Monday December 29, 2014 “PRESS ON” Scripture: Philippians 3:1-21 Focus Verse: Philippians 3:13-14 I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. MY THOUGHTS: Two cars were waiting at a stoplight. The light turned green, but the man didnt notice it. A woman in the car behind him is watching traffic pass around them. The woman begins pounding on her steering wheel and yelling at the man to move. The man doesnt move. The woman is going ballistic inside her car, ranting and raving at the man, pounding on her steering wheel and dash. The light turns yellow and the woman begins to blow the car horn, and screams profanity and curses at the man. The man, looks up, sees the yellow light and accelerates through the intersection just as the light turns red. The woman is beside herself, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection. As she is still in mid-rant she hears a tap on her window and looks up at very serious looking policeman. The policeman tells her to shut off her car while keeping both hands in sight. She complies, speechless at what is happening. After she shuts off the engine, the policeman orders her to exit her car with her hands up. She gets out of the car and he orders her to turn and place her hands on her car then handcuffs her and takes her to the police station where she is fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door for her. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the original officer is waiting with her personal effects and says, Im really sorry for this mistake. But you see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the Choose Life license plate holder, the What Would Jesus Do bumper sticker, the Follow Me to Sunday School bumper sticker, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally I assumed you had stolen the car. We treat every New Year as though we had a new lease on life, a new beginning or a another chance. Each year we make new resolutions only to find that we aren’t keeping them again just like last year. Sometimes we just give up but at other times we just forget. Have you heard about the man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there? It wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady he was especially attracted to, and she was attracted to him, also. So they spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him. The he next morning woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her and said, I’m really embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said `Yes’ or `No.’ Oh, thank goodness! she replied. I remembered saying `Yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me. Sometimes I feel that way about New Year’s resolutions. I tell myself, This year I’m going to turn over a new leaf. I’m going to exercise regularly and lose weight. I’m going to do all kinds of things to improve myself physically and spiritually. But then somehow I forget and at other times I just give up. Maybe you have that problem, too. So this year I have a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution that we ought to be able to remember. It is kind of broad and very general, but here it is - let’s promise ourselves, each other and God that we are going to make some changes for the better. This year, as God’s people, as His church, let’s make this one simple resolution - “I am going to ‘Press On’ in fulfilling God’s purposes in my life.” PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS:
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 01:53:19 +0000