Tag: press on
Healed instantly by Jesus!
Scripture reading for August 9th: Hosea 4-6, Psalm 58, Matthew 17
Matthew 17: 14-18 “And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to Him and kneeling before Him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.”
Matthew told the story of Jesus, Peter, James and John returning from the Mount of Transfiguration. There was a crowd gathered and Jesus was approached humbly by a man whose son was an epileptic and had seizures that sought to destroy him. This man had gone to the other disciples but they were unable to help the child. Jesus rebuked them and the people for their lack of faith and twisted thinking. Even though Jesus had taught His disciples to pray for the sick and believe God for miracles, these men were not believing God to see the needed healing. Jesus simply rebuked the evil spirit behind the sickness and immediate healing was the result. Oh that as followers of Jesus, we walked continuously by faith in God’s Holy Word and the knowledge of God’s compassionate heart to heal and deliver.
Hosea 6:2-3 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; His going out is sure as the dawn; He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
Prayer: Father God, forgive me when I only see life through my own eyes and don’t know You or Your Word as I should. As a follower of Jesus Christ, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and grace to truly heal and deliver those suffering under Satan’s bondage and darkness. Send the rain of Your Spirit to water the earth and bring reward to the righteous and escape from judgment.
Psalm 58:10-11 “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God Who judges on earth.”
Pressing on to the goal!
Scripture reading for February 14th: Exodus 32-34, Philippians 3
Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Inside of each person is a dim knowledge of eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We are all creations of God who had our existence in God before the creation (Ephesians 1:4). When we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and study and receive His Word as truth, we begin to understand and long for our true home and the fullness of salvation. The fullness of salvation will include a glorious body, like Christ’s resurrected body. It will not suffer from the effects of sin or pain or sorrow or sickness or disease. There we will behold God face to face in His glory, not needing the light of the sun or moon or stars. This is the goal of our faith that Paul focuses his mind and attention on. Moses had a taste of that transformation spending time in God’s presence. He refused to leave unless God went with him!
Philippians 3:18-21 “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the down-payment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Thank You for the ongoing work of transformation here on earth that fits us for eternal life with You. But I long for the fullness of life in Your presence, seeing Your face and worshiping You in Your glory in a glorified body! May I reflect Your glory here on earth to those in darkness.
Exodus 34:29-30 “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
Holy Distinction!
Scripture reading for February 13th: Exodus 32-34, Philippians 3
Key Scriptures: Exodus 33:13-16 “”Now therefore, if I have found favor in Your sight, please show me now Your ways, that I may know You in order to find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to Him, “If Your Presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known? Is it not in Your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and Your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?””
As Moses met with God, he pleaded with God to show him His ways in order to have God’s favor and presence. God promised to go with him and give him rest. Moses knew that God’s presence was the best and only thing that would set him and God’s people apart from all others on earth. In His presence was fullness of joy and divine rest!
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for making me distinct by filling me with Your Holy Spirit. Empower me today in my upward journey by showing me Your ways and giving me favor with You and those You want to reach.
Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Straining for the Prize!
Scripture reading for September 4th: Philippians 3, Psalm 27, Proverbs 23
Key Scriptures: Philippians 3:12-16 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
Paul was in the later years of his life and ministry. He had walked with Jesus through many trials and tribulations and seen many miracles and spiritual victories. But he knew that he was not perfect and had not arrived. He kept his focus forward, not backward. He knew that the best was yet to come and to focus on knowing and seeing Jesus when He returned would keep him and those he oversaw moving in the right direction.
Faith Confession: I choose daily to focus on Jesus Christ, placing Him first in all things. I purpose to leave the past behind me and set an example for others by pressing on to know Jesus Christ, Who saved me by His atoning sacrifice.
Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”
I want to Know Christ!
Scripture reading for September 4th: Philippians 3
At this point, Paul had walked with the Lord through many trials and years of ministry. He had written and taught many of the same principles and doctrines over and over to those he served. This did not bother him because he considered it a way to safeguard their faith. (Philippians 3:1) He warned the church to watch out for false teachers who would try to add works of the law to faith. To Paul, the Christian journey was all about knowing Jesus Christ!
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)
Paul had given up trying to keep the law and boasting in his own righteousness. He now pursued Christ Jesus! He was saved by Christ on the Damascus road, but now at the end of his life he knew he must “press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me,” (Philippians 3:12) This attitude marks mature believers in Christ. We must strive to learn and grow to know Christ and become like Him in His death and in His resurrection!