Press!

      It has been a good while since I rec'd anything substantial to share during our Sun.Am prayer. This morning I kept hearing "Press", and then saw a riot policeman's acrylic shield.
 I understood what was meant by "press"; it comes from the old pentecostal term of "pressing in"-
 ""The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." [Luke 16:16]

 Pressing in denotes earnestness and firmness of resolution;  an engaged-ness. It is not a passive act, nor is it about all our might or strength or ability! It is about "pressing in" to HIS ability, HIS strength and NOT moving from there. Think of the riot police: they are armed. They have shields, and body armor, just like we do. They are trained to use their weapons only when necessary. They are sent to occupy a territory, maintain peace and enforce the law of the land- together, as a unit.
Too often, a believer jumps headlong into a fight. We don't discern what is truly needed, and we pray, speak, based upon our own understanding. Binding, loosing, declaring are for specific times. Done out of turn, they can actually lead us into the flesh - the enemy's territory- which is exactly what he likes. We come away from it thinking we did what was "right", and then later are perplexed when we have to do it again and again- and this drains our energy and sometimes even hope!
    The Father, on the other hand, offers us wisdom, discernment, and His word to train us for each prayer need and life situation. The problem comes in when we allow a weakness to lead us out of discernment and wisdom and into fleshly thoughts. For example, "Melissa" battled a particular health issue for 4 years. She grew in her understanding of the Word regarding health, and her faith increased. She was healed. Now she has no "issue" with healing and can also encourage others. But the nagging self talk about her past trips her up many a day. When she is in a battle, she often responds to the enemy playing that "tape" in her head and becomes discouraged---and her shield drops. BAM! She is hit! Now she has to take time to recover, those around her are distracted, and have to regroup. We were never meant to fixate upon the activity of the enemy.
       What the Lord is saying now is that we as intercessors **need to press in to Him and get those doubts and insecurities resolved. ** .This will involve transparency- trusting someone with our need so that they may stand in the gap - "close ranks": to join with someone in a cause, or agreement. {Remember Pastor Tony shared this morning that it doesn't all depend upon ourselves, we need each other} Ask the Lord who one intercessor is that you can trust and pray with over the next quarter of the new year. Get with them for a brief time of sharing if they agree. ♥This should be men with men and ladies with ladies.

 It may be that you share with and stand with the same person, or it may be different people. **Listen carefully for His guidance in this.**
     We need to lean upon HIS abilities, plant our feet firmly in the Word and set our hearts upon HIM. We must be perpetually listening for His directives, and NOT reacting to the enemy's threats, peltings and presence. YES, you will sometimes feel his presence too. And his arrows. But if your shield is up, you can STAND. Not because "your faith is strong", but because you know how to lean, to rest IN HIM !

      Now, imagine if we as intercessors all were standing, armed, feet planted, shoulder to shoulder, and listening to the slightest whisper of our Lord. Fewer casualties would result from this maturity and unity. We could all move together, be a united shield for the Body, and see our prayers manifest because we are allowing the Lord to pray through us, instead of praying to Him. True intercession involves all of these, in various levels at various times. Needless casualities would diminish!

 

 Press in! 

Allow difficulties, weaknesses to draw you nearer to Him and see His anointing take effect. Like an olive in the olive press, the good stuff will come forth! Press in and allow His likeness to be imprinted upon you because you have spent life close to Him! Know that you know in your "knower" that you are a son of God and begin to live like it with a kingly bearing.
Then come together expecting to see our prayer time mature and shift with His hand manifesting this year privately and corporately!

Prescription for Weariness and Discouragement

        In our valiant attempts to "be strong in the Lord" and to "stand firm" we often experience muscle fatigue. This is because we revert to our own understanding, both of our situation and the Scriptures. We come

right up to the line of victory and dig our heels in and announce "I'm NOT moving!" We flex the muscle of our mind- displaying our vast knowledge of the Word and His promises.
 We mentally dig in our "spiritual heels".

From firmly placing one’s heels in the ground, particularly in tug of war (pulling) or when bracing oneself (pushing). Compare drag one's feet (“act slowly, from lack of enthusiasm or to delay”).

Fig. to refuse to alter one's course of action or opinions; to be obstinate or determined.

-" I'm digging in my heels. I'm not going back, not budging from here."

 And we begin to  to frazzle, fray,& hang on by a thread to our sincere but misled convictions that

we are "fighting the good fight of faith"!

  We cannot win a battle by our own strength. {I heard you say " Yes,  I know that."} But does your mind know that? Most believers know of the salvation of the cross through Jesus and have accepted this in their hearts.
But we fall into the battle between our hearts and minds.

 This causes internal stress, and damaging soul-wear instead of healthy, prosperous soul care!

 We have not yet accepted the fullness of His redemptive and deliverance work. 

Our hearts/spirits witness to His love and acceptance, 

but our mind's muscle still wants to pump iron;

 we get worn out trying to lift those spiritual weights!

We even make "spiritual" declarations and decrees about our firm resolve, only to find that a few hours, days or weeks later, we are so worn out that we feel we need to "pull" on others to help us
 "remain firm in the faith". 
Psalm 46:10 says "Be still and know that I am God."
The Hebrew for the word still means: 
to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, 1a3) to sink, relax, abate
1a4) to relax, withdraw
1b) (Niphal) idle 
1c) (Piel) to let drop
What we really need is to 
relax our grip, 
let go of the k"not" in the rope
 and be pulled on over into the Rest of The Lord!
We are not "qualified" by ANY of our works or even our great show of faith!
Jesus did the interview, He got the "call back" and signed the contract in His own blood. The seal of the Holy Spirit was placed upon that contract. And we are the

ben·e·fi·ci·ar·ies

noun: beneficiary; plural noun: beneficiaries

                                        1.a person who derives advantage from something,

 esp. a trust, will, or life insurance policy.

HE does the work. We receive the paycheck! 

  Yes, there remains a Sabbath for the people of God, a greater "rest" from attempting to please God based on our own merits.  We do not labor to find favor with God through acts of our own personal merit or faith, but rather we trust in the acceptance and love of God given to us in Jesus.
 We ask the Holy Spirit for help in discerning the truth on a personal, moment-by-moment basis. We trust in God's guidance and help as He promised in the terms of the New Covenant. Freedom doesn't mean we're "free to do whatever we want," but rather we're "free to love God without fear..."

 We have to let go of the knot of fear in the rope and trust

           - in His goodness, 

-sovereignty

  - and wisdom 

                  -and awareness of our

    life situation!

*There is a deeper sense of rest that God promised those who are trusting in Him Heb.4:9). This rest comes from trusting in the finished work of Christ as our  righteousness before the Father.   The statement that "there is a rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9-10) does not refer to ritualistic "Sabbath-keeping," however, since the context clearly states that "whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His."  This is a "tetelestai" revelation --the Greek word meaning:

 You enter into rest the moment when you apprehend

{APPREHEND', v.t. L. apprehendo, of ad and prehendo, to take or seize. 

1. To take or seize; to take hold of.

2. To take with the understanding, that is, to conceive in the mine;

 to understand, without passing a judgment, or making an inference.

3. To think; to believe or be of opinion, but without positive certainty}

 that God has fulfilled the Law's demand on your behalf through the beautiful gift of Jesus' life and sacrifice.  Accepting the "death benefits" of the Messiah makes you an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven (Gal. 4:4-7). You embrace Sonship.

 

    And so this is still a live promise. It wasn’t canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn’t keep renewing the appointment for “today.” 

The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. 

 God himself is at rest.

 Paradoxically we "labor" to enter into this rest by exercising genuine faith in God's salvation in His Son . As Yeshua taught, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the One whom the Father has sent"
(John 6:28-29) - BELIEVE that HE has completed it, that the answer to your question is already available and  our good heavenly Father is at work.

  Ahhhhh- so THIS is the Rest of the Lord!

credit for some *quotes to http://www.hebrew4christians.com