Marty Pressey

Do Not Hinder

Are you jealous of others who are working in Jesus’ name? Do you want to keep them from doing what they are doing? Do you want to out do them? Are you more concerned about how you feel than how Jesus feels? Are willing to set aside your feelings to be who Jesus wants you to be?

Jealousy is part of our culture. It seems to be in our DNA. Even small children often don’t want to share their toys. We are jealous of people who have nicer homes, fancier vehicles, and better jobs. We then carry it to performance. We want to do better than the other person.

The apostles had the same attitude. They were trying to stop people who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name, just because they weren’t following along with the apostles. Jesus tells them not to do that. He says they could not do work in His name and speak ill of Him. Jesus knew who they were and what they were doing. He knew their hearts just as He knew the apostles’ hearts.

We can get wrapped around someone doing something we think is out of line. Yet, the question we need to be asking ourselves is, are they doing it for Jesus? If they are, we need not worry about it. It may be different than we would do. It may be done in a different way. We are viewing it in the wrong way if we are only looking at it from our vantage point.

We only see dimly in our human experience. We don’t have the clarity of God who sees it all and knows everything. This is where our faith comes in. We must trust God to take care of those things that are out of our control. What someone else is doing for Jesus is not our concern. We are to be about doing what He has called us to do.

I pray we all stop worrying about what someone else is doing for Jesus. I pray we stop concerning ourselves with how they do it. I pray each one of us will focus on what Jesus has called us to do. Do not worry about others. Know there are many ways to serve Jesus. Focus on what you are called to do.

Mark 9:38-39 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.”

God is Working for You

Have you been attacked by an enemy? Were you overwhelmed by their abilities? Did you feel as though there was no way out? Did you feel like you were trapped with defeat surely coming? Were you miraculously spared? Have you given credit to God for your escape?

We may face an enemy that is far more skilled than we are. We may face what appears to be insurmountable odds. We may feel as though defeat is certain. Then something miraculously happens. We are spared. We escape from the situation. And we may wonder how it happened.

God is continually working among the billions of situations people face every day. He knows what is happening in a billion places all around the world all at once. He is working on our behalf, even when it seems as though he is not. He knows what we are facing and will use it to our good. It may take us years to see how God was at work in certain situations.

The Psalmist is giving thanks for God working for the Israelites. They faced a mighty enemy. They feared as the enemy attacked that they would be overrun. They thought it would be like a wave of the ocean crashing through and over them like a hurricane. Yet, God intervened, and they were not overrun. They escaped from the jaws of defeat.

When God intervenes on our behalf, and we are saved from defeat, we should thank and praise God. We should give him the credit for being our Savior. Far too often we say it was a miracle without really giving God the credit. Or we take credit for doing something that was beyond our ability. Rather than taking credit or merely chalking it up a miracle, be specific in praising and thanking God for his intervention.

I pray we trust that God is always working. I pray we know that he knows what is going on in our lives. I pray each one of us will give God the credit, thank him, and praise him for rescuing us. Trust God. Give God the credit. Thank God. Praise God. Know he is always working for you.

Psalm 124:8

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Witness with Faith

How much do you trust God? Do you trust him enough to head out on a mission trip with nothing but the clothes you are wearing? Are you willing to trust he will provide for your day-to-day needs? Do you trust he will provide for you financially?

We all like to say we trust God. Yet, when it gets right down to it, we often have doubts. We wonder if he will really provide the money for the bill that is coming due. We wonder if he will guide the surgeon’s hands and grant us a quick and successful recovery.

Trusting God requires a deep faith. We can’t be waffling in our faith, nor can we be weak in it. We must put our whole heart, mind, and soul into it. The reward we get from that kind of faith is amazing and God uses that faith for his purposes.

It is through our deep faith, trusting in God, that we are also witnesses for him. It is our faith that reflects the light of Jesus in our lives. As we shine His light into the world, others take notice. As they take notice, they ask what is behind our peace and tranquility. We are witnesses to God’s amazing work in our lives and how he can do amazing work in other’s lives.

Stepping out in our faith to witness for God is another way of demonstrating our trust in him. Our witness is based on a trust that God will provide the words we need to say when we need to say them. It is trusting God will bring us to individuals who are ready to hear about him and his Son. Be the witness God wants you to be.

I pray we all develop a deep faith in God. I pray we ask God to strengthen our faith in Jesus. I pray each one of us will put our faith to work being witnesses of God’s amazing grace that comes through Jesus Christ. Deepen your faith. Trust God in everything. Step out in faith. Be a witness for Jesus.

Luke 9:3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic.”

Servant of All

How well do you care for others? How do you show them you care for them? Do you care for everyone or only a select few? Are you willing to serve them or are you too proud to serve? Are you constantly striving to win, to be first, or are you willing to allow others to win?

We like to win, don’t we? I like to win. My competitive nature causes me to continually be doing something. I have a running list of tasks to do as long as my arm. I’ve even said I can’t see the bottom of my list. Completing one of those tasks feels like a small win.

But completing tasks is not always the same as serving. It may be serving others in some cases and serving ourselves in others. Sometimes those tasks we put on our list that we think are serving others are not what they want nor what they need. If we want to serve others, we need to listen to them to hear their needs.

Jesus says we must be a servant of all, if we want to be first. That sounds completely upside down to us. But that is what Jesus did, He turned the ways of the world on its head. Yet, serving is hard for us to do. Our culture has ingrained in us that we must put ourselves ahead of others. We must take care of our wants before we help others with their needs.

Caring for others and serving them is not all about money or things. It also includes time and listening. There are many times all the person needs is someone who will listen. There are times when they just need a helping hand with something they are working on. Spending time with people and showing them you care for them is far more important than buying things for them. We must take time to reevaluate how we care for others.

I pray we all decide to serve others. I pray we reevaluate what it means to serve others. I pray each one of us will take Jesus’ words to heart and seek to serve as He served. Decide to follow Jesus’ example. Reevaluate how you serve others. Spend time listening. Be a servant of all.

Mark 9:35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

Righteous Peace

Do you prefer peace or war? Do you like having drama in your life? Are you an agent of peace? Do you pursue peace? Do you negotiate peace among warring parties? Where does your peace come from? Is it merely a lack of hatred or violence? Or is your peace far deeper?

Most of us do not like to constantly be arguing and fighting. Or at least we tell ourselves that. But our actions often betray us. We allow the simplest thing that doesn’t go the way we want it to disrupt our peace. We quickly fly off the handle. We have conditioned ourselves to do so.

We don’t have to live that way. There is a better way to live. It is the abundant life Jesus promised us. That abundant life comes with a deep inner peace. So, how do we get that peace? It comes with the wisdom God is willing to give us. We must first seek God’s wisdom. To do that, we must let go of the wisdom of this world. We must listen to God’s Word rather than what the world is blasting at us.

When we gain the wisdom God is willing to give us, we become peaceable, gentle, merciful, and produce good fruit. The hypocrisy of the world no longer has a hold on us. But it takes a full release of the world’s desires and a pursuit of God’s desires. Not only do we receive these things, but we become righteous. Make no mistake about it. It is not a self-righteousness that we see in some, but a righteousness that comes from God.

I pray we all seek the wisdom of God. I pray we release ourselves from the hypocrisy of the world. I pray each one of us experiences the deep inner peace that only comes from God. Seek God’s wisdom. Pry yourself from the world. Find the deep inner peace. Accept the righteousness that only comes from God.

James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Envy and Ambition

Are you envious of others? Is there bitterness in your heart? Are you seeking personal praise? Do you strive to convince others your views are the right views or to get people to take your side of an argument? Have you realized these are merely earthly concerns?

Envy is often a driving force, whether we recognize it or not. We work to purchase a bigger house, a new vehicle, new clothes, or any of the many adult toys. We compete with one another to look more successful and happier. It is all about appearances.

We are to see our ambition for what it is. We are to evaluate our motives. We are to see the truth of why we are striving. To see the truth, we will need to ask God to reveal it us. We may need to hear the truth from a family member, friend, or co-worker. It can be difficult to hear, but we need to be willing to listen and consider the message may be coming from God.

James very bluntly tells us our envy and selfish ambition is not from God. He goes so far as to call it devilish. In other words, it is Satan’s temptations and his influence over us that causes us to be this way. We are not following Jesus’ commands nor the principles He taught in parables when we are envious or being selfish.

Unfortunately, we often disguise it as being something for God or we simply don’t recognize we are acting that way. It is only by focusing on God’s Word, honestly asking God to reveal our faults, and being willing to listen to good counsel that we can overcome it. Seeking God’s wisdom in all we say and in everything we do is our best approach. Otherwise, we fall prey to Satan’s schemes.

I pray we all open our eyes and recognize our faults. I pray we see Satan’s schemes to cause division. I pray each one of us seek God’s wisdom by reading his Word and prayer. Open your eyes. Open your mind. Evaluate your motives. See Satan’s schemes. Seek God’s wisdom. Read God’s Word. Ask God in prayer.

James 3:14-15 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.

Wisdom and Gentleness

Do you want to live a good life? Do you enjoy doing good works? Are you a person who enjoys accomplishing tasks? Do you think through the tasks before you tackle them? Do you have a plan? How do you approach them? Do you approach them with gentleness and wisdom?

All of us want a good life, but our definition of a good life may differ. Some of us like to complete tasks and enjoy a feeling of accomplishment. Some of us prefer to live a life of ease and luxury. Some of us have struggled most of our life and are not sure what a good life is.

James tells us to show our good life includes our works. Those works are to be done with gentleness that comes from wisdom. How do we become wise? First, knowledge and wisdom come through experience. As we experience different situations, we experience successes and failures. If we learn from those experiences, we become wiser.

Second, we study and research to gain the knowledge we need for the work we will do. Along with our study, we must spend time thinking, pondering, or meditating on what we learn. Without taking time to put the various pieces of data we have learned into comprehensive information; our knowledge is nothing more than data points.

Third, we should pray. True wisdom comes from God. As we ask him to reveal the meaning and usefulness of what we learn, he reveals to us the wisdom we need to use the information appropriately. It is through God’s wisdom that we can accomplish the works he has set aside for us to do with the gentleness of Jesus and show our good life to others.

I pray we all seek live a good life. I pray we gain the knowledge we need to accomplish the works God has set aside for us. I pray each one of us spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal his wisdom to us. Live a good life. Show your good life through works. Ask for God’s wisdom. Accomplish your works with gentleness.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.

Fruit of Our Labors

Do you want to be productive? Do you seek to be someone others can count on? Whose advice do you listen to? Where does your guidance come from? What are the principles your life is based on? Are your principles based on God’s law? Do you have them engraved on your heart?

Most of us want to be productive members of society. We want to be people others can count on. Whether we admit it or not, we like others knowing they can depend on us. But if we are trying to be an upstanding person on our own, we get worn out and often fail.

We fail when we act based on the wrong advice. There are any number of people who like to give us advice based on their personal desires. When we follow their advice rather than basing our decisions on God’s law, commands, and principles, we stumble and may find ourselves digging a hole.

On the other hand, when we study God’s Word, have his law, commands, and principles written on our hearts and we filter all advice through them, we can make wise decisions. Our desires will match God’s desires. Our strength is not our own but God’s. The fruit of our labors are not ours but God’s who is working through us. We become the upstanding person of God that he created us to be.

I pray we all study God’s Word. I pray we have his law, commands, and principles written on our hearts. I pray each one of us will become the person God has created us to be. Study God’s Word. Know God’s law. Obey God’s commands. Follow God’s principles. Be the person God created you to be.

Psalm 1:1-3

Happy are those

who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or take the path that sinners tread,

or sit in the seat of scoffers;

but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law they meditate day and night.

They are like trees

planted by streams of water,

which yield their fruit in its season,

and their leaves do not wither.

In all that they do, they prosper.

Precious Partner

Are you looking for a partner in life? Do you have a life partner now? Do you see your wife as being precious to you? Does your husband trust you with all his heart? Do you continue to work on your relationship? Do you work together so you lack nothing?

Finding a partner for life can be a challenge. We might many people, but finding the right match takes more effort than simply meeting people. We need to get to know them, know their character. We need to not only love them but determine if they will be a good match long term.

We sometimes encounter people who are more in love with the idea of being married than they are in love with the person they marry. There are some people in this world who simply cannot stand being alone. They will cling to anyone who shows them attention. Those relationships typically do not last nor end well.

To find a lifelong partner, we must not only find someone we are attracted to, but someone whose character matches well with ours. We also must understand there is no perfect person waiting for us. We need to be willing to live with a few imperfections and they must be willing to live with a few of ours. A life together will include ups and downs, good times and bad times. Yet, when the two are willing to give to the other, they can make a good life together.

I pray we all find a person we can trust. I pray we see one another as precious to us. I pray each one of us work at our marriages, being willing to give to one another to make a good life together. Find someone you can trust. See the other person as precious. Work on your marriage. Give to one another. Make a good life together.

Proverbs 31:10-11

A capable wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

Immediate Response

How quickly do you respond to urgencies? If there is an emergency, do you react quickly? If there is an urgent matter to be taken care of, do you stay at it until it is completed? How have you responded to Jesus’ calling of you?

When emergencies occur, we often react immediately. It could be as simple as a flat tire or as disastrous as 9/11. The more disastrous the emergency, the more lives at stake, the quicker we respond and the more determined we are to see it through.

So, why do we not respond to Jesus in the same way? Every life on this planet is at stake, not the least of which is our own. It isn’t merely a matter of physical life or death but a matter of spiritual and eternal life or death. Honestly, our physical lives in the here and now are meaningless without the welcomed promise of eternal life.

Will we respond to Jesus? Will we follow Him? He desires us to choose to follow Him. But following Him means forgoing our own personal desires. It means giving up chasing our dreams for our own glory and instead chasing what God wants us to chase for his glory. It doesn’t mean we can’t be a CEO. It simply means as CEO we are to give God the glory.

Far too many people want to see their name in lights for their sake. Yet, when we stop pursuing fame and fortune for our sake and pursue God’s plan for us, we soon realize he has something far better in mind for us. It is in God’s plan that we will find ultimate satisfaction.

I pray we all choose to follow Jesus. I pray we choose to follow God’s plan for our lives. I pray each one of us will give up our personal desires for fame and fortune to abide in God’s plan and bring him glory. Choose Jesus. Follow Him. Give Him you all. Follow God’s plan. Bring God the glory.

Matthew 4:20, 22 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. …Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.