Experience the Power!

The word experience can be defined and used in a variety of ways. For today's purpose, how about this way: Experience the mighty power of Christ.

I grew up in a culture where the charismatic, hand raising, holy rollers “experienced” Christ BUT the the rest of us Christians were much more reserved. We didn’t “feel” and “experience” Christ. Our righteousness was built like a ladder. The higher we climbed, the more righteous we became. The ladder was a set of rules and guidelines. If we followed the rungs of the ladder higher and higher, we would become more righteous in the eyes of God and man. But, don’t get over-excited when you climb that ladder! Don't let the experience take hold and emotions overflow...because emotions are not seen righteous.

Am I the only one that grew up this way or has felt this way at some point during their Christian experience?

Philippians 3: 9-11 “….. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Paul wants to experience mighty power! Two things strike me. One, his righteousness is not about him. Two, he wants to feel, yes experience the very power - that earth changing totally amazing power - that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. What could take more power than raising the dead? Paul wants to know what it must have felt like to be dead and have God awaken his heart with a kiss from his healing lips. To open his eyes from an eternal death to find his face nestled in the very hands of God. Pulling his face closer to His with a smile and hearing Him speak in the softest and at the same time loudest voice, “Wake up and Live”.

I want to experience this! I want to feel what it is like to be awakened by God. I want to experience the emotion, feel the emotion and, maybe even, display the emotion. Yes, I do!

I want to feel my heart beating wildly in my chest. I want to know Christ for the first time, every day. I want what Paul wanted. I want to experience the Power!

~ Tim