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9JUNE 2015BODY OF CHRIST NEWS things will count as nothing for our souls profit if we do not truly know trust love and follow Christ. Although it may be hard to believe we can teach preach evangelize and serve in other ways in the church and not know God. Our culture screams at us to acquire more and more stuff while never tell- ing us the true price. To be a hero you must give precedence to that which has real value. Next to God the most important thing is our family. A HERO NEEDS TO KNOW HIS GOD. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. vs. 8 Paul once depended on the things of which he has spoken to give him a place of honor influence and wealth. However he traded them all for the surpassing greatness the superior value of knowing Christ. This does not mean he knows about Christ but he knows him personally. There is a difference between know- ing a person and knowing about a person. We may know a great deal about a person without knowing them. We may know a great deal about Christ yet if we do not know him as our Savior our best Friend all will be vain. To know Christ is to know God and to know God is eternal life. It is not knowledge about him but personally to know him that we need. We must know him as we know a person not as some spiritual entity displaced from the reality of life. The knowledge of Christ begins with learning who He is what He thinks says and does and what He desires for us. It goes on to that personal and intimate acquain- tance that comes from living with Him and for Him and leads us to rejoice in the prospect of being with Him forever. Christ is living within us. We need to let Him control us so thoroughly that we can say with Paul It is no longer I that live but Christ liveth in me Galatians 220. We must let his Spirit fill us until He overrides our spirits. Then we will see the fruit of His Spirit in our lives. Paul knew Jesus as his Lord his Master his King as well as his Savior. For the sake of that relationship Paul has given up the things the assets of his former life. Any assetsmaterial political social or even religiousthat tempted him to depend on them rather than on Christ for the good life he wrote off as liabilities. He has discard- ed them as if they were dung refuse garbage. In the light of eternity they have no value whatever. When Jesus looks at men he does not only see what a man is he also sees what a man can become. He sees not only the actualities in a man he also sees the possibilities. Jesus looked at Peter and saw in him not only a Galilean fisherman but also one who had it in him to become the rock on which his church would be built. Jesus sees us not only as we are but also as we can be and he says Give your life to me and I will make you what you have it in you to be. If you dont look like a hero recognize that Jesus is the one who sees and can release the hidden hero in every man. As we approach Fathers Day ask yourself Do I want to be a hero today HERO ... from page 6