Tag Archives: Pressing On With Jesus

Quiet And Still Is Hard??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #231

24 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by in Be Steadfast, Be Still and Know, Be ye doers of the Word, Be ye HOLY, It's Your Choice, Jeremiah's faithfulness, Jesus IN You!, Jesus IS Lord--bow before Him!, Jesus IS The Gift!, Renewing or Reviewing, Resting Or Wrestling?, Safe Place, Stand by ME!, Stand Fast!, Still Will I Trust HIM, The Call of God!, The Word, Wait on the Lord, Wait upon the Lord, Walk in the Spirit, Walking by Faith or Sight?, Walking With Jesus

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Quiet And Still Is Hard??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #231

“Be still,

and know

that I am God:

I will be exalted among the heathen,

I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah.”  Psalm 46:10-11

This precious verse reminds us that God is our peace, our hope and our confidence; we can “Be still, and know that I am God…”.  My husband has a lovely story of an encounter with this verse, and while that is his story to tell, I will say that God pointed him to this truth, and he could “be still” and know that God had him in His hands—and He surely did.  And my friends, He will do the same for us if we will but be listening, sensitive to His voice and dependent upon His care.  Still has several meanings, one is to cease from motion, or activity; another is to keep on keeping on—to go onward continually.  Both are indicators of our ability to see God as God!  Oh, how grateful I am that God IS God and ever at work in our lives, our surroundings and our world!  It’s hard to recognize sometimes, with all the wickedness and evil around us; especially when people of faith compromise with the world so much, and the church has laid down her cross and taken up the world’s method’s.

Have you been antsy lately?  Have you fretted and worried about people, places, things and circumstances, or are you willing to just “Be still, and know that I am God…”, trusting yourself to His care.  Have you been digging into His Word to know Him better and grow in intimacy with The Lord Jesus who gave Himself for our salvation?  The prophet Jeremiah is one of my favorite Bible prophets, for even after he had preached and called the children of Israel to repent (for some 40 years), he was persecuted, rejected and mistreated, and saw the destruction of Jerusalem, yet his heart knew whom he believed?  How about you and me?  Are you ready to keep your eyes on the prize—Jesus.  Only as we learn to know Him through His Word and yield our lives to the power and direction of His precious Holy Spirit can we know Him in fulness and truth, even as Jeremiah did.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies

that we are not consumed,

because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion,

saith my soul;

therefore will I hope in him.

25 The LORD is good

unto them that wait for him,

 to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should

both hope

and quietly wait for the salvation

of the LORD.”  Lamentations 3:22-26

And just FYI, this reference to quietly wait isn’t an instruction to wait to come to Jesus, but to wait, as His child, for His saving provision in our circumstances; and notice Jeremiah instructs us to “quietly wait”—not rant, rave, or pitch fits when things don’t come in “my” time!  Remember we are to know that God IS God and behave thusly!  So, here are a few more passages about being still—in both ways!

“Stand in awe,

and sin not:

commune with your own heart

upon your bed,

and be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

and put your trust in the LORD.

6 There be many that say,

Who will shew us any good?

LORD, lift thou up the light

of thy countenance upon us.

7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,

more than in the time

that their corn

and their wine increased.

8 I will both lay me down

in peace,

and sleep:

for thou, LORD, only

makest me dwell in safety.”   Psalm 4:4-8

“Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:

they will be still praising thee. Selah.”  Psalm 84:4

Will you be still?  Will you pursue the knowledge of The Most High and His Son Jesus?  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove what is that

good,

and acceptable,

and perfect,

will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2

Amen and Amen!!!

Hail And Farewell Challenge??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #170

29 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Living In My Season, Living TODAY!, Press ON!, Pursuing Excellence?, TODAY, Today and Forever, Today And Tomorrow, Today is the day of Salvation, Today IS Today!, Tomorrow

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Hail And Farewell Challenge???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #170

 

My father was a Navy veteran and my “little” brother (he’ll appreciate that, even though he prefers to use the term “younger” brother, for he is younger than me, and always will be…ha ha ha) was in the Army, as well as my brother-in-law, a Vietnam veteran.  So you can see the military has always been a big part of our family; and in the military, when there is a change of command there is a “Hail and Farewell” ceremony of some sort, to bid ‘farewell’ to the departing leader, and ‘hail’ (welcome and salute) to the incoming leader.  As we approach the New Year, we here at our house bid you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Well, you may be saying, Christmas is past, and New Year’s not here; but that’s the point I want us to see and understand, that we who are followers of JESUS celebrate Him and His arrival every day of the year!  I do!  How about you?  What do I mean?  I mean we are called to say farewell to the past failures and even our successes—for they are of yesterday, and we are called to live in the “today”.  Jesus said it Himself when He told us how we ought to pray, and part of that prayer says clearly, “Give us this day….”; but I think sometimes we are so focused on “bread” that we seem to forget that God is talking about life as well as “bread”!  We are to live and focus on today, and let the past be just that— “Passed” (memories to cherish but just that—memories!)!

Paul gives an amazing picture of this in his letter to the Philippians, and I’ll simply let Paul speak this truth!  I pray that each of you have an amazing day today…and today…and today into and through the New Year.  May you lay your regrets, sorrows, confusions, hurt feelings, successes, and whatever else may be a lingering hindrance to living “today” for Jesus.  We have an amazing Lord and Savior who is totally sufficient to meet our every need—whether it’s a ‘hail’ or a ‘farewell’!  Today is a gift given by God to you and me, let’s commit to use each day ‘today’, leaving our regrets before the ‘throne of grace’ (See Hebrews 4:15-16) and our successes at Jesus feet.  God has promised that HE is ever at work conforming His own “into the image of His son” (See Romans 8:28-29), and I’m convinced that God always does good work, even (if not especially) when we mess up, HE said HE would, and HE has proven Himself faithful in my life, and the lives of so many.  Look up my friends, not around at a lost and dying world who needs Jesus, but up to your Father and His Son Jesus who is ever interceding for us to be HIS hands and feet to those lost and dying around us.

“Who is he that condemneth?

It is Christ that died,

yea rather, that is risen again,

 who is even at the right hand of God,

who also maketh intercession

for us.”  Romans 8:34

So, let’s march confidently into each day—now and into the New Year (so called, for they’ve been coming and going since God set creation in place!  But that’s a study for another time!)!  Here’s Paul’s admonition and encouragement for each of us, “press on”!

“Yea doubtless,

and I count all things but loss

for the excellency of the knowledge

of Christ Jesus my Lord:

for whom I have suffered the loss

of all things,

and do count them but dung,

that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him,

not having mine own righteousness,

which is of the law,

but that which is through

the faith of Christ,

the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him,

and the power of his resurrection,

and the fellowship of his sufferings,

being made conformable unto his death; …

13 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, (mature)

be thus minded:

and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded,

God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained,

let us walk by the same rule,

let us mind the same thing.”  Portions of Philippians 3:8-16

And if I might borrow Paul’s words of conclusion to this part of his call to the Philippian believers, may we be found faithfully standing “fast in the Lord”!  The prayer of my heart is that Jesus will find us so standing when He comes for us or when we go to HIM!  Ready or not here HE comes!

“Therefore,

my brethren dearly beloved

and longed for,

my joy and crown,

so stand fast in the Lord,

my dearly beloved.”  Philippians 4:1

May the blessings of God rain down on you, and your eyes, heart and mind be open to receive them, praising God for them all!

Amen and Amen!!!

Breathe! It’s OK!!! A Word from THE WORD!!!

22 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, Advice for the journey, Comfort, Confidence, Creator of ALL, Doubt and Confusion?, Encouragement, Order my steps, Our God Reigns

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Breathe!  It’s OK!!!  A Word from THE WORD!!! #15

Just a brief word to encourage your Wednesday!  Sometimes we get so caught up in the things—the stuff—the appointments—the running—the doing—that we are almost “holding our breath” and running on imagination!  Well, my friends—breathe!  Just take a deep breath in, thank God for today, and breathe out!  Repeat!  And again!

“The Spirit of God

 hath made me,

and the breath of the Almighty

hath given me life.”  Job 33:4

Sometimes our ‘tunnel’ vision overtakes our heart of faith—we only see the small window of our current crises, and we are prone to forget that our God is still in charge, and HE is trustworthy of our attention!

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude,

and as the voice of many waters,

and as the voice of mighty thunderings,

saying, Alleluia:

for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice,

and give honour to him….”  Revelation 19:6-7a

Remember Who is in charge—Who loves you—Who has all the “stuff” covered if we will but stop and “breathe” in Jesus!

“For in him

we live,

and move,

and have our being…”. Acts 17:28a

And I simply want to share a few words of hope, encouragement, and peace for you to breathe in today.  I pray that it will help you as it has me.  We all have those times—so stop, take a few minutes, and “breathe” IN JESUS!

“Being confident of this very thing,

that

he which hath begun a good work in you

will perform it

until the day of Jesus Christ:”  Philippians 1:6

Got it?  Jesus is at work in HIS own every minute of every day—for your good and HIS glory!  Count on it.

“And we know that all things work together

for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow,

he also did predestinate

to be conformed to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn

among many brethren.”  Romans 8:28-29

I praise God that it is all because of Jesus—NOT me—and you can trust HIM, for HE has never failed me yet—and HE won’t today!

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith

into this grace wherein we stand,

and rejoice in hope

of the glory of God.”  Romans 5:1-3

So, press on in confidence—Jesus is enough!

“But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast,

unmoveable,

always abounding

in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know

that your labour is not in vain

in the Lord.”   1 Corinthians 15:56-58

 Jesus has supplied all we need—look up, walk right, and press on!

“The thief cometh not,

but for to steal,

and to kill,

and to destroy:

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it

more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd:

the good shepherd giveth his life

for the sheep.”  John 10:10-11

Breathe and lean on your Shepherd, Jesus!!!

As the gospel hymn says, “The Longer I Serve Him, The Sweeter HE Grows”! (Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither.).

Amen and Amen!!!

Looking Ahead With Confidence??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #518

28 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Changed Lives, Choices And Consequences, Commitment Or Convenience, Confidence, Consider Your ways, Encouragement, Faith, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Grace, Growing in Jesus!, Holy Spirit, JESUS, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Perseverance, The Lord Is My Shepherd, The Word, The Word Or The World?, TODAY, Tomorrow, Trust God

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #518 Looking Ahead With Confidence???

 

As we approach a new year ahead, let’s take a few minutes to assess our progress. It is helpful to look back and consider our successes and our failures, and while I’m not much on making “resolutions” for the New Year, I do think we can benefit from asking God to help us see where we can improve our walk with HIM! As we seek His face and the leadership of His precious Holy Spirit, we can press on faithfully. And while not dwelling on it, we can consider our past while we pursue the present that God is calling us to! But remember that the enemy will try to keep us focused on our failures, paralyzing us to going forward with Jesus—don’t listen to him! Paul gives us some good advice in this arena.

“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.”   Philippians 3:13-14

We must accept the past as just that—passed! While our past will always affect our present and our future it doesn’t have to dictate our direction or paralyze us from serving our Lord! God has called us to be a reflection of HIS glory to a lost and dying world, and He will supply our every need as we walk forward in HIS service.

“But ye are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood,

an holy nation,

a peculiar people;

that ye should shew forth the praises

of him who hath called you

out of darkness

into his marvellous light:

10 Which in time past were not a people,

but are now the people of God:

which had not obtained mercy,

but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

When we receive the mercy of God, we are equipped for HIS service, by His power and might—so we can go forward in confidence regardless of our past, for it has “passed”.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,

beseech you

that ye walk worthy

of the vocation

wherewith ye are called,”    Ephesians 4:1

We are His called, and He will accomplish His purpose in us as we yield to His Spirit, and walk in His strength, according to His Word and His grace. He is ever at work making us more like our Lord and Master, Jesus. You can take heart, for God is ever at work in and through His own.

“And we know

that all things work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow,

he also did predestinate to be conformed

to the image of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn

among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate,

them he also called:

and whom he called,

them he also justified:

and whom he justified,

them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things?

If God be for us,

who can be against us?” Romans 8:28-31

I pray that you know HIM, and will commit yourself anew to yield to His working in you. He is your shepherd and His voice is ever leading you, and if you haven’t been listening—you can change that today!!!

“My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life;

and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them

out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me,

is greater than all;

and no man is able to pluck them

out of my Father’s hand.

30 I and my Father are one.” John 10:27-30

If you don’t know HIM—I pray that you will hear His voice and invite Him in to sit on the throne of your heart! He is calling—won’t you open the door today? I pray that God will make Himself real to YOU today, for as Jesus says:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:

if any man hear my voice, and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him,

and he with me.”   Revelation 3:20