Pressing Situation!

This past weekend I was involved in a “pressing situation”; the directing of cider pressing at the annual Apple Cider Press youth rally in Cashmere, Washington. The weekend was filled with some very practical lessons presented by two wonderful speakers, lots of singing, and of course some friendly competition between the teens. Prior to starting the stopwatch and sending teens from each team running for apples, I would remind the teams that they needed to be careful to not drop any apples on the ground. For every apple dropped they would lose credit for one quarter inch of cider pressed during their fifteen minutes of work. I urged them to remember they did not want to lose credit for any of the cider they would WORK SO HARD to make. This year there were some records broken. One team WORKED HARD to press a record amount of forty-six and one quarter inches (measured in five gallon buckets). Another team that pressed almost as much, dropped a total of fifteen apples (also a new record) which meant they lost credit for three and three quarters inches of what they had WORKED SO HARD to produce. Together, the sixteen competing teams pressed a total of five hundred seventy inches of cider which was enough to fill four hundred seventy-one half gallon jugs of cider.

Yesterday I reflected on this past weekend’s activities as I read through 2 John. A much more “pressing situation” has to do with our continued faithfulness to God. Though we have been saved by the grace of God -- being cleansed by the powerful blood of Jesus -- if we fail to remain watchful and continue to press on in the growth of Christian faith, we could lose that which we had gained.

John exhorted…
“(7) For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. (8) WATCH YOURSELVES, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT LOSE WHAT WE HAVE WORKED FOR, BUT MAY WIN A FULL REWARD. (9) Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” ( 2 John 7-9 ESV)

Such deceivers to which John referred might appear to offer something, but in the process of following them they actually take away what was already gained in Christ. There is the need to keep pressing on in faith and obedience to God so that we do not find ourselves going backwards. To not be watchful could mean losing what has already been WORKED SO HARD to grow in. Let us live so as to not lose any of the blessings God would reward us with through the maintaining of a proper relationship to Him and His Will.

Have a great day PRESSING ON WITH GROWTH IN THE LORD!
Carl

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