Press On

“….Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3: 12 – 14

Jesus wants to meet you where you are and guide you to become all you can be for your joy and His glory. He has a “you” in mind that is more fulfilling than you have ever dreamed; a you brimming with confidence, filled with assurance, and overflowing with a sense of purpose.

He has done and is doing this for millions.  It is the kind of potential He has in mind for you. You can be all He would have you be. That will give Him victory and you vitality.  Are you ready for a great adventure that will take the tedium out of life, defend you against boredom, and spare you a sense of futility?

The trumpeter for God’s army knows no retreat. He knows well the command to “Charge.”

The only place to go forward looking backwards in the sport of rowing.

To achieve your potential it is essential to forget the past and focus on the future. Past events influence your presence, but they must not be allowed to determine your future.

Most people will admit two things. One, they haven’t reached their full potential, and they are ambitious to achieve a more fulfilling life that is gratifying.

Remember, “The load of tomorrow added to that of yesterday, and carried today, makes the strongest falter.”

The text employs an athletic term to describe aggressive striving for improvement.

The term “perfect” or “perfected” translates an athletic expression for the finish line in an athletic contest. Life is not a sprint, a quick burst of brilliance or brisk energy. It is a marathon which must be “run with patience” (Hebrews 12: 1).

The term “apprehend” refers to a hearty ambition to achieve the plan God has for life. Got it? Good!

This may not be where you are presently. You may be going through an experience that is causing you to ask, “What is going on here, Lord?”  Be assured that whatever it is He wants to use it ultimately to help you mature. Thus, even an adversity becomes an advantage.

You break the power of the past by living in the present for the good of the future. Lay aside every weight; emotional scars, failures, negative parental imprinting, your losses, wash outs, flops, and duds.

Press on! Do you hear the trumpet sound? That is the order to C-H-A-R-G-E-!

To Tell the Truth

Do you ever marvel at people who are adept at never giving a direct answer to a question when being interviewed? Some public figures are masters of the craft. The practice of evasiveness is so obvious there must be a conspiracy. Well, there is.

In William Safire’s book, “Leadership,” he quotes Robert L. Woodrum who gives advice to people planning to hold a press conference.

His diverse clients include such persons as the new president of an organization, a candidate for office, the executive of a company involved in a legal matter, a pastor speaking out on a controversial issue, a lawyer defending a client, and others. Here is his advice:

“Prepare/rehearse. You set the agenda. Before meeting with the press, you determine your objectives. Write down the two or three main points you want to make and stick to them during the interview. Anticipate the tough questions and practice your answers with your staff. “When asked a question by a reporter, remember ‘Answer the question you wish you had been asked.’ Make the points you want to make and stick to your agenda.”

Now we know. The crafty art is actually taught to newsmakers. They are tutored to be evasive, non-responsive, and diversionary. Listeners need to understand what those who have mastered the craft well are doing.

A second thing a listener needs to keep in mind is that skill should not be equated with intellect. Singers, athletes, actors and actresses, authors and their genre are often interviewed as “authorities.” The IQ of some is slightly below the January temperature in Nome, Alaska. They have no reason to be interviewed on many subjects other than their skill in a rather limited field. It is their persona, not their proficiency, related to the subject that gets them the interview.

These two factors involving newsmakers results in the public being overly informed though not well informed.

This sage wisdom lifted from the pages of the New Testament would change news. It simply states, “Let your ‘Yes be Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5: 37)

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4: 6)

In classical writing “salt” used regarding speech referred to the wit with which conversation was flavored. “Grace and salt,” wit and knowledge, make an ideal combination. 

Counter to this Sir Walter Scott said, “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.” One old timer said, “One lie is the pappy of another.” 

This is not an instruction to use only these words in responding, but to be clear, concise, and correct. With that in mind: “That’s all folks.”

On Riding Dead Horses

The following wisdom is from the CMA Management Monthly:

“The ancient tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians says that when you discover you’re riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. Some organizations today, however, having invested sizable amounts in unsuccessful programs, try different approaches.” 

That is true of individuals also. They’re following conclusions related to solutions also apply to individuals.

“Buy stronger whips.

Change riders.

Ask other organizations how they ride dead horses.

Hire consultants to ride dead horses.

Harness several dead horses together to increase speed.

Provide added funding to increase dead horse’s performance.

Experiment to see if lighter riders would improve productivity.

Promote dead horses to supervisory positions.”

Dead horses is a metaphor for things that don’t work. They are analogous for bad habits. Familiarity with a dead horse in our life makes it difficult to dismount. We get comfortable in the saddle and are hesitant to give it up.

If you were capable of viewing your life objectively, would you admit that there are some dead horses? If so, take the bridle off and give up one effort to try for one life gallop. 

Scripture makes several appeals for us to dismount our dead horses, such as:

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices …” (Colossians 3: 5 – 17 ESV)

The following doubles-down on that theme:

“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, …” (Ephesians 4: 22 – 32 ESV)

There is another category of dead horses. It is things that are not really sin, they simply occupy us and keep us from that which would make for a contented and productive life. They are not bad in themselves, they simply keep us from that which is better. Think about it.

True Love

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12: 9

This clarion call for action not only teaches us what love is, but what it isn’t also, a distinction some seem difficult to understand. There is a great chasm between true love and its false image.

Our society is comprised of many mask wearers. Such leads to deception and confusion. The life-style of many is a charade involving play-actors.

Our genuine love is to be without “dissimulation,” hypocrisy. Synonyms help understanding the meaning: deceit or deception.     

It means don’t pretend to be what you are not or to say what you don’t really mean. Some speech is like the iridescent scum on the surface of water veiling the black depths of a pool of hatred.       

The love advocated is “agape” love, selfless and sincere, always desiring the best for others. Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward people generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always have a natural inclination, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered, people we love. Love seeks the welfare of all.

Now what love is not. It is defined by the last part of the text: “Abhor that which is evil.” You do so by loving the good so as not to deny it. Abhor is an interesting word translating “dbelusso” which is a strong word, literally meaning to turn away from that which stinks, is foul, to detest. That calls for a strong response to hypocrisy. 

If you genuinely love the good the opposite, evil, is automatically abhorred. At times this calls for loving the person while abhorring what they are and/or what they advocate. Such energy of moral recoil from evil is perfectly consistent with honest love, for it is things, not people, that we are to abhor; and it is needful as the completion and guardian of love itself.

Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things the Lord hates: pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false witnesses, and troublemakers.” Notice that this passage does not include just things that God hates; it includes people as well. A sower of seeds of discord, not just the sowing, but the sower. This list is not all inclusive, Scripture notes additional things. Almost every other partial list of things God dislikes begins with pride.

In summary God notes a lifestyle He dislikes: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5: 20)

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”

Good News, God Sees You

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33: 8, 18, 20 – 22

Some potential home builders go to an architect asking him to plan their new home. Often the home builder has in mind what is wanted, he just wants him to draw what he wants.

Often people profess they want God to allow what they want rather than seeking what He wants. When He is allowed to plan for us it is the best possible though it might not be what we wanted. By building what the architect planned, it eventually becomes obvious it was best. So it is with God’s plan for us.

Three qualities of persons for whom He plans are noted in the text.

First, “the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.” Our fear of God is not terror, but love. We fear lest we disappoint Him. It means to hold Him in respect and His precepts to be for our good. Such are constantly under His gaze. Thus, He knows our needs. 

A second quality is that they “rejoice.” A fresh baptism of divine love results in rejoicing as expressed in worship.

A life that is too busy to worship is busier than God intended it to be. True worship will give life meaning. It will wonderfully animate your whole life from the center outward. Rejoice!

We become increasingly like the One we worship. 

Next, they trust God — Vs. 21. He is:

Our provider —  Vs. 20 “our help.”

Our protection — Vs. 20 “our shield.”  Anything that gets past Him as our Shield is intended to be our opportunity to respond in His way.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In the moment he signed it every slave in the entire United States was free. That, however, didn’t mean that every slave immediately enjoyed liberty. Some masters hid the fact from their slaves. Some slaves didn’t believe the good news. Some thought it was not possible.

For them to be truly free they had to hear the good news. They had to believe the joyous news. Next they had to consider the good news as being a fact, not just for slaves in general, but for them personally. They had to trust their liberator.

To be truly free they had to assert their freedom and refuse any longer to be a slave. The same steps are true for salvation. They are essential for the Lord to be your personal provider and protection. The benefits are incomparable.