This weeks message is dedicated to the memory of Robert Moralis Who went to be with the Lord On Saturday. Let us all pray for his family and friends. May the peace of God keep them through this time. And May they know that he is with the Lord even now.

PASSION TO KNOW HIM

Scripture: (Philippians 3:10-14)

“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. 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. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

            Let’s pray!

Heavenly Father I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for me, all that you are doing for me and all that you have in store for me. Forgive me for my failures and shortcomings and you Lord Jesus please come into my life and be my strength. I ask that you anoint your word today that I might see you more clearly in my life and show you more sincerely to those around me. Bless this time in your word; Amen.

            Ok; first of all lets look at the apostle Paul. He wrote this letter to the Philippians about 30 years after his conversion. Wait,,, Did you know that there were acrobats in the Bible? Yes check it out, Phlip-pians. Get it flip ians… Nevermind J

            Paul knew that he could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He tells us that we can “know him.” In these verses that follow he gives us a formula of not only getting to know Christ but he teaches us how to keep alive that intimate passionate relationship with him. I believe the key is found in the first line of verse 10. “That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection.

            Before I go any further with this I have to give credit where credit is due. The inspiration for this message came from a tape I found while putting up my girls bunk beds this week. It was a message by Pastor Mike from the Church of the Nations in Athens Ga. It is that Church that first gave me a model of cell ministry and how the care groups can become the catalyst for growth. With that aside let’s get into the truth of the “power of his resurrection.” In order for something to be resurrected there first has to be some form of death or decline. I want to get right to the point of things today. We all have some hopeless situations in our lives. There are some areas of our lives that we look at and think that there is nothing that anybody can do to change the situation. Well when you get to really know Jesus you soon find out that there are no hopeless situations for him.

            Looking back in the Old Testament we can find many pictures of the working resurrection power of God. If you have a Bible handy look in 2 Kings in the 4^th Chapter. There you will find the account of the resurrection power of God working through Elisha. A woman from this certain city would feed Elisha whenever he passed through her town. Knowing that he was a Man of God she wanted to do something special for him. So She build a little room for him. There he could stay and rest whenever he came through her town. Elisha was so moved by this woman’s act of kindness that he asked his servant to find out what he could do for her. Gehazi, (that was the servant’s name) discovered that the woman wanted more than anything else to have a child. With that knowledge Elisha prayed and told her that by the time he returned to her city the following year she would be holding her child. In the hopelessness that this woman had for baring children god brought hope. Within a years time when Elisha returned she had a baby boy. That is not the end of it. As the years went by the boy grew up and one day while he was helping his father in the fields he yelled “My head, My head” and died. The woman placed her son in Elisha’s bed and rode as fast as she could to get the Man of God. Finding him and telling Gehazi what had happened to her son. Elisha told his servant to run as fast as he could to the boy and place his staff on the child. Elisha ran behind him only to find the boy dead upon his bed. It was at that point that Elisha stretched himself upon the young man and prayed unto the Lord. Elisha stretched himself over that dead body and called upon the resurrection power of God to come into that situation. A second time he stretched himself upon the child and the boy’s flesh became warm. Then he sneezed seven times and he opened his eyes.

            It is that same resurrection power that is available to us right now in all of our situations. Nothing is too small or too hopeless that God can not restore. It is when we stretch ourselves by faith and believe that the God that raised Jesus from the dead is in control of our situation today. Sometimes we have to come to the end of ourselves before we get to the beginning of God’s power. Stop right now and let God’s resurrection power move over the things in your life that seem impossible. Let God prove himself strong in your life. Trust in him with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding.

            I have to agree with my wife when she told me this week that she was so tired of sterile religion. It is not the things that we do that develop the relationship with Jesus it is our hearts. It is not the program or the method it is the intimate relationship that matters. Do you want to grow closer to God today? Do you want to have that deep passionate relationship with Jesus? It is going to take you stretching yourself out in faith, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that the resurrection power of God is working in your life even right now. Look back at our scripture verse for today. Towards the end of the passage Paul tells us “this one thing.” Lets put the past behind us and press forward. It is time to stretch ourselves out in faith and know him who died for us. That we might have his resurrection power working in the impossible situations in our live. For with God nothing is impossible.

            Lets pray believing today that God who began a good work within us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. For God himself will supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

            Dear Lord God, -- Help! You know the situations in my life that seem hopeless to me. Right now Lord I am stretching myself over theses hopeless situations and speaking life into them. You Jesus, you are the way the truth and the life. I am stretching myself over the finality of the situation and believing you Father God to bring hope where there is no hope, life where there is on life, strength in weakness, and joy in sorrow. I surrender all. And Father as I see the buds of spring begin to bloom upon this dead branch of life I will give you all the praise and honor and glory for only you can make the difference now. With that I place my entire life in your loving hands knowing that all things work together for the good to those who love you. Use me I pray this week to shine forth the light of your love in Jesus name. In the power and authority that is in Jesus I thank you Lord God for Your resurrection power working in my life.

                                                Amen. And Amen……..

                        Write me:

                                                Pastor Bob Richardson

                                        700 N. Garden Ave.

                                        Clearwater. Fl. 33755

                                                E-mail: Revboo@aol.com