Moving On!
I preached at Davidson again on Sunday. It was an awesome time. But there is a pre-story.
Cheryl had to go in to work at the hospital at 10 am. Tire was flat on her car. Aired it up, but went right back down. Bad tire, not fixable. Donut was needed from under the car. After great rushed difficulties, Cheryl was on her way, and I went back in to get ready. It was already past time for me to leave. I tried to contact the church, but none of the numbers I had were responding. Finally, at 3 after 11, I got a call back. By that time, I was 2 miles away. They waited on me. They noted how I looked at peace and happy. Yep, God took care of it. Good service. God was definitely there, and He made sure I was there. Message was about following Jesus from Luke 9:57-62 about, how we will follow Jesus, but… Y’all read it!
God is good!!! All the time! All the time! God is good!!! There once was an absentminded professor who became so absorbed in his work that he forgot the simplest details. No dementia, but he had always been absent-minded.
One morning his wife said, “Now Henry, remember, we are moving today. Here, I’m putting this note in your pocket. Don’t forget.” The day passed by and the man came home to his house. Having entered the front door, Henry found the place empty. Distraught, he walked out to the curb and just sat down.
A young boy walked up to him, and Henry asked him, “Son, you look familiar, do you know the people who used to live here?” The boy replied, “I sure do, Dad. Mom told me you’d forget. I came to fetch you to our new house.” I don’t know the author, but it might not be me.
Now, the Bible does strongly encourage us to not dwell in our past. Henry doesn’t have that problem. Let’s look to what Paul has to say about the past in his letter to the church at Philippi concerning dwelling upon the past.
After Paul, who was then Saul, met Christ on that road to Damascus he had a new passion and a new purpose in his life. It was Christ!
Yet, there was a huge obstacle in his way, it had to do with his past!
He writes this in Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (nasb)
Wouldn’t it be great if we somehow lived our past knowing the future? Yep, hindsight. We don’t know the future, but God, God knows and holds the future. His plan is the plan to go with.
We can’t change the future, yet, we can work toward setting the right course for how the future unfolds. And because of the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is hope. We can have a second chance.
Now, remember the good and happy times. Remember the special events; birthdays, weddings, graduations and anniversaries. Good memories are a wonderful thing. It’s great to be able to tune them in and play them back. It brings a smile to our face and joy to our hearts. We can thank God for the good memories. But just don’t dwell upon them.
We must reach ahead. Paul stated, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Choose Jesus, choose life and let your light shine! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! And pray for rain!