Forgetting the Past

Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

13 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, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I just recently joined the choir after a long break from being in any choir. For about 12 years I was doing “other things”, however, I knew strongly that the Lord was leading me back to the choir. For some time I began to ponder on the following, “maybe I should have joined the choir a little earlier”, “I hope I’m not late in this assignment”, I was also relishing the days I had been in the choir in the past and all the joys of fellowshipping with other singers, the adventures, ministrations, flops- yes they do happen and all that.

The Holy Spirit began to tell me that He is doing a new thing in my life. He led me to

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV)

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¹⁸ “Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

So I have decided to walk in step with Him and keep my mind focused on what He is doing, no more clutter of the past, I look forward to the new thing He is doing and expect great things from Him in this season.

The journey has begun!

So if you’re in this space as I am, let’s walk together and trust Him as He unfolds our destiny.

Song

Lord whatever you’re doing in this season, please don’t do it without me

- Bishop Paul S. Morton

Walk in the Spirit….Grace

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Our walk with our Father, is a walk of grace. 
Every letter Paul wrote, begins and ends with grace. Grace envelops all the teachings of the letters. You could say the Christian life begins with grace and it will end with grace. 
In our gatherings, fellowships, churches, we often say "the grace" at the end of our meetings, to some of us, it is just a way of ending meetings. However, it is much more than that. 

The grace of God is a gift from our Father, it is His divine enablement towards us, to become who He wants us to be and to fulfill His assignment for our lives. When we are confronted with our sinfulness as we approach His throne, His mercy, through His blood, speaks on our behalf as our righteousness is just like filthy rags.

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 

Ephesians 2:8-10 (MSG)
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Jesus is full of grace and truth!

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John 1:14 (NKJV)
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:17 (NKJV)
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" 

What we are in Him, our skills, intelligence, achievements, etc are a product of His grace, as it’s written.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV)
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Let us walk in the consciousness of His grace at all times. It is always available!

Pruning

Prune
1. To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of (a plant, for example) to improve shape or growth.

John 15:2 (NKJV)
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

A gardener tends to his plants by pruning them sometimes. This process involves removing dead or living parts to improve the shape of the plant and stimulate growth.
So does our heavenly Father prunes us from time to time in order that we may bear more fruit, as we abide in Him.

The pruning process is painful, but in the end it is for our good.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com

Heb 12:6-11(NKJV)
For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.

During times of pruning, our response should be humility and surrender, trusting the able hands of our Father, who works all things for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Jesus learned obedience even as a Son, through the things he suffered. We should note that as the Lord matures us, we will go through trials, persecutions, seasons of pain, where everything in our lives that does not glorify Him will have to die.

Hebrews 5:8-9 (NKJV)
8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him


Prayer
Lord help me surrender to your able hands when I’m going through process. In Jesus Name. Amen.