Pressing On By Pressing Up

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord”

Hosea 6:3

Praise God, beloved of Abba! Yesterday I shared with you the joy of our pressing on by pressing in to know our Lord. Today I’d like to continue that thought by encouraging you to be pressing on by pressing up.

The apostle Paul echoed Hosea’s exhortation, and perhaps even Hosea’s words were in Paul’s mind when he wrote, “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude” (Philippians 3:13-15).

Oh hallelujah child and priest of God; in Jesus Christ we have been given a great prize - “the prize of the upward call.” Yes, it’s “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Every single one of us were given this magnificent prize at the moment of our new birth, when we were made new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and priests of God (Revelation 1:5-6, 5:9-10) through the New Covenant blood of Jesus Christ, our resurrected “Lord” and “priest forever” (Psalm 110:1&4).

It is a great prize when we realize and therefore activate “the upward call” of our priesthood. It’s a wonderful prize, meant to bless us forever, and we can only truly appreciate this prize when, in fact, we do “press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Every time you minister to the Lord, you are pressing on by pressing in by pressing up!

And it’s a great prize, don’t you agree?!

The prize itself, just to be clear, is “the upward call” - “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” to Christ Jesus, for Christ Jesus, and that’s why we always are growing in the knowing of our Lord as we continue to press on every day in His presence, in His word, in His service, before His throne of grace, where He resides as our High priest, interceding for us perpetually, “since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

If this all seems unclear to you, then I recommend you do what Paul did, “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind.” Yes, let the past be the past and let it go so you may start “reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

Do you know what lies ahead of you? It’s none other than the Lord God Himself, in His magnificent presence, awaiting your response to “the upward call” for you to meet with Him today!

Make it your “goal” this day, and every day, to respond to your life-giving “prize of the upward call of God In Christ Jesus” and you will most definitely and most blessedly be pressing on, pressing in, and pressing up into the presence, Person, power, and purpose of God. Bless His Name.

And don’t forget the other encouraging word Paul to us wrote about this, “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude.”

Yes Lord, may we have this attitude that You have graciously given us, this prize, humbly, gratefully and joyfully in Your presence, of being Your priests every day of our lives. Thank You that we may know You and press on to know You by pressing into Your presence and pressing up into the heavenly places for Your glory in Christ Jesus. May all of Your children be renewed in this sacred truth and identity, of us, Your church, as your New Covenant priesthood this day. Amen. Hallelujah!