Hi Everyone!!
God is so good and His mercies are truly new EVERY morning!!
I know in my heart 2009 is a new beginning for the body of Christ, it is a time to run ahead and stop looking back! We all have pasts, some good things and some not so good, but I tell you the truth that even those hard times have made you who you are today!! Take the GOOD of what has happened in your life and Forget the past and Go on to what God has for you.

Looking back can prevent you from going forward,
is it worth it?
Lets look at some scripture that verifies that!!
Lets start with the children of Israel in Exodus 14:10-15
Passage Exodus 14:10-15:
10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
The children of Israel were afraid of the unknown, they did not see God’s plan and purpose, they did not have the VISION of what God had for them so they wanted to retreat back to what they knew, even if that meant being servants to the Eygptians…
Sometimes we want to run back to the past when we are uncomfortable with change and can’t see the full promise of the future.
13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Moses encouraged the children of Israel not to fear, but to see with the eyes of God what he had in store for them.
14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Moses encouraged them that the Lord was on their side and the battle was his!!
15And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
The Lord had Moses encourage the children of Israel to walk into the future in faith. It was fear and the lack of vision that had them looking back instead of forward. God said speak to them, that they go forward!! God wants us to be continually walking forward, not hung up in the past.
We see a little bit later in the journey that the children of Israel are still battling fear and lack of vision, as they are thirsty and see no natural provision in front of them
Passage Exodus 17:1-3:
Exodus 17
1And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
Moses cried to God believing and the supernatural provision came.
4And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
We need to believe God for the supernatural when walking into the vision He has for us. When we lack the faith to believe that His plans for us is for the good and to give us hope in the future, that is when we can be drawn back to the familiar to the things of the past.
Heres a couple others examples of looking back!
Genesis 19:26
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Jeremiah 46:5 (Whole Chapter)
Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 42:9 (Whole Chapter)
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
This is such an awesome promise from our Father. He is saying that he is doing new things and that HE WILL TELL YOU OF THEM!!!
- Isaiah 43:18 (Whole Chapter)
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Lets end this lesson with the words straight form Jesus’ mouth! He tells it like it is!!
- Luke 9:62 (Whole Chapter)
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
We want to not only to be fit for the kingdom of God, but also used in a mighty way in the kingdom. I preached last week about taking an old broken shell and taking all the past hurts and offenses, visualizing them on this old, ugly , broken shell and then throwing it into the sea of forgetfullness!! Satan will try to bring it up again in order to stir up feelings of offense or unforgiveness, DON’T LET HIM DO THAT!! What is done, is done, its a new day and God has a plan and purpose for TODAY!!!
Paul sums in at all for us in Phil 3:13
13Brethren, 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,
I know its not always easy to not look back, but it is crucial for your forward advance!
God bless you and keep you!
Pastor Carol