Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
With a new look
Forgetting Those Old Things
“I haven’t acquired all that I need, but I know enough not to stop growing; I grow because I realize that I don’t know everything yet. So, I must leave the past behind me and not try to live it again—I couldn’t anyway. Instead, I reach for the new and better things that my God wants for me. Therefore, I need to work to copy Jesus and study and pray and pray in the Spirit until God calls me to heaven,” (From Philippians 3:12-21 Steadfast in Honor).
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“No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us,” (Philippians 3:12-14 The Living Bible).
Someone might have done something to you in the past or something harmful may have happened to you. What Paul was saying is that you must not let those past hurts lead you because they will lead you to hell. Paul was saying that if those things are hindering you forget them and leave them in the dust.
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This might sound like a different subject, but pay attention to it anyway. I like building wooden bridges; God gave me realization that bridges mean forgiveness. So, if it is that someone did you wrong you should “build a bridge” and forgive that person. It may be a doctor who gave you a hurtful diagnosis, whether he thinks it’s true or not. See, God created man in His image, His image is perfect; in other words, He did not make flaws. So, a diagnosis of a birth defect is not of God, therefore it is hurtful and wrong. That’s a great opportunity to “build a bridge.” It could be a hurtful word spoken by a loved one, a parent, a friend, a child; “build a bridge.”
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Someone might have accidentally hit your car and you land in the hospital with many broken bones. The one who hit you died shortly after he was brought to another hospital; so, you never got an apology. That doesn’t matter. You must be the one to “build a bridge” and take a stand against the hurt and forgive him and the whole situation. It is very possible that that is what is holding you back and leading you down the wrong path.
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A while ago I did a mini-series on the subject of “NOW,” and there is a lot in the Bible about this subject. The gist of the message is that then is past and it has no bearing on your future unless you let it. So, how do you let it? You let it by not putting a stop to it; and the way you stop it is by repenting, forgiving, and forgetting.
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So, Paul said “Forgetting the past…” Obviously, he meant that he did what he had to, to forget the past, either he repented or forgave and then he forgot. He was saying, “I’m not going to let that take me down the wrong path. I’m going to do it God’s way and get that other junk out of the way.” And then he was free to offer his body to God as a living sacrifice.