“STOP HITTING THE REWIND BUTTON”

Many people live in the past. First they replay in their minds the good old days. They think about it over and over. They meditate on it over and over. Then that is all they talk about. “I remember when…”, It was better times back then.” They talk about it over and over. Then others look back to the bad times they had and the things that they went through. Those things that made a strong impression on their minds. Mistakes that they mad or times where someone hurt them really bad. They replay it over and over in their mind. Then they start talking negative and get depressed. People do not know how to live in today. Don’t get me wrong I believe some people have been hurt. But we do not & should not live in the past. Paul give us words to live by: Phil. 3:13-14 do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. He said he had not arrived to the place he was talking about, but he aspired and pressed forward to that goal. The goal of Forgetting those things behind & pressing forward to win the heavenly prize… Many times our minds get stuck in rewind mode. We must remember our past holds nothing for us. We can not change it or relive it. One of the ways of the Devil is to keep you thinking and meditating on the past. He uses fear to keep you there. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, ect… Not just fear but TERROR. Terror defined in Webster’s 1828 dictionary, “a state of intense fear, violent dread; fright, fear that agitates the body and mind”. Fear paralyzes, it keeps people from moving forward or afraid to change directions. Lets look at the disciples in Mark 6:46. Earlier Jesus had fed the multitude with some fish & bread. He told them to get in the boat and go to the other side. Then He went and prayed and had fellowship with His Father. The bible says Jesus seen that they were troubled and tormented. Then He walked on the water towards them. Then they saw Him and were agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread)… He said take heart, “I am”! Stop being alarmed and afraid. First, when they went in the boat what were they thinking and talking about? They were not thinking or talking about what happened earlier on the land, if they would have been, fear would not have come. Jesus just fed all those people with just a little fish and some bread and had some left over, what a miracle. He told them to go to the other side, could he not get them there safe? But later in Mark it says, “…for they failed to consider or understand {the teaching} meaning of the miracle of } the loaves, [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and lost the power of understanding]. Wow they failed to consider, they failed to remember, and they failed to ponder on what had happened earlier that day when Jesus feed the multitude. The result was fear and terror. 1 Peter 3:14 & 15 … Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled: But sanctify the Lord God in your hears: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Be not afraid of the terror, neither be troubled… BUT… sanctify the Lord God in your heart… Holman Illustrated Dictionary says: Sanctify: The idea behind the word is to stand in awe of something or someone… to reflect His Holy nature… Believers are set apart to God in conversion and they live out this dedication to God in holiness. They believe and act it out in their lives. So instead of rehearsing the problem or the terror or trouble, rehearse, reflect, and live out and reflect His nature in your hearts and lives. Hit the rewind button on His goodness, His Character, and be in awe about him. You are a new creature in Christ. Old things are pasted away, all things have become new. You are no longer what you used to be. You are different than even one minute ago. If you did something wrong, repent and He will forgive and cleanse you and then it is not longer there. Col. 2:15 Having disarmed (spoiled) principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Jesus defused, shut down satan’s power through the Cross) Praise God, Rehearse that, rewind that over and over. Jesus defused and shut down satan’s power through the Cross. your faith is placed in what Jesus did at the Cross, there satan’s power is shut down in your life. You do not need to live in the condemnation and fear of the past. Lets look at some things to ponder and meditate on. Gen. 9:16 … Remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature… Deut. 8:1,18 : 16:3,12 Remember what the Lord has done, where He has brought you through, and where He has brought you from. 1 Chron. 16:12 Remember His marvelous works and His wonders… Ps. 63:6 Remember Him and meditate on Him day and night. Like David in Ps. 9:1 I will Praise you, OH Lord, with my whole heart: I will show forth (recount & tell aloud) all your marvelous works and wonderful deeds! Ps. 16:7-11 I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night season. I have set the Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Ps 18:33 He makes my feet like hinds feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing & trouble]: He sets me securely upon my high places. Eph. 4:23 … be renewed in the spirit of your mind. You are no longer a slave of your past or your former way of life!! There are so many scriptures that we can meditate on. Phil. 4:8-9 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Fix your mind on these things… Practice & model your way of living on it… Forgetting those things behind, pressing forward, fix your mind on the Cross and your Faith in the Cross will produce: Phil. 4:13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. So live today, do not look back or meditate on the past. Cover it with the Cross. Only Hit the rewind button on His goodness, His word, and sanctify your heart unto Him. This must be done daily. When satan tries to bring things up, tell him that is under the blood. Then tell him, My God… My stregth…My savior…My Redeemer…My Sheild…MyBuckler…My Shepherd…My Light…My Righteousness…My Salvation…My Deliverer …My Refuge…My Lord…My God…, My Great Physician …is in me. Greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world. Satan the blood of Jesus is against you. Praise God be set free from the bondage of Fear and Terror!!!!!!

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