Mark 2:2 And straightway many were gathered together,
insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the
door: and he preached the word unto them. 3 And they come unto him, bringing one
sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4 And when they could not come nigh
unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had
broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When
Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and
reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can
forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit
that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these
things in your hearts?
Are you easily discouraged?
It is rarely a simple matter to obtain the miracles of God. There is almost always a testing of sorts,
either of your attitude and integrity or your diligence and faithfulness. God is not lacking in power or ability but He
will not bestow those great gifts on just anyone. Can you imagine if He allowed His authority
to rest in the hands of the greedy or lazy?
We would become what Satan tried to create when he tempted Jesus to turn
the stones into bread. Jesus refused to
be tempted and replied, “It is written that man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
These men could have allowed the press of people to break
their own will to press in. There will ALWAYS
ALWAYS ALWAYS be something or someone pressing against what you are attempting
to accomplish. If Satan knows you will
cancel your plans if it gets too hard he will make absolutely certain it is too
difficult to continue. It’s not that it
isn’t too hard to continue; just that it’s too hard to continue in YOUR
strength. It isn’t a lie to say you just
couldn’t do it, merely a total lack of faith.
If you really believe God you can’t fail. Sometimes successful saints look like those
movies where the hero gets all beat up until the end where he finds some hidden
strength and rises to win. We are
ALREADY conquerors and have ALREADY won.
We just have to believe it.
Mark 5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people
followed him, and thronged him. 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of
blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had
spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And
straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body
that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in
himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and
said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest
the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked
round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and
trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and
told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made
thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Just how often do you need to press in to win? Seven times?
Seventy times seven? No. You have to press in until you win no matter
how long it takes. This woman gave all
SHE had and not only didn’t get better but became worse. Former President Bush was in the hospital
intensive care ward this past week. A
German newspaper mistakenly reported that he died. How about you? Is your own heart telling you your future is
dead? Have you believed the evil
report? Apparently the former President
had more faith in God and his future because he got better and was released from
intensive care. He might be running
around his house in a few weeks playing with grandkids but if he didn’t have
any faith in God or himself they would be planning the funeral now. I would hope you aren’t planning your
future’s epitaph.
Oh, one important point to get out of this scripture. God (Jesus) noticed the activation of
someone’s faith. Some of his closest
disciples didn’t but He did. Just
because those around you might not see what you see in the spirit doesn’t make
them right. If you are more discerning
than they (an important point) then you just keep on plugging and God will
speak loud enough for all to hear, “Daughter, Son, your needs have been
met. Go in My peace.” This woman was made whole of a plague. Just how bad are your current
circumstances? I’ll bet God is bigger.
Luke 5: 1 And it came to pass, that, as the people
pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of
them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships,
which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the
land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had
left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your
nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled
all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down
the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of
fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which
were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and
filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus 'knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O
Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of
the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons
of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear
not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their
ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
I love this one. The
people are PRESSING GOD; drawing His Word out of Him. They are hungry and like dry sponges are
soaking up every word that proceeds out of His mouth. This is one of those circumstances that God
absolutely LOVES!!! To find someone who
is hungry for more of Him will simply cause Him to overflow with miracle
working power. In His defense to being pressed
back into the lake he boarded a boat belonging to some fishermen and taught
from its deck. When God is pressed for
more His nature presses back with miracles.
These men had worked ALL night in fact it doesn’t say they worked all
night, it says they TOILED all night.
That’s like the difference between sweeping the floor and building a
house. He was so pumped up with His own
anointing that He poured it into their need and almost sank their fishing boats
with the catch.
For their parts, the men were so impressed that they left
all and followed Him at his invitation.
All this happened because people made a spiritual demand of God and He
responded exceeding abundantly beyond all anyone could think.
One more point. This
was Simon Peter’s call; Peter the faithful one upon whose protestation of faith
would be built a church without spot and wrinkle. The only thing that could make all this
better was if Peter wasn’t a polished minister of the gospel but rather someone
who had weaknesses and flaws like us and still became a great leader of the
people of God.
Oh wait! He was that
weak and flawed man. He even denied his
Savior three times. He simply allowed
the Holy Spirit to teach him how to press!
And now we sing the song, “Please be patient with me; God is
not through with me yet!”
Luke 8:19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren,
and could not come at him for the press. 20 And it was told him by certain
which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. 21
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which
hear the word of God, and do it.
Just a quick thought on this one. You don’t become an insider in the kingdom of
God by being born into it. The prayers
of a great leader might help his or her children to follow in their footsteps,
but you become great by pressing in of your own accord. Jesus ‘natural’ family came to visit but they
came to try and calm Him down. It wasn’t
until after His death and resurrection that they would fully be on board with
who He really was. Jesus made it
abundantly clear that the ones who pressed until they could SEE Him for who He
is were his mothers and sisters and brothers.
You must press to really know Him.
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is
faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in
much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who
will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful
in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? 13
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these
things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which
justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is
highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the
prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presseth into it
Satan would have made Jesus wealthy beyond avarice had he
bowed down and worshipped Him. Of course
He said no. You might tone down your
message so you don’t offend people and your church might even become
financially wealthy while being spiritually bankrupt. I know someone who tried it and the money
began to roll in. He used that example
to assure himself that God AND Satan are after our allegiance and like Jesus,
we all have to make a decision WHO WE WILL SERVE and then PRESS into it.
In Luke 9:62, Jesus said that whoever puts his or her hand
to the plow of God’s fields and then looks longingly back at the life you have
left is unworthy of the work. You will
never prosper if you do not stay on course.
Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2
And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the
publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could
not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and
climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And
when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him,
Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6
And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they
saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that
is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the
half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man
by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him,-- This day
is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
I have spoken to many people over the past 30 years. There is nothing more rewarding to me than
someone who comes and says, “You spoke into my life once and I have never
forgotten what you said. I have never
forgotten what you did. I have never
forgotten what you imparted into me.”
Many times it was someone who I didn’t think was listening.
In this case, one of Israel’s hated tax collectors fought
through the press, climbing a tree to get close enough to see his Savior face
to face. The beauty is that God never
misses these moments. He stopped and
said, “Zacchaeus, I knock at your door.
If you will open up your home to me I will come and sup with you and you
with me (Revelation 3:20-22).” Many in
the crowd, like the prodigal’s brother (Luke 15:11-24), were offended that
Jesus would eat with a tax collector.
What a JOY to see his life totally changed to the point that he gave
half of his considerable wealth to the poor and restored any falsely claimed
taxes fourfold. It might have ruined him
financially but once he began to press into the Lord he continued until He was
ALL THE WAY IN!
Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens,
and came to Corinth; 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,
lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3 And because he
was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation
they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and
persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come
from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that
Jesus was Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook
his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean:
from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7 And he departed thence, and
entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God,
whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the
synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians
hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night
by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy
peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I
have much people in this city. 11 And he continued there a year and six
months, teaching the word of God among them
It’s never easy to press into the work of God. One thing that often happens is that God will
press back at you. I am willing to
believe that there are times when you have not spoken the truth because someone
in power wouldn’t have liked it. There
are occasional reasons to be circumspect in your replies but in this case Paul
had heard enough. His Jewish brethren
had blasphemed against their own scripture and Paul shook off his robes and
said, “I go to the more honorable Gentiles now.” That was intolerable. How dare he?
He dared because he believed God and knew His Spirit. He dared because he knew Romans chapter eight
where it says we are not to fear death or the grave. He was pressed by the Spirit of God out of
his comfort zone and the Spirit of God came to him that night and let him know
he had made the right decision. Mary
endured the backbiting and whispers all her life because she became pregnant
before she and Joseph were married. She
endured it because God said it was important and He PRESSED her to bare the
Messiah.
Will you allow God to PRESS YOU?
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who
comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which
are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also
aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and
salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we
also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and
salvation. 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers
of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not,
brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we
were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of
life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust
in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so
great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon
us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf
What is the limit of your willingness to be pressed? Will you submit to those who God has given
rule over you? Will you endure hardness
as a good soldier? Will you be a
peacemaker when every fiber of your being screams for revenge? Do you regularly tell yourself, “I don’t have
to put up with this!!!?” If so, you have
missed it. Blessed are the peacemakers
who make peace even when THEY are not wrong.
The meek shall inherit the earth…eventually. There is a testing process though. Will you pass like Paul and the other
disciples did? Peter was crucified on a
cross in the shape of an X because he felt unworthy to be crucified the same as
his Lord. Paul’s only concern about
beheading was that he might not finish all the writing before the end came.
Does your mind keep telling you what you won’t put up with
or rather, “Lord, help me endure all things with grace and mercy.”
Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the
Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for
you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the
concision. 3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4 Though I might
also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as
touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church;
touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things
were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 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; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were
already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which
also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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.
Beloved, take time on this last portion of scripture. Note the things they endured or suggested you
might have to endure. Pray for God’s
grace in these circumstances so you can endure them graciously and with full
assurance of faith. Let nothing before
or behind get between you and the goals that are set by God before you. I see some of you in my minds eye and know
what God is working. Others, I simply
believe that God will not cease the work He has begun until you succeed.
I love you beloved.
Hold fast the profession of your faith and PRESS IN.
Bishop J
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