Putting the Past in the Past

1
Putting the Past in the Past

• Philippians 313,14

2
SinsLeft in the Past

• Leave past sins in the past
• Brethren, I do not count myself to have
  apprehended but one thing I do, forgetting those
  things which are behind and reaching forward to
  those things which are ahead, I press toward the
  goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
  Christ Jesus. (Philippians 313,14)

3
Reacting to the Past

• How do I react to past joys and sorrows?
• WISE patient and trusting in God.
• FOOL impatient, angry, cynical wants to control
  lifes events. Cannot trust God or men.
• Lessons necessary for godly, balanced,
  productive, fulfilling lives.

4
Putting the Past in the Past Applies to

• Prosperity and adversity
• Family relationships
• Seeking and offering forgiveness

5
Prosperity and Adversity

• Trust in God to guide the unfolding of lifes
  events.
• The end of a thing is better than its beginning
  the patient in spirit is better than the proud in
  spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
  for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not
  say, Why were the former days better than
  these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning
  this. (Ecclesiastes 78-10)

6
The End of a Thing Is Better

• Prosperity and adversity.
• Trust God to guide the unfolding of lifes
  eventsfrom bud to bloom.

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7
From Bud to Bloom Cranberries
bud swell
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bud break
bud elongation
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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Wisconsin Cranberry Board, Inc.
8
The End of a Thing Is Better

• Prosperity and adversity.
• Trust God to guide the unfolding of lifes
  eventsfrom worm to butterfly.

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9
Prosperity and Adversity

• God has appointed the one as well as the
  other.
• Consider the work of God for who can make
  straight what He has made crooked? In the day of
  prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity
  consider Surely God has appointed the one as
  well as the other, so that man can find out
  nothing that will come after him..
  (Ecclesiastes 713,14)

10
Prosperity and Adversity

• How do we react to adversity?
• Abraham grew tired of waiting. He came up with
  his own solutions, then faced the consequences.
• Genesis 152-4offered Eliezer as heir
• Genesis 161-3offered Ishmael as heir
• Genesis 211-3God worked His plan in His own
  time!

11
Prosperity and Adversity

• Moses and Israel waited for God.
• And Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid.
  Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,
  which He will accomplish for you today. For the
  Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again
  no more forever (Exodus 1413-16)

12
Prosperity and Adversity

• Paul prayed, and God gave him strength to endure
  his trials.
• And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for
  you, for My strength is made perfect in
  weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather
  boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ
  may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 127-10)

13
Prosperity and Adversity

• How do we react to adversity?
• Leave the past and future in Gods hands.
• Concern yourself with today.
• Matthew 634

14
Prosperity and Adversity

• How do we react to prosperity?
• James 117rejoice and give thanks to God.
• Job 121Use your prosperity in service to God
  when it is past, thank Him and move on.
• Leave the past and the future in Gods hands.

15
Family Relationships

• Marriage changes relationships. (Genesis 224)
• Retain love and memories of home, but focus on
  new home and new duties.
• Focus on matenot old relationships.
• Parents, grandparents, and others retain love and
  memories but recognize relationship changes.

16
Family Relationships

• Children change relationships. (Psalm
  1273)
• Treat each child as a treasure give time,
  attention, discipline, and affection.
  (Ephesians 64)
• Make spiritual training the 1 priority.
  (Genesis 1819)
• Embrace parental duty as a gift, not a burden
  sacrificing for children enhances character.

17
Family Relationships

• Parents are no longer children.
• Were not reliving our childhood were helping
  them live theirs (find talents and interests,
  etc.).
• Parents cannot train children if they behave like
  the children (selfish, bad-tempered, impatient,
  pouty, etc.)
• Do not reverse roles lead and serve.

18
Family Relationships

• Address failures in family life. (Proverbs
  2813)
• Admit failures, do not ignore or excuse. God and
  family will see honesty or hypocrisy.
• Apologize ask for forgiveness.
• Change conduct repair relationships.
• You cannot change the past move forward.

19
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• God is ready and willing to forgive all who ask.
  He has promised to forgive.
• Come now, and let us reason together, says the
  LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they
  shall be as white as snow though they are red
  like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah
  118)

20
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Christ offers forgiveness.
• Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
  laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke
  upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
  lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
  souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
  light. (Matthew 1128-30)

21
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• New birth for sinners
• Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you,
  unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
  cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 35)
• He who believes and is baptized will be saved
  but he who does not believe will be condemned.
  (Mark 1616)

22
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• God forgives His children who fall back into sin.
• Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and
  pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may
  be forgiven you. (Acts 822)

23
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Accept Gods gracious forgiveness.
• Do not dwell on past sins release them.
• forgetting those things which are behind and
  reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
  I press toward the goal for the prize of the
  upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians
  313,14)

24
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Do not return to past sins!
• Dont be deceived!
• Do you not know that the unrighteous will not
  inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.
  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
  adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor
  thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
  revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the
  kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But
  you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
  were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and
  by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians
  69-11)

25
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• A saint in sin is LOST!
• For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness
  and bound by iniquity.
  (Acts 823)

26
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Sin hardens the conscience!
• Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
  evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
  living God but exhort one another daily, while
  it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened
  through the deceitfulness of sin.. (Hebrews
  312,13)

27
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Face consequences of past sins by
  trusting and believing in God!
• David had painful memories, but he focused on
  Gods mercy and pardon.
• He had committed adultery and murder. His son
  died, his family relationships were devastated,
  and the nations confidence was shaken (2 Samuel
  11,12)

28
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to
  anger, and abounding in mercy.
• 9 He will not always strive with us nor will He
  keep His anger forever.
• 10 He has not dealt with us according to our
  sins, nor punished us according to our
  iniquities.
• 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
  so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him
• 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far
  has He removed our transgressions from us.
• 13 As a father pities his children, so the LORD
  pities those who fear Him.
• 14 For He knows our frame He remembers that we
  are dust. (Psalm 1038-14)

29
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Paul had painful memories, but he focused on
  Gods mercy and pardon.
• He had been an accomplice in Stephens murder and
  imprisoned and scattered saints.
• This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
  acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world
  to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for
  this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first
  Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a
  pattern to those who are going to believe on Him
  for everlasting life.(1 Timothy 115,16)

30
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Seek forgiveness from those you have
  wronged.
• Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar,
  and there remember that your brother has
  something against you, leave your gift there
  before the altar, and go your way. First be
  reconciled to your brother, and then come and
  offer your gift.
  (Matthew 523,24)

31
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Resist Satan if memories haunt and temptations
  return.
• Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary
  the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
  seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast
  in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings
  are experienced by your brotherhood in the
  world.
  (1 Peter 58,9)

32
Seeking and Offering Forgiveness

• Seek reconciliation with people who have wronged
  you.
• Be ready to forgive as God forgave you.
• Do what you can, then put it to rest.
• Moreover if your brother sins against you, go
  and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
  (Matthew 1815)

33
Putting the Past in the Past

• Learn to leave past sins IN THE PAST.
• On lifes journey, we CANNOT return to the past.
  Trust God for the present and
  the future
• Its possible to HINDER what you can do in the
  PRESENT by dwelling too much on the past!