Power of Straining Backward

Power of Straining Backward:

Key scripture:  "Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.  A new power is in operation.  The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificent cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."  Romans 8, The Message

Power Point:

Recently we’ve been talking about forgetting what lies in our past.  The emphasis has been on what people have done to you. But I think the Lord wants to address another area of our past and that is those things that you have done which you probably shouldn’t have done. Have you betrayed someone, been unfaithful to a spouse? Did you have an addiction issue? Did you just make some unwise decisions that still have consequences today?

The thing is, Beloved, that all of those things were covered by the Cross as well. Is it time to forgive yourself and move on? When you really get to know Christ, the evidence is overwhelming about what He thinks of you. He’s good.  All the time.  He loves and does not condemn us.  All the time. His only desire is to help, lift your head, bless, move you forward and into His plans for you. Guilt and shame over your past are not gifts from Him, they are the presents of the enemy.  His gifts to you are wisdom and understanding which He wants you to apply to your life so that you can move on with power. In fact, His desire is for you to be power-full. Anything-any thoughts that anchor you to your less than stellar past have to be rooted out and reseeded with truth.  Let me be very clear here. I’m not saying you didn’t make mistakes, but I am saying that the biggest mistake you could ever make would be denying that God’s love is deeper and wider than your sin, and that what He did for you and does for you daily, isn’t enough for you to be free of your past. In Philippians 3:10, in my New Spirit Filled Bible it says this:  Freed from the... emotional paralysis of yesterday’s mistakes, Paul knew that the only thing that ultimately counted was knowing the Lord and being obedient to His will.” If your past has you emotionally paralyzed, then it’s time to begin to exercise those faith muscles, forgive yourself and move on. Your heavenly Father has done absolutely everything to make that possible for you. Jesus came to bring you an abundant life. It’s time to get on with it. The only thing that not forgiving yourself for your past will do for you is keep you right there in that same place. Instead of running your race, you’ll be running in circles. Time to get off that path Beloved. Reach forward, strain forward to know Him better. And when you do that, the Truth will set you free to run.

Power Thought:

Not forgiving yourself means you’re “stuck” in neutral. The engine’s running but you’ve got to shift gears to get back in the action.