NBC Chennai 2017

To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, Philippians 3:10

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Note on "know" from the Recovery Version: Paul lived in a condition of having not his own righteousness but the righteousness that is out of God, in order to know (to experience) Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. In v. 8 to have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ is by revelation. But to know Him here is by experience — to have the experiential knowledge of Him, to experience Him in the full knowledge of Him. Paul first received the revelation of Christ, then sought the experience of Christ — to know and enjoy Christ in an experiential way.

It was on my journey in the train from Delhi to Chennai last week when this verse touched me so much. I pray-read over and over again this verse, and prayed that the Lord would grace me to know Him in a very subjective way. My deep burden was to know the Lord as I ought to, and as God would desire me to know Him. And my prayer and burden in attending the National Blending Conference in Chennai with my whole family was the same too, to know Christ and experience Him thus.

Amazingly the subject of the blending was "Know Life and the Church." It was a perfect plan for me to pray to know Christ, and the Lord answered it in the conference with many brothers, who in one accord, ministered the word on this subject. The Lord's speaking was very timely and spirit-filled as the whole Body had been praying for this blending. The churches in India have been blessed and graced by the Lord to come to a stature that manifests the growth in life and building up among the saints and the churches. This is amazing! 

The coordination in the Body was so marvelous, with all service team carrying out their responsibilities faithfully; from transportation to accommodation to meeting to ministry of the word to different kinds of meetings to food, all were wonderfully coordinated. Herein is a testimony of the Lord's blessing in India. I have been through all the national level blendings in India so far, this blending has manifested much maturity. Praise the Lord!

Personally, the Lord also answered my prayer and deep desire, to know Him by knowing life and the church, not doctrine alone but also in experience and in reality. Praise the Lord!

When India had her first national blending, that too in Chennai, I was a trainee then in 2004. For many new ones it was a crucial turning point in their Christian lives; coming into the church-life. Thirteen years after, many of us, those "new ones" then are now functioning in many crucial services in the Lord's move in His recovery today. Looking back, it was purely and truly the Lord's mercy who have been leading us and shepherding us thus far. Majority of the "new ones" I knew then are now maturing and functioning today. Praise the Lord for his mercy!

Lord, continue to bless Your testimony and Your move in India! Bring all of us to know Christ as life and the church as our living! India for Christ and the Church!