Monday, October 19, 2015

Leaving the Past Behind

Please first read Genesis 19:14-26.

"But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."  (Genesis 19:26, NKJV)

Lot received word from some men that the Lord was going to destroy the city.  He was told to take all of his family and get out of the the region immediately.

They all obeyed the orders they received from the Lord.  He destroyed the cities where they had left earlier.  Everyone and everything was destroyed there.

Then, Lot's wife looked back behind and she became a pillar of salt.  She was destroyed for looking back.

Lot's wife looked back and was destroyed for doing so.

What can we learn from this part of scripture?

For one, we need to obey the Lord because He has our best interest at heart.  Also, it does not do us any good to look back behind us.  If anything, it can have tragic consequences for us and our loved ones.

There are also plenty of other lessons to learn from that particular passage.

However, in the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, he talks about forgetting those things behind.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:13-14, NKJV)  

Like Paul, he encouraged the believers there to press toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call in Jesus Christ.  He did not want them stay stuck in the past but to forget everything behind them.

In the same way, God does not want His children to be stuck in the past.  He desires all of them to forget everything behind them and move forward into the future.  He wants them to move further into their God-given purpose and plan.  Be who He has created them and called them to be for His perfect will.  Then, and only then, will God truly be honored and glorified in and through them.


Copyright 2015 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

By His Stripes'....

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."  (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV – bold emphasis added mine)

Jesus was wounded for all of our sins.  He was bruised for all of our transgressions.  Everything was laid upon Him for us.  By His stripes’ we are healed!

God knew ahead of time exactly what He was doing for us.  He made all of the provision for us.  Nothing was left out. 

Yet, there are many believers within the body of Jesus Christ who are taking everything on themselves.  Perhaps, it is lack of knowledge (See Hosea 4:6).  Maybe, they feel guilty.  There may be those who actually believe they need to take some of the blame. 

Whatever the reasons, we need to let them all go into the sea of forgetfulness where God has left them (See Psalm 103:12).  We also need to believe and receive everything that Jesus died to give us (See Mark 11:22-24; John 10:10b).  First, we must know what all that entails in this life though.

When Jesus was crucified on that cross for us over 2000 years ago, He died for more than just our own personal sins---past, present, and future.  He took everything on Himself including death, disease, illness, sickness, ailments, infirmities, and whatever else (See Isaiah 53; Psalm 103:1-5; 1 Peter 2:24).  He bore all the pain and suffering for us.  He became the curse for us.  He destroyed the works of the devil for us.  He put the devil under His feet. 

Because of what He has already done for us, we do not have to receive any of what the world and/or the devil tries to throw our way.  Everything has been taken care of for us.  We are redeemed from the curse.  The devil is under our feet.  We already have the victory!  We just walk in it by faith in Jesus (See 2 Corinthians 5:7).

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  (1 Peter 2:21-24, NKJV - bold emphasis added mine)

Jesus said, "It is finished." (See John 19:30, NIV)  He really meant it.  Will you choose to truly believe it?  Will you receive everything Jesus died to give you including His divine healing and health for you?


Copyright 2015.  Dawn Freeman.  All rights reserved.