Philippians 3: 10-11 Part 4
Note: For the Summer we are reprinting some devotions that ran back when we were getting this site up and running. Hopefully this is new content to you, and we will get back into writing fresh devotions as our schedule allows.
10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Make sure you take the time to read parts 1-3 in the sidebar on the right. The word Christ is a greek word that is the same as the Hebrew word Messiah. The word Messiah literally means "The Anointed One". The word anoint means to pour, or to smear on. In the old testament (the first part of the Bible), when someone would become a leader, or a king, they would be "anointed" with oil as a symbol of their new power. The Bible says that we've been given a new power too.
The Bible says that the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is at work in us. That same anointing that Jesus had, which allowed Him to perform miracles, heal the sick and raise the dead is the same anointing that God has placed on us. When we come to know Christ, that anointing that was poured on Him will rub off on us. That's what Paul means when he says he wants to know the power of God. I know that's what I want. I want to see God use me to perform miracles. How cool is that, right?
The last part of this verse talks about the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. God wants us to walk in the power of God, but if you remember back to our study of Phil 2: 9-11 the reason that Jesus was exalted was because he humbled Himself. When you go out of your way to reach out to someone, it's not because you're trying to be the bigger person. When you humble yourself to serve someone else, don't think of it as being humiliating. Because when you do those things, God honors that and gives you more of His anointing. If Jesus was the ultimate servant, and we want to be closer to Him, we need to be willing to serve.
-Jeff-
The Parables of Jesus: Matthew 9:16-17
16"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
God has created us with a purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 talks about the plans that God has for us. But what happens when we let that purpose slip away? How do we get back to the things God has called us to do? In this passage, we are the wineskin and the wine is the anointing of God. If we allow God to re-create us, to turn us into something different, then He will pour out His power on us. But if we refuse to do things God's way, He will find another wineskin to fill.
-Jeff-
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