Leave It Behind and Go Forward

Have you ever attended a wedding or seen a wedding caravan? What was attached to the back of the bridal car? You guessed it! A string of old cans, bottles, shoes, and much more, clanging against the pavement as the bride and groom left town, letting everyone know they were newlyweds.

They are supposed to be leaving it all behind and sailing off into the sunset of a new life and a new beginning together, forever. However, we do drag some of the past with us everywhere we go, and sometimes all that we can hear is that clanging and banging. Life cannot really be fruitful and happy unless we cut ties with the past and move forward.

"Forgetting those things that are behind, we press on" (Philippians 3:14 KJV). If soldiers get weighted down with too much stuff, they can't engage their enemy in the fight. Sometimes they can take only enough rations to sustain them, because too much baggage will endanger them. If there is trouble on a boat in the deep sea, throwing cargo overboard can sometimes help the passengers survive.

God calls us to be "watchmen and watchwomen," and he has appointed us to take his message of hope to far regions, until we can no longer do so because of illness or death. What a joyful privilege to bring salvation to other people — whether many or few — and we give him praise for that opportunity every day (Ezekiel 3:17-18 KJV). As watchmen, we warn, bring hope, and give listeners confidence that if they put their trust in the One who can save them, they will have peace. Peace is priceless, and few people find it. People often think they can attain it by themselves or in their own ways, sad to say. Jesus is our peace, hope, joy, and salvation.

Oscar Michelson had to leave many things behind to reach the New Hebrides Islanders. Among savage cannibals, he used up all his goods in bartering for his own life and persuading the islanders to listen to the Gospel. What is God asking you to leave behind? The more you hold fast to these things, the less you will feel free to press forward. Only you, dear reader, can know what you need to leave behind.

I had to leave the comforts of home and my parents to follow the Lord's call for my life. Yes, I resisted at first. I thought of all the reasons why I should be disobedient, but then I remembered a quotation that once helped me: "God is like Scotch Tape. You cannot see him, but you know he is there holding things together in my life and yours."

The precious woman at the well in John 4 had to leave many things behind after she tasted the living water given to her by Jesus the Christ. Hallelujah! She dropped her water pot and ran with the truth to tell the mean people from whom she was hiding and the men who were abusing her. Her baggage was cut away by the one who is truth and has the power of deliverance. What freedom she must have felt at that very moment! She could not help herself; she had to run with the new message. When we first believed, we were the same as this woman at the well. Why, then, do we want to go back in time to pick up pieces of these ungodly habits and drag them along? The apostle Paul told some folk, "You have not learned these things since you have taken the step forward." (2 Tim 3:14 KJV)

The prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32 KJV) also came to realize that he needed to leave the empty trappings behind in the pigpen of life. Then he ran home where he belonged, back to his heavenly and earthly fathers. What a joy to see this humble young man freed from his past and moving forward in blessing.

Many things hold us back — large or small, light or heavy. But today can be a new beginning as we say, "No more heavy loads for me. I give them all to Jesus and allow him to free me from my chains, so that I can step forward without shame, heavy weight, and heartache." I, too, had to leave my anger, disappointment, shame, and much more at Calvary, accept his promises to me, and stay faithful to God, who is always faithful. He took my baggage away, and now when it tries to reappear, I claim his promise and turn it right back to him, the faithful one! Dear reader, God has forgiven us. He says in Psalm 103:12 that east and west cannot meet, and that he has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. This makes me want to shout for joy. Weeping is just for a short while, so cheer up, enjoy your freedom, and carry on. Be steadfast and unmovable, for he is right there beside us and we follow our leader, our blessed Lord Jesus. As we read in the Gospel of Mark, "Unless we can leave lots of things behind to follow him, we cannot be his disciple and be worthy of him" (Mark 10:25-31 KJV).

Hands he Made

Those hands He made Becomes a hammer
Those lives He changed, from nothing to Somebody
Called out we will not, have Him as our king,
Nothing we want from Him, Just crucify Him!

They made a Victor a victim, they holler, "Bring Barabbas in"
He we want to defend us, A thief robber murderer is he
We know he will give us liberty, set Barabbas free, let it be
Put Jesus Christ the Son of God on Calvary's tree.

Going the Wrong Way

He that is often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall be destroyed without remedy.

— Proverbs 29:1 KJV

God used this verse to challenge me to truly repent of my sinful life. I knew I needed him, but when you are young and have great plans for your life, you think you know everything. No way was I going to allow God in my future! What a fool I was (Psalm 139 KJV).

Yes, we all go the wrong way and take others along with us. "One fool makes many," as the old saying goes. Thanks to God for zapping me into reality so I could see the truth, the big mistake I was making, and the way deep into disobedience I was taking. The broad way is truly appealing to the eyes, but it can be very destructive.

Today is a glorious day because Jesus, the Lord of Glory, bought me, cleaned me up, clothed me into his righteousness, and gave me new direction. Now my life has new meaning and purpose. He has a plan for each of us; we just have to get with his plans first. "The joy of the Lord shall be your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV). When Christ cleans us up, we experience change, joy, peace, and a desire to tell everyone we meet of such a glorious change. Have you been changed? My turning point came in August 1960.

After receiving Christ as Savior, I began doing my part in the church as a Sunday school teacher, helping in women's meetings, visitation, prison ministry, and street evangelism, serving and selling books at Youth for Christ at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingston, Jamaica. There is no way a person can be saved and remain dormant, because God calls us to be his mouthpiece to everyone we see and meet. We are to be watchmen for our neighbors in our cities, towns, and communities, and warn the lost of hell, fire, coming judgment, and final separation from God (Ezekiel 37:10 KJV). We are disobedient if we allow people to go to a Christ-less eternity without warning them. We help them out of their neglect and ignorance, so that they have no excuse for remaining lost forever. The privilege is theirs to reject or accept, but we must faithfully warn, entreat, and teach them his precious Word.

Yes, there were times I left some people who were deserving of hell, especially those who violated women, girls, and even boys. Around 1962, one afternoon after work, I took the bus on my way to visit a family who were my friends. As I got off the bus and began to walk to the park that led to my friends' place, a man attacked me. I was able to fight him off, but then two others came to his aid. I tried to defend myself, but I was no match for the three of them. They hit me and threatened to kill me and throw me in a ditch. I thought, Lord, let them do it now.

Then God did something I would never have thought possible. He allowed me to be numb, as if I were outside my body and could not feel the onslaught of my violators. It was like I was not even there. Their attack on me lasted from seven o'clock that evening to about five o'clock the next morning, and then they left me to die. I could not fathom why this had happened to me, what I had done to deserve it, or how God could have allowed it to happen. But even though I had no real answers, I knew I was still God's child. And I knew that someday, he would give me beauty for my ashes.

The police took care of me and all the medical bills and follow-up, and I thank them for it. Nevertheless, I felt lost, homeless, and confused. At first I was angry with God — no question about it! I was afraid of disease and pregnancy, terribly confused, and surrounded by dark clouds. From whom could I seek help? I was far from my parents' home, and I had no siblings. I felt so alone and ashamed, and I wondered if the attack had been my fault. What could I have done differently? I had only questions — no answers. I was waiting on God for his answers. How can someone find joy in that kind of situation? How could it work for my good? I was calling to God as a wounded soldier, scared and needing answers.

Among the first encouraging words from the Savior, who also was wounded for my sins, were these: "You have your life."

I shot back, "Some life! What can I do with it?"

"Give it totally to me," God fired back. And over the years, God has used this soldier on many battlefields (at the time I didn't know that word), to help other wounded soldiers regroup. And in his strength and grace, I have found joy, peace, healing, and self-confidence to keep telling his story (1 Peter 2:24–25 KJV).

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you think it's the end, or your back is against the wall and you see no way out? I am here to remind you that God is the way. He knows every curve, every corner, and he will lead you through and make you a blessing. God's bright and notable soldiers are doing a fine job in his vineyard, not because they are so well trained and educated. But with their scars — some visible, some hidden — they are making a mark in this cruel world for his glory as they serve their King. They are a joy to see.

God will give us rest for mind, body, and soul as we turn our lives over to him. My deliverance from hate, revenge, and internal war came in a most unusual way and place. I was on the island of Haiti with my dear husband, Edward, at a regional teachers' convention, when on the evening news I saw the story of a girl who had been raped. As I watched, my deep anger returned and I began to weep from a place deep inside of me. It was like a flood of raging waters that would not stop. My husband heard my agonized cry and ran upstairs to see what was going on. As he looked at the news, he knew what was happening to me. Ed just held me and rocked me for a while, with compassion, love, and care. Then he said, "Honey, surrender it and them to the Lord. Let it go, my darling." At that moment, for the first time in almost ten years, I could pray about it and truly give it to our Lord, for his judgment on those perpetrators of evil and cowardly acts against me.

I had never prayed for any of my attackers to be saved and changed, because I had never thought they needed forgiveness. I had only cried for my revenge and punishment for their sin. I had carried this for many years, but that day God set me free (John 8:36). Like a caged bird set free, I was thankful for deliverance from an eight-inch blade, disease, pregnancy, death, and a negative view of the world and God. Now I could clearly see his joy and strength in my weakness. What a gracious God! Forgiveness is a peaceful washing that makes you feel clean. Have you been forgiven? Have you forgiven someone for the hurt they have caused you? If so, then you know how it feels to be free, soaring high with peace and joy. The act itself is never totally forgotten, but it can no longer cripple or defeat us. God prepares his soldiers in strange ways. Amen!

Many people are living right now in pain from abuse, incest, homelessness, racism, and other degrading situations. These things can cause health problems and a feeling of worthlessness, and some women have become involved in relationships that only escalate the problem. But there is always hope! It's time for you to be set free, because there are other people who need our help in their own healing process. God will give us beauty for our ashes and make us shining examples of his grace. He knows how to use a broken or chipped vessel for his own purpose and plan. Please believe this, for I know it's true!

Some people are housebound by their fears, others turn to various drugs to ease their pain, and still others have never been able to maintain healthy relationships because the pain they suffer is still lingering. Satan lies and tells them that they are useless and cannot possibly be a good role model, and those lies stay in their minds. Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind is a powerful book, for lots of the things we do or think begin in our minds. The Bible says we must renew our mind daily — in other words, bring it under the authority of the Lord and his Holy Spirit, so they can transform us and make us useful in God's service.

The story was told of a couple whom God had called to overseas missions. For many years, because of her fear of snakes, bugs, and other creepy crawlers, the wife held her husband back from going. One day, however, she began to pray about her crippling anxiety and fear, which was keeping them from going to the mission field. This was weighing on her mind and emotions quite a bit. While she was praying, Satan put this thought in her mind: "Remember, you will get bitten and die." But she boldly shouted out, "So what, devil? So what?" This dear lady got the victory, and by the end of that year, they were on their way to serve the King of Kings. Amen!

Whom will you serve? To whose voice will you surrender? Even family members can lead us to disobey the call of God on our lives. In my many years of ministry and working with various groups of people, occasionally someone has said to me, with tears streaming down their face, "I heard the call of God and I said yes. But my parents had plans for me that did not include the mission field." Education is often the top priority.

Not so long ago, I counseled a lovely, bright young schoolteacher, who sadly told me of the choice she had made with a divided heart. She had told her mother that she was going to be a missionary and serve God through teaching. However, she then began to date a young man who had no desire to be anything special for God. Their love for each other got in the way of her plans for ministry and they got married, even though her mom told her not to do so. Many years later, with much heartache, the young schoolteacher regrets that decision. Now she is making up for service through her church, and her husband is still not interested in the God she loves and serves.

There are many similar stories, and I am sure you have heard some, too. It hurts to hear these tales of regret and sadness. God is merciful and helps us through our bad choices. But he also hopes we will learn from our mistakes, make the necessary changes, and live in peace with a forgiven heart instead of regrets. Some of us are modern Jonahs who will have to either change or suffer the consequences. What will you do?

Make the right choice and follow the Lord, who gave his all for you! He might call you to serve on a foreign mission field or right here at home. Either way, the important thing is to be obedient. Don't bargain with God, either — just answer "Yes," "No," or "I'm not ready." Most of us who said yes were actually not ready, and we did not know all the ins and outs of our decision. At the same time, however, we knew that our God would not deceive us and that he made a promise to never leave us alone. So we went on faith, trusting our blessed leader, who has all the answers and the wherewithal to help us in times of need, frustration, language study, loneliness, and much more. As Charles Albert Tindley wrote in a hymn titled "We'll Understand it Better By and By" "His ways we cannot see but has all been planned for me, his ways are best you see, we're in his precious hands."

He was the Precious Gift

He was the precious gift to a world that was lost,
He was the promised child sent from above
He brought love, peace, forgiveness and joy
To all who would embrace him if he calls

There was no sound of sweet music
To the ears of lost and dying men
The gift was the Precious Son of God
Giver of life, he made our hearts glad
Receive his tender loving kindness to all
Let Jesus fix your problems do, heed his call
O come and adore, lift your voice in praise
The Giver of life has come with mercy and grace.