Pressing Toward the Goal

Blessed Happy New Year to each one of you and your loved ones! While I'm not one that makes New Year resolutions, I am impressed of the Lord this 1.1.11 with this exhortation from the Apostle Paul. I pray that you would join me in this declaration and ambition - fueled by the Holy Spirit. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"(Philippians 3:10,13b,14).

We are call to know/be one with Christ in both the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings - often we would like to only share in His resurrection power...But, that is not possible. If we are to experience the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit (who raised Him from the dead, and who lives in us!), then we must also share in the sufferings - the cost of discipleship - the cost of what it is to live in this world but not of this world. When you and I stand up for Christ, or lay down (walk in humility, be humiliated, persecuted, chided, picked-on or picked over) THEN we at the same time will experience the power of Christ within.

Power (of Christ) and Suffering (in /of Christ) go together. And the Power is much greater than the sufferings! We don't choose our own sufferings...the Lord chooses them for us and if He chooses them for us (allows them or orchestrates them) then He WILL give us His Power to endure and triumph in them!

So, as this year unfolds, with it's joys and sorrows, successes and failures, challenges and mountain-tops - please join with me in seeking to know Christ in His fullness - in His resurrection power and in His sufferings - that we would be made mature and complete here and in eternity!

"Lord, let it be, let it be - stir our hearts toward You, and the strength in You to stand with You in all things. Thank You Lord."

Blessings of Joy and Love in Christ to each of you and yours!