Press On

What do we do when the world caves in on us?

When it looks bleaker than bleak, what do we do?

Why we hold on.  We press on, in spite of the circumstances, in spite of the weather conditions, and in spite of the economic and political climate.

We remember that God loves us, and He has his eyes always on us.  He knows each of us by name.  Isaiah 43:1-3

Press on my friend.  Press on.

Good news is ahead. 

Remember this:

When you have a dream

When your dreams turn to dust

In Jesus’ name press on

When love comes along

When love leaves you in the dust

In Jesus’ name press on

When you’re on top of the world

When you’re down in the dumps

In Jesus’ name press on

When life lays the golden egg in your lap

When you lay a bad egg

In Jesus’ name press on

When you are happy

When you are in tears

In Jesus’ name press on

When people cheer you on

When people jeer on you

In Jesus’ name press on

When you feel great

When you feel like grousing

In Jesus’ name press on

When you have bucks

When you are broke

In Jesus’ name press on

When you conquer

When you are conquered

In Jesus’ name press on

When you resist evil

When you succumb to evil

In Jesus’ name press on

When you have plenty

When you are in want

In Jesus’ name press on

In good times and bad, in happiness and joy, and in sadness and sorrow, always – always – always - Press on!

God is watching over us.  Here is a promise that I personally cling to.  May it enrich your life as well.  Jeremiah 29:11

And in another place, I have found great comfort in this verse.  Joshua 1:9

Please watch this:

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Press On - by Selah

My Prayer for You

God:

You amaze us.  To think that you know our names and call to us.  How can this be? 

But do you know what we've done? 

Do you know where we've been?

I want to trust you, even cling to you, but I may not be dressed the best.  I may have a bad smell because of what I've rolled around in. 

Can you still want me?

And of course the answer is “Yes”.  Always “Yes” from the God who loves me and is very fond of me.

Thank you God.  I stand amazed at your grace.

Amen.

Pastor Mike

P Michael Biggs

UP-Words Web Address

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

God Does Not Flinch

Don’t you hate rejection?

We experience rejection on many levels and at odd moments in our day. 

The worst kind of rejection is the flinch.  You know the flinch.

~People look at a nasty wound and flinch.

~People hear a nasty story about your relationship breakup and they flinch.

~People hear about your financial woes and they flinch.

~People see an ugly side of your life and flinch.

I hate the flinch. 

Know what?  God doesn’t flinch.

He knows us, knows we are weak, and knows we sometimes make bad choices, but he doesn’t flinch.  Never. 

Remember King David?  He was the apple of God’s eye, yet he had a man killed, committed adultery, and he committed a few other sins, yet God never flinched.  II Samuel 11

Remember the woman caught in adultery.  Christ simply said “Go and sin no more”, but he didn’t flinch.  John 8:1-11

And then there was Zacchaeus.  He was despised by his peers, an outcast in social gatherings, he was a thief, and he had a somewhat shady reputation, yet Christ didn’t flinch.  He walked right up to that tree where Zacchaeus was perched, looked him in the eye, and invited him to come down so they could have supper together. Story of Zacchaeus

I don’t know what you've done, but regardless of what it may be, God will not flinch.

He WILL look at you with kind eyes.  He will have compassion for you, and He definitely offers forgiveness. 

And, oh yeah, He loves you with amazing love.

Love sometimes is an overused expression.  There is freshness in what Brennan Manning, another writer and speaker, says.  “God is very fond of you!”

I love that expression.  I relate to that image.  It speaks of being cherished, being adored, being cared for in more than a casual way. 

“God is very fond of me!”  Say that a few times before you close your eyes in sleep.  That is like a warm blanket on a cold night.

So here is what we have – We have a God who is fond of us and who loves us.  He invites us and calls to us.

Consider this:

“My father and mother may abandon me,

but God will take care of me.”

Psalm 27:10

God knows everything about you, EVERYTHING.  Yet He still loves you – and He doesn't flinch at the thought of you. 

He doesn't say “clean up first, then present yourself.”

He invites.  He calls to us.  “Come, my loved one.  My cherished one.  I am very fond of you.  Come to me.”

I could never imagine God flinching at anything in my life or yours. 

Accept this God who never flinches.

Please watch this.

Crystal Lewis – Come Just a You Are

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Come Just as You Are - Crystal Lewis

A Prayer for All of Us

God:

Sometimes we are disgusting.  We ooze with bad stuff, we harbor less than honorable thoughts, and we go to bad places.  We commit the seemingly unforgivable. 

Yet you offer forgiveness.  You offer hope in the middle of our mundane lives.

AMAZING!

Help us in our inadequacies.  

Accept our outstretched hand as we reach for you once again.

Catch us God.

Amen!

Pastor Mike

Internet Church

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Waves and Billows

Waves can sometimes overwhelm.  Billows can hide and make obscure.

So when we are overwhelmed and our path is darkened,

what then?

How about a bit of good news?

Love this thought.

“But God is the God of the waves and the billows,

and they are still His when they come over us;

again and again we have proved that

the overwhelming thing does not overwhelm.

Once more by His interposition deliverance came.

We were cast down, but not destroyed.”

Amy Wilson Carmichael

That is an amazingly encouraging thought.  Kind of reminds us that God is in control no matter what. 

He is the master of …

  The waves

    The billows

      The problems

        The challenges

          The deficits

            The discouragements

All of this and more is still His. 

In the Bible we are reminded of this:

“He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.”

Psalm 107:27

And in another place we find this:

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,

“Silence!  Be still.”

The wind ceased,

and there was a great calm.”

Mark 4:39

My question for us today is this – What storms and gale force winds are we facing?  Is our boat just about swamped with water?  Are we at the breaking point, fearing for our own survival?  Is some personal crises crushing you?

Never fear. 

N E V E R   F E A R !

He – the God of the universe is on duty.  He is the night watchman.  He is in the lighthouse.  He is the patrolman walking his beat.  We can endure the storms – better than endure – we can survive the storms and watch as His steady hand calms them down to a gentle ripple.

How about that? 

Our God holds us safe and secure, even in the storm. 

In our quote from earlier Amy reminds us of this …

My history has proven that.  So has yours.

Remember that time when …?  You can fill in the blank.  We thought the end was near.  We thought we would never get out of whatever we were facing at that moment. 

And look at us today.  The overwhelming thing did not overwhelm. 

Perhaps it is a good day to give thanks to God.

Now watch this inspirational video by Chris Rice. 

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It Is Well with My Soul - Chris Rice

My Prayer for You

God~

You amaze us.  In the middle of our storms you are present and you bring peace.  I think that teaches us something about faith and trust. 

Oh how we need to trust you more. 

You really do have us in your sights.

You really do keep a steady hand on our lives.

You really do care for us.  It’s as if you really like us. 

I know we hear the Sunday school songs about Jesus Loves Me, but, seriously, you not only love us but you LIKE us? 

Amazing!

All we can say is "Thank You God".

Amen.

Pastor Mike
P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Did You Get it All Together

We live in a time when it’s important to “get it all together”.  People who feel that they are undone sometimes find themselves on the short end of things. 

We feel pressure to “get it all together” on projects, on songs, in relationships, in church and in recipes.

I mentioned church in the list above.  Does God look over the railing of heaven and judge us on our “togetherness” factor? 

I don’t think so. 

Time and again we are reminded to come as we are, leave the cares of the world behind and follow; accept the invitation.  I’ve noticed when I read those words that there are no qualifying instructions leading up to the invitation.

We don’t have to do forty laps around the football field.

We don’t have to bow to the east, or west, or in front of a crucifix or say the Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew.  No such commandments exist. 

The invitation is simple – Come.

And God is doing the inviting.

He says:  “Bring me your tired, your weary, your heavy burdens, your worries, your woes.  Bring it all to me.  Don’t worry about tying it up in a neat little bundle; just bring it all to me.”  

In other words God is saying, “You don’t have to get it all together before you show up.”

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me all ye who labor under heavy burdens.  

I will give you rest. 

You don't earn a place at the party.

   You don't have to smell good enough.

      You don't have to look regal enough.

You don't have to know the right people in power.

   You don’t have to be healthy before you show up.

      You don’t have to have two years clean time before you 
       step through the door.

Just come.  Come as you are. 

Anne Lamont is right –

“We do not have to get it together before we show up.  The opposite may be true.  We may not be able to get it together until after we show up in such miserable shape.”

Help Thanks Wow

I love that imagery.  That’s my kind of God!

He helps me get it together.

What do you need help with?

What is not together in your life?

Are you struggling with …

  Addictions?

    Adultery?

      Gambling?

        Other sexual sins?

          Relationship issues?

Come to the one who stands ready to be your ally and your friend.  Receive forgiveness and He will wipe the slate clean.

He has removed our sins from us

as far as the East is from the West.

Psalms 103:12

That is perhaps the most wonderful news I can share with you today. 

What an amazing God!

Please watch this:

Forgiveness by Toby Mac

My Prayer for You

God:

This is amazing to think about.  When we can’t get it together we are invited to still come to you.  You won’t strike us down, call us names or refuse to listen. 

And when we confess …

... You forgive …

   … and you remove our sins from us as far as the East is from the West. 

What a God you are!

Thank you.  This is GRACE!

Amen.

P Michael Biggs

www.up-words.net

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time