2026
2026
To Know Him
As we cross into 2026, what’s in store, is a subtle thought most of us have. We’re grateful for the faithfulness of the Lord bringing us through 2025. He is faithful! He remains faithful and will not change! PTL!
Praying into this New Year I felt the Lord impress on my heart, for me, “To Know Him, To Know More of Him and To Make Him Known”. As we go through these next 12 months, when we conclude them, my prayer is to know Him better, greater than I”ve ever known Him; also to know more of Him and make Him known.
Php 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
Php 3:11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
The word “know” is ginsoko which means “to allow, be aware, perceive and understand”. It includes head knowledge, but goes beyond simply intellectual knowledge.
Note Paul says there are 3 facets or aspects specifically he wanted to “know Him”; 1st to know Him in the power of His resurrection, the miraculous wonder of His resurrection. Conquering death, hell and the grave were all defeated in His resurrection from the dead. Muhammad, Buddha, no one but Jesus has been resurrected in His power.
2nd he wanted to know Him in the “fellowship of His sufferings”. Fellowship is the Greek word koinonia, which means the partnership, the benefaction of His sufferings. If we suffer for and with Him, we will reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12). Another interesting insight to “fellowship of His suffering” is the “pecuniary benefaction” of His suffering. Pecuniary Benefaction is used in financial terms, which applied to our verse, Paul’ s appeal/prayer is to have a revelation of the benefits of His suffering for us to “meet our needs according to His riches in glory” (Phil. 4:19).
3rd, to know Him through conformity to His death, i.e. to be assimilated to His death. What does it mean to “conformed to His death”? Part of what Paul is soliciting is to be aligned with the same purpose in fulfilling the Father’s design and destiny for his life. Literally to be a “dead man walking”. Dead men are only looking one direction, aren’t looking over their shoulder and aren’t making any plans. They’re resolute to complete the course that is set before them.
(Going Higher – Kindle – you can get it free and will take you through the entire bible this year, still time to catch up).
To Know More OF Him
A prayer for myself and those who will join in this pilgrimage In knowing Him.
Php 3:10, 11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (vs. 11) if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I desire to know Him, the longing in our heart also is to “To Know More OF Him”.
When the impression came to “know more OF Him”, the word “of” stood out. It was like I saw it in bold letters, 2 simple letters OF. In contemplating that it isn’t merely head knowledge of God. Many, more brillant than myself know much more about Him than I ever could.
However to “Know OF Him” suggests something deeper, personal, intimate if you will.
That word “of” was emphasized and it dawned on me that I can “know about God” and yet not have God. But if I “know more of God” that includes having Him with me whatever may come.
If I take “from” someone, I don’t get them as well. But when I take “of” someone I get them as well.
The word “know” in the Old Testament is often used in referring to the result of intimacy between a man and a woman resulting in the birth of a child.
Gen. 4:1 “Now Adam knew his wife and she conceived and bore Cain”. The word “knew” in Hebrew is Yada. It isn’t head knowledge, it’s an intimacy resulting in life, productivity.
Seven + decades of life, there’s a hunger to know him in a manner that results in a more productive life. I desire for my life to be “life giving”, not just taking or receiving as comfortable and wonderful as that is.
Father, I ask You help me know more of You, not just about You! Help me to cultivate that intimacy with You so that I feel what You feel, enjoy what You enjoy, embrace what hurts Your heart.
To Make Him Known
There’s a song with lyrics that goes something like “to know, know, know you is to love, love, love you”. It wasn’t likely that it was the Lord Bobby Vinton was thinking of when that song was recorded.
Those lyrics are accurate when it comes to knowing the Lord, results in loving the Lord and more!
How is love expressed? Part of the answer to that query is doing what pleases and is next to the heart of the One we are knowing and loving.
With the Lord, what or who would that be? I believe it’s PEOPLE. People, the apex of His creation.
Not just people who follow Him, heed His counsel. But those who have yet to come to faith. He cares about those have yet to respond to His grace.
Matthew and Mark’s Gospel close their narratives with what is referred to as the Great Commission, “Go….make disciples of all the nations (people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19,20
Mark (16:15ff) renders that Commission “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Viewing the landscape of the Body of Christ there seems to be a reduction in evangelism. When I speak of evangelism, I’m not speaking about crusades, outreaches or special meetings necessarily. Those have their place and function, without a doubt.
However, what about our normal daily life, sharing the good news of the Gospel as we walk through life. An essential for lifestyle evangelism is sharing your personal testimony. Everyone’s different, unique; yet nonetheless understanding that we all were apart, lost, away, in sin against God. But He made Himself real to us, most likely through someone we were in relationship with, a parent, teacher, friend, possibly a minister.
Most salvation happens in the context of relationships. Who are we in relationship with that needs to have Jesus become their Lord and Savior? Possibly a family member, friend, work associate, neighbor or even a stranger that crosses our path.
It’s vital we talk to God about them before we talk to them about God.
Who can we Make Him Known to this year, this month, this week?
Let us “go”! Let us speak!
Let us come to Know Him, to Know More OF Him and to Make Him Known in 2026.