:18-22He did all the right works except, obey the voice of the Lord. Give everything you have away.You cannot follow me with whats yours,get rid ofall your stuff.Matt. 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness;(then I will give you all you need to follow ME)and all these things will be added unto you.WE MUST KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION! Look at the religious system today, which most of man depends on, in one way or another. THEYhave built BIG buildings, BIG programs,Big menand a BIG form of godliness.What will happen when the people who depend on this system says, Lord, Lord?WE MUST KNOW HIM SO WE WILL KNOW HIS VOICE!Just a country preacher,pastorfrin :-D :-D :-D

Dear MeAgain,The smiles were for you not for them.Yours in Christ,pastorfrinps is this better :-?

To know his fellowship of his suffering is the most intense feeling that you can feel in a relationship you always want to feel what the other person feels.Are messiah died on the cross, you want to know what that person think when you are suffering you are experincing his love in an extreme. His suffering gives us knowledge how he suffered for us and how suffering for him is nothing because he paid everything for us. This verse words do not do it justice

Hi Dear Sister,Sorry to hear about the AoG. We have many, many,fond memories of our experiences in the fellowship over the years.I can truly say wehave missed such glorious times. I have many stories, as I am sure you as well, that we couldshare with one another.My wife and I were reminiscing last night aboutwhen we arrived at our first home missions work.You will enjoy this.We were at our first pastorate and the call tomissions would not go away. So I approached the district about the missions field. By this timewe were entering our fifth year and our seventhchild had arrived. The district laughed at mesomething about having too many dependents. Can you Imagine. :-D So much for missions. Now we had been at this work for five years, it was a record, longeststay for a pastor at this church. Kind of sad really, one would have to be there to understand.I received a phone call from a brother in the Lord who had a small group of people interestedin starting a new work. Would I pray about it.So I did, and to make it short, Our Arrival in Egypt.One day many years ago a pastor, his wife, and their seven children arrived at their new parsonage. It had no windows or doors, birds werenesting in the ceiling, it sat next to a dairy farm, and the walls, ceiling and floors were covered with flies. My wife looked at me and saidlooks like the Lord has answered your prayers.I had told the Lord I would live in a chicken coop to serve in missions.We were mistakenly a week early, and the peopleworking on the house began to freak as the nine of us stood there in amazement. The children madethemselves right at home and the youngest, a sonwho was just walking began to eat the raisins, ie. flies, to our horror off the floor.We got the windows and one door installed and a tarp over the other and in exhaustion all collasped into bed.Now this house was a old house trailer with a house built over it, thus making the walls about twenty inches wide. There was a six inch gap between the outside and inside walls. Any thingunder the house could come into the house throughthe gap between the walls.We all feel asleep to the sound of baby birdssinging in the ceilings. Oh what bliss.Then we awoke to a blood curdling cry from our oldest, we run in her room and shes screaming,get them off me, get them off me, we turn on the light and the bed, the ceiling, and the walls are covered with Tree Frogs. My wife looks at meand screams, you have led us into Egypt.Then the family of Skunks introduced themselves.What a night to remember. Last night we laugheduntil we cried. That night we all just cried.HE IS FAITHFUL WHO PROMISSEDLove you allJust a country preacherpastorfrin

Why do we as His children find it so hard to obey God I think one reason may be because it cost us more than we feel we can give, and we can't imagine that God has something far better for us. We pick away at the crumbs on the floor, even till we get exhaused and never look up and see the fabulous banquet that God has freely spread out for us. Pastorfrin, I quite "enjoyed" reading your account about moving into the unprepared house - though at the time, I know it was not enjoyable. Your story sounds like so many missionary stories I have read. God gets right down to business - and lays the cost upfront. Your account reminds me when we went to the mission field. During our first month there, every day, I would find at least one scorpion somewhere in our house - in the sheets, in my shoes, behind boxes, in pots and pans etc. Not only that, but it was a hot climate and our windows had to be left open. We heard dogs all night, and then early in the morning the roosters started up. I was pregnant, sweating, exhausted, and covered with mosquito bites. But the greatest challenge was learning how to live with a form conservatism that we have never experienced. Ex: We couldn't go swimming on Sunday because that was "sinful". And so we had to sweat inside. (Suffering for the wrong gospel)Anyway, I learned to rejoice that many people were getting saved in spite of us through our Christian Radio Broadcasts. God is amazing!!!! Compton's personal account of suffering financial loss, and then forgiving the offender was an encouragement to me. God has placed me in a parallel situtation. Many of our losses are the result of sinful violations against us. Those losses are the hardest to accept because we are called to surrender our desire for justice (vengeance) - and that is the hardest thing to let go of in the whole world. But, God did that for us through his Son! How I praise him for his forgiveness and mercy and grace!Diane

Hi Diane,and everyone of you out there.I only have a minute, weekend and I must finish up for tomorrow. I only wish I could one time feel ready to deliver His Word. After all these years its still like my first sermon. He always comes through and I know He is going to, but the anticipation never goes away. I guess I'm happy it does'nt, I supose if it ever does its time to retire, from here to there.I think the reason it is the hardest thing to do is because our forgiveness hinges on us forgiving.Mark 11;25,26. Is it a matter of power we feel we have over someone, to fogive or not to forgive. I will forgive you if? The enemy ofour souls loves for us to take on this postureof heart. It seperates us from Grace. To receive it we must show it, no exceptions.We are saved by becoming poor in spirit and unforgiveness is from a proud and haughty spirit.To know Him and the power of His resurrection and entering into into the fellowship of His sufferings,allows us to be able to say along withHim, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.This in turn causes us to become conformable unto His death.The means by which we attain unto the resurrection of the dead. WE MUST KNOW HIM! Ps. 61:1,2 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.Thanks everyone for your comments, must run for now, back Monday Lord willing.Love to all, Just a country preacher,pastorfrin

Hi all,Our two youngest daughters and their families were here today after church. Number 4 & 5 of our seven children. #4 is due any hour, will be her forth and lets see :-D our 14th grandchild.It was 27 years ago, I had just walked in the door from visiting a family from our church. Our #3 ason, and #4 a daughter, were riding their big wheels behind the house, on the cement, by the garage. A sister from the church, who was nine months pregnant, stopped by to drop off a bag of clothes. My wife handed me #5 a baby daughter, so she could go to the door. The sister dropped off the clothes and ssid she was in a hurry and had to leave. My wife told her to wait and not to move her car until she knew where all the children were. She did not hear her and backed her full size Ford station wagon down our 60ft. cement driveway and turned into the road.Thats when I heard my wife yell my name, and the sound of her voice said it all. I ran out the door just in time to see our little #4, our 18mo. old daughter, struggling to stand, where she had been run over as the car turned to back into the road. Yes, she was dragged 60ft down acement drive, caught under the car by her dressuntil the tire turned caught her and ran over her chest.A police officer, who was at his mail box, pickedher up, handed her to my wife and said, you can take her to the hospital now or wait for an ambulance. I was at her side by then and said we will take her ourselves.Just then a sister from the church, who lived several blocks away, came runing up and said the Lord Just spoke to me and said come right away, what can I do? I handed her the baby and asked if she could watch the rest of our children, and take care of the sister who had just ran over our little girl. She said ok, so we jumped in the car and headed for the hospital, which was ten miles away.There were cars everywhere and I was driving like a madman. The car began to thump really bad so I had to slow down from about 90 or so, and it was then that I looked at my little girl. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, I had seen the lookto many times before, But not my little girl.I cried no Lord and put one of my hands on herand my wife and I began to pray.The car was thumping terrible now and we did'nt know if we would even make it to the hospital.Then it happened, her little hand moved and I looked into those beautiful little eyes and I saw light began to shine. Our Lord was putinglife into our little girl, those dull lifeless eyes began to sparkle, OUR LORD WAS THERE.We began to praise Him and speak in tongues and glory His glory filled that car, and all of us inside, and then we were there, at the hospital entrance. They came running out to meet us, the officer had called ahead.They never once took our little girl from my wife, the whole time we were there. They covered my wife with a lead apron to protect her and the (oh, I did'nt mention, she was pregnant for #6); baby she was carrying. They found nothing broken, she had a brused chest with imbeded tire tread marks. She had much hair and scalp missing from the back of her head. Her forhead and part of her nose was scraped away from being draggeddown the cement driveway. they said she would need plastic surgery when she got older to fix the scaring. She was a pitiful looking little girl, but she was very much alive. They said take her out and buy her ice cream and anything she wants, for she truely is a miracle before our eyes. So we did.The next morning we were at the post office and the officer who had handed us our little girl was there. He about had a heart attack. He then shared with us the only reason He let us take her. It was because he saw the tread marks acrossed her chest and wanted us to be alone with her the last few minutes of her life.The Lord completely healed her and she never had to have any plastic surgery. Praise His Holy Name.I wish I could stop here but I can't. You remember the sister the Lord spoke to, and said go to the pastors house right away. We had just buried her little 3 year old girl, several weeks before. We walked into the house with our little girl and all the children came running and we were all praising the Lord and the dear sister said praise God He brought your little girl home, and then she looked at me and said, pastorWhy did God let you bring your little girl homeand He kept my little girl. As we all huggedeach other and cried I said my dear sister only He knows why, only He knows.Oh that we may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.Love to all, pastorfrin

Hi Annie,I'm so glad your heart is still beating. Praise the name of the Lord!I must admit this was a hard time in our walk with the Lord. To see His faithfulness is a most wonderful thing to experience. If To Know Himonly came in a box that said instant on it. But it does not. His mercies are renewed every day and to be able to take hold of His mercies no matter what is happening in our lives is sometimes easier said then done. So thankful for His faithfulness.Shed many tears last night remembering, Oh, the glories He has to share whih with us, His sheep.Oh that we may Know Him More every day.Glory and Praise be unto HIS HOLY NAME,pastorfrin

Hello, Pastor Frin. I was excited and drawn to the title of this forum and then saw your name and have been blessed with your words on the Shepherd forum, so I just had to write. I am thrilled, with AWE, of the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Testament to that power are your stories, pastor. From the little birds, to the car accident, I was in AWE. To know Him, Oh to know Him and the power of His resurrection. Why can't our assemblies be filled with the desperate cry to know Him and not amp-pressed, concert sounding songs and sweaty, pulpit beating preaching. Oh to know Him, those words bring tears and a pulse to my soul. To know Him comes after knowing His death. 'I have been crucified with Him', there is no other way, for He 'is the way, the truth and the life.' For the past year and a half I have been pouring myself in doctrine and readings of all kinds, to my despair it brought no joy. The past month and a half has brought peace, unbelievable peace to set all of it down and to say, "To know you, Lord, to know only you and the cross." I had heard this unction before and did not heed to it, but His grace offered again and again, I finally had to obey.Pastor Frin, I am sure you remember my question in your other post about shepherds and how to approach them if their methods are suspect. I have been attending an AoG church and it is in this church that I have been recieving much pain concerning some issues I do not like. Then I read in this forum about issues they are embracing that are not good. I am not familiar with those issues and need to know what they are. Can you direct me to that site that was spoken of by another postee'.I have been challenged and exhorted by your forums and will continue to write and give my 2 cents.Rich

Just been catch'n up on your posts "Pastor". Glory to God, Praise the Lord, Halleluah. Love to hear of Gods grace, mercy, love, divine intervention and interaction in our lives. Please post more. We serve an AWESOME God. Glory to the Lamb.

Hey, pastor Frin. I see that you are online right now as I type this message. Having a good day?Rich

Hi Rich, lamuskrat, and all,Wow, what a week, the Lord sure knows how to getthese old bones moving. I want to say, Thank You again, from myself and family for your love and prayers for baby Addison. She is doing just fine, Praise the Lord!I shared the experience of our #4 child, when she was backed over by a car when she was 18 mo.old and how the Lord spared her life. Now the wonderful healing of her new baby daughter.I would like to fill in the space of #4 childfrom the 18 mo. old daughter, the little miraclegirl, to the present, 29 yr. old mother of 4.She has always been full of life, athletic, gymnastics, cheerleading, and sports. She is very intelligent and of course beautiful, like her mother and two sisters. Ok, she's always been daddys little girl. :-) She decided at a fairly young age that she wanted to be a teacher. She loved the Lord at an early age, and as then, so now, has never stoppedasking questions about Him, leading to many in depth conversations.Oh, the day had to come when boys :-x came intothe picture. This was almost taken care of by me convincing all but one that I was an Old Testament preacher and I belived in stoning anyboy that came near my daughters. Well like I said it worked for all but one.So after graduation, she went to university and he joined the marines. Alright, that will work.Well almost, after two years the teacher too beand the marine were married.They were doing very well and then he was deployed overseas. They moved in with us at this time, since our daughter was expecting their first child. The Lord blessed us with a beautifulgrandaughter, and daddy made it home just in timeand all was well. And Then:Our daughter came to us early one morning and said he was late coming home from work and she was afraid something was wrong. It was, her marine had fallen asleep and hit a tree. He was in very critical condition. We prayed and asked our Lord for a miracle, It did not come, he never regained consciousness. Her marine was gone, leaving her and their 3 mo. old daughter behind. She was devastated, as far as she was concerned, her life was over. For almost a year she went through the motions,living but not really. She was in a world all her own, suffering terribly. We prayed and loved her and our grandaughter, asking our Lord for the right words of love and comfort, dealing with the continueus question WHY?One day she came home from school and said, dadI have decided to live. The Lord says I'm not doing my daughter, myself, or Him any good livinglike I have been. I'm tired of being miserable.She says, I am going to buy a house and my daughter and I are going to live. She did just that. It broke our hearts, you see by now our little grandaughter was like our own daughter, we knew it was best for both of them but it still hurt.Shortly after she moved she met a young man at the university, he did not believe my story about stoning either. Oh well, here we go again.A year latter they were married, he was a wonderful dad to her daughter and all were happy.And Then:It was about a year latter and she delivered another grandaughter, 3 mo. early, not good.She had an emergency C-section, we almost lost them both. There we were, standing beside her bed, I'm thinking, Lord what are you trying to do to her? at the same time trying to comforther, and telling her every thing is going to beok. Knowing what I just saw in the Ped ICU.Little Faith would fit in your hand, my fingers were bigger than her legs. I was standing therelooking in my daughters scared eyes when He gaveme these words. It only takes a musterd seed offaith to remove a mountain that is in our way, and the Lord has blessed us with one pound and several ounces of Faith, we will all agree together that every thing is going to bring glory to our Lord. And we did and it was. We just celibrated Faith's 5th birthday, she is a perfectly normal beautiful little girl.Two years latter , she gave birth to a little boy,normal birth and every thing just fine, Praise the Lord.Oh, I must back up, after Faith was born and spending months in the Ped ICU our daughter decided not to teach, so she went back to schooland is now an RN an ICU Ped nurse, helping othersthrough the experience she once had herself.Praise the Lord for His Mercies Endure Forever.Well the rest of the story you know, the recenthealing of baby Addison. Glory to God!Why did I share all of this? because to Know Himis to Know Him in the valley as well as on the mountain top.You see Knowing Him is not having every thingwork the way we want it to. I'm going to say this very simple because thats the way it needs to be received and lived.Rom. 8:26-28 says: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaningswhich cannot be uttered.27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth whatis the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28. And we know that all things work together forgood to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.Notice: He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Not according to our will, but according to God's will, and this is how we can be assured that all things work together for good to them who are called according to his purpose, do you get that, according to His purpose.If the Lord's purpose is not being fulfilled in our lives, then there is no fruit and no relationship with Him. In other words, you do not know Him.Teach us to pray Lord, Thy will, thy purpose, bedone in earth, in me, in my family, and in your church, as it is in heaven. Then give us the grace to, after we have prayed, to accept yourwill in our lives. AmenEph.2:8 says: For by grace are ye saved throughfaith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.What do you depend on for your salvation?Is it not faith in His Grace!Its that same grace Jesus speaks of in 2 Cor.12:9And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weaknessMost gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Knowing Him is to experience His Grace in our weakness that His Power may rest upon us.Oh that we may know Him and the Power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.His Grace is Sufficient for us all!Love to all,pastorfrin

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.Phl 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;Phl 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.2Ti 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.Tts 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;Jam 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.Who are we justified and made righteousness in?Who's Faith is it that makes us righteous in the flesh? What does the Faith of Jesus Christ mean?Why do most of the new translations change the "Faith of Jesus Christ" to faith in Jesus Christ? Is the Faith of Jesus Christ Grace?Is the Faith in Jesus Christ works?Why are there so many books on how to get faith?Do we have all the Faith we can get by Jesus Christ?1 Corinthians 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.All come by Faith of Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.No, "excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God" brings us faith. Our faith stands in the wisdom of Jesus Christ in Whom we have been made, by the Power of God. His Faith, not mans'. In Christ: Phillip

Hi Greg,Happy Birthday, wow 27, seems so long ago. Enjoynow, the years go by so fast.It is a tragedy that He is not the center of all,if He was so many more would know Him. We seem to get side tracked so easily. We will just keepproclaiming Him and His Word, some will come, He after all is the way, truth, and the life. So lets pray and agree that they will hear His voiceand come.That I may Know Him,pastorfrin

Hi Phillip,Wow, all that to say this, Eph.2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; And not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.His Word is so wonderful, to think ,God so loved us that He gave His Son for us. Wow, what Grace.Because of Him,pastorfrin

Wow, what Faith, Grace is not ours and Faith is no ours, but His.Jude 1:20-25 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.In Christ: Phillip

Hi Geraldine,You are so welcome. He never fails, our Lord is faithful who promised, and it is His Word we can stand and rest upon. As Paul said in 2 Tim. 1:12:For I know whom I have believed, and am persuadedthat He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. In Rom. 8:18 Paul says: I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthyto be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8 shows us our security in Him, and Vs.31sums it up: What shall we say to these things?If God be for us, who can be against us? Praise God, Praise His Holy Name, He Is For Us.That I May Know HIM!In His Love,pastorfrin :-)

Wow, what Faith, Grace is not ours and Faith is not ours, but His.Phillip,You're right, if you do not know Him, But Faith and Grace is ours if we are in Him and the Father.John 17:20-23 Jesus said: Neither do pray for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.21. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.Do you know Him Phillip?Thats what this thread is all about, Knowing Him,its a life long process, just ask Paul, Phil.3:8-14As for me and my house, we shall as Paul statesin Vs.14 press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.And continue as Heb. 12:2 tells us: Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith;who for the joy that was set before himendured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. All this so We May Know Him. What a shame, if we do not.That I May Know Him!Because of Christ,pastorfrin

Annie,I just realized that I had not thanked you for the welcome back. Boy am I bad :-x . :-D THANK YOU :-D Its nice to be missed, by you all, not by Him.Well praise God and have a blessed ResurrectionSunday, Because He lives, We shall live also.GLORY and Honor and Power and Praise Be Unto HIMOh, that I my Know HimLove to All,pastorfrin

Paul had a revelation of Jesus Christ that not many have. It changed him from a Pharisee to a Christ Person, completely sold out for the Gospel that Jesus Christ grave him. And yet upon all that Paul knew, he still wanted nothing but to "know Him," and to preach nothing except "Christ and Him Crucified." That is what every day is all about. Then a special day that all might come together at one time and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. Every day is a celebration for those that are in Christ Jesus. By my witness, In Christ: Happy Easter: Phillip

Pastorfrin First I’d like to thank you for such a great thread.I was converted at the age of 11, and have endeavored to serve the LORD for nearly 40 years. This last year has certainly been one of the most important for me. In the last year, the Cross of Christ has come to mean more to me than ever, and I hope this year will come to mean even more. Phil. 3:10 has always made my brain hurt. Not in a bad way, mind you, but it has always sat there, on the page, calling after me, . . . making me hungry for more. More of Him, more genuine relationship, and for the first time, I think I have finally begun to taste what Paul meant by this passage. It is not til we have been to the cross that we can begin to know any of the power of the resurrection. Not only for forgiveness, but to die. Bonhoffer wrote, “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” It is not til we die to this world, and the world is dead to us (Ga 6:14) that we can allow Christ to live His life through us.(Ga 2:20).This is just the beginning of the fellowship with the Father and His Son that John speaks of in his first epistle. I think that Paul understood that this was not just a single event in the Christians life, but one that must be perused daily. It is ever deeper, ever farther, closer daily to our Lord.Lu 9:23 ‘. . . "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”’ This is why Paul, years after his conversion would write, “That I may know Him,and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; . . . that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”God bless every one, and have a Happy Resurrection Day.Rojam

hi, i knew a catholic priest who was a great evangelist and raveled with a baptist preacher friend. once in a while i would go with this priest instead of my friend. he would always tell his testimony of how he was a catholic boy who became a priest of high esteem but his life was dry and his sermons dryer until he had an affair; a love affair,which made his life exciting and improved his sermons also. he then had a second affair which only kindled his first affair to a fever pitch.the people in the catholic church were on the edge of their seats with their mouths open. then read if i should know Him... he said that the affair was with Jesus and His spirit... he told them that you cold be a good catholic or even a priest of good report and not really know Jesus experientually and that this was the requirment to be truly redeemed. he lead many thousands to Jesus.(the jerusalem bible has a footnote by this verse that states that we must Know Jesus intimately... jimp

1Pe 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. We are already resurrected with Christ in Spirit, we are being resurrected in spirit and soul (mind), and will be resurrected in body on resurrected morning.2Cr 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver [us];Easter is much more than Easter Sunday. Our Easter is already happened in Spirit. Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.Our Easter is happening in our spirit soul, 1Cr 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;Our Easter will happen on resurrection morning.Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: Then to know Him. 1Cr 15:42 So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: Phl 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Phl 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. To know Him is resurrection. Amen.IN Christ: Phillip

Hi Phillip, Amen Brother, and may we all worship Him together, for His Wonderous Love.Because of Christ and His Love,pastorfrin

Hi Rojam,Thank You, Its pure joy to experience His Love, and then to realize what it is to Know Him, to realize His Love to and for us. Yes, what a gloriousrelationship.Oh, that I may Know Him more,pastorfrin

Hi Jimp,Intimacy is the realization of His Love for us.Its a revelation we must each personally receive.When we receive this, the fullness of His love, we then are able to love one another as He Loves us. This is how the world knows that we are His deciples. We must decrease, He must increase.To Know Him is to be like Him, resurrection, suffering, and death. Oh that I may Know Him more,pastorfrin

I have a question. Is it the majorities experience to have highs and lows in walking with the Lord. Not necessarily of an emotional kind but rather a 'knowing' kind and that 'knowing' wavers and dips and plunges and swoops etc... Do you get what I am asking? And I am wondering what is the ultimate reason? It keeps me seeking and hungering for intimacy and my hope revealed, but do these dips and plunges coincide with lessening prayer or weak study of His word? And then what does that say with faith? Is it my faith that is doing this dippin' and swoopin'. I am ever fearful of the word that says, 'without faith it is impossible to please the Lord.' It was credited to Abraham as righteousnes because he believed the Lord God.' Abraham did not have to do a thing; not attend 'church' services, read the law over and over, walk a hundred miles on his knees. (You get my point) Am I getting anywhere with this or should I stop ramblin' now?All we have to do is believe. This is the simplicity of the Gospel. WOW.I do know and have experienced highs in faith and intimacy with our Lord and Saviour as I fellwoship more and more throughout the week with like minded believers. And it encourages me for the day that daily I am fellowshipping with like minded believers. The promises of God are 'Yea' and 'Amen.'Rich

Oh to know and feel His love is tremendous. I often wonder if is not in feeling of a physical kind but rather a 'knowing' or trusting kind. I am often stirred in spirit by the scripture coming alive in me and it does not manifest in 'quaking or shaking' physically (as is often done in charismatic or pentecostal circles, of which I attend) but manifests in a silent surge or vibrancy of soul. In those times I am pleasantly surprised. I used to seek the Lord for the feelings outwardly, thinking if I did not get it the Lord wasn' there. I try to seek the Lord now because He can be found and He is to be found. Hallelujahto know Him, give the grace ABBA FatherRich

Hi Rich,Great to hear from you. Your question,I have a question. Is it the majorites experience to have highs and lows in walking with the Lord?Yes Rich, I would say it is a majority experience, and yes, lessening prayer and studyof His Word, will cause a low, because of lack of fellowship with the Lord.The key is Faith and Trust in Him. To Know Himwe must spend time communicating with Him.We are told in Prov. 3:5-8 To, Trust in the Lordwith all thine heart; and lean not unto thine ownunderstanding.6. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shalldirect thy paths.7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord,and depart from evil.8. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow tothy bones.One may say, Thats fine, but to trust is easier said than done!Something I find helpful in the Faith and Trustissue, is the Lord's Prayer. Matt. 6:9-15.To understand what the Lord's teaching us in thismodel prayer, opens the way for our complete walkwith Him.The key is simply His will, to understand that His will is what must be accomplished in our lives. Then and only then can we enter into thistype of trust.Phil. 4:6,7 Wraps it all up for us.6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour request be made known unto God.7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.This trust and peace that passeth all understanding, is where I believe Abraham was in his walk with the Lord. Not at first, but he grewto the place of trust in the Lord, where he was able to obey Him without question.This is why he was able to take Isaac, up unto the mountian, to offer him as a sacrifice untothe Lord.He trusted God's will above every thing else.He had trust and peace that passed all understanding.When we pray, thy will be done, in every area of our life, and we pray this way every day, sometimes, many times a day Matt. 26:39-44, we are giving the Lord complete control of our life.It is in this surrender, to His Wll, that leads to the place of trusting Him with all our hearts, and not leaning on our own understanding.We simply depend on His Will, No Worry, Just Trust, Faith and His glorious Peace that passeth ALL UNDERSTANDING. :-)One finds as we learn to trust in His Will, that the highs and lows disappear, and His Peace replaces them.We May Know Him MoreTrust His Willpastorfrin

It is awesome that you included the Phillipians verse in your reply, Pastor Frin. Last nite at our weds assembling of ourselves I was talking with an elderly woman, mature in the Lord. She used the same verse and mentioned that after you have done that (according to Phillippians) then you have peace. Our peace does not come after the Lord God has answered (although there is peace). Rather our peace comes from doing exactly what Phillipians says to do and then trusting. For after we have committed our requests with praise and thanksgiving, we can be assured that what is best for us will occur. I have been in somewhat minor turmoil because my prayers have not been answered yet (Or so I think) at have lost a sense of peace. Her words sparked in me and I though I would share it.I have been reading Andrew Murrays' writing on Absolute Surrender. Absolutely awesome...He shares in it from Rom chapter 7 and how wretched a man Paul said he was. Should not that be every man and womans cry, 'Oh wretched man/woman that I am.' 'Who will save me...?'I think to pause here is sufficient, because without a true revelation of that wretchedness that resides in us, we can progress no further in Christ. Really, there is nothing greater than coming to the end of ourselves...Once and for all. Can this happen once and for all, or will it be a lifelong battle, choosing life over death, in every moment?Rich

The Will of God. What a allusive thing to be grasped? I think Not.The Will of God.Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in Him (Christ Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:Colossians 1:26-27 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:His perfect Will: Galatians 2:19-20 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.In Christ: Phillip

And don't forget Rom 12 that says, 'being transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can test and prove the will of God.' (somewhat paraphrased)Rich

wrote:

pastorfrin wrote:
Re: Phil. 3:10
That I may know Him,
and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death;

Since we are entering the season, may we share
with one another, what it means to you.

To Know Him More,

Pastorfrin

Seemed like an appropriate time to quote your first post on here Pastor.

And hey, You've never neglected ANY of us here.
But I do get such a kick out of you using this :-x Smilie. I laugh whenever I see that particular one. It's the funniest "mad" face I've ever seen and can only be used by those who we all know isn't "mad" .... that means I can't --- HA -- though my mad lasts about an hour... HA ... don't tell nobody though. Don't wanna let on that I'm not big and bad all the time. :lol: --- but I don't like this "lol" guy .... he laughs sort of demented. Maybe we could get a nicer laughing guy icon someday.

Well, you and alllllllllllllllllllll of yours have a Blessed weekend also and the whole SI gang.

ONE MORE TIME ....

Phil. 3:10,11
That I may know Him,
and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being made conformable unto His death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

AMEN !

With a humble and thankful heart, I wish you all
a blessed new year, that draws you and yours, ever closer to our Blessed Lord.

That all may Know HIM More

pastorfrin :-x

"To know Him", what a statement. Thirty five years ago I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Before that I really did not even know what Christmas was except presents and a Christmas tree. I kept the law as best I could and failed every day. Then six years ago I met a man who told me the Jesus Christ Himself was in me and that I had also the Holy Spirit baptized into me and then the one that blew me away was God the Father was making His abode with me also. Wow, How could this be? Then the birthing took over and I began to see
"Christ in me the Hope of Glory" and that is when I saw the revelation Paul had received from Jesus Christ Himself and my spirit began to receive revelation also about the Christ that was in me. That is when my daily prayer to my Father was "to know Him", and the greatest of all I learned was the Seed, that is the Sperma of God is the Seed of Christ, the same Seed that Mary received and brought forth the Christ and the Body of Jesus, that the seed is the power of of all life in all things, being Born Again with Seed of God the Father now making Him my Father, and I was a new creation race person, that is the nature, name and life of Christ Jesus was now mine. I now know Him more every day and the Word has become alive and the renewing of my mind is, His faith to my faith and His precepts upon my precepts. The whole bible opened up and God the Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit became so real and complete in the Father's Plan I have become truly a son of God. Ephesians 1:4-8 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

The Faith of Jesus Christ in me works stronger and clearer everyday.

These scripture became so real to me that now it is Jesus Christ and me in this clay pot, which I am called by the Holy Spirit, a temple of God.

The two edged sword has separated, body, soul, and spirit and understanding of the Process of God is becoming more clear everyday.

"To know Him", is to know Him more everyday, and to know who I am by Him that is in me. My favorite scriptures.

Colossians 1:23-29 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

And: Galatians 2:16-20 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

And: Colossians 3:1-4 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:14-17 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Him, Him, Him, Knowing and Loving Christ more every day and Knowing I have a Father Who is God.

In Him: Phillip

Annie,

You found it:
Happy 'New' Year a little late Sir ~ *Smile Brother* ~ His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth ...

You cannot say I forget you. :-x

Wow, has a lot of water gone under the bridge since I started this thread, and you Know What?
He Has Been Faithful Who Promised.

Love ya Sister
pastorfrin

Are we seeking merely the honors of heaven, or should we esteem it a privilege to be reproached and reviled as Christ was - to have our names cast out as his was - to be made the object of sport and derision as he was - and to be held up to the contempt of a world as he was? If so, it is an evidence that we love him; if not so, and we are merely seeking the crown of glory, we should doubt whether we have ever known anything of the nature of true religion.

They who are most like him in the scenes of humiliation here, will be most like him in the realms of glory.

"All that thrills my soul is Jesus;
He is more than life to me;"

Thank You Sister, this must be our desire, the fellowship of His suffering.

John 15:18-21 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."

Oh that I may know Him more today then yesterday

To know Him we must have hope.

Quote:

"Hope means choosing to trust God, to remember His promises, to wait for His timing, to endure the pain He allows and to ever rejoice in His total sufficiency. It means running unhindered the race set before us, "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Remembering God's love in the past, Jeremiah could look confidently toward the future:

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
'Therefore I hope in Him!'” Lamentations 3:21-24"

The Names of God

By the greatest act of Love that has ever been, God the Father Gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.

This Act of Love is The Father cohabitating with the believer in, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He God the Father places His Incorruptable Seed in the believer and is now a spiritual son of God.

The only way a believer can have the nature of a Father, God Himself in Him is to be birthed by a Father, we are truly a "new creation race of people, not just a created being, becoming better, but a born again son of God.

This is what is missing from the Church and missing even from those that believe and are born again, they don't understand the Mystery, the rebirthing, that Paul had revealed to Him direct and from the Son of God Himself. Paul mentions the Mystery over 20 times and this Mystery is the Born Again experience which Jesus said Himself was like the wind blowing and not knowing where it is coming from.

John 3:5-12 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

The Mystery: Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables:

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

1Cr 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

This is where we were before the world began, this is the beginning of our Life, not from earthly fathers and mothers or when we were born again, but the wonderful thought of God, I want son's and daughter's with me in My House. I will have to find a way to birth my own offspring, that may have my nature and will fit in My House and we will live together forever, because of My Only Begotten Son that will be their sacrifice and their new life in Him.

Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Here It is, The Mystery: Ephesians 1:9-10 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Revealed to Paul: Colossians 1:25-28 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

This is the only way we can enter the Kingdom of God, that is being perfect in Christ Jesus the Incorruptable Seed birthed in us. The Word Himself, of the Father, born again and making us a new creation Race of God's Children.

1 Peter 1:22-25 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

In Christ: Phillip

HE_Reigns wrote:
My Friend

“...the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Exodus 33:11

What a Friend we have in Jesus!

He knows all my faults, yet He called me to be His friend. He sees all my weaknesses, but all the more gladly He supplies all I need for my next assignment. I only see the next few steps of our journey together, but I know I can trust Him to lead me all the way home.

He is my strength and my shield, my Shepherd and my Lord!

To Him I confess every sin and failure. With Him I share all my thoughts and feelings, frustrations and fears, sorrows and joys. To Him I confide my deepest needs and longing. He always understands!

He listens to my heart as well as my words. He hears my thoughts as well as my prayers. He tells me the truth, even if it hurts. He really cares!

Jesus rejoices with me when I am happy in Him. When I am sad, He shares my grief. When I'm too tired to go on, He holds me up. When I lose my way, He takes my hand and guides me in His paths. My Friend is always there!

He tells me His thoughts and plans. In His love-letters to me -- they are all in my precious Bible -- He confides His deepest longing. He shares His joys as well as His sufferings. He shows me why He gave His life for me: so that He and I can be one for all eternity!

Because He joined me to Himself through the cross, [i]His friends are my friends.[/i] His enemies are my enemies. His battles are my battles. And He always wins!

Sharing a few of His wounds and battle scars help me treasure His triumph all the more!

Every morning we plan our day together. All day long we walk and talk together. We are inseparable!

My Friend is wise, patient, loving and kind. He is faithful, considerate, unchanging and pure. He is strong, dependable, loyal and true. He meets all my needs!

"This is my Beloved and this is my Friend!" Is He your Friend, too?

Jesus, my dearest Friend,

I still can't understand why you chose me as your friend for all eternity -- but you did!

I long to be a good friend to you, but only by your life and strength can I even begin to do my part.

Thank you for standing with me as I learn to listen more carefully, respond more consistently, follow you more faithfully, and minister to your other friends more joyfully.

[url=http://www.crossroad.to/Victory/names/1-contents.htm]The Names of GOD.[/url]

Thank You for this Annie,

As I was reading this evening I came upon this devotion by Spurgeon, which remined me of this thread and is something I would like to share with all,

My Friends at SI.

Please read and seek to,

“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
— 2 Peter 3:18

“Grow in grace”—not in one grace only, but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith increase in fulness, constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility, seek also to grow upward —having nearer approaches to God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May God the Holy Spirit enable you to “grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.” He who grows not in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know him is “life eternal,” and to advance in the knowledge of him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ, knows nothing of him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction, that the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you know the love of Jesus—as the hart panteth for the water-brooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of his love. If you do not desire to know him better, then you love him not, for love always cries, “Nearer, nearer.” Absence from Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of him in his divine nature, in his human relationship, in his finished work, in his death, in his resurrection, in his present glorious intercession, and in his future royal advent. Abide hard by the Cross, and search the mystery of his wounds. An increase of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of his love to us is one of the best tests of growth in grace.

Spurgeon, C. H.

My most earnest prayer for all of us who name the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour,

Is that we,

“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
— 2 Peter 3:18

Philip. 3:10-12
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; [11] If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. [12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

That we may all know Him 'More' in the days ahead.

In His Love
your friend

Do You Know Him?
January 31st, 1864
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.
The object of the apostle's life—that for which he sacrificed everything: country, kindred, honor, comfort, liberty, and life itself, was, that he might know Christ. Observe that this is not Paul's prayer as an unconverted man, that he may know Christ, and so be saved; for it follows upon the previous supplication that he might win Christ and be found in him. This is the desire of one who has been saved, who enjoys the full conviction that his sins are pardoned, and that he is in Christ. It is only the regenerated and saved man who can feel the desire, "That I may know him." Are you astonished that a saved man should have such a desire as this? A moment's reflection will remove your astonishment. Imagine for a moment that you are living in the age of the Roman emperors. You have been captured by Roman soldiers and dragged from your native country; you have been sold for a slave, stripped, whipped, branded, imprisoned, and treated with shameful cruelty. At last yon are appointed to die in the amphitheatre, to make holiday for a tyrant. The populace assemble with delight. There they are, tens of thousands of them, gazing down from the living sides of the capacious Colosseum. You stand alone, and naked, armed only with a single dagger—a poor defense against gigantic beasts. A ponderous door is drawn up by machinery, and forth there rushes the monarch of the forest—a huge lion; you must slay him or be torn to pieces. You are absolutely certain that the conflict is too stern for you, and that the sure result must and will be that those terrible teeth will grind your bones and drip with your blood. You tremble; your joints are loosed; you are paralyzed with fear, like the timid deer when the lion has dashed it to the ground. But what is this? O wonder of mercy!—a deliverer appears. A great unknown leaps from among the gazing multitude, and confronts the savage monster. He quails not at the roaring of the devourer, but dashes upon him with terrible fury, till, like a whipped cur, the lion slinks towards his den, dragging himself along in pain and fear. The hero lifts you up, smiles into your bloodless face, whispers comfort in your ear, and bids you be of good courage, for you are free. Do you not think that there would arise at once in your heart a desire to know your deliverer? As the guards conducted you into the open street, and you breathed the cool, fresh air, would not the first question be, "Who was my deliverer, that I may fall at his feet and bless him?" You are not, however, informed, but instead of it you are gently led away to a noble mansion house, where your many wounds are washed and healed with salve of rarest power. You are clothed in sumptuous apparel; you are made to sit down at a feast; you eat and are satisfied; you rest upon the softest down. The next morning you are attended by servants who guard you from evil and minister to your good. Day after day, week after week, your wants are supplied. You live like a courtier. There is nothing that you can ask which you do not receive. I am sure that your curiosity would grow more and more intense till it would ripen into an insatiable craving. You would scarcely neglect an opportunity of asking the servants, "Tell me, who does all this, who is my noble benefactor, for I must know him?" "Well, but" they would say, "is it not enough for you that you are delivered from the lion?" "Nay," say you, "it is for that very reason that I pant to know him." "Your wants are richly supplied—why are yon vexed by curiosity as to the hand which reaches you the boon? If your garment is worn out, there is another. Long before hunger oppresses you, the table is well loaded. What more do you want?" But your reply is, "It is because I have no wants, that, therefore, my soul longs and yearns even to hungering and to thirsting, that I may know my generous loving friend." Suppose that as you wake up one morning, you find lying up on your pillow a precious love-token from your unknown friend, a ring sparkling with jewels and engraved with a tender inscription, a bouquet of flowers bound about with a love-motto! Your curiosity now knows no bounds. But you are informed that this wondrous being has not only done for you what you have seen, but a thousand deeds of love which you did not see, which were higher and greater still as proofs of his affection. You are told that he was wounded, and imprisoned, and scourged for your sake, for he had a love to yon so great, that death itself could not overcome it: you are informed that he is every moment occupied in your interests, because he has sworn by himself that where he is there you shall be; his honors you shall share, and of his happiness you shall be the crown. Why, methinks you would say, "Tell me, men and women, any of you who know him, tell me who he is and what he is;" and if they said, "But it is enough for you to know that he loves you, and to have daily proofs of his goodness," you would say, "No, these love-tokens increase my thirst. If ye see him, tell him I am sick of love. The flagons which he sends me, and the love-tokens which he gives me, they stay me for awhile with the assurance of his affection but they only impel me onward with the more unconquerable desire that I may know him. I must know him; I cannot live without knowing him. His goodness makes me thirst, and pant, and faint, and even die, that I may know him."

Have I imagined emotions which would not be natural? I think not. The most cool and calculating would be warmed with desires like these. Methinks what I have now pictured before you will wake the echoes in your breasts, and you will say, "Ah, it is even so! It is because Christ loved me and gave himself for me that I want to know him; it is because he has shed his blood for me and has chosen me that I may be one with him for ever, that my soul desires a fuller acquaintance with him."

Now may God, the Holy Ghost, very graciously lead me onward that I may also quicken in you the desire to know HIM.

Continued:

Do You Know Him?
January 31st, 1864
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.

Pt. 2

I. Beloved, let us PASS BY THAT CROWD OF OUTER-COURT WORSHIPPERS WHO ARE CONTENT TO LIVE WITHOUT KNOWING CHRIST.
I do not mean the ungodly and profane; we will not consider them just now—they arc altogether strangers and foreigners to him—I mean children of God: the visible saints. How many there are of these whom I must call outer-court worshippers, for they are strangers to this panting to know him. They can say with Paul, "That I may win him and be found in him"—that they do want; but this higher wish, "That I may know him," has not stirred their hearts. How many brethren we know, who are content to know Christ's historic life! They read the evangelists and they are charmed with the perfect beauty of the Savior's history. "Never man spake like this man," say they; and they confess that never man acted with such love as lie did. They know all the incidents of his life, from his manger to his cross; but they do not know HIM. They are as men who have read " Caesar's Commentaries," but who have never seen Caesar. They know the battles which Caesar fought; they can even recognize the mantle which Caesar wore "that day he overcame the Nervii;" but they do not know Caesar himself. The person of the Lord Jesus is us much hidden from their eyes us the golden pot of manna when concealed in the ark. They know the life of Christ, hut not Christ the Life; they admire his way among men, hut they see not himself as the way.

Others there are who know Christ's doctrine, and prize it too, but they know not Him. All which he taught is dear to them; orthodoxy—for this they would burn at Smithfield, or lay down their necks at Tower Hill. Many of them are well-instructed and divinely-illuminated in the doctrine of Christ, and the wonder is, that they should stop there; because, beloved, it does seem to me when I begin to know a man's teaching, that the next thing is the desire to know his person. Addison, in one of the " Spectators," tells us that the reason why so many books are printed with the portraits of the authors is just this, that as a man reads a book, lie feels a desire to know what sort of appearance the author had. This, indeed, is very natural. If you have ever been refreshed under a minister's printed sermons, if you have at any time received any benefit from his words, I know you have said, "I would like to see that man; I would like to hear the truth flow hot and fresh from his living lips; I would like to know just how he said that sentence, and how that passage sounded as it came from his earnest heart." My beloved, surely if you know the doctrine of Jesus, if you have so been with Christ as to sit at his feet and hear what he has to say, you must, I hope, have had some longings to know him—to know his person; and if you have, you will have had to pass by multitudes of followers of Jesus who rest satisfied with his words, but forget that he is himself "THE WORD."

Beloved, there are others—and against them I bring no complaint; they go as far as they can—who are delighted with Christ's example. Christ's character is in their esteem the mirror of all perfection. They desire to walk in his footsteps; they listen to his sermon upon the Mount; they are enchanted with it—as well they may be; they pray to he obedient in all things to Christ, as their Master and their Lord. They do well. Mark, I am finding no fault with any of these who prize the history, or who value the doctrine, or who admire the precept; but I want more. I do want, beloved, that you and I should "know HIM." I love his precepts, but I love HIM better. Sweet is the water from Bethlehem's well; and well worth the struggle of the armed men to win but a bucket from it; but the well itself is better, and deserves all Israel's valor to defend it. As the source is ever more valuable than the stream, so is Christ ever better than the best words of his lips, or the best deeds of his hand. I want to know him. I do care for his actions; my soul would sit down and admire those masterly works of holy art—his miracles of humiliation, of suffering, of patience, and of holy charity; but better far I love the hands which wrought these master-works, the lips which spoke these goodly words, and the heart which heaved with that matchless love which was the cause of all. Yes, beloved, we must get farther than Immanuel's achievements, however glorious; we must come to "know him."

Most believers rest perfectly at ease with knowing Christ's sacrifice. They see Jesus as the great High Priest, laying a great sacrifice upon the altar for their sins, and with their whole heart they accept his atonement. By faith they know that all their sin is taken away by precious blood. This is a most blessed and hallowed attainment, I will grant you; but it is not every Christian who perceives that Christ was not only the offerer of a sacrifice, but was himself the sacrifice, and, therefore, loves him as such. Priest, altar, victim, everything Christ was. He gathers up all in himself, and when I see that he loved me, and gave himself for me, it is not enough to know this fact: I want to know him, the glorious person who does and is all this. I want to know the man who thus gave himself for me. I want to behold the Lamb once slain for me. I want to rest upon the bosom which covers the heart which was pierced with the spear; I pray him to kiss me with the kisses of that mouth which cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" I love Calvary, the scene of woe, but I love Christ better, the great object of that agony; and even his cross and all his sufferings, dear though these must ever be to the Christian mind, only occupying a second place; the first seat is for himself, his person, his deity, and humanity.

Thus, you see, we have to leave a great many believers behind; nor have we enumerated all, for I believe that even some of those saints who have received grace to look for the coming of Christ, yet in their vision of his coming too much forget him. Is it not possible for nine to pant for the second advent as to lose sight of him who is to make that advent? So to long for a millennium, that I may forget him who is to reign King of kings? So to pant after that glory of Israel that I may forget him who is Israel's glory? Anywhere short of knowing him, I would not have you stop, beloved; and even when you know him, I would urge you still to be impelled with the same desire, and to press forward, crying with the apostle, "That I may know him."

Beloved, how many there are who have heard of Christ and read about Christ, and that is enough for them! But it is not enough for me, and it should not be enough for you. The apostle Paul did not say "I have heard of him, on whom I have believed," but " I know whom I have believed." To hear about Christ may damn you, it may be a savor of death unto death to you. You have heard of him with the ear; hut it is essential that you know him in order that you may be partakers of eternal life. My dear hearers, be not content unless you have this as your soul's present portion.

Others there be who have been persuaded by the judgment and encouragement of others, that they know something about the great Redeemer. They do not know him, but still they are persuaded by others that they have an interest in him. Let me warn you of second-hand spirituality, it is a rotten, soul-deceiving deception. Beware of all esteeming yourself according to the thoughts of others, or you will be ruined. Another man's opinion of me may have great influence over me, I have heard of a man in perfectly good health killed by the opinion of others. Several of his friends had foolishly agreed to play him a practical trick; whereupon one of them met him and said, "How ill you look this morning." He did not feel so; he was very much surprised at the remark. When he met the next, who said to him, "Oh! dear, how bad you look," lie began to think there might be something in it; and us he turned smart round the corner, a third person said to him, "What a sight you are! How altered from what you used to be!" He went home ill, he took to his bed and died. So goes the story, and I should not marvel if it really did occur. Now, if such might be the effect of persuasion and supposed belief in the sickness of a man, how much more readily may men be persuaded into the idea of spiritual health! A believer meets you, and by his treatment seems to say, " I welcome you as a dear brother"—and means it too. You are baptized, and you are received into Church-fellowship, and so everybody thinks that von must be a follower of Christ; and yet you may not know him. Oh, I do pray you, do not be satisfied with being persuaded into something like an assurance that you are in him, but do know him—know him for yourself.

There are many who I hope will be saved ere long; but I am in great doubt of them, because they can only say they half think they know Christ; they do not quite believe in him, but they do not disbelieve in him; they halt between two opinions. Ah, dear hearer, that is a very dangerous place to stand in. The border-land is the devil's hunting ground. Undecided souls are fair game for the great fowler. God give you once for all the true decision by which through grace you shall know him. Do not be satisfied with thinking you know him; hoping you know him, but know him. Oh, it is nothing to have heard about him, to have talked about him, to have eaten and have drank with him, to have preached him, or even to have wrought miracles in his name, to have been charmed by his eloquence, to have been stirred with the story of his love, to have been moved to imitate him—this shall nothing avail you, unless you win him and are found in him. Seek with the apostle, to give up everything of your own righteousness, and all other objects and aims in life, and say, "This I seek after, that I may know him." Thus much, then, on the first point. Leaving those behind who do not know him, let us make an advance.

Continued:

Do You Know Him?
January 31st, 1864
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.
Pt. 3

II. Secondly, let us DRAW CURTAIN AFTER CURTAIN WHICH SHALL ADMIT US TO KNOW MORE OF CHRIST.

Did you ever visit the manufactory of splendid porcelain at Sevres? I have done so. If anybody should say to me, "Do you know the manufactory at Sevres?" I should say, " Yes, I do, and no, I do not. I know it, for I have seen the building; I have seen the rooms in which the articles are exhibited for sale, and I have seen the museum and model room; but I do not know the factory as I would like to know it, for I have not seen the process of manufacture, and have not been admitted into the workshops, as some are. "Suppose I had seen, however, the process of the moulding of the clay, and the laying on of the rich designs, if anybody should still say to me, "Do you know how they manufacture those wonderful articles?" I should very likely still be compelled to say, "No, I do not, because there are certain secrets, certain private rooms into which neither friend nor foe can be admitted, lest the process should be open to the world." So, you see, I might say I knew, and yet might not half know; and when I half knew, still there would be so much left, that I might be compelled to say, "I do not know." How many different ways there are of knowing a person—and even so there are all these different ways of knowing Christ; so that you may keep on all your lifetime, still wishing to get into another room, and another room, nearer and nearer to the great secret, still panting to "know him." Good Rutherford says, "I urge upon you a nearer communion with Christ, and a growing communion. There are curtains to be drawn by, in Christ, that we never shut, and new foldings in love with him. I despair that ever I shall shall win to the far end of that love; there are so many plies in it. Therefore, dig deep, and set by as much time in the day for him as you can, he will be won by labor."

To begin with. We know a person when we recognize him. You know the Queen. Well, I do. I recollect seeing her, and if I were to see any quantity of ladies, I think I should know which was the Queen and which was not. You may say honestly that you know her to that extent. Beloved, every Christian must in this sense know Christ. You must know him by a divine illumination so as to know who he is and what line is. When Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Whom sayest thou that I am," he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" and the Lord replied, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonas, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee." It is an early step in this knowledge of Christ, to know and to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord; to know that Christ is God, divine to me; that Christ is man, brother to me—bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh—that as such line is a sin-subduing Savior; that line is for inc an intercessor, pleading before the throne; my prophet, priest, and king—in this sense I trust that most of you know him. If you do not, breathe the silent prayer now, "Lord, help me that I may know him." But this knowledge of recognition is comparatively a low attainment, one of the lowest rounds of the ladder of light.

In the second place, a believer knows Christ, to a higher degree when he knows him by practical experiment at acquaintance with what he does. For instance, I know Christ as a cleanser. They tell me he is a refiner, that he cleanses from spots; he has washed me in his precious blood, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he clothes the naked; he hath covered me with a garment of righteousness, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he is a breaker, and that he breaks fetters, he has set my soul at liberty, and therefore I know him. They tell me that he is a king and that he reigns over sin; he hath subdued my enemies beneath his feet, and I know him in that character. They tell me he is a shepherd: I know him for I am his sheep. They say he is a door: I have entered in through him, and I know him as a door. They say he is food: my spirit feeds on him as on the bread of heaven, and, therefore, I know him as such. You know if anyone says, "Do you know doctor So-and-so?" It is a very satisfactory answer, if you can reply, "Oh, yes, I know him, for he attended me the last time that I was ill." There is more knowledge in that, than if on could only say, " Oh, yes, I know him: he wears such-and-such a hat or "line is a man of such-and-such an appearance." So, Christian, thing is a second and higher step to know Christ, because you have experienced in your own soul that he is just what God has revealed him to be.

But we know a man in a better sense than this when we are on speaking terms with him. "Do you know So-and-so?" " Yes," you say, I not only know him by name, so as to recognize him; I not only know him as a tradesman having dealt with him, but I know him because when we pass each other in the morning, we exchange a word or two; and if I had anything to say upon matters—any request to make—I should feel no difficulty about asking him." Well, now. the Christian knows his Lord in this sense, line has every day official communication with Christ, line is on speaking terms with him. There may be persons here, perhaps, who know the Queen in a sense in which I do not know her—perhaps they speak to him. They have so done; I have never done that; they go beyond me there. But you see, dear friends, this is not a very great thing because you may be on speaking terms with a man, but you may not know much of him for all that. So you may be in the habit of daily prayer, and you may talk with Christ every morning and every evening, and you may know exceedingly little of him. You are on speaking terms with him; but there ins something beyond this, very far beyond this. As I might say that I know a man merely because I meet him every day, and ask him for what I want, and understand that he is kind and generous; but how shallow is such an acquaintance, for I do not know his private character nor his inward heart. Even so a believer may have constant dealings with Christ in his prayers and in his praises, and yet for all that, he may have only gone a certain distance, and may have need still to pray, "That I may know him."

But you are said to know a person better still when he invites you to his house. At Christmas time there is a family party and a romp, and he asks you there, and you are one of the children, and enter into all their sports around the fire-side, and you indulge as they do in the genialities of social life. You are asked again; you go there pretty often; in fact, if there is a happy evening in that house they generally expect to see friend So-and-so there. Well, now, that is better. We are getting now into something like knowing a man; and I do trust there are many of you, beloved, who have got as far as this with regard to your divine Lord. Christ has entertained you with some rare visits from his gracious presence. He brought you into the banquetting-house, and his banner over you was love. When he manifested himself, he did it unto you as he did not unto the world. He was pleased in the majesty of his condescension, to take you aside and show you his hands and his side. He called you "Friend;" he treated you as such, and permitted you to enjoy thine sweets of being one of the family.

Ah, but you may go into a man's house as a constant visitor, and yet you may not know him—that is to say, not in the highest sense. You speak to the man's wife and say, "Your husband is a marvellously charming man; what a cheerful, joyful, spirited man he is; he never seems to have any depressions of spirit, and experiences no changes whatever." She shakes her head. and she says, "Ah! you do not know him, you do not know him as I do;" because shine sees him at all times and at all hours; she can read the very heart of the man. That Christian has grown much in grace who has advanced not only to be the friend of Christ, having occasional fellowship with him, but who comes to recognize his marriage-union with the person of his Lord, and of whom it can be said, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant," Now we have the intimacy of love, with its perfect frankness, nearness, sweetness, joyousness, delight. The rending away of every separating veil makes the communion to be as near as it well can be this side the black river; but a Christian may get farther than this.

Even the spouse may not know her husband. The most loving wife who ever entered into the cares of her husband, must have discovered that there is a something which separates his experience from her powers of comprehension. Luther's wife. Catherine, was of all women the wife for Luther; but there were times in Luther's gigantic tribulations, when he must leave Kate behind. There were extraordinary times within him; times both of ecstatic joy, when like a great angel, he stretched his mighty wings, and flew right up to heaven, and of awful misery, when he seemed to sink down to the very depths of hell; and in either case, no other heart could keep pace with him. Then it was himself alone who had communion with himself. And a Christian may so grow in grace as to become identified with Christ, a member of his body; not so much married to him as a part of him, a member of the great body of Christ, so that he suffers with Christ, sympathizes with Jesus, his heart beating to the same dolorous tune, his veins swollen with the sumac floods of grief, or else his eyes sparkling with that same gleam of joy, according to the Master's Word, "That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

Well, have not you waded out of your depth some of you? I have certainly got out of my own. I feel as if the Master might come on to this platform, look round on many of us, and say, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?" for truly even in the minor sense, though I trust we arc saved, though we have believed in Jesus, yet we have not reached the height of this great text—"That I may know him."

Continued:

Can we know Him without The Incorruptable Seed of the Father being birthed in us and His Spirit being our new creation life creatures? Also being taught by the promised Holy Spirit Comforter, Parakleet and Teacher of the Christ that is now our new Life in Christ, Can we know Him without the the power of This Faith of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Holy Spirit in us?

NO, That is why Paul fought a such great fight, his whole ministry was being conformed to Christs' suffering. He was doing the greater works Jesus spoke of when He said we would do them.

Jhn 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Then He comes back to reveal Himself, that is Christ birthed in Paul and puts the Holy Spirit in Him by His answered prayer to the Father and then Paul was on his way with the Gospel that Christ had given Him, "My Gospel", not taught by any man or written word, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Himself.

This is what knowing Him comes to, that is by Him that is in us we, by His Person born again in us, we can know Him, even-even Jesus Christ Himself The Son of God.

We can only be perfect by the Christ that is in us and the sealing of the Holy Spirit to that effect, "Christ in you the Hope of Glory."

This is the very fulfillment of The Plan of God, planned before the foundation of the world. Eph 1:4-14.

In Christ by His Faith, by His life, by the Father's Seed, and by the Holy Spirits Seal we will by Faith and experience know Him. Praise God.

Colossians 1:25-29 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.

Perfect by The Perfect Seed of the Father in us and us in Him. Now!

Philippians 2:5-13 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

In Him, knowing the length, breadth, depth and height of Who this Christ that is in us has become to each of His Fathers son's that has been birthed by God through the Incorruptable Seed of "OUR FATHER", Jesus Christ the Word Himself.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

In Christ: Phillip

Do You Know Him?
January 31st, 1864
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.

Pt. 4

III. Having taken you so far, let us SIT DOWN A FEW MINUTES AND CONSIDER WHAT SORT OF KNOWLEDGE THIS KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST IS—"That I may know him."

Then it is clear, if I know him I shall have a very vivid sense of his personality. "That I may know him." He will not be to me a myth, a vision, a spirit, bat a person, a real solid person, as much real as I am myself, or as my dearest friend can be to me. My soul, never be satisfied within a shadowy Christ. My heart, be thou never content until he hath embraced thy soul, and proved to thee that he is the lover of his people. This knowledge, then, must be a knowledge of him in his personality. Then, beloved, it must be a personal knowledge on our part. I cannot know Christ through another person's brains. I cannot love him with another man's heart, and I cannot see him with another man's eyes. Heaven's delight is, "Mine eyes shall see him and not another." These eyes shall behold the King in his beauty. Well, beloved, if this be heaven, we certainly cannot do without a personal sight of Christ here. I am so afraid of living in a second-hand religion. God forbid that I should get a biographical experience. Lord save us from having borrowed communion. No, I must know him myself. O God, let me not be deceived in this. I must know him without fancy or proxy; I must know him on mine own account.

Then these few thoughts upon what sort of knowledge we must have. It must be an intelligent knowledge—I must know him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices—I must know his attributes—I must know his works—I must know his shame—I must know his glory; for I do not know him if it be merely a subject of passion and not of intellect. I must let my head consciously meditate upon him until I own something like an idea of him, that I may "Comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

Then I must have an affectionate knowledge of him; and, indeed, if I do know him at all, I must love him. As it is said of some men, that there is such a charm about them, that if you once get into their company you cannot criticise any longer, but must admire; so you feel with Christ. It is said of Garibaldi, that if you are in his society he charms all, so that even malice and slander must be silent in his presence. Infinitely, supremely so is it with Christ. Being near him, his love warms our hearts, till we glow with intense love to him.

Then I shall find, if I know Christ, that this is a satisfying knowledge. When I know Christ my mind will he fill to the brim—I shall feel that I have found that which my spirit panted after. "This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger."

At the same time it is an exciting knowledge; the more I know of Christ, the more I shall want to know. The deeper I plunge the greater the deeps which will be revealed. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the more. My spiritual thirst will increase, though in another sense it will be entirely quenched.

And this knowledge of Christ will be a most happy one, in fact, so happy, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than "Man that is born of a woman who is of few days, and full of trouble;" for it will fling about me the immortality of the ever-living Savior, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal happiness. To be near to Christ, is to be near to the pearly gates of the golden-streeted city. Say not, "Jerusalem, my happy home, my labors have an end in thee;" but say, "Jesus, thou art my rest, and when I have thee, my spirit is at peace." I might thus keep on speaking in praise of this knowledge, but I will not.

Only permit me to say, what a refreshing, what a sanctifying knowledge is this, to know him. When the Laodicean Church was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, how did Christ seek her revival? Did he send her precious doctrines? Did he send her excellent precepts? Mark you, he came himself, for thus it is said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me." That is a cure for it all, you see. No matter how lukewarm, though God may say, "I will spue thee out of my mouth," yet, if Christ comes, that is the cure. The presence of Christ with his Church puts away all her sicknesses. When the disciples of Christ were at sea in a storm, do you recollect how he comforted them? Did he send them an angel? No. "It is I, line not afraid;" and when they knew him, then they had no more fears. They were assembled one night, "the doors being shut for fear of the Jews:" how did he comfort them? Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said, "Peace be unto you." There was Thomas, full of doubts and fears. How did Jesus Christ take away his doubts? "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side." Oh! it is Christ, it is Christ who cures all. The company of Christ is the only thing which a Christian wants. I will undertake that if his heart be like an iceberg, as soon as Jesus comes, it shall flame like Vesuvius. His spirit shall be dead and like a rotten corpse; but if Jesus comes he shall leap like a hart, and become strong as a young unicorn. Thy presence makes me like the chariots of Amminadib. Now, do not think I am talking what I do not know. Do not imagine that I am talking mere fanatical slip-slop which I cannot prove. I do assert (and God who searcheth all hearts, knows how true this is), I do assert that, from the depths of doubt, of dullness, of worldliness, I have leaped in one moment into love, and life, and holy enthusiasm, when Jesus Christ has manifested himself to nine. I cannot describe the difference between my spirit, water-logged, worm-eaten, ready to sink to the bottom without Christ, and that same spirit, like a strong stanch ship, with sails full, with favorable wind, speeding into harbor, with a golden freight. Like you poor little bird which some cruel boy has torn from the nest and almost killed—it is not fledged yet, and cannot fly, and it lies down to die, trampled in the mire in the streets—that is my heart without Christ. But see that other bird! The cage-door is opened, its wings vibrate, it sings within all its might. and flies up to talk with the sun—that is my heart when I have the conscious presence of my Lord Jesus Christ! I only bring in my own consciousness because I do not know yours; but I think I will now venture to say that every believer here will admit it is the same with him—

"'Midst darkest shades if he appear
My dawning is begun;
He is my soul's bright morning star,
And he my rising sun.

Continued:

Do You Know Him?
January 31st, 1864
by
C. H. SPURGEON
(1834-1892)

"That I may know him."—Philippians 3:10.

Pt. 5

IV. I shall close by urging you, dearly beloved, who know the Lord, to take this desire of the apostle, and by exhorting you, make it your own, "That I may know him." I wish I had time this morning—time will fly—I wish I had time to urge and press you, believers, onward to seek to know him. Paul, you see, gave up everything for this—you will be seeking what is worth having. There can be no mistake about this. If Paul will renounce all, there must be a reward which is worthy of the sacrifice. If you have any fears, if you seek Christ and find him, they will be removed. You complain that you do not feel the guilt of sin; that you cannot humble yourself enough. The sight of Christ is the very best means of setting sin in its true colors. There is no repenting like that which comics from a look of Christ's eye: the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and he went out and wept bitterly. So it is not a sight of the law, it is the sight of Christ looking upon us, which will break our hearts.

There is nothing like this to fill you with courage. When Dr. Andrew Reed found some difficulties in the founding of one of his orphan asylums, he sat down and drew upon a little piece of paper the cross, and then he said to himself, "What, despair in the face of the cross?" and then he drew a ring round the cross, and wrote in it nil desperandum! and took it for his coat of arms. Oh, there cannot be any despair in the presence of the cross. Thou dying Lamb, didst thou endure the cross, despising the shame, and shall I talk of difficulties when thy glory is in the way? God forbid! O holy face, bedewed with bloody sweat, I pledge myself in thy solemn and awful presence, that though this face of mine should be bedewed with sweat of the like sort, to accomplish any labor upon which thou shalt put me; by thy will and in thy strength, I will not shrink from the task. A sight of Christ, brethren, will keep you from despondency, and doubts, and despair. A sight of Christ! How shall I stir you to it? It will fire you to duty; it will deliver you from temptation; it will, in fact, make you like him. A man is known by his company; and if you have become acquainted with Christ, and know him, you will be sure to reflect his light. It is because the moon hath converse within the sun, that she hath any light for this dark world's night; and if you talk with Christ, the Sun, he will shine on you so gloriously, that you. like the moon, shall reflect his light, and the dark night of this world shall be enlightened by your radiance. The Lord help us to know him.

But I do seem, this morning, to have been talking to you about him, and not to have brought him forward. O that I knew how to introduce you to him! You who do not love him, O that I could make you seek after him! But you who do love him and have trusted in him, O that I could make you hunger and thirst until you were filled with him! There he is, nailed to his cross, suffering—oh! how much!—for you; there he is, risen, ascended, pleading before the throne of God for you. Here he is: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Here he is, waiting to be comforted with your company, desiring communion with you, panting that his sister, his spouse, would be no longer a stranger to him. Here he is, waiting to be gracious, saying, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Come, Christian, come, let this be thy desire, "That I may know him."

And you who do not know him, and have not loved him, I pray you, breathe this prayer with me, " Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." O sinner, he is a gentle Christ; mine is a loving Savior, and they that seek him early shall find him. May you seek and find him, for his name's sake. Amen.

Yes, Amen.