Bury The Past #2

Who will rescue me from this body of death? - Romans 7:25 NIV

In New Testament times capital punishment was sometimes carried out
by tying a murder victim's body directly onto the perpetrator' s back.
That way wherever he went he was literally weighed down by his crime,
with no way to escape the stench of decomposing flesh. Eventually the
bacteria-filled corpse infected him too and he died an agonizing
death. Some days Paul felt the weight of his old nature pressing in,
reminding him of things from his past that he couldn't change or
eradicate. And recognizing how past events can color the present,
Paul describes himself as "a wretched man," and asks, "Who will
rescue me from this body of death?"

The fact is you can't move ahead with "the old man" still clinging to
you; you must bury him. Even death doesn't have the finality that
burial does; part of coming to closure involves disposing of the
body. Funerals are for the living; they give people an opportunity to
accept that their loved one has gone and that the relationship as
they knew it is over. And as you embark on a new year isn't it time
you stopped carrying the past around on your back-and on your mind?
Paul says, "Present yourselves to God as those alive from death" (Ro
6:13 NASB). In other words, refuse to let old memories negotiate a
deal with you! Bury them, and do it today. You can't afford a secret
love affair with a corpse! It's time for an epitaph, not a revival!
There are things in life worth reviving, but not past sins that Jesus
paid for and forgave long ago.

The God-given Ability To Succeed

It is [God] that gives you power [ideas, ability, creativity] to get
wealth. - Deuteronomy 8:18

When God gives you the ability to succeed, it often begins as an
idea. But that idea only becomes a reality when you make a plan and
carry it out, otherwise your seed rots in the ground of excuses.
Never laugh at somebody's idea, for often such ideas come from God.
Stop and think: if God's a creator and we are made in His likeness,
shouldn't we be creative too?

The gift God gave you is your key to success. He didn't give it to
you to be put on display, wasted on worthless things, or denied out
of a false sense of humility. No, He gave it to you to be invested.
Jesus told the story of three men who were each given money to
invest. The first two doubled theirs; the third buried his in the
ground because he was afraid of losing it. As a result Jesus called
him "a wicked, lazy servant" (Mt 25:26 NIV). Look out! Fear is one of
your greatest enemies. It numbs your spirit and incarcerates your
creativity. Use what God's given you. Use it or lose it!

Maybe you think you're too old. Wrong! There's no magical age at
which excellence emerges or success suddenly comes knocking. With God
you're never too young or too old to be blessed, and in turn bless
others. Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he drafted The Declaration of
Independence. Michelangelo was doing some of his finest work at 87.
Seize the day. Redeem the "now" moments of your life - the time
you're waiting for may never arrive.

Isaiah 54:1-13

God's steadfast love will not depart

Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.
Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
and your descendants will possess the nations
and will settle the desolate towns.

Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man's youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.

This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the prosperity of your children

Who Lifts You? Who Do You Lift?

Stoop down...to those who are oppressed. - Galatians 6:2 TM

A few years ago at the Special Olympics, the competitors lined up to
run the 100-meter sprint. Everyone took off, but one of the runners
fell and began to cry. Suddenly all the others stopped, came back,
helped him up, then locked arms and walked across the finish line
together. It was an unforgettable moment. There wasn't a dry eye in
the stadium.

Now, nothing like that is going to happen in the regular Olympics.
Some years ago a sports magazine carried the photo of a famous woman
runner, holding her leg in agony after falling on the track as the
others raced past her. What made the Special Olympic runners come
back for their friend who'd fallen? Perhaps they realized that they
all had weaknesses, and they knew it could have been any one of them
lying there on the track, so they reached out to him. In a very real
sense all the runners won the race that day. If the runners in the
regular Olympics had gone back to the woman who fell, helped her up,
then crossed the finish line together, they may not have won
individual medals. But it's safe to say that they would have grown as
human beings that day.

God is more interested in our growth than in the medals we win for
ourselves. Are you getting the idea? We only grow in grace as we run
together, stopping to lift and encourage each other along the way,
and finish victoriously together. That's why you need to be connected
to, and committed to a local, Christ-centered church

Who Lifts You? Who Do You Lift?

Stoop down...to those who are oppressed. - Galatians 6:2 TM

A few years ago at the Special Olympics, the competitors lined up to
run the 100-meter sprint. Everyone took off, but one of the runners
fell and began to cry. Suddenly all the others stopped, came back,
helped him up, then locked arms and walked across the finish line
together. It was an unforgettable moment. There wasn't a dry eye in
the stadium.

Now, nothing like that is going to happen in the regular Olympics.
Some years ago a sports magazine carried the photo of a famous woman
runner, holding her leg in agony after falling on the track as the
others raced past her. What made the Special Olympic runners come
back for their friend who'd fallen? Perhaps they realized that they
all had weaknesses, and they knew it could have been any one of them
lying there on the track, so they reached out to him. In a very real
sense all the runners won the race that day. If the runners in the
regular Olympics had gone back to the woman who fell, helped her up,
then crossed the finish line together, they may not have won
individual medals. But it's safe to say that they would have grown as
human beings that day.

God is more interested in our growth than in the medals we win for
ourselves. Are you getting the idea? We only grow in grace as we run
together, stopping to lift and encourage each other along the way,
and finish victoriously together. That's why you need to be connected
to, and committed to a local, Christ-centered church.