West Angeles Mass Choir- “Press Toward the Mark,” from the CD “Saints in Praise, Vol.2.”
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:10-14(KJV)
Press Towards the Mark!
Reenacting the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa from the Lions' Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It is a rare person who enjoys suffering. The medical profession tells us that to enjoy pain is pathological. Masochistic. So when sorrows and suffering arrive, often the last response is “Thank you, Lord.” When you’re going through sorrows, it can be hard to feel at one with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Yet, we must pray and press to be so. Being one with Jesus, to share in “the fellowship of His suffering” is not to feel doomed because the suffering of our Lord was so great. No, to be a part of the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ is to know hope without bounds. Yes, the Lord died a horrible death. He was beaten beyond recognition, and he was slain without mercy. But the story doesn’t end there. He arose from the grave: Hallelujah! By His resurrection, Jesus conquered death and Hell, Satan and all his wicked kingdom. So to be a part of the fellowship of the sufferings of Jesus is to “endure hardness as a good soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3) knowing that we “are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37). It’s knowing that we can be of good cheer because Jesus overcame this world in which we are having trials and tribulations. That’s why the Apostle Paul tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord Always. Again I say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
Rejoicing in the Lord is important, because it allows us to see our troubles through the eyes of hope and the love of God. Rejoicing calls to remembrance past deliverances, and gives us cause to be grateful. Rejoicing bestows wings upon our thoughts and plans, and gives our spirits the energy needed to propel us out of despair and into positive actions that are in accordance with God’s plans for our lives.
It is important that we not give up in our obedience to the will of God. Our frail human minds and egos are easily bruised. Past failures and rejections haunt us, and if we allow them to preoccupy our thoughts, we will slow down. The Apostle Paul gives us the prescription to avoid being mentally entangled by the past. The directive says: Forget “those things which are behind.” It says: Reach for “those things which are before.” Who is before us? God is before us, even as Jesus walked this earth before us. The pathway of God shows us the way. He is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that shows us with certainty where to go and protects us as we are on the way. Fellow believer, I urge you today. Let go. Forget. Reach for the Savior. Lay hold of Him, and you will not fail. Press on!! Think of some things in the past you have to let go of, and do it! Then reach and keep on reaching for the mark of the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ!!
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The video West Angeles Mass Choir- “Press Toward the Mark,” from the CD “Saints in Praise, Vol.2,” was uploaded on Youtube.com by elecia96 on Oct 10, 2008. Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership of this video. It is used to educational purposes only.
