Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
My dear brethren,
When you read the epistles of the apostle Paul, our inheritance today kept in the books of the New Testament, do you read and feel his zeal, passion and earnestness? The apostle Paul was consumed by Christ, and he was also consumed by a desire that his fellow believers became as he was. Note the expressions of his desire in the verses above. Note the use of phrases and words like, “attain,” “press on,” lay hold of,” “apprehend.” The blessed Holy Spirit, through paul, gives a fierce, passionate exhortation to each child of God to attain Him, to wrap himself or herself in Him, to eat, drink and breathe Him morning, noon and night.
The passion to be consumed by our LORD is an inheritance we find today. I have it, it belongs to me and it is impossible for this inheritance to be taken away from me. However, I do not want this divine inheritance, the pursuit of the full attaining of Christ Himself, to be all mine and mine alone. For me to keep this most sublime passion and desire to myself would be most offensive to our gracious LORD and most harmful for you. This is the reason why I am writing to you today.
Go back to the verses that open this letter and search them, read between and behind the lines. Feel the apostle’s consuming desire to convey to his brethren what it is to pursue, to seek, to chase Christ down and lay a hold of Him. See the apostle as he runs and stretches his body forward, see how he outstretches his arms, opens his hands and spreads his fingers in order to grab a hold of the sweetest, the most divine, the most perfect and satisfying thing for which, ultimately, there can be no mere human expression in any language.
My dear brethren, the Bible is absolutely true, what the apostle writes is absolutely true, and I can testify to it, for I am a possessor of this same hunger, passion and desire the apostle writes so much about. Know this, my dear readers, that the pursuit of Christ Jesus makes you transcend, makes you live in His light, makes you feel His power and His presence, makes your entire existence fall right into place, gives you all the answers, gives you the true hope, assurance and purpose.
Oh, that each and every one of my brothers and sisters in the entire world would have the life with the Father, His Christ and the beautiful Holy Spirit that I have. This, I now reveal, is my spirit’s greatest and strongest desire. I tell this to my LORD every single day, morning and evening. I do not care if it is the same petition day in and day out, I can not help but bring this greatest desire before the throne of glory all the time. It is my great burden, and I know my LORD is not wearied, for this burden comes from the Holy Spirit Himself.
My dear brethren, this is an urgent communication to all of you, wherever you are. You must all follow paul’s example in running and stretching to attain Christ, to lay a firm hold of Him. As someone to whom this awesome privilege has been given, I guarantee you that this is a most sublime existence. Pray every day. Pray, pray, pray. Do it morning, noon and night. Start by thanking our glorious LORD for His Son Jesus Christ, who is our mediator and intercessor before the throne of grace. Praise our LORD with a true heart. Praise will take you to places and levels you never imagined. Tell everything to the LORD, the good, the bad and the ugly, just leave it all at His feet and ask Him for guidance and the grace to follow His will. Trust Him, let yourself fall into His arms for His provision and protection.
Do not just read your Bible. Dive into it, go behind the lines, eat it and chew on it until you get to the fullness of the words, the glory of God itself. The Bible has so much, so much to say and convey, you will never exhaust its riches.
Wrestle your God as Jacob did. Grab a hold of Him and ask Him for your blessings, and never let Him go. Ever. Dare to be like the importune widow who kept coming back to that unjust judge for redress. Do not be shy, do not just knock on the LORD‘s door, bang on it, and if the Spirit leads you as He leads me at times, kick the door as well. Insist on being in His presence to worship, to praise, to petition, to intercede. Oh, insist, my beloved brethren, and you will get to see His throne and see His smile upon you.
The Lord Jesus said:
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Mind you, this walk you can have with our LORD today, on this Earth, is but a glimpse, a shadow, of the life that awaits us in eternity.
Oh, my dear brethren, please, please understand that the awesome LORD of the universe, Creator of heaven and Earth, is not some ho-hum God, or some little Jesus who is a nice man who taught people how to be nice to one another. So many Christians today have so little of the infinite God. So few lay hold of Him as Jacob did, insist on being in His presence as the importune widow did, or pursue Him as Paul did. Life with Jesus is anything but bland and sedate. it is fierce, it is fiery, it is passionate, it is intimate and very intense. The pursuit of Christ and the things of God is urgent. My beloved brethren, seek the fire of the Holy Spirit today.
Earnestly and urgently,
Zoraida
Zoraida: Someone once wrote: “Evangelism is nothing more or less than one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread.” Your entreaty to me in this post to lay hold of our God is just what the great Spiritual physician ordered today. Thank you for allowing the LORD to use you to encourage and inspire me again. God bless you richly my sister!
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