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Tuesday, June 17,
2008
A
Pressing Matter
Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which
are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. (15) Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be
thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you. (KJV)
Strong’s definition for ‘press’:
1377 dioko (dee-o'-ko); a prolonged (and
causative) form of a primary verb dio (to flee; compare the base of 1169
and 1249); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication, to
persecute:
KJV-- ensue, follow (after),
given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward.
Williams New Testament
translation Philippians 3:13-15
13. Brothers, I do not think
that I have captured it yet, but here is my one aspiration, so forgetting
what is behind me and reaching out for what is ahead of me, 14. I am
pressing onward toward the goal, to win the prize to which God through
Jesus Christ is calling us upward. 15. So let us all who are mature have
this attitude. If you have a
different attitude, God will make it clear to you.
When pressing or moving
forward in your walk with the Lord, sometimes or some situations you will
find it a struggle, at times overwhelming to the mind. Like with a long
distance runner, at times it seems like their body just can’t take anymore
but they know they have to continue moving forward if they wish to attain
their goal at the finish line. You will find your walk at times with the
Lord similar in the aspect that the Lord is asking you to move forward,
whether a job situation, a different fellowship, or He is asking you to
answer your own calling in an area He sees as your place in the body even
though you may see different. Remember, the Spirit is willing it’s our
flesh and our carnal thinking that is weak and limited; so for a season
whatever the new area is that the Lord is moving you into it may take a
while for your understanding to catch up with the Lord. What’s that saying,
“no pain no gain”, well at times change seems painful, grievous; never the
less afterward you will see the peaceable fruit of the Spirit manifest as
long as you persevere. In order to continue moving forward in your walk
with the Lord you will find that some of the old ways and old thoughts that
you got by with in the past are no longer effective anymore and thus the
need for change is in order to mature. So like we see Paul explaining, he
was forgetting things which were behind him, old thoughts and ways that
were no longer beneficial to his spiritual growth, and reaching forth or
looking forward to find his new life in Christ. The point is, just because
you have entered a place in your walk where it may seem to be a struggle
for the time being, know that as you persevere and continue seeking the
things of God you will adapt to what the Lord is asking or where He is
asking you to operate and it will yield peaceable fruit.
Luke 3:4-6 As it is written
in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight. (5) Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill
shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
ways shall be made smooth; (6) And all flesh shall see the salvation of
God. (KJV)
Ever hear the term “making a
mountain out of a molehill”? Well those that endure and continue in their walk
with the Lord are able to see the mountain turn into a molehill. Things
that you thought in the past were impossible are now possible with Christ;
and areas in your life that seemed so rough are now smooth and easy to walk
in. Now that the valleys are filled in and that thing in your life that
seemed like such a mountain is brought low the path is much steadier and
your life is not such a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and lows
anymore. Just like with a runner, the more they exercise and keep the body
fit and built up the more they are able to endure the race that is before
them as well as remain healthy. Spiritually these same principles work, by
keeping your body in subjection to the Spirit you are able to endure this
day the path the Lord has for you and make it to the finish line the way He
intended you to. Yes there will be opposition and persecution along this
path of life, and there may be times you get knocked down, but it’s not how
many times you get knocked down that matters it is how many times you get
back up and continue forward, that is what counts.
Matthew 17:18-21 And Jesus
rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from
that very hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why
could not we cast him out? (20) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard
seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (21) Howbeit this
kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (KJV)
A mountain can be anything
that is in your path that appears to be a huge obstacle and hard to get
past. Sometimes what seems simple to one person can be a huge distraction
to another; while others struggle in things and are unable to move forward
because they are still holding onto beliefs from their past. Whatever the
situation is, it is important to pray one for another that they may be
healed and find the comfort and deliverance through Christ. You will find
your answer in prayer, continuing to communicate with the Father on a daily
basis, seeking your answer in His word. Many fail to stay in communication
with the Lord; rather they wait till a crisis arises before they seek His
answer, a crisis that could have been avoided had the lines of
communication stayed open. While fasting can refer to going without food it
also refers to abstaining from anything that is feeding an area of our
flesh that needs to be subdued and put into subjection. So rather than
starve the flesh one spends more time feeding the flesh and its desires, then
wonders why doubt and fear have crept in and kept them from achieving their
goal. The more one feeds the Spirit the more they will see spiritual
results that cannot and will not happen according to the carnal way of
thinking and its dead ways. For you to grow and mature in the Lord you will
be constantly going through changes in your life as you continue to step
into the new realm the Lord has for you. Now the question is, ‘will you let
go of the old childish things in order to press forward in your walk’?
1 Corinthians 13:10-11 But
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things. (KJV)
When you are able to see and
come to a perfect (mature) understanding of what the Lord is asking and
requiring of you in order to move forward in your walk with Him, then that
which is in part or any obstacle that has been impeding your sight is done
away. Many people fail and fall short of the glory of God because they put
their hand to the plow but keep looking back to find peace rather than
pressing forward and maturing in the things of the Lord. So today, even
though something may seem like a huge obstacle or mountainous in size, by
pressing forward in your walk and persevering in the Lord you will find
that you can do all things through Christ who is strengthening you. Those
that have and continue to walk the path of life and grow up into the Lord
find that many things that at one time were a distraction and an obstacle
were nothing more than a mirage, an optical illusion of the devil. Just
like watching old monster movies when I was a child I used to be frightened
by the illusions of these movies, but as I grew up and matured I was able
to see the cheap silly special effects of imaginary events and beings. God
bless and press on.
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