Category: Uncategorized

by Tammy Phillips
October 27, 2021

In Revelation 7, there is a little break in the action from the Antichrist trying to establish himself.  God is still at work.  He did not exit the earth when the four horses came riding in.  In fact, in the first three verses of Revelation 7, we see four angels standing on the corners of the earth.  They are holding back the four winds of the earth.  They are not allowing the prince of the air, nor the winds to  blow on the earth, sea, nor on any trees until God’s servants can be “sealed” in the forehead.  

The Greek Lexicon defines “sealed” as:  to mark; to stamp; to confirm, authenticate, place beyond doubt; guarantee.  A seal also depicts ownership.  A seal states, “This belongs to me.  Don’t touch.”  Are you signed by your new name? Are you sealed?  Are you delivered?

Jesus was sealed by the Father. (John 6:27)
God has sealed us as believers. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
God sealed every believer with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)

In Revelation 7:4-8,  144,000 of God’s servants are sealed.  They are Jews who come to Jesus after the church has exited the earth.  They are described as  144, 000 children of Israel,  12,000 from each tribe. They are protected and have a service to perform for God.  It appears they are sealed to lead Israel and some of the remaining Gentiles to the Lord during the Great Tribulation.   Are the 144, 000 alive now? Is the Lord preparing their hearts?  We will learn more about them in Revelation 14.

In the remaining verses of Revelation 7:9-17, John writes about seeing a multitude from the Great Tribulation. 

• They were innumerable from every nation, tribe, people, and language.
• They were standing before the throne and the Lamb.
• They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands which signifies victory.
• They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

John also saw all the angels standing around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures.   They fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”  (Rev. 7:12 KJV)

One of the elders asked John, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from? ”   Note:  This is a different group than the Church/the bride of Christ that is spoken of in Chapter 4 and  5 of Revelation.

The elder told John, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  For this reason, they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. The one seated on the throne will shelter them:  They will no longer hunger; they will no longer thirst; the sun will no longer strike them, nor will any scorching heat.  For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; he will guide them to springs of the waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. “ (Revelation 7:14-17 CSB)

It seems this Great Multitude arrives at the throne from the evangelistic work of the 144,000. Jews and Gentiles both makeup the Great Multitude and are delivered from the grips of the Antichrist.   Will backsliders, lukewarm Christians, and those who were not prepared, nor looking for Jesus, who missed the first call to heaven, be given another chance during the Great Tribulation?  Oh my!  This is not a chance I want to take. I want nothing to do with the Great Tribulation and everything to do with Jesus, now.

God is still in the salvation business today and even in the Great Tribulation.   The heart of God is that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.  (1 Timothy 2:3-7).  Choose and turn to  Him today. 

I enCOURAGE you not to miss one more minute of life without Jesus in it!   Choose whom you will serve today.  Invite Him to live in you.   Do not be caught asleep or trying to prepare when it is too late.  Read His word and do what He says. It is really simple.  His word leads to life more abundantly, here, and now.   Jesus is our salvation.  Are you signed, sealed, and delivered by Him?  

by Tammy Phillips
October 26, 2021

“And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come! And who is able to stand? ” (Revelation 6:16-17 CSB)KJV) 

We looked at the bad of Revelation 6, yesterday.  Let’s revisit.  The Antichrist, war, famine, death, hell, and the Lamb’s wrath will be unleashed.  And, there will be martyrs.  But God…He has allowed us to live in the age of His grace.  He has provided us a way to escape.  His name is Jesus.  Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb, was slain for us to eternally escape the wrath we deserve.

The good news is…Jesus!  The heavens will be rolled up and removed (Rev.6:14).  All remaining left on earth will see the face of God who sits on the throne and the unavoidable wrath of the  Lamb.  As followers of Christ, here and now, we get to escape the day of the Lamb’s wrath.

How?  I believe the trumpet will sound and before we can bat an eye, we, the body of Christ, will be taken out of here before the great day of wrath.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 CSB)

 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52 CSB) 

Repeatedly in Word of God the body of Christ is told that we escape the wrath:

1. We are saved through Jesus from wrath.He took the wrath for us.

   “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.” (Romans 5:8-9 CSB)

2. We will be rescued from the coming wrath.

“…how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead ​– ​Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. ” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 CSB)

3. We are not appointed to wrath but salvation.We do not have an appointment with wrath but with Jesus, our Salvation.

“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 CSB) 

I enCOURAGE you not to miss your appointment with destiny and the journey of your lifetime.  Choose Jesus, NOW!  If you have read this, accept this as yet another of His invitations to make your life right.  He has made the call.  Actually, I believe the Lord has called you repeatedly.  How many times have you looked at the caller ID and rejected Him?  Your salvation is NOW.   Get your one-way ticket out of here and escape the Lamb’s coming wrath. Expiring SOON.

“The one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13 CSB)

by Tammy Phillips
October 25, 2021

Remember back in Revelation 5, no one was found worthy to open the seals and the Lamb, Jesus, took the scrolls.  In Revelation 6 the Worthy One now opens the seals to reveal what’s in them.  The judgements and the horsemen are released.  According to 2 Thessalonians this will not happen until there is a great falling away, the  Antichrist is revealed (not necessarily by name but by actions–see Revelation 13 & 17) and he sits as God in the rebuilt temple.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for [that Day will not come] unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV, read all of 2 Thes.2)

 The First Seal–Rider on White Horse

“And I saw and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:2 KJV)

Oddly enough, he has a bow and no arrows.  He was given a crown because he did not have one already.  This cannot be Jesus because he already had many crowns and had already conquered. Jesus is also the one holding and opening the scrolls.  This is a picture of the Antichrist  being let loose on the earth.  Jesus will return to the earth later riding a white horse (Rev. 19:11)  This is just Satan being his faker self.

Scripture tells us that the Antichrist makes a peace deal with Israel to begin his assignment.  He is attempting to set himself as a “peaceful” world dominator. Three and a half years later, he breaks the deal. The following horseman are his “power” tools through the seven-year period until Jesus says no more.

The Second Seal—The Man of War on Red Horse

“And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” (Revelation 6:4 KJV) 

This rider brings disruption of peace between Israel, its neighbors, and Russia.  He brings war and death. Remember, he has fooled himself and others into thinking that he is going to rule the world.

The Third Seal—Famine comes riding on the Black Horse

“And when he had opened the third seal…. a black horse: and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand… A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6 KJV)\

Food becomes scarce and will cost about twelve times what it normally does.  However, the remnant of Israel is taken care of and nourished for 3 ½ years . (Rev.12:14)

The Fourth Seal—Death on the Pale Horse

“A pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:8 KJV)

Interesting, the pale horse rider, Death, along with Hell and the other horsemen are given power to release havoc on one-fourth of the world, the European-Mediterranean area.  Hilton Sutton shows us in his book, Revelation Revealed, page 93,  there will be no world domination for the Antichrist according to Isaiah 19, Zechariah 14, Daniel 11:25, 30, 32, 40, 41, 44 and Revelation 9.  However, Jesus says, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”(Matthew 24:21)

The Fifth Seal— The Tribulation Martyrs 

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held…” (Revelation 6:9 KJV)

These martyrs will be killed for the Word of God and their testimony after the church has been caught up.  “Gospel of grace” message will be replaced by the “Kingdom of God of heaven is at hand.” The Christians will call for judgment and vengeance.  They are told to wait.  Ultimately, “the martyrs are avenged by Armageddon and resurrected reign with Christ on earth.” -Hilton Sutton

The Sixth Seal— Terror, Natural Uproar, Wrath

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black…the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth… And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” (Revelation 6:12-14 KJV)

Jesus has had enough.  He is coming to conquer and rule the world.   The end of tribulation is coming to an end.  This is literally the worst day

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17 KJV)

 These are the signs before Revelation 19 and Matthew 24.

I enCOURAGE you to choose Jesus, now!  This is not meant to scare you.  It is meant to direct you to Jesus.  According to the Word, as a current follower of Christ, we will not be here on earth during the seven-year period of the Great Tribulation.  I promise you the word of God is true.  These things are going to happen and the only way to escape before they begin is Jesus.  Yep, things are going to get worse before they are better.   I am pleading with you to quit playing at life, live it for,  and with the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Tammy Phillips
October 24, 2021

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face…” (Proverbs 15:13 CSB)

Joy is an inner contentment.  
Happiness is outward expression.

Joy is in the heart.  
Happiness is on the face.

Joy is  in the spirit.  
Happiness is in the soul.

Joy is.  
Happiness happens.

Joy is deep and overflowing. 
Happiness is brief and fleeing.  

Joy is a deliberate and intentional choice.  
Happiness is accidental and random.

Joy is chosen. 
Happiness is pursued.

Live joy.
Enjoy happiness.

“A joyful heart is good medicine… “ (Proverbs 17:22 CSB)

I encourage you simply… choose joy, smile often and laugh lots. 

 

by Tammy Phillips
October 23, 2021

“Knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed… Let us walk honestly, as in the day…” (Romans 13:11, 13 KJV)

When I was around nine or ten years old, I remember being told that I sleepwalked into our den and pulled down our Christmas tree.  If I had been my mom, I would not have put it back up.  She does not remember exactly what happened, and neither do I, I was asleep.  I do not have a clue.  Mom said I did some damage to the tree.  I can see how sleepwalking could be dangerous. 

Many are sleepwalking  through life; I was.  I did the best I could to just get by while working, trying to be a wife, and mother to  two small boys.  I cannot put a date on the day that I awoke, realized I needed to live differently and needed to invite Jesus into to EVERY area of my life.  Occasionally, we suddenly awake and jump out of bed, but if you are anything like me, waking and arising are progressive. Sometimes, I lay there thinking, I do not want to get up. Other times, I cannot wait to get up.  Most of the times, I give little thought to it and just get up.  Scriptures says:

“Knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. … Let us walk honestly, as in the day…” (Romans 13:11, 13 KJV)

Do you know what time it is?  We do not rise before it is time to get up.  Are you still sleep walking through life?  Are you allowing things to just happen around you?  Are you choosing not to awake to the Lord nor live on purpose?  Paul told us 2000 years ago, “It was high time to awake.”  Do you know what day and time it is?  The time is NOW!  It is “high time,” which means it is not just the day; it is the hour!  It a very specific season!  It is Christ-time. We should be living and expecting any day, according to scripture.  We have been in the last days since Jesus arose.  It is the season.  The end of days is drawing near, and we need to live accordingly.  It is time to wake up from sleepwalking and start awake-walking.  We are encouraged in Roman 13:13 to walk honestly like it daytime. 

 “This sleepiness in the Christian is exceedingly dangerous, too, because he can do a great deal while he is asleep that will make him look as if he were quite awake.” (Spurgeon)

Paul encourages us again,  “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:14-15 NKJV)  Christ will lead us in every walk of life,  if we wake up  to Him and righteousness (right living).  He will give us the light we need to awake and walk circumspectly.  Walk circumspectly means to live and walk on purpose.  It means to walk exactly, accurately,  precisely, carefully, diligently, and perfectly.  According to Strongs Concordance,  it means to “walk the most straightest.”

Isn’t the fastest way to get somewhere, the straightest way? Israel sleepwalked, talked and wandered through the desert for forty years.  If they had awakened to the instructions of the Lord and walked circumspectly, their journey would have only been about eleven days instead of years. Our journeys through life would be much shorter if we would wake up and walk “the most straightest.”

I enCOURAGE you to AWAKE don’t sleepwalk through life turning over Christmas trees.  Live on purpose.  Cause the least damage.  Walk circumspectly.  You will get to your destiny a whole lot quicker.  Get into the Word and let Jesus lead the way.  The time is now.  It is the hour.  Don’t be caught sleeping.  Be caught walking “the most straightest.”

BE A “PUT ON” AND DRESS APPROPRIATELY
October 22, 2021

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on…” (Colossians 3:12 CSB)

Yesterday, we focused on being called God’s holy and beloved chosen.  As a chosen daughter or son of God, and brother of Jesus, King of Kings,  we are loved so much that the Lord tells us, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.” (Luke 12:22 NKJV).  Life is made simpler for us.  He tells us not to worry about what to put on.  He  is the ultimate stylist and gives a whole list of things to put on and also, things to purge out of our closet.   

PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT.  (Romans 13:12)
Put on a sober mind.
Put on purity.
Put on self-control
Put on peace.
Put on long suffering.

Put off the works of darkness.
Put off drunkenness and drinking parties.
Put off lust and  sexual immorality.
Put off excessive consumption of food.
Put off strife and quarreling
Put off envy and jealousy
Put of getting hot and boiling.

PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. (Romans 13:14)
Put off the flesh.
Put off cravings and longings.
Put off lust.

PUT ON THE NEW MAN which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24 KJV)

Put off the old man which grows corrupt from desires of lust, deception, and greed.
Put off your former conduct, (Ephesians 4:22 NKJV)

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUROF GOD so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. and so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, stand. (Ephesians 6:11,14)
Put on the belt of truth buckled around your waist. (Ephesians 6:14)
Put on the breastplate of righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14)
Put on the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace for shoes.  (Ephesians 6:15)
Put on the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16)
Put on the helmet of salvation. (Ephesians 6:17)
Put on the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and pray in the Spirit on all occasions.
Put on alertness and keep on praying.(Ephesians 6:18)

Put off  whatever belongs to your earthly nature and old man. .(Colossians 3:5)
Put off sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.(Colossians 3:5)
Put off anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language from your lips and lying. (Colossians 3:8-9)
Put off your old self with its practices. (Colossians 3:9)

PUT ON YOUR NEW MAN  and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:10)

PUT ON AS THE CHOSEN AND ELECT OF GOD, holy and beloved…
Put on tender mercies and compassionate hearts.
Put on kindness.
Put on humbleness of mind, a deep sense of one’s littleness.
Put on meekness and gentleness.
Put on patience and longsuffering. (Colossians 3:12)

PUT ON LOVE, which is the bond of perfection and completion, above all these things. (Colossians 3:14)

I enCOURAGE you to dress appropriately as a chosen, selected, and elected child of God.  Put on the armor of light, the new man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the whole armor of God. Put on mercy, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, and patience. Above all, put on love.  It covers a multitude of sins that need to be put off.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God! For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks [himself] with ornaments, And as a bride adorns [herself] with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 NKJV)

by Tammy Phillips
October 21, 2021

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you,” (1 Thessalonians 1:4 CSB)

“Those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”  (Revelation 17:14 NKJV)

Are you feeling rejected or neglected?  Are you with Him?

YOU ARE CHOSEN.

Jesus was the Chosen and rejected, first, then He elected the rejected,  you and me.

“Coming to Him [as to] a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God [and] precious,” (1 Peter 2:4 NKJV)

YOU ARE CHOSEN.
YOU ARE SELECTED.
YOU ARE ELECTED .
YOU ARE NOT REJECTED.
YOU ARE PICKED OUT.
YOU ARE FAVORED.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:5 NLT)

YOU ARE CHOSEN.  

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”(Matthew 22:14 NKJV)

Everyone is called.  Everyone is invited to the party of life in the Lord.  Few are “chosen” because few choose Him. 

YOU ARE CHOSEN.

But God….
…has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise
…has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty
…has chosen those with no family or people in  the world
…has chosen the things which are despised
…has chosen the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are…(1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NKJV)

Were you foolish, weak, orphaned, despised, a nothing or nobody?  God chose you and He is going to use you. He says so in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.  Can you not find a fit in one of those categories?

YOU ARE CHOSEN

“The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” (Acts 22:14 NKJV)

Actually, Ananias said the above to Paul, but God is no respector of persons.  We are all His favorite children.   So, I am saying it to you.  You are chosen to know His will, see and hear Him.

 YOU ARE CHOSEN

“But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 CSB)

 YOU ARE CHOSEN

“YOU ARE A CHOSEN generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV)

You are not only chosen, you are a chose generation. You were chosen to be here on earth at this very moment in time.  You are also a royal!  You are special! You are His!

YOU ARE CHOSEN

 I enCOURAGE you to KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are selected and not rejected.  You are chosen and when you choose Jesus, you are adopted into the family of God.  He picks you to be His.  He gives you everything a loving parent would give their own blood offspring, and so much more!  You are His fave.

YOU ARE CHOSEN.  

I enCOURAGE you, “therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,” (Colossians 3:12 CSB)

by Tammy Phillips
October 20, 2021

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV)

Both of my sons have a thing for shoes. They really like them and they like a variety of them.  Our youngest loves a bargain, as much as I do.  He loves to find a good sale on a great pair  of shoes.  Recently, he and I were talking about spending  and saving money.   He told me that his thoughts had changed a little bit on shopping for shoes.   He shared how his fiancé’s  younger sister, Claire, looked at a purchase.  Claire is a mere freshman in college.  She determines if she is going to spend by how many “wears” she believes she will get from the purchase, or how many times she will wear the item.  She is wise beyond her years.  I do not know where she learned this concept, but I wish that I had only been as wise, as early.  She looks at a purchase in reference to the value she will get from it.  If she is not going to wear it a lot, she is not going to buy it.

What if we looked at everything in life with Claire’s philosophy?  Actually, we will give credit where credit is due. This is a precept of life that Paul taught inspired by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 10:31.  

“Whatever” is a BIG word.  It means all, the whole thing, anything, and everything. “Whatever” we do should be done to be bring glory to God.  Pause and really think about that. “Whatever” we do should add value to the kingdom of God, the lives of others and our lives.  As Christians, we always want to know the will of God.  Here it is in black and white…

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV)

• Whatever we eat
• Whatever we do not eat
• Whatever we drink
• Whatever we do not drink
• Whatever we buy
• Whatever we sell
• Whatever we give
• Whatever we say
• Whatever we do not say
• Whatever we pray
• Whatever we hear
• Whatever we watch
• Whatever we read
• Whatever we write
• Whatever we post
• Whatever we tweet
• Whatever we snap
• Whatever we wear

Talk about life changing and transformative.  Of course, the Holy Spirit brought this lesson to me on a day that I am going to Nashville to shop.  We have to practice what we preach, right?  I am going to really focus on “whatever.” 

I enCOURAGE you to pay attention to your “whatever’s.”  Personally, if I ever needed a tattoo, it would say “Love & Whatever.”   Actually,  I have this scripture picture tucked into my refrigerator and my pantry .  I need to always focus on “whatever” when I open those doors,  I know it would be transformative.  I suppose we all need to focus on “whatever,” whenever. 

by Tammy Phillips
October 19, 2021

Dutch Sheets delivered a powerful message at Riverside Church on October 10, 2021.  I have listened to it several times.  He shared how Abram was called the Hebrew in Genesis 14:13.  Hebrew means to pass over, or by, or through; cross; cross over; march over, go over; go to the opposite side.  Abram means Father.  Abram the Hebrew was the father of the Crossover. He was later name Abraham  which means the Father of a multitude.  He was the father of faith.  We follow Him in faith in God and in the crossover.  However, it was, and always is  the LORD who makes the way to crossover.

 “This is what the LORD says–he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,” (Isaiah 43:16 NIV)

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NIV)

” When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2 NIV)

In the above verses we see the LORD made a way through the sea, a way in the wilderness, a way through the rivers and a way through the fire.  He makes the way through this crazy life.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)

The Lord made a way …

…for Abraham to leave his home and move to the land the Lord promised even though he had to go through Egypt to get there. (Genesis 12-13)

…for Moses and all of Israel to escape from slavery in Egypt and crossover the Red Sea to freedom. (Exodus 14)

…in the dessert for Joshua and Israel to cross over the Jordan River to the promised land. (Joshua 3,specifically, 3:16)

…for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, also known as Shadrach, Meshach and  Abed-Nego to make it through the fire.  (Daniel 3 19:25)

…for the disciples to crossover the Sea of Galilee. (Luke 8:22-27)

…for us to escape the penalty of sin and crossover to freedom in Him.(Acts 2:38)

…for us to be delivered from the grips of death and to live eternally with him.  (John 3:16-17)

…for us to escape the desert and step into our promised land…

Jesus is the way.  He provided the way for us to be born again into His kingdom.  He made the way by His death on the cross for us to escape death.  He made a way on the cross for us crossover from wilderness living to the promised land. He made us joint heirs. 

Do you see the picture of how the cross made the way to cross over?  The Cross is the only way to cross over.  The cross is literally in the word cross over.  The Lord bridged the gap through the Red Sea, over the Jordan River, through the fire, over the Sea of Galilee and most importantly the chasm between man and God.  Jesus is the Way. 

I enCOURAGE you to crossover.   Follow Father Abraham in the faith.  Follow Jesus.  Leave your past behind and all its baggage.  Allow the cross of Jesus to move you from the desert wilderness to the land He promised and paid for.  The Lord made the way to crossover.  He is the only way to crossover.

The cross of Jesus is without size.  It cover any and all sin.  The cross of Jesus is without size.  It crosses over the smallest pebble or the largest ocean.  It crosses over any obstacle of any size and will always lead to the other side if followed.  Jesus is the way over, around and through! 

by Tammy Phillips
October 18, 2021

“Brothers and sisters, 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 3:13 NIV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

FORGET THE PAST

The old has gone and the new is here and now!  We cannot live in the past, live in the now, and step into our future all at the same time.  When we choose, and it is our choice to forget the past, we can live in the now and take steps forward into our future. 

We cannot live in the prison of our past and step out the open cell door into freedom.  It is one or the other.  How do we forget the past?

1. FORGIVE YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Are you holding onto memories, hurts, or betrayals from your past? Who has betrayed you?  Have you been unfaithful to God and to yourself?  Have you cheated on your best you with your worst you?   The truth is, unless we let it all go and shake it off, unless we  forgive ourselves and all others, until we leave the past in the past, we cannot move forward. OUCH!

FORGET THE PAST

No matter what mistakes we have, we cannot move forward unless we forgive  and forget the past. Our should be on our upward and onward calling. We lose precious time living in the past.

We make mistakes.  Our family and friends make mistakes.  We have been set free. We are  promised a future as long as we do not allow ourselves to be held  hostage and imprisoned in our pasts. Make a list of things your need to forgive yourself for and  people who you need to forgive. Literally, throw it to the Lord and do not pick it up again. Forgive yourself. Forgive others.

2. THINK DIFFERENT

Think about what you are thinking about.  The world says, “you are a loser and you cannot leave the past behind.”   The Word says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

We either take  control of our thoughts and walk in the freedom Christ paid for or our thoughts take control of and imprison us.  We are responsible for our thoughts and no one else.     

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)

FORGET THE PAST

We forgive ourselves and others.  We do not beat ourselves up nor others over things in the past.  We shake it off and “and strain toward what is ahead.”

3. CHANGE THE DAILY ROUTINE

We cannot do what we have always done in the past and expect change. We have to step into our future differently. Habits are hard to break, but not impossible.  We have to work to change.  

FORGET THE PAST

Choose one thing to change.  Set specific goals, big and small.  Start small.  Make a simple change-plan with attainable goals.  Take action and make the change.  For example:

Goal:  I want to drink more water daily. 
Change:  I don’t hope I will do it. I plan to do it.
Plan:

• Determine specific amount of water for the day, 80 ounces.
• Fill a large container with 80 ounces of water.
• Plan to drink a certain amount each hour. Drink 10 oz of water each hour.
• Carry a 10 oz cup. Fill and drink 10 oz. each hour
• Victory! Small goal attained! The past of not drinking water is left behind and defeated.

It is difficult to Change habits, but it’s possible.  All things are possible through Christ.

4. STEP TOWARD THE FUTURE

Taking small steps leads to extraordinary progress over time.  If we walk a mile today, we may be running a mile next week or walking three.  It does not matter.  Progress is progress.  We just have to take steps forward in any direction to leave the past behind.

FORGET THE PAST

5. FIND AN ENCOURAGEMENT TEAM

We should surround ourselves with a strong, supporting cast of encouragers.  Negative and pessimistic complainers  will bring us down and keep us in the past.  Encouragers will build us up.  They will cheer us up and out of our past. We can do the same for them.  They will tell us to…

FORGET THE PAST

The people we allow in  our lives affect our lives. If they try to tear us down, they are attempting to imprison us in their misery.  We need surround ourselves  with people who are going in the same resolute, new, direction. Building a tribe of people with similar goals can help us move on from the past and press forward into the life we have been called to live.

I enCOURAGE you to work on forgiveness.  Change your thinking.  Align it to the word of God.  If it is not a God thought, leave it behind. Change your daily routine, little by little.  Take small steps into the new.  Spend time with your people who encourage, support, and guide you to attain your high calling.  Leave behind impossible and step into the way, full of possibilities. Look to the future.  Look to Jesus the Author and Finisher of you. FORGET THE PAST and do not look back!

“I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and …” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9:61-62 NIV)