Happy New Year!

Chris Swift. “Hello Friends.
Kathy and I want to take time to wish you a Happy New Year as we begin 2024 . Have you ever considered Luke 18 and the story of the blind beggar by the road?”

Kathy. “You mean Bartimaeus?”
Chris. “Yes.”
Kathy. “ I was listening to a friend of mine today and she was talking about this very story. I listened to her and the story talks about a blind man sitting on the side of the road.
He’s been blind for a long time, and he hears a rush of a crowd going past him. He says, ‘what’s going on?’
And someone said, ‘Oh, it’s Jesus. He’s coming by.’
‘Oh,’ Blind Bartimaeus says, ‘Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me.’ And all of a sudden he felt people talking and touching him. Telling him to shhhhh …be still.”
Chris. “Church people?”
Kathy. “You know, it was the followers of Jesus.”
Chris. “Oh oh.”
Kathy. “It was the ones who had already seen the miracles. They were telling somebody in need to be still.”
Chris. “Oh my goodness.”
Kathy. “But do you know what he did? He didn’t listen. He was determined. He yelled louder, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, and something happened. The crowd had to stop because Jesus stopped!
Chris. “Jesus stood stock still.”
Kathy. “Jesus not only stood still but he said, ‘what do you need me to do?’
Bartimaeus said, ‘Well, I want to see.’
And HE healed that man!
Now there was two thoughts!
1) Bartimaeus was determined.
‘If I know that this is the man that’s been coming around and helping everybody else, why, he’s got to help me. And I am Determined even when opposition said, don’t!’
2)Then the other thing was, that he pressed on! He was not only determined in himself but he did it anyway. He PRESSED on! That’s what we gotta do in 2024. We’ve seen everything behind us. We’ve seen the sorrows, we’ve seen the valleys, we’ve been on the mountains, we’ve seen the blessings, but this is a brand new year! January 1! What do we do? We’ve got to PRESS!”

Chris. “That reminds me of another story of man that was blind and he was beside the road and Jesus came to him. He had a revelation of Christ and this is what he said in Philippians 3: verses 10 -14.

”I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection (AMEN) and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on (just like Bartimaeus) to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind . . . “ behind in 2023, perhaps 2022 or 21 or 20. . . Oh”

“Forgetting what’s behind and straining toward what is ahead.
I press on” Again, we have that word “press on” toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Kathy. “Perhaps ‘pressing on’ could be a word for Western Europe; we are pressing on to see the harvest. We are pressing on to do the work of the Lord. We are pressing on TEAM, to do what God inspires and tells us to do, in spite of difficulties. In spite of surroundings or situations.”
Chris. “Through it all! Through it all. You know we have been many places and we’ve seen many faces. And we’ve had many trials and many mountains and valleys but through it all … we need to PRESS on.
That is going to be my purpose in 2024 and I believe. I am going to pray that this is what we can also do in Western Europe.”

Kathy. “Well dear friends, have a wonderful NEW YEAR but start today thinking about :
1. Being determined!
2. And Pressing on! until we receive the high calling.”

Chris. “Come back to this web site if you want to have a blessing every month. Wewomenofexcellence.com
Every month there is a devotion, a blessing for you.
We also have a web site: www.cogwe.org. for Western Europe.
We invite you to pray with us as we press on toward the mark of Jesus Christ.
Kathy. “May you be blessed. Make sure you contact us. Sign in with your email so we know you have been here.
God Bless. Have a great day!!”

Prayer: Touch each of us today to be determined to touch you Jesus in 2024 and to Never give up. Press on!
In Jesus name. Amen.