Forgetting Those Things That Are Behind

Phil. 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [a]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We have made it to the last day of the year. God has truly blessed, protected, and covered us. I woke up yesterday with a song, You Covered Me, by Donald Lawrence, featuring Hezekiah Walker. It talks about how we could have lost our minds or wanted to give up. But by the grace of God, He covered us. God covered us through trials, tribulations, and attacks on our bodies, minds, ministries, and families. God brought us through it all. Millions didn't make it to this day, but God's grace has brought us to this point.

In Phil. 3, Paul is warning the people of Judaizers - Jewish Christians that believed that the Gentiles had to follow the old Jewish laws of the Old Testament to be saved, especially circumcision. Paul states that conversion was not based on all that he had accomplished or his credentials. It was because of the coming of a Savior, Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and resurrection. It wasn't because of who he was or what he had done.

All that Paul gained, he counted it as loss for Christ Jesus. He didn't boast in his righteousness but the righteousness of Christ which is from God by faith. It was nothing to be compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. He wanted to forget the past things - his persecuting the church and look ahead to what was before him.

We all have things that we need to forget or put behind us. The year of 2022 was filled wth good and things that we may want to just put behind us. They are all working for our good but we do not need to get stuck in the past. Yes, we may not have gotten all things accomplished that we set out to do and we may have gotten off track, but God is able to use all the setbacks as set ups for what is ahead of us.

Let us not dwell on the past but grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus and walk closer to Him. We are getting ready to step into a new beginning, a new year. We are "pressing toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." We are looking forward to a "fuller and more meaningful life because of our hope in Christ". (Life Application Bible)

Be blessed.

 For Unto Us a Child Is Born

Isaiah 9:6-7

6) "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7) Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

It is Christmas time again and we often hear this scripture repeated.  Jesus is the child that was to be born, the Son of God.  He was born of a virgin, Mary, in a manager.  Quite different than what the Jews expected from the coming King.  Nevertheless, He was born meek and lowly in a manger.  Yet, He was the Lord of Glory, God in the flesh.  

It was foretold in Isaiah that He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  He is the one with all wisdom, able to give you wise counsel and steer you in the right direction.  He is Almighty!! He is the Everlasting Father, there is no end to His reign and He is indeed a loving Father.  He has no beginning or ending, He is God.  

He is God and the God of Peace.  Heb. 13:20 states "20 Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.  All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.  He is peace and can give you the peace that passes all understanding. You will not be able to understand why you have peace in the midst of your situation or circumstance.  He will equip you with all that you need to do His will.

He is the King of the Kingdom of God (Heaven) and we are His subjects.  Of His rule and government will be no end, it is eternal.  He was born in the lineage of David and will reign on the throne forever.  He is God and yet came through the line of David to fulfill this prophecy.  

It is only the Lord Almighty that will be able to accomplish this.  He has come and will come again.  The government of God is on His shoulders, He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  We must be ready to meet Him and be caught with Him in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  

May God bless you this Christmas season.  Remember that Christmas is about Christ, the child that was born to bring forgiveness and salvation to all mankind.  He is all that you need.  

Merry Christmas. 

 God Is My Salvation

It is December and we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.  Webster defines salvation as preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.  In the Old Testament the word used often for salvation was a Hebrew word,"yasa [[;v"y] (to save, help in distress, rescue, deliver, set free)" (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/salvation/) It was used to signify material deliverance, whereas salvation in the New Testament was more spiritual.   

Isaiah 12, is called a Hymn of Praise. It follows Isaiah 11 which talks of the reign of Jesse's offspring, the Messiah.  Jesus would be the fulfillment of God's promise, a descendant of David.  He would be the Righteous Judge and the faithful one. Judah was surrounded by hostile foreign powers and they needed righteousness, justice, and faithfulness.  The Messiah would rule one day and this time of peace when even hostile animals could live together in peace would come. 

This chapter was a description of the joy when Jesus comes to reign on earth.  They  would praise the Lord.  We too must praise the Lord.  The Lord is our salvation.  Jesus saves, rescues, delivers, and sets us free.  He alone perserves us.  We do not have to fear because He is indeed our strength.  We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us!!  He alone can save us.  

As we draw near to the end of another year, we should be so grateful for all that He has done for us in 2022.  He alone has kept us alive and is provided for us.  We can trust Him and He is our salvation. 

Be blessed. 

I Will Praise You Lord with All My Heart!

Ps. 9:1-2

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

"Praise is expressing to God our appreciation and understanding of his worth. It is saying thank you for each aspect of His divine nature. Our inward attitude becomes outward expression. When we praise God, we help ourselves by expanding our awareness of who He is. In each psalm you read, look for an attribute or characteristic of God for which you can thank Him." (Life Application Bible, Psalm 9)

This Psalm says to the Lord, that I will praise the Lord with all of my heart. I will praise God with my all. Why? Because He first loved me. I will tell of all the marvelous things that He has done for me. Why? Because He is good and I want to tell it go give Him the glory.

God deserves the glory. He has done so many amazing things for me. I want to run and tell everyone of all the wonderful things He has done. It can be a testimony of a hard time that God brought me through or a miraculous blessing. God wants us to tell us His goodness so that others can see the wonderful works of the Lord.

Wouldn't you tell everyone you know of something good that happened to you or a great deal? The gospel is the Good News!! Having a relationship with God is the best thing that can happen to anyone. It is telling of the goodness of God. He has kept me and my family down through the years. Through good times and hard times, He has been good.

No one said that it would be easy but it is wonderful. As you accept Jesus as your Lord, you are in relationship with the Lord of Glory. He is so faithful and trustworthy.

This is the end of November, a time of thanksgiving. However, we should always be grateful. Gratefulness makes room for more blessings. If we are grateful for the things that God has already done, He will bless you with more.

Always praise the Lord and be thankful with all of your heart. Be blessed.

 Enter Into His Gates with Thanksgiving

The Lord has been giving me this Psalm quite frequently.  Not that I have been unthankful but sometimes we fail to be consistently thankful. Sometimes we look passed the things that we have looking for the next, waiting for the next. We are trying to accomplish things or we are walking through rough places and we are tempted to complain.  

I was reading an excerpt from Battlefield of the Mind Psalms and Proverbs by Joyce Meyer on this Psalm. The Keys to Victorious Living commentaries, Look for Something To Be Thankful For, stated that "Prayer often goes unanswered because of an ungrateful heart. There are people who are grumblers, murmurers, faultfinders, and complainers. We must be careful not to be like that.  We need to be the kind of people who are thankful for what God is doing.  Complaining and being ungrateful are major hindrances to answered prayers."

We have to be thankful for what we have, were we are, and what God is doing for us now.  How can we expect God to bless us with more if we are not grateful for what we have now?  I may not have the new home, but I am thankful for where I am living now.  Thankful for the things God has given me, the beautiful, healthy, and growing family.  We need to have a thankful heart every day.  We must enter into His gates with thanksgiving daily.  

Why? Because we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  God made us, we did not make ourselves.  He is in control and He blesses us daily.  So, we should be thankful continually.  

There will be times when we are faced with situations and troubles, but we still need to be thankful.  The enemy wants you to be dissatisfied all the time. This will cause you to be disgruntle, grumble, murmur, and complain.  You will focus on the problem and not the problem solver.  God is the Great Shepherd and if you know anything about sheep (research the care required for sheep), you will know that they need a loving, protective, and wonderful Shepherd.  

Being ungrateful will keep you from receiving and enjoying the great things that God has already done for you.  You will miss the blessings of the Lord looking for the next.  You may not receive the next because you are not grateful for the present.  

We are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. God deserves our praise.  Praise is defined as "To praise God is to call attention to his glory"   (https://www.biblestudytools.com)

God alone deserves the attention because of all of the wonderful things that He has done for us.  Even in our trials, temptations, and troubles, God has been good to us.  We have escaped many things that we were not even aware of because of the goodness of God. 

The Lord is good and His mercies are everlasting.  They will last forever.  His truth will endure to all generations.  The Word of God is still true thousands of years after it was recorded. Why? Because His truth endures to all generations.  We are recipients of the truth of God.   God is good and deserves our continual thanks.  Ps. 34:1 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth".  

This scripture is a reminder to me that I need to be thankful continually.  I am to focus on the goodness of God and be thankful.  This Thanksgiving week, I challenge you to find things to be thankful for each day and all day long.  Tell God, thank you and give Him praise.  Because He alone is worthy of all the praise. 

Be blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. 

 In Everything, Give Thanks

1 Thess. 5:16-18

"16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

November is the month of thanksgiving.  As a matter of fact, we should always be thankful for all that God has done for us.  If you are reading this blog, God has been good to you.  You are still alive and able to read.  We take so many things for granted. 

I am sure that there are some in dire situations or enduring great trials.  You may not feel as if God has been good to you.  Your problems are clouding your view of anything good that has happened in your life.  Sometimes life can be hard and you lose sight of the everyday good things that God has and is doing for you. However, God is always good and is always good to us.  

Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church to assure them of Jesus' return.  He want to strengthen their faith because they were discouraged.  They were a young church that was enduring persecution.  Christians were being killed by people (Jews, Greeks, or Romans) that hated Christ and everybody that followed Him. Paul wanted them to know that he loved them and that being a Christian was not in vain.  He wanted them to know that their faithfulness during persecution was commendable.

He also wanted to remind them how to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.  He reminded them to comfort the fainthearted, be patient and kind to everyone, to be joyful always, to pray continually, and always be thankful.  He reminded them to avoid evil as well. 

He wanted them to know that regardless of the situation or circumstance, their joy and thankfulness should not fluctuate.  I know that there are times when you don't feel like being thankful or joyous.  It goes against our natural inclination or it's just not a natural response.  We get discouraged, angry, and ready to give up. But Paul admonishes us to give thanks in everything.  Whether you can pay the bill, have what you need, are sick in your body, or lost a family member.  It is hard to be thankful.  But even in the heartbreak, we must look up and be thankful.

Someone might say, "Are you kidding? I'm supposed to be thankful in this situation?"  You don't have to be glad for the situation but you can be grateful that God is still in control and He is able to bring you through it.  He promised never to leave you and can change it SUDDENLY.  Even if He doesn't, your tribulation is working patience and "all things are working together for your good."  

I know it may not look good, feel good, sound good, or even look like it is coming to an end. But God!! God is still good and deserving of the thanks.  He is able to deliver you and He can at any moment.  Job said in Job 13:15 "15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." 

God may be working something in or out of you.  He knows what you need and His plan for your life.  We need to trust His process because He does love us all.  He loves us enough to send His best - Jesus Christ to die for us.  

It is not be easy but give thanks at all times.  Even with tears, give thanks.  When you don't understand or sense His presence, give thanks.  When you can't see your way, give thanks. Better days are coming.  

Every day that you wake up, give thanks.  Just look for things to give thanks for and watch your perspective change.  We can and should always give thanks in all things.  When we are doing God's will, we find it easier to be joyful and thankful. 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in all things give thanks.  Why? Because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  Give thanks. 

Be blessed. 

Give Thanks To The Lord!

Ps. 136:1
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. 

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord!!  God is good, God is so good!  We have made it to the eleventh month of the year, November.  The year of 2022 is almost over.  God has been so good to us.  We have had good times, blessings, trials, troubles, persecution, and maybe some hard times.  We have been blessed through the trial and in spite of the trials.  

The book of James, Chapter 1 tells us that trials are coming and they are working patience in us.  It is the perfect work of God.  If we lack wisdom about a situation or a trial, we can ask God.  We don't have to pretend to be happy in a trial, but we can know that God is with us in our trials.  He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).  

The Psalm 136 tell us of God's love and mercy towards us.  We should constantly give thanks to the Lord because He is good and His mercy endures forever.  What is mercy? Mercy is God's lovingkindness, compassion, pity, faithfulness, and sympathy for or toward mankind.  It endures (keeps going on) forever, without end.  Psalm 136 is a responsive reading with the people answering "His mercy endures forever." 

The Psalm tells the wondrous things that God has done.  The response is that His mercy - love, kindness, compassion, etc. continues toward mankind.  These are just a few of the things recorded that God has done.  He is great and deserves praise for all the things that He has done from the beginning.  And in spite of the sinfulness of mankind, He still has mercy on us.  

How many of you would continue to have such love, kindness, compassion, pity, faithfulness, and sympathy toward people that despise you, kick against your authority, disobey you, walk out on you, talk against you, and blatantly disregard your love for them?  Really?  But God has from the beginning to time shown unfathomable love for us and those that were created before us. He is love and His mercy endures forever.  

Since Adam until now, His mercy has been enduring.  Endure means to suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently; remain in existence; last.  God's love has endured the sins and disobedience of man with patience and is still existing.  He doesn't want anyone to perish but sent Jesus to die for our sins.  His love is immeasurable and unrelenting.  

As we enter the month of November, let us be thankful.  Why? Because the Great I Am, our Father, God, Protector, Creator, and Friend has been good to us!!  I challenge you to wake up each day and write at least three things that you are thankful for.  Yes, just three.  I am sure that you could write more but just start with three.  As you give thanks, watch your mood and attitude change for the better (not saying that it is bad).  God deserves all of your gratitude so let's give Him thanks.  

Be blessed.