Press On! #1

     In Phil. 3:13-14 Paul says “ this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Yahshua.” You may feel that you are weak and weary and are in danger of losing hope but we have to realize that Elohim is our strength and will finish His purpose in us and through us. Nothing the enemy is permitted to throw at us can stop us – no weapon that is formed against us will prosper. Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world and if He be for us who can successfully come against us. You have nothing to fear but fear itself. Yahweh has not given us the spirit of fear but power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). If you are feeling warfare and are getting weary, be encouraged that you would not be feeling warfare if the devil had you under his control. The fact that the devil is attacking you and if you have turned your flesh over to the Holy Spirit to mortify the deeds of the flesh indicates that he has declared war on you and is “scared” of you! It is a compliment if you have turned your flesh over to the Holy Spirit and the enemy is attacking. Elohim has permitted this attack not to allow you to be wiped out but that the pressure of the attack will get you out of your comfort zone and push you to your next level.

     We have to realize that we have an enemy besides Satan and that is our flesh. We have to realize that we are really two persons in a sense- our flesh and our spirit. Your spirit needs to rule the flesh because sometimes the flesh wants to give up and stop pushing forward. When Elohim blesses us don’t listen to the flesh who wants to put an air of finality on the blessing in your praise and thanksgiving. You may not have the complete victory yet and have to “press” forward to get a deeper and greater victory. The flesh just wants to pull back and be satisfied with the blessing that you have just received. For instance if you were believing Elohim for a mortgage payment blessing and He gives it to you, why not press forward and believe for Him to pay off your mortgage entirely. Your flesh didn’t like the “excessive” time that you spent in prayer and the fasting that you did. It doesn’t want the process to be repeated as you go on for a complete and greater victory. It hates to be subdued by the spirit. Press forward for a “deeper “victory!

     In Joshua Chapter 5 Joshua and his men had to go around Jericho 13 times for victory. I am sure that they felt like giving up after a few times going around as the enemy was probably laughing at them, but they followed their leader Joshua. Elohim had told him to meditate in His word day and night and his way would be prosperous (Joshua 1:8). I am sure that Joshua was meditating on what Yahweh said and was not moved by his flesh and what the enemy was saying. This helped him to go on and gave confidence to his men. The people of Israel had told Joshua after the death of Moses that they would follow him but only “be strong and of good courage.” They were seeing this courage and strength in action. Joshua “pressed on” and Jericho came down.

     In Judges Chapter 6 Elohim told Gideon that He would save Israel by using him. Gideon was scared and was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Medianites. Elohim asked him to destroy the statues of Baal, which he did. He told him to ask any of his troops to go home if they wanted and 22,000 of the 32,000 that he had went home. Elohim told him to give his remaining men the “water test.” Only the men that lapped up the water like a dog and held onto their weapons at the same time were the ones that Elohim wanted him to take with him into battle. He still “pressed” on with all this happening. Elohim told him to go and overhear what the enemy was saying about him. He “pressed” forward and heard how much fear they had.  I am even sure that when Gideon had surrounded the 100,000 men of the enemy with only 300 men of his own that some doubt came his way but he “pressed” on. As you know Elohim gave him complete victory.

     In Joshua Chapter 10 after Joshua and his people had entered the promise land the armies of 5 kings came against him but he “pressed” on. Elohim told him to “press” on because he was going to give him complete victory (v.8). Joshua believed him and Elohim did exactly what He said He would do. When Joshua went against other enemies, in each case Yahweh told him to “utterly” destroy them which he did (v. 28, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 39 and 40). Joshua didn’t stop until he had “pressed” forward to complete victory! We need to do the same with our spiritual enemies as well as our two-legged ones, especially since we have an advantage that Joshua didn’t have, that is – we are filled with the mighty Spirit of Elohim.

     In the book of Daniel we read about Daniel being told not to pray to any other God but to the king for thirty days. Daniel didn’t stop but “pressed” on and opened his window and let everyone hear him pray to his God three times a day. Even when they put him into the lions den, he “pressed” onward by not compromising and was not only delivered from the lions den but was promoted (Dan. 6:3. 28). The three Hebrew children were ordered to bow down to a statue of the king but refused. They “pressed” on and were delivered from the fiery furnace and were also promoted (Dan. 3:25, 30). Promotion from Elohim only comes from a non-compromised attitude and “pressing” forward under pressure.

     Jehoshaphat as recorded in 2 Chron. Chapter 20, was surrounded by the enemy but “pressed” forward into prayer and praise and got  complete victory without even lifting up a weapon (v. 22-23). David, when he threw the stone at Goliath and he fell down dead was not satisfied until he got complete victory by “cutting” off his head! He “pressed” on! He knew from a prior experience with a lion that when he thought that he had killed the lion that was attacking his sheep, the lion “rose” up again and he had to finish the job by strangling it with his own hands. When we get a victory from Yahweh we need to make sure that we “press” on no matter what our flesh may be saying until we are satisfied in our spirits that we have complete victory. Praise Him!