Phi 3:10: That I may known Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowships of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death. Here we see that Paul longed to experience three things in his life.

1. TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST: Many times we think that once we accept JESUS CHRIST as our personal Saviour we know everything of JESUS CHRIST. But this is not really true. St Paul met JESUS CHRIST face to face on the way to Damascus. But several years after this incidence, Paul writes to Philippians that he longed to know JESUS CHRIST. Every true child of God has this inner longing to know JESUS CHRIST in all His fullness. There was a great man of God by name John G Lake who shook South Africa with the power of God in the early 19th Century. When the ministry of healing was opened to him, he ministered for ten years in the power of God. Hundreds and hundreds of people where healed by the power of God. During this ten years, he could feel the constant flow of the Holy Spirit through his Soul and his hands. But at the end of ten years he was hungriest man for God that ever lived. There was such a hunger for God that as he walked down the street, his soul would break-out and he would cry, “Oh God” and people would stop and look at him and wonder. It was the yearning passion of his soul, asking for God in a greater measure than he knew. But after this incident, the Glory of God was manifested in a new way. Healing were of a more powerful order. God lived in him; God manifested in him and God spoke through him. We read in Job 23:3 that Job also longed to see God and know him. Paul says in Phil 3:8, that he counted all things as loss in order to know JESUS CHRIST. Dearly beloved let us also have this same longing to know JESUS CHRIST more and more. When this knowledge of JESUS CHRIST increases in us, we become unshakeable in faith and nothing can destroy us.

2. TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION: Secondly, St. Paul longed to experience the power of JESUS’S resurrection. We read in Eph 1:19 that when God raised JESUS CHRIST from the dead, there was a mighty manifestation of God’s Power. Perhaps St.Paul wanted to experience this mighty power in his life. We read in Romans 8:11 that even when while we live on this earth we can hear a foretaste of this might and resurrection power in our lives which will quicken our mortal bodies. Often people questioned Sister Katharine Khulman as to how she ministered for several hours and yet feel so fresh without a trace of tiredness. She would say that since she ministered under the anointing of Holy Spirit, the resurrection power, He would quicken her mortal body and she would not feel tired. Yes what a great secret it is! Even as we walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, God’s resurrection power will be manifest in our bodies in a wonderful way and we can be of service to the Lord in an excellent manner. May God make us to experience the resurrection power of JESUS CHRIST even while we live. Nevertheless, I am sure that St. Paul must have also longed to experience the real resurrection that takes place after his death. This is the hope of every blood washed child of God. Yes our lives or not going to end with death. When the Lord JESUS CHRIST appears in the mid heaven the dead in Christ will arise from the graves to live with the Lord Jesus Christ forever and forever. What a glorious day it is going to be. Dear child of God, Perhaps you had lost some loved one in death. Take heart this day, they are going to arise from dead and we will meet them all when Jesus Comes.
   
   
3. TO KNOW THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS: Finally St.Paul wanted to take part in the sufferings of JESUS CHRIST. We read in Acts14:23that the Apostles exhorted the early church that through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God. II Tim 2:12 says that if we suffer with Jesus, we will also reign with Jesus. King David says in Ps 119:71 that sufferings enable us to learn the commandments of God. In the same chapter 67th verse the Psalmist says that affection and sufferings will keep us backsliding. Hence we must praise God for sufferings. Sufferings bring holiness and humility in our hearts. The Bible says in Heb 5:8 that my precious Lord JESUS CHRIST, learned obedience through sufferings. Hence when sufferings come we should not get discouraged. We should cling on to JESUS who suffered for us. He will have pity on us and deliver us at the right time. We have heard the sufferings of Job that God is faithful and of tender mercies. He will have mercy on us and make us His obedient children. This was the same reason why St.Paul often took pride in his infirmities in order that the power of God may rest upon him. We know that our beloved brother D.G.S Dhinakaran and his family have gone through much sufferings and that’s why every word that he speaks is full of grace. The Lord will also give us grace if we will partake of the sufferings of Christ.
   
   

Amen.