FRESH START TODAY - (Blog 15)

FRESH START TODAY – Past experiences that helped you to grow!

I have been talking about not allowing the negative experiences control your thoughts that would leave you in spiritual, emotional and mental bondage!  I want to address the positive memories that have helped in your spiritual journey.  The “Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing the Will of God” study talks about you taking a spiritual vacation that marked the activity of God through your past experiences.  I have taken that kind of spiritual journey in the two books that I have written and the blessed people that have had an influence on me seeing God at work. 

My daughter and I have had some conversations about the books, both negative and positive.  We have now come to the agreement that no matter what we have done to serve the Lord does not compare to the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  We work and serve the Lord to Glorify Him, but that is too shallow a statement.  Why would a believer want to just Glorify God?  I used to make that statement, but in my heart I wanted to be noticed. Yes, this is a confession!  My heart continues to change from “What about me?” to “Hey, people what about Jesus?”  The knowledge through studying what GRACE has already given me began the transformation.  When I began reading the Old Testament this last year I realized that the life of an individual is only short lived compared to eternity.  (Note: Even if a person lives to be 100 years old) God is eternal and has been here from the beginning and He will be here until the end.  Jesus is the Alpha and Omega as stated in Revelation.

Revelation 22:12-13,  "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. NIV

I praise and marvel at the Lord in how He works through people that have surrendered their life to serving and caring for the people of God.  We are given spiritual gifts to build up the body of believers and to witness to those that still do not know the redemptive power of the Cross of Jesus.  We go through the power of justification when we accept, by faith, the works of Jesus Christ on the cross.  We must confess and pray that we have rebelled against the Holy God, and ask that Jesus Christ come into our heart, which will make Him Lord of our life.  The Holy Spirit will confirm our salvation by giving us His peace.  This step of faith is the activity of justification (just-as-if we-have never-sinned).  God does not see our past sin anymore.  We will then begin our sanctification from that moment forward.  Another way of saying this is that we begin our growth and relationship with a fair and powerful Savior.

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus Christ will never remember our sins of the past anymore, so why should we, as believers?  Do you remember when you first heard about Jesus Christ?  Was it ever made clear that you are a sinner?  Your thoughts were never on God, were they?  That is because you had not been introduced to Him!  I would like you to know my friend Jesus Christ and how special He is to me.

Hebrews 8:12, For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.  NIV