Philippians 3:13-15 ... Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Exhortation: Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Memories of the past come, but I catch myself and refuse to entertain these "bad" memories. We are to go forward in faith in God.
Recently when dealing with a bad memory, I had a very strong "revelation" from Spirit of God.
I was reminded of Romans 8:28 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
All things in my past work together for good ... (I believe this is what the Holy Spirit was saying to me)
This is a completely different way for us to look at those things of the past which have seemed "bad" to us, that we wish we had not done.
Since I've had that "revelation" the bad memories seem to have stopped.
God uses us in different ways. Some of us are put in the church to care for the church. Eph. 4 Some are put in families to care for their children. Some care for their mates. Past events are used to create us for the purpose of God.
We are all one spirit but the operations are not the same, even with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
I Cor. 12 ... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.
I believe what God is showing me is that even our past actions (before we were born again) work together "for good" to create individual personalities which will be used in different ways along with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and for some the ministry offices of God according to God "own purpose" for us.
Here is an example from my childhood. My dad didn't want me to be afraid of people in high places. So when I was a small child (about 3 or 4) he took me with him to the bank and would set me on the desk of the president of the bank (who was a very formidable man) and I would talk to this man without any intimidation.
I think this type of thing worked "for good" in my life according to the purpose God had for me which was to care for the church and to stand up against sin in the church.
And even some of the fiery moments of my life where I thought I sinned might have worked together "for good" according to "God's purpose" for which HE planned to use me later.
I was reminded of Samson who desired the Philistine woman. His parents wanted him to get a wife from their own people. Here is a very interesting statement concerning this matter. Judges 14 ... And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
In our own mind, we might look at Samson and say what happened to him was his own fault. If he had chosen a wife from his own people these things wouldn't have happened. This is certainly the way it looks. But verse 4 gives us the truth:
Though Samson was taken into captivity and blinded, he ended up killing many of the Philistines and we see from the Bible all this was according to "the purpose of God".
If we belong to God, Romans 8:28-29 tells us "all things work together for good" ... to fulfill the purpose of God.
This certainly changed the way I look at things of the past in my own life. It quenched the power of those thoughts of past which would bring me down and torment me.
Romans 8:28-29 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Sometimes we look at the way a parent dealt with us and we feel this dealing caused us to be more timid (or more bold) and we wish it had not happened. But even that might not have been a bad thing when we view it in context of Romans 8:28-29 and "God's own purpose" for us.
If we can grasp this concept, it certainly has the power to free us from the past. It is very important to be free to go forward in our "calling".