One Scripture I have secured in my heart: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When I sit and listen to my mom or sister talk about our past - I find it trivial, so I don't enter into the conversation. They ask if I remember what they remember. Most I don't.
It's different with my 'new life in Christ' which includes my marriage to the husband God gave me (right after I gave my heart to Jesus) and the children He gave us, and grandchildren! I have even journaled all those years of my new life in Christ, and written 2 books, so that our children and grandchildren can have our testimonies of the Lord, and how we went through hard times (with the Lord) as well as the good times Mike and I enjoyed with each other and with our children and grandchildren. What is the difference? Why don't I like dwelling on the "before Christ?"
I tend to believe that God has done that in me (a division/distinction) because the past life has been swallowed up with the NEW life I have "in Christ my Savior."
I thought, why do they bring up the past so much? I'm guessing that they don't KNOW what they have "in Christ," and that they don't KNOW what they can look forward to as believers in Jesus. They both say they believe in Jesus, so why?
What is faith? "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen." (Hebrews 11:1) "Faith comes by hearing the Word of God."(Romans 10:17)
One thing that always comes to mind when I consider 'present' hard times, and those that are 'yet to come,' is what the Word of God says about how Jesus endured His temporal life on earth: "For the JOY set before Him!"
We (His disciples) are that JOY. He kept that glorious 'future with us' before Him so that He could endure the present hardship and evil persecution. He was always talking to His disciples about their future with Him, His promises to them, to keep them looking 'forward' and encouraged in how to endure the present hardships and those still coming after He would leave them. Even the Apostle Paul said as a disciple of Christ's: "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." (Philippians 3:11-12)
Jesus 'prepared' them for what was yet to come on earth and in His Kingdom. We have the book of Revelation that He had John write so that we would KNOW and be prepared in both practical earthly ways and spiritually, staying with the Lord on His 'narrow' path to the end, not veering off by compromise, nor giving up out of the fear of man.
And, because He kept the future JOY 'with us in His kingdom' before Him - His life on earth (33 years) that ended with a [crucial] vicious torturous death - was as God's prophet Isaiah said about this increasingly wicked world that hates God/His Son/His disciples: "The former things are not remembered" because the new eternal life will overcome it all with all our gracious Father has planned for those who love Him, in Christ Jesus His Son.
Thank You Father God! For now, we can only see as through a glass dimly, but THEN we shall SEE clearly; see our Savior and Lord as He FULLY is - face to face in all His glory. Hallelujah to our King Eternal!
I love studying the book of Revelation. I love looking forward (Revelation 19 -22) to what Jesus Christ will return to do, and then after it's all done on earth and in the heavens, what the end of all Satan's evil and man's rebellion towards Him results in:
"“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me (John), “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son (and daughters - His eternal family). But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:3-8
"They (the Lord's disciples/children) shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.... And they shall reign forever and ever." Then he said to me (John), “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. “Behold, I AM coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:4-7
I am blessed because I keep the Word of God in me. I want more than anything to keep to His path with Him to the end of my life. I KNOW that HE waits for me so He can welcome me into His Kingdom! I love reading the book of Isaiah about what the Kingdom of God is. And I love praying how Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, especially this part: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done ON EARTH, as it is IN HEAVEN." What a Day to long for! Jesus is coming sooner than we think!
