Forgetting
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
“I don’t want to see where I’ve been, I want to see How I look getting to where I am going” Fonzy from ‘happy days’ when asked why his motorcycle rearview mirrors were aimed at his face instead of behind him.
I don’t know about you but I definitely don’t care about where I have been. Other than learning from my mistakes, learning the lessons I have learned from the Lord, and remembering my friends and family that I have made along the way, I don’t care about my past. I only am interested in where I, those in my life and the rest of the world for that matter, are going to spend eternity. That’s all that really matters for everyone. Where we’ve been, what we’ve done, no matter how good or bad, is irrelevant.
This missive is something I learned (and am learning on the mission field). Hopefully it will help you to be encouraged, and to finish strong.
Biblical revelling, is defined as having a great time, or delighting in something. I like a good time as much, if not more, than the next guy. But I try not to revel in the past, as in reliving the old glory days.
It’s wrong thinking the way I see it. Live for the future, not the past. Whenever I find myself looking in the past I feel proud, sorrowful or angry. None are good emotions. Not one is very glorifying for the Lord. God seems to be showing me, ‘I don’t care what you’ve done for me yesterday, what have you done for me today’
Not forgetting our past can make us sin in 3 ways.
- Our past can make us sin by being proud. It can make us exaggerate. I personally try not to live in the past. If I am looking at the past, I can’t go forward. I ran cross country. If I could not pass the guy in front of me by running faster than him, I would do anything necessary to get him to look at me (including spitting on him). Once he looked back, I easily passed him. You slow down when you look behind you. You lose your momentum. God tells us not to in Isaiah in the past is not only sinful, but boring. Who cares what a 64 year oíd man did when he was a teenager? It’s of little effect. And, again, it is sin because God tells us not to. He has something better for us, a new thing. It’s so much better to get God’s new thing than hanging on to any old thing.
Isaiah 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Forget the good old glory days! Wrong thinking! The real glory is waiting for us. Who cares if you carried a little ball across a chalk line? Live in the present, and for the future. Do not live in the past.
- Our past can make us sin by being sorrowful. Feeling sorrowful for sin is great for repentance. Being sorrowful for a lost loved one is normal, but please be careful for that as well. It’s natural, but don’t let it turn into idolatry. As for a sin that you committed? Once you truly repent, that’s it! God has forgiven you. Your friends, enemies and family might never forgive you. Your priests, church members, pastors and denominations may always bring it up to you again and again. But the only One to whom your past sins really matters to, is GOD. He has forgiven you once and for all. To keep on insisting on being sorrowful for a past sin falls actually under the word profanity. (Discrediting God’s promise). People who insist on being sorrowful often begin to fight with God, and harbor grudges against the only Perfect Being in existence. Perpetually sorrowful people are not only sinful, but are total bummers to be around. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone. I am not referring to someone who has lost a loved one recently. I am referring to being sorrowful over the consequences of your past sins, or a loss, perpetually.
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
- Our past can make us angry if we look at it too much. I know for me it does. I see milestones where the Lord has helped me along the way. I journal. But I almost always kick myself if I stay there too long. I get angry at someone or myself when I look at my past. It’s best not to. Anger for something in the past is called unforgiveness, either towards you or someone else. Either way, not good, not spiritual, not edifying. Something washed over me suddenly. Not having helped someone when I could have. Not being nice when I should have been. Not saying the right thing that would have been a blessing. Our past makes us angry because of unforgiveness. We need to forgive others as well as ourselves: Unforgiveness is not only sin, but it is torture.
Ephesians 4:32 forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
We should forget our pasts in order to live for a Lord and serve Him forever. Pastor Malcolm Wild once said ‘I wish I could help you to forget everything that you learned about Christianity before you got saved’ haha! True! We need to forget a bunch of wrong teachings, mistakes, betrayals and our own failures.
We should never forget what Jesus did on the cross for us. We can’t forget Him when we talk about Him constantly. He is never boring or a drag. He said it is our life!
Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God
God wants us to remember Him, to not forget Him. He is good. In return He remembers us, and chooses to not remember our sins any longer. When we ask for the 100th time, God please forgive me for that sin, God responds ´What sin´?
Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more
Love
Dean and Winnie
COVID 19 UPDATE- GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE, PRAYER STILL CHANGES THINGS. WE STILL HAVE NOT ONE CASE AMONG THE 300+ FAMILIES WE SERVE, NOR AMONG OUR STAFF, NOR OUR EXTENDED FRIENDS AND FAMILY. NICARAGUA SEEMS TO BE FINE! WE TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS, WASH OUR HANDS, STAGGER THE PRESCHOOL CLASSES, AND HAVE A MAT WITH BLEACH ON IT FOR PEOPLE TO WIPE OFF THEIR SHOES BEFORE ENTERING THE WINNER HOME, BUT THAT’S IT. PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE IT IN THE STATES. PSALM 91
Pureheart Update – ALL IS GOING SURPRISINGLY WELL AND EASY HERE.
- PRAYING TO CONTINUE TO BE USEABLE, TEACHABLE, A GOOD TESTIMONY, FATHER, HUSBAND, A FAITHFUL SERVANT AND TO FINISH WELL. GOD TAKES CARE OF THE REST.
- THE MINISTRY GROWTH HERE IS AMAZING. PEOPLE ARE GETTING SAVED. ENGLISH AND DISCIPLESHIP CLASSES ARE FRUITFUL.
- WE’RE STILL HOLDING LOVE FEASTS
- WE STILL HAVE 2 FEEDING CENTERS, AND HELP TWO OTHER FEEDING CENTERS.
- WORKING ON THE PUREHEART HOME (RIGHT NOW EXTENDING THE WAREHOUSE AND PUTTING IN AN ADDITIONAL LIVING QUARTERS, SCROLL UP and DOWN FOR PICS),
- HELPING OTHERS WITH EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS RAINY SEASON DESTROYS THE SHACKS THAT MANY OF OUR PEOPLE LIVE IN.
- STILL STRIVING WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL PAPERWORK, AMONG OF WHICH IS FOR PERMISSION TO HAVE AN ORPHANAGE-OLDFOLKS HOME ON A SUSTAINABLE GREEN FARM IN THE MANAGUA CITY LIMITS.
- WAITING ON THE LORD TO PROVIDE FOR ALL THE FULL TIME STAFF, DOCTOR, NURSE, AIDES ETC THAT COME WITH THAT, AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY.
A TALL ORDER, BUT NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR GOD, NOT EVEN DIFFICULT.
Please continue what you are doing to keep us going.. WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, IT’S WORKING!!. pray, donate, and spread the word!