FORGETTING THOSE THINGS

WHICH ARE BEHIND

Philip. 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,

Before we talk about those things we are suppose to forget

Let us remember the things that we are not to forget

Ten years ago the Lord spoke to my wife as she was praying at the Church

The Lord told her, don’t forget in the darkness what I have taught you in the light

This was a very dark storm in our lives

When this storm hit this saying was born in my spirit

Lord I love you and I trust you

2006 was a very storming year for me

One of the things I forgot was this verse

Romans 8:28

   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I forgot that 2006 was and has worked for my good

I really don’t want to focus a whole lot on what happened in 2006

But some of us took things too hard

It took me a year

I never deal with anything that long

But I did in 2006

So let’s look at some of the things we as a church went through

Betrayal

Death

Separation

Hurts

Discouragement

Fatigue

Burn Out

Sickness

So now it is time to forget 2006 since 2006 is, that which is behind

The reason we need to forget the hurts the pains of the past is because it effects our present

In 2006 we as a Church won 20 souls some Churches that are the same size, as our Church would love to see this number of souls making a commitment

But did our hurts and pains affect us 2006

Let’s look back and see how many commitments when had in

2005 – 89

2004 – 98

2003 – 116

These years were very special; God was very good to us

Now I know these years were very special, and I don’t know if we will ever have three years like those three years

I hope we do or even better

But when one focus on hurts and pains

They are not FOCUS on Jesus

Hebrews 12:2

   Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When we look at our hurts we are not looking at Jesus

Look to Jesus

Now lets get back to forgetting

HOW CAN I FORGET

Genesis 41:51

   And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.

Menashsheh,  men-ash-sheh'; from Hebrew 5382 (nashah); causing to forget;

So Joseph name is first son Manasseh meaning – causing to forget

  

God cause Joseph to forget

Forget what

No one that I know was ever anyone so betray and lie on

Look at what His brothers did

Look how his master wife told lies on him

Look at him in prison

And he said God made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house

Isaiah 54:4-5

   Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

[5] For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

God promises us we can forget because He personally will take the place of those painful memories.

The living Lord will replace those awful memories with Himself

The promise that God will replace the pain with Himself—His presence, His power, His very life—we can “forget what lies behind?’

To truly forget the past we have to fill our present with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit

With the Word of God

With prayer

And with obedience to the Word of God, and obedience to the Holy Spirit

We can forget those things that are behind

Message from

             the Pastor

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January 2007

Bro. Lawrence Bradford