Press On
"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. 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" (Phil. 3:12-14)
Press on dear saints! This is a command that is sure to bring blessing to ourselves and to others. By definition, a person does not need to press on if they have already arrived to the place they were trying to get to.
Like Paul, none of us has attained to the glory of the resurrection or has been perfected yet. Paul went through a radical change in his identity and in his purpose when he turned to the Lord and became a true disciple of Christ...but he was still a work in progress. The same is true for all of us as we pass through this broken and fallen world. We all must learn to "endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). We are all works in progress that must learn to press on and persevere by looking unto Jesus, who "endured the cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2-3).
And WHY did Jesus press on? Because of "the joy that was set before Him".
The more we know Him the more we will understand the means by which we can press on. Jesus was willing to move forward even when He knew that it would cost Him His life and that His closest friends would abandon Him.
Whether we are struggling, striving, or thriving at this time, we too must press on and endure and learn to move forward against all obstacles or weights or sins that can so easily entangle us. We must look to Jesus and long for Jesus and run toward Jesus...until we find ourselves standing before Jesus.
He is the treasure in the earthen vessels who gives us the power to do what we are not capable of doing ourselves. He is the ultimate joy and we want to store up our treasure in heaven as we press on and help others to do the same in the body of Christ.
In order to PRESS ON, we must learn to do the following:
P - Purpose in our hearts to do God's will.
R - Resolve to fully rely on Christ's power.
E - Endure to the finish line no matter how hard it gets.
S - Submit to Gods will instead of our own selfish desires.
S - Spend time drawing near to the presence of God to receive His grace.
O - Obey the next command that God gives.
N - Never give up or lose heart. Never!
Keep going dear saints! Keep knowing and growing in Christ! God has given us another year to walk in His ways and to show Christ to the world as we learn to trust and follow Him from one moment to the next.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24-25).
Press on dear saints! This is a command that is sure to bring blessing to ourselves and to others. By definition, a person does not need to press on if they have already arrived to the place they were trying to get to.
Like Paul, none of us has attained to the glory of the resurrection or has been perfected yet. Paul went through a radical change in his identity and in his purpose when he turned to the Lord and became a true disciple of Christ...but he was still a work in progress. The same is true for all of us as we pass through this broken and fallen world. We all must learn to "endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). We are all works in progress that must learn to press on and persevere by looking unto Jesus, who "endured the cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2-3).
And WHY did Jesus press on? Because of "the joy that was set before Him".
The more we know Him the more we will understand the means by which we can press on. Jesus was willing to move forward even when He knew that it would cost Him His life and that His closest friends would abandon Him.
Whether we are struggling, striving, or thriving at this time, we too must press on and endure and learn to move forward against all obstacles or weights or sins that can so easily entangle us. We must look to Jesus and long for Jesus and run toward Jesus...until we find ourselves standing before Jesus.
He is the treasure in the earthen vessels who gives us the power to do what we are not capable of doing ourselves. He is the ultimate joy and we want to store up our treasure in heaven as we press on and help others to do the same in the body of Christ.
In order to PRESS ON, we must learn to do the following:
P - Purpose in our hearts to do God's will.
R - Resolve to fully rely on Christ's power.
E - Endure to the finish line no matter how hard it gets.
S - Submit to Gods will instead of our own selfish desires.
S - Spend time drawing near to the presence of God to receive His grace.
O - Obey the next command that God gives.
N - Never give up or lose heart. Never!
Keep going dear saints! Keep knowing and growing in Christ! God has given us another year to walk in His ways and to show Christ to the world as we learn to trust and follow Him from one moment to the next.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24-25).
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