FORGET YESTERDAY!

Today's affirmation from A Year In The Now...

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward – to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision – you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it."
(Philippians 3:12-16 – The Message)

Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because the events of yesterday are not ruling my life — THIS is the day the Lord has made, and the accuser will not gain an advantage over me by throwing the past up to me.


Today I will get the upper hand in the battle of life, because I know the power of living in the now. This knowledge sets me apart, gives me an edge, and puts me over! Now is all that matters to me.


Today I will not beat myself up because of yesterday's performance. I can't change it in the first place and, secondly, I don't need to change it – even if I could. I will focus on today and on how I can make things better by learning from my mistakes. Failure will force me into faith and keep me looking ahead, creating a real desire within me to improve my skills and to be and do better. All the things that I have experienced will work together for my good.


Today I will concentrate on making myself motivated to move on mentally, with a momentum that will become the measure for managing my time. I just can't look back, because the memory of yesterday is already fading in His presence.


Today I will become a healer of the breach, by encouraging those with whom I have influence to move into their own futures. My words will not divide, but will bring health and harmony to those who really hear me.


Today I will operate successfully in the ministry of reconciliation by remitting the sins of those who cannot forgive themselves:

"So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
(John 20:21-23)

Today I will forget what needs to be forgotten, and today I will live in the now!


Father, I forget! In Jesus’ name, amen.

So...What Did You Think?

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Two Thumbs Up!

Happy Monday, bloggers!


I'll be back later today with some good stuff...in the meantime, here are the Beattitudes from the KHABORIS MANUSCRIPT (in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke) for you to enjoy and discuss...

Matthew 5:2- 10

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those whose home is in Truth; theirs is a heavenly state.
4 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those mourning their wrongs; they shall be comforted.
5 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those with humility; they will gain the earth.
6 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those who hunger and thirst for justness; they shall attain it.
7 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those whose love is without conditions; they will therefore receive unconditional love.
8 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those without fault in their minds; they will see God.
9 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those serving the peace of God; they will be called the children of God (Alaha).
10 A heavenly attitude is theirs, those being scorned because of their justness; theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Also, feel free to continue the discussion from yesterday...

Later...

________________


OK, I'm back now (currently 10 comments)...

Yesterday, after the kids got on the road back to NC, I laid down for a little Sunday afternoon nap on the sofa, with AMC playing in the background. A little while later, I was awakened by this scene playing from the 1962 movie The Miracle Worker:

(If the playlist is playing, you'll need to scroll down to it and pause it)



In case you haven't seen this biopic about Helen Keller, here's a synopsis of it:

The Miracle Worker opens with a doctor assuring Captain Keller and his wife, Kate, that their infant daughter, Helen, will recover from a serious fever. Soon after the doctor leaves, however, Kate realizes that Helen is deaf and blind. In the next scene, Helen is about six years old. She is a wild, undisciplined child. Though they try, her parents are unable to help or control her. In desperation they hire a young woman, Annie Sullivan.

From the moment Annie arrives, it is clear that she and Helen will be gripped in a great struggle. But Helen is not the only problem for Annie. Annie must also convince the Kellers, especially the Captain, that she, Annie, needs complete control of Helen if she is to reach the child. Annie is certain that language is the key to gaining access to Helen's mind, and she constantly spells the names of things on Helen's palm.

Although Helen can spell them back on Annie's palm, the understanding that the words represent things eludes her. After spending two weeks together in the garden house, Helen finally obeys Annie, but when the time is up and they return to the family, Helen quickly reverts to her former behavior. The Kellers are indulgent, ready to fall back in their old pattern of behavior, but Annie doesn't let them. When Helen spills a water pitcher on Annie, Annie takes her out to refill it. She spells "water" into Helen's hand, and suddenly the miracle happens. Helen understands.

In the scene above, the reason that Helen finally makes the connection with "water" is that, before she lost her sight and hearing, she could say "wa-wa" when asking for water as a baby. You have to see it to get it, but what stood out to me the most yesterday (I guess I never thought about it before, even though I have seen it many, many times) is when she hands her teacher, Annie Sullivan, the keys that she had taken from her when she locked her in her room earlier in the film.

The "Keys of the Kingdom" are what we use to unlock our knowledge of first, eternal things ("Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning")...we still know what we knew ("But you have an anointing and you know all things"), but the knowledge is buried beneath the blindness of logic and human reasoning, and the deafness of religious tradition. But somehow, through the washing of the WATER of the word, we make the internal connection, and remember what we knew about God in the now!

Anyway, I laid there and meditated on it, and I dozed off a little more. When I woke back up, West Side story was playing, and Tony was singing Something's Coming!

Just thought I'd share that with you.

Carpe Diem!

Happy Monday, Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy Birthday to my daughter Christina!

Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace which is popularly translated from the movie Dead Poets Society as "seize the day". The general definition of carpe is "pick, pluck, pluck off, gather" as in plucking or picking a rose or apple, although Horace uses the word in the sense of "enjoy, make use of, seize." The point is, this is the day the Lord has made…don’t waste it.

If you’re angry with someone today, just go ahead and forgive them if you can, because what you’re mad about is, more than likely, not worth it. This time next year it probably won’t even matter to you…you might not even remember it. One thing is for sure, if you knew that this was your last day on earth, you would definitely wouldn’t care about some petty offense or hurt feelings.

If you’re dealing with disappointment today, get things in perspective. If you can move away from it a little and try to see the situation objectively, you’ll probably realize that the perceived disappointment may, in fact, be a blessing in disguise. Who knows? Something may have been removed from you to make room for something new and better.

If you are dreading or fearing something that is coming up, just stop worrying about it. Things are rarely as bad as they first appear, or as your anxiety makes you feel that they will be…and if it is actually a negative thing, worrying about it isn’t going to make it any better. Just deal with it when the time comes.

It’s a beautiful day, so make the decision to enjoy it and make the most of it.

Something really wonderful may be on its way to you right now. Don’t miss it. Opportunity may knock today, and if it does, you don’t want to be distracted by a lot of unnecessary noise in your head…you don’t want opportunity to have to leave a note that says, “I knocked, but no one was home so I moved on”.

Get into your day…live in every moment…Carpe Diem!

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’ (Matthew 6:34 – The Message)

Greetings From The Big Apple

Hey bloggers...you can't imagine what I've been through trying to post something...computer doesn't work in the hotel...can't post through Blackberry...tried Starbuck's...now I'm at a seedy internet cafe off of Times Square...anyway, everything's great here...as Robyn posted for me yesterday, this trip was planned before Korea even came up, and we'll be back Saturday night...I've got a good word for you on Sunday...

Your comments on the last article have been interesting, moving, even heartbreaking...I do believe that this subject, unpleasant as it may be, needs to be discussed...thank you for your candor...what you have shared may help someone else...

Last evening we went to see the first "all Black cast" production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I wanted to see it because James Earl Jones plays Big Daddy, but he was sick last night...it was still good, though...Felecia Rashad as Big Momma and Terence Howard as Brick...tonight we are going to see Macbeth with Patrick Stewart...very cool...

I can't wait to see everyone Sunday...in the meantime, feel free to post...that part is easy for me...and remember...God is real...God is here...God is now...God is love...God is speaking...

What has He been saying to you today?

I love you all...


P.S. Sounds like Pastor Willie did a great job last night...thanks my brother!

God Is In The Now!

I’m happy to announce that today we’re sending off the newly re-edited manuscript of my devotional book A Year In The Now for its fourth printing! Everything about this new edition will basically be the same as the first three versions, but it will have a new cover (front and back), and a couple of new endorsements from other ministries. I’ve also tweaked a few minor things in the phrasing, and my staff has painstakingly proofed every page of it to look for any minor imperfections in the layout, punctuation, grammar, etc. I also just finished writing a new introduction for it, and so, because being IN THE NOW is still where my head is at today, I decided to talk about that subject here with all of you.

In a word, God is in the NOW! God is always in the now! God revealed Himself as the “I AM” to Moses in Exodus 3:14…not the “I Was” or the “I Will Be”. He is I AM, and AM is NOW! He even went on to say that “I AM” would be His eternal name…

“This is My name forever, and by this name I am to be remembered to all generations.” (v.15 - AMP)

God is eternal, and eternity is best defined as “THE NOW”. It is only in the NOW that can we experience the “PRESENCE” of God…PRESENCE means that He is PRESENT (not past…not future)

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-PRESENT help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1 - TNIV).

Many, if not most, people miss the miracle of the NOW because they are too distracted by regret over the past, or fear of the future. But the God Who calls Himself “I AM” encourages us to “forget those things which are behind” (Philippians 3:13), and to stop worrying about tomorrow…

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing RIGHT NOW, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34 - The Message)

When you let go of past-regret and future-anxiety, you can finally say with confidence that THIS is the day that the Lord has made! THIS IS…not was…not will be. That’s why the writer of Hebrews declares that faith is always “NOW”…

NOW FAITH IS being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1 - TNIV)

And a few verses down he says…

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 – NKJV)

To come to God…or to come into the “PRESENCE” of God, you must believe that HE IS (another tense of I AM). Before you can even begin to believe that He is a rewarder, you must first establish that HE IS (or HE IS I AM). The verse says “must believe that He is AND, AND, AND that He is a rewarder”. Those of you who are a part of CITN know that I am teaching a series on this right now, and that I have been telling you that people who believe for rewards without first believing in His “IS-ness” or “AM-ness” are out of order.

The IS (or AM) always comes before anything else. That’s why so many people are frustrated in their prayer life…they have never just concentrated on believing that HE IS, and so it brings imbalance into their lives when they attempt to believe that He is a rewarder, even when they diligently seek Him. The bottom line is that if you don’t embrace the NOW, you cannot seek HIM…you just end up seeking rewards that never come, which leaves you in a constant state of disappointment.

But there is no disppointment in the I AM, and nothing is more important that right NOW. Let yesterday go. Stop worrying about tomorrow. Regret is a waste of time, and anxiety never creates anything positive…

GOD IS NOW! NOW FAITH IS!

GOD IS! NOW FAITH!

GOD! NOW!