GET
UP AND TRY IT AGAIN
Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
As a baby, learning to walk is a
big adventure for the child, and a joyous moment for the parents and other
relatives. I watched with amazement as my first granddaughter started
taking her first steps, and what a momentous occasion it was.
Her little legs gaining strength with each step she took as we
stood by holding our breath, yet clapping with excitement at her
progress!! Each time she fell
we were there to help her back to her feet, encouraging her to try it
again! As adults, we know the
benefits children receive for the rest of their lives from learning to
walk. So every day we
encourage them and help them to try it again, and again, until they can
stand and walk on their on.
When she finally figured out that
she could get around quicker by holding on to something, there was no
stopping her! As she mastered this we started putting things in her way to
keep her from getting into dangerous areas, or places we weren�t ready
for her to go. Aliyah
quickly learned what we were doing. One
day, as we placed an ottoman in her way, she slowly but surely walked her
way to the end of it and tried to push it out of her way to get to her
destination! This little girl
had something she wanted to do and she was determined nothing would stand
in her way!
Do you see the message here?
Just as we encourage our children to get up and try it again, we
must do the same. No matter how many times she fell, she didn�t hesitate to
get up and try it again. And
it didn�t matter about the stumbling blocks we put in her way.
She refused to let them stop her from trying to get where she
wanted to go! She would
simply walk until she came to the end of it and try to find a way around
it. Can we
learn something from this? Sure
we can: get up and try again.
Many times in this Christian
walk, we get discouraged because of circumstances. We have had some bad
falls in our lives, and got up enough nerve to try again but ended up
falling once more. We get
past one situation only to find another one waiting in the shadows for us.
As soon as we get back on our feet, something comes along and knocks us
down again. And each
experience leaves such an impact that you hesitate to even try again.
But, no matter what the circumstances are, we should never, never
quit! The enemy will always
put stumbling blocks in our way; that�s his job.
Surely you didn�t expect him to help
you reach your goal? Get up
and try again!
P.U.S.H
� Push Until Something Happens
Discouragement is a part of life;
we get very discouraged when we believe God has not answered our prayers.
We feel like giving up because the pressure is too much, or it is not fair
because nobody else is having as hard of a time as you are.
We just can�t seem to stay ahead long enough to enjoy the fruits
of our labor, before something else comes along and knocks us back off our
feet. Jesus never said that
it would be easy. The
Lord has not delivered you from the storm only to push you into a
hurricane. Trials will come
and trials will go, they don�t last forever. PUSH!
When you find insurmountable
mountains on your path, those are God's opportunities to reveal himself as
the Almighty. When you find the words of mockery, rejection and slander
come forth, rejoice - for Jesus suffered the very same things.
You have to keep going. You
have to keep pushing until you hear YES! You may have to change some
things about yourself, but you must PUSH on.
Jesus wants you to forget things that are behind you, and reach
forward toward the prize of the high calling of God, and PUSH!
You are a child of the KING; therefore you are commanded to PUSH past the
oppositions! PUSH past voices
of disbelief! PUSH past the
circumstances. Those
obstacles do not line up with the vision God gave you, so PUSH forward!
Like a bull in the ring that focuses on red, so must the child of God
focus on the red crimson stream that flows from the cross to the throne of
God. PUSH and see only His
Face. Get up and try again!
IT�S
ONLY A TEST
When God allows a test to come
into our lives, He doesn�t always make the announcement, like He did
with Peter.
Luke
22:31-22 And the Lord said,
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you
as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:
Now there are times He wants us to respond to the testing - not out of a decision of the mind...or an act of the will - but out of the TRUE condition of our heart. Not out of what we want everybody else to think about us, but what God already KNOWS to be true about us.
Jesus wants the test to show US
(because He already knows) the true condition of our hearts. The pressures
of life�s trials and tribulations bring out what is already there!
Although we think we have done a great job in hiding from others, sooner
or later it will be exposed. Don't blame the person that may bring a trial
your way, and don�t blame Jesus. If you confess that you are crucified
with Christ and your flesh responds, then you have found an area in your
life that isn't crucified with Christ...yet.
Gal
2:20 I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Give Him permission to do whatever it takes to change your heart....to grow it to be like His. So that you will be able to get up and try again. Be steadfast in your trials and tests. They do not last forever! There is a time for promotion when they are complete! Don�t deny yourself. Pick up your cross DAILY and follow Him. Come on get up and try again.
ONE
STEP AT A TIME
Mat 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Just
as in learning to walk, you must take one step at a time, and don�t
worry about the mistakes of yesterday, or the troubles of tomorrow.
God wants you to focus on this day and this day only.
He wants you to know that it�s a new day for the fulfillment of
your promise. It is the day when the Lord is bringing many out of the
caves into the battlefields. It is a day when He is bringing many out of
the pits into the palaces. Don�t give up now! God is getting ready to birth something new in the lives of
those who simply say yes to Him. It is the season and it is the time of
transition from one place to another. Shut the doors of the past and open
and walk through the new doors He is forming for you.
Begin
to count your blessings this day. Don't allow the enemy to rob you of your
blessings by focusing on the negative around you. Do not look at the
severity of the trial or the time involved in walking it out - that is not
yours to be concerned with. All you need to do is stand, unwavering
knowing that I AM
faithful. Don't panic in these last days and give up, running to the arm
of the flesh. Look past the
circumstances, and keep your eyes on Me, knowing in your heart that I AM faithful. I AM
in control and am working all things for your good. Don't allow the enemy
to bring discouragement and despair trying to get you to believe that
there is no end to these trials. Your wilderness time is over.
Take the next step � the step
of faith, and do not look back. Keep
your hand to the plough and activate those gifts and talents that God has
place in you. Your wilderness time is over.
Luke
9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Today we
declare that the devil is a liar. That which God has purposed in your
heart, He desires to fulfill. So today, I want to encourage you to get up
and try it again. That which you�ve been hesitant to try for fear of
falling again may be the very thing to usher you into your breakthrough
and God's purpose for your life. (Which
will not only impact you, but many others as well.) You have been making
attempts, but only while holding on to that which you feel is safe and
secure.
You�re
right at the edge of a major breakthrough that will bring glorious changes
to your life! Reach out and
decree that this is the day of salvation victory and to rejoice! You may
fall down, but because of the Grace of God you can get up.
Today, let go of past hurts, let go of disappointments and agree
with God that with Him, you can do all things. Get up and try again, and
never ever stop believing!
DON�T GIVE UP!
Don�t
give up means
that we will not surrender our God-given dreams, desires and aspirations
to lack, failure, fear, criticism or intimidation. It means that we will
not quit. We will not surrender. We will not give up!
Don�t Give In!
Don�t
give in means
that we will not compromise integrity and truth. We will not cave in to
the superficial religiosity that masquerades as true Christianity. We will
not yield to the pressure to conform to the religious status
quo. We will be real! We will maintain our integrity and be the people
God has called us to be. We will not give in!
Don�t Give Out!
Don�t
give out means
that we will that we will not exhaust ourselves doing the work of the
Lord. It means that we will pace ourselves so that we can have a long and
fruitful life in these mortal bodies. In Mark 6:31 Jesus told his
disciples, after they had returned from a grueling preaching tour, Come
ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while (KJV).
CONCLUSION
These
three determinations are exhibited in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not give up when faced with the horrors of death on a cross. He
did not give in to the angry, intimidating threats of the Pharisees
nor to the selfish suggestions of his own disciples. He
did not give out but went on to complete our salvation. He now sits at
the right hand of the Father from whence He will come in glory. He
did not give up! He did not give in! He did not give out! WILL WE FOLLOW
HIS EXAMPLE?
Don�t
Quit
When
things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're
trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low,
and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but
you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you
down a bit,
Rest if you must, but
don't you quit.
Life
is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of us
sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns
about,
When he might have won,
had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the
pace seems slow,
You may succeed with
another blow.
Success
is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the
clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how
close you are,
It may be near when it
seems so far,
So stick to the fight when
you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem
worse,
that you must not quit.
START
OVER
When
you've trusted God and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way ... Start over.
When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why Start over.
When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through,
And you're all alone and it's up to you
... Start over.
When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone.
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong.
And now your grandchildren come along ... Start over.
When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still.
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill ... Start over.
When
you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it ..
Start over.
When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you ... Start over.
Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "God's Will Done"
Don't just sit there
.....START
OVER
Do
You Feel There is No Hope
In your times of deep despair,
Do you feel there is no hope?
As the darkness closes in on you,
Do you feel you cannot cope?
As you
struggle on through every trial,
Do you say "When will it end"?
As you cry yourself to sleep at night,
Do you wish you had a friend?
When your
body's racked with aches and pains,
Do you feel you are alone?
When you think about the future,
Do you fear the great unknown?
There is
someone who really cares,
And He hears your every cry.
His arms are reaching out to you,
And on Him you can rely.
When things
close in around you,
He sees your fear and doubt -
He wants to hold you in His arms,
And He will never cast you out.
As you stumble through the darkness,
He will be your guiding light.
He wants to wipe away your tears,
For you are precious in His sight.
Reach out
right now to Jesus,
And let Him take complete control -
He'll take that heavy burden,
And He'll touch and make you whole.
He's
reaching out His arms to you,
And He wants to be your friend.
Let Him take you in His loving arms,
For His love will never end
Contributors
to this newsletter:
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Dana Ahern � Editing
And
all of your prayers and words of encouragement