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Acts

The Word Of The Hour Is: Press On My Friends, Press On

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I send a word of encouragement and power to our everyday readers and new visitors today: Press on!

Press on when others are telling you just to “hang on”. It is easy to just grab your seat on the ride of life and just coast, but God wants you to propel into forward motion! Coasting eventually comes to a halt when you reach the hills, right? When it becomes tough around you is when God is looking for you to be propelled by His presence!

Press on when others would discourage you. One of the greatest blessings that I have personally experienced in my entire life was when I could not have felt more alone. In the poor state that I was in I had no vision of holding on, let alone pressing forward. I was just trying to “exist”. However, the sweetest move of the spirit of God came for me and let me know just how real the word that we read about the promise of the comforter is. Now? Whether I am discouraged, rejected, or even to the magnitude of persecuted I NEVER have to fall that low ever again. I can stand confident in the comfort in the spirit of God!

Press on in your obedience. If I could emphasize one act more than the rest, I would say that this emphasis needs to be on prayer. We simply are not praying enough (none of us). There might be a few of you out there that are on the Daniel plan (3 times a day), and I commend you for it! But I hope that we know that it is not so much in the number as much as it is what you pour out and dedicate during the times that you do. Remember this: 5 minutes of heartfelt humble surrender to God goes so much further than 2 hours of requests for “stuff”.

Most of all, press on for the mark. There is a place that God wants us to aim for. It is a place that in more depths of study reveals the perfect love of God within us. It shows the like-mindedness of Christ within our thoughts. It shows through our acts the charity that came out on its own that no one had to beg out of you. It’s a mark that once someone strives for that others begin to be drawn by. In other words, press on to put down our doubts and fears that lead us not to believe in the living spirit of God within us! Live and let live the word of God within you!

Knowing The Things We Cannot Do Without

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1 Corinthians 12:3

[3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

We cannot have religion without the Holy Ghost. The spirit will bear witness to your belief, and essentially (to put it simply), “you’ll know that you know”.

Acts 5:29

[29] Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

We cannot handle secular matters without God. Peter’s words should remind us that we must learn to not handle our worldly business solely on our own. Secular things only will (first of all) happen and (finally) bless us as we seek and incorporate God!

1 Thessalonians 5:3

[3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

We must not preach Heaven without hell. We can preach being saved and inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. Praise the Lord for that! However, we must also present the fact that there is a hell and destruction. People cannot be deceived from the lack of truth.

Colossians 3:17

[17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We must not live a life of Christianity without Christ. There is so much of what appears to take on the appearance and sound of church, but without Christ it will have no substance or power to draw us or others in need.

John 3:3

[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We must not attempt to live and have salvation without regeneration. Without the belief, commitment and experience that the spirit of God bears witness to, we are attempting a form of salvation. Without the renewing power of Christ, our sins still hold bondage.

Matthew 10:38

[38] And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

We must learn that we cannot have crowns of life without crosses. When we do not partake in the belief of Jesus sufferings and try to execute a life of Christianity, please do not expect to reap the rewards of the blessing without the foundation being established in your life!

Isaiah 55:7

[7] Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

We cannot have forgiveness without repentance! If we continually come short and lack in the act and ability to repent, we tend to pile up all of this without knowing it and ultimately falling (spiritually).

Luke 22:15-22

[15] And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
[16] For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
[17] And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
[18] For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
[19] And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
[20] Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
[21] But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
[22] And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

The cup of wine (or as it was known then according to the Torah as the cup of salvation) was produced at the cost of the grape (Jesus Christ). The grape loses its individuality as it is pressed out and the fruit of the wine is ready for use (the sacrifice for sin). Partaking shows our participation in it. In the bible wine represented joy, gladness, or the joy of the Kingdom.

Patience, Patience, Patience

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One of the toughest pieces that we have to learn about our character and our witness to this world as a Christian is our patience. It is the most single tested value within your core, and without it, we won’t last long before we want to give up and throw in the towel on everything we stand for.

A thought that came in my mind when I was praying to God about working a greater patience in me was that proven faith shows demonstrated patience, which brings wisdom from the experience, and hope from knowing you made it through all of it.

To try and bring this point of view out little by little, I have various scriptures that I want to tie all together. I hope these bring out a point of view that helps you like it did me. Please, by all means, comment and give input! It is all welcome!

For starters, patience is defined as the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

With that said, wow. I have found myself more often then not being weak when I should be strong in many situations in my life.

  • The God of Patience

Romans 15:5

“Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus”

So in other words, show it towards one another! That did not have any clauses to leave it out from anyone! It is neither selective to who we prefer, nor who we do not. We must open our hearts and have a greater understanding to everyone and everything. That shows a stronger witness inside and out. Publicly and privately.

  • Christ’s Demonstrated Patience And Mercy

Isaiah 53:7

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Matthew 27:14

“And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governer marvelled greatly.”

Hold the phone for a sec. Let’s take away the wonderful from this for a second and be real. Just the fact that Jesus Christ faced all of the persecution that he did and saying nothing is enough to show the demonstrated patience. We can’t even hear a mean word from someone without rising up inside and wanting to speak our peace, or feel like that we need to feel like justification has been delivered to them. Now, let’s put back in the best part. He opened not his mouth and endured the suffering so that we could have a place in Heaven eternal. That makes my heart soar!

  • More Mentions

2 Peter 1:6

“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”

James 1:3-4

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”

Romans 5:3-4

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Isn’t that just amazing, when we begin to dig in and read all of the pieces for yourself and put them all together? I love the word of God! I just hope as we all continue to be molded each and every day, that we can learn from our tried patience and experiences to raise ourselves up with encouragement from hope, and not be ashamed of what God has brought us from!