"Crock-Pot" Experiences "And let us consider one another so as to incite one another to love and good works, not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24, 25 June 23, 2010 At the prayer meeting last night we read Eph. 3:14-21. We then had some fellowship and prayer regarding these verses, especially focusing on the following verses: Eph. 3:16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, 20 But to Him who is able to do superabundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power which operates in us, 21 To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever. Amen. These verses don't match my concept of what I think of as being "strengthened with power". I think of power as being something miraculous, such as the Spirit's falling upon me with a "Samson" type of power, or like the angel Gabriel telling Mary that the "Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you". When I think of power, I also think that I need to come to the Lord in a prevailing way, and then He'd be able to use me in some capacity. In my coming to the Lord however, I certainly don't feel prevailing or powerful, or strong. When I come to Him, I come very much needing His blood. So as I thought about the verses in Eph. the Lord reminded me of the woman in Luke 8: 42-46, where, in the midst of the crowds pressing against the Lord, a woman with an issue of blood came to Him, approached Him from behind, and touched the fringe of His garment. Here were the crowds pressing and crushing Him, yet this woman touched Him and the Lord knew it! His response was, "Someone touched Me, for I perceived that power had gone out from Me". This was a real speaking to me! This woman didn't come in a victorious or strong way, she approached Him from behind, and she only touched the fringe of His garment! What the Lord cares about is our coming to Him! When we come to Him, however that may be, it is then that we are strengthened with power! This is the power that Paul is speaking about, not the miraculous power! This power is so that Christ can make His home in my heart through faith. The issue of that is that I would be rooted and grounded in love so that I can be full of strength to apprehend Him, in all His dimensions, with the saints. It is with the saints that I come to know His knowledge surpassing love and together, we are filled unto all the fullness of God! It is through this power operating in us that God will get the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever! What a high and glorious view! It all begins with that first touch and it continues throughout our lives by our continual touching Him and our being with the saints! To Him be the glory! J.G.