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Dear Family,
As this newsletter makes
it’s way to your mailbox it’s a new year and the snow
is flying in Tipp City! Something I often say to myself
is “Yesterday is over; it ended last night,
TODAY matters.” It helps snap me out of remembering
past mistakes or thinking of things that hinder me from
moving forward with doing the Word and whatever else God
needs to have done. It’s not an original quote but it’s
stuck with me and as the world is spending time looking
back over 2008 I would rather be reminded of what Paul
said,
Philippians 3:13b-16
(Amplified Bible)
…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward
to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the
goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is
calling us upward.
15 So let those who are
spiritually mature and full grown have this mind and
hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have
a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear
to you also.
16 Only let us hold true
to what we have already attained and walk and order
our lives by that.
Life is a journey and the
process is as important as the destination. We can
choose to learn as we go from our mistakes and our successes.
Paul’s many successes as well as his mistakes are well
documented in the Word, but what is very revealing and
impacting is that he considered the things of the world
worthless, of no profit, like dung, compared with knowing
Christ and His resurrection power. Paul knew there was
no condemnation and had left behind the life of a legalistic
Pharisee and persecutor of the church. It was part of
his journey, but he did not allow His past mistakes to
define who he was, instead he kept moving forward preaching
and teaching, doing the work of an able minister. He did
not trust in the flesh but in his God who freely gave
righteousness, not by the law but by those who accepted
Christ through faith. This is still our God today.
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| Yesterday
is over;
it ended
last night.
TODAY matters. |
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I encourage you to look
closer at Philippians chapter 3 in several translations
and maybe even a commentary and see for yourself what
Paul was saying to them by word and showing them by example.
It is available to move on from the past no matter how
awful it was; whether we were at fault or not doesn’t
matter. The mistakes, that no one is immune from making,
do not matter. TODAY matters! Let’s not
allow anything from our past, whether it’s from 15 years
ago or yesterday, to slow us or stop us from preaching,
teaching and healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s
continue stepping out everyday as able ministers, being
led by the spirit of God, operating resurrection power.
If we reflect on anything from the years gone by, let
it be of the blessings God has poured upon us, the growth
of our relationship with the Father and His Word, what
we have learned from our mistakes and the friends we have
gained. Do we have overflowing joy like Paul and look
to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith,
the chief cornerstone of the church, who is actively making
intercession on our behalf?
Hebrews 12:1-2 (God’s
Word Translation)
1 Since we are surrounded
by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything
that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us.
We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never
give up.
2 We must focus on Jesus,
the source and perfecter of our faith, He saw the joy
ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored
the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest
position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God.
3 Think about Jesus, who
endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become
tired and give up.
We are eternally God-connected
and there is not a person or happening that can take
away that relationship with our heavenly Father. The past
does not bind us to bondage, because Jesus Christ has
opened the door to freedom. Now that is something to reflect
on!
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all.
Philippians 4:23
Love and a BIG hug,
Tonia
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