We’re going to begin in Philippians. Worship is very important in developing our relationship with the Lord. God wants us to understand that if you’re going to mature from Point A to Point B, worship is going to be a very important part of that. And if you want to mature from Point B to Point C, worship is going to be an important part of that.
God’s heart has always been to give us as much of Him as He could possible give us and part of His ability to do is our willingness to worship, not just here corporately but when we’re at home. Worship conditions our spirits to hear and receive from God.
I believe the Lord is starting to give us more of the mind of Christ because of our worship. There are some very specific things He wants to share with us because we’ve come to the place where He can do that and we’ll be able to receive it. It’s not an accident that God is doing what He’s doing in this church.
Normally when I share the Word, I prepare notes. He didn’t let me do that this time. He didn’t let me share them because of the way they have been delivered to me.
The title of the message is “Memories can separate you from your life.” And the life that memories can separate you from is the life that God has given you, that new man, that born again nature.
Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying memories can cause you to lose your salvation. That’s not what I’m talking about at all. Memories can cause you to miss out on the inheritance that God has given you because you are so focused on the past that you are not living today.
In Philippians 3, look at verse 13.
(13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
(14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
When Paul says “I count not myself to have apprehended,” he’s saying I have not fulfilled everything Jesus has called me to do.
The next thing Paul says is he’s “forgetting those things that are behind.” He’s not saying that he has completely forgotten about the things that have happened in the past. What he’s saying is that those things in his past are not an anchor to him. He’s saying they don’t hold the same place of importance in his life that they used to.
We read this place and think Paul has arrived, that he’s at a place where he doesn’t let his past affect him. Now remember, Paul was circumcised on the 8th day. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, which today would be the men you’d want when you about to face your most difficult foe. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews. In other words, Paul was a Jewish scholar!. And, and, he was a Pharisee.
You have to know that when Paul was on his faith walk the enemy of soul said something along the lines “Do you remember Paul when you were on the fast track to being a Pharisee? Do you remember Paul when all of you were studying Ezekiel 23 and you had insight on verse 13 and Gamaliel said well done, well done? Remember that Paul?
We know that Paul gave up what the world considers important so he could serve Christ. But when you know how your enemy works, you know he’s going to bring up your past to try to get you to remember all of the stuff that you did, all the good things, all the things that held you in high esteem – the jobs that you had that you no longer have, the relationships that you had that you no longer have, the people that you knew that are no longer part of your life.
He will have you thinking about those things and longing for those times again. And when he does this, you will not be focused on the present and doing the things that God wants you to do.
So Paul says “I know I have not reached the point in my life where Jesus wants me. But this one things I do know: I refuse, I refuse to let my past, to let memories cause me to forget who I am what my job is.
You see, memories, good and bad, have a way of checking you. For example, if I had done this, this would not have happened. I remember when I had this job and I made that decision – God I wish I could go back and make a different decision and my life would be completely different.
Do you see how the enemy of the soul has you in a place that’s not good for you? And when he has you in a place that’s not good for you, he dominates.
I’m sure you all know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Most people who suffer from depression, they suffer from depression because of “what was but is not now.” That is one of the roads that leads them down to depression. A longing about what used to be that’s no longer now.
So Paul says that his past is one area where Satan can no longer drag him down any more. Now listen to what the Lord says. And He uses two words four times.
He says “Memories PULL YOU back into the past. They will PULL YOU into a place where you are powerless.”
Now Bro. Barry, how am I powerless in the places where memories pull me? You can’t change them. And if you can’t change them, imagine what it does to you on the inside – if you can’t change them.
“Memories PULL YOU into a place where your emotions dominate. They PULL YOU into the one place where your enemy can dominate you. Far too many of My children live in that place – the past – far too often.”
The thing that interested me is when He said “far too many of My children live in that place.” He didn’t say visit. He didn’t say pass through. He says live. Now listen to what He says next.
“They find themselves going back to a place in time where the dead lived and where the old are young. There is always a trigger that sets memories in motion.”
He says “there’s always a trigger that sets memories in motion.” For me, a trigger that sets memories in motion are songs. Any song I hear from the 70s, they trigger emotions that my Mom was alive, my Dad was alive, my grandfathers was alive, my grandmothers were alive. I have a lot of dead relatives who lived in the 70s. So whenever I hear a song from the 70s, it triggers that emotional response in me.
Whenever I eat banana pudding. My grandmother, my Dad’s mom, was a woman of God! In her banana pudding, there was maybe half of a banana and the rest was cookies! Woman of God! (Laughter) Whenever I eat banana pudding, I think about her – good thoughts that don’t linger too long.
When I hear a song like “Family Reunion” by the Ojays and my Mom and Dad are now gone – if I’m not careful I can feel myself being drawn in. You can feel the cloud kind of moving in. You see, those are things you have to be aware of. I know that there are certain songs I cannot listen to because of what they will do to me.
Your enemy knows there are certain songs you shouldn’t listen to. He knows there are certain things you should not do because they are a trigger in your life that produce emotions that take you away from who you are now in Christ Jesus.
Back to the Word.
“There is always a trigger that sets memories in motion. Your enemy knows what they are for you. When your enemy can TAKE YOU back to times where you believed you were the happiest, he has been able to hide from you your true happiness, which can only be found in me.”
Those songs from the 70s – I was happy in the 70s! They were great times for me. And there are times that, not only does the music provide a trigger for me, but if something emotional has been happening in my life, guess what Barry wants to do? He wants to go back to that place where everything was great.
My point is this. When you respond to those triggers the way the enemy wants you to respond, you might as well get out a machine gone because his finger is going to be on that trigger. And he is going to be shooting it all the time at you.
Your Heavenly Father knows that there are things in your life that, if you could have a “do-over” you would “do-over.” But your Heavenly Father doesn’t remember your past. We need to not remember the past in such a way that it pulls us back with our emotions that get us sidetracked from doing the will of God.
Look in Isaiah 43. If you have a marker, the next place we’re going is Revelation 12. Look at what the Word says in Isaiah 43.
(25) I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions …
For this teaching, transgressions are anything that God has not said about us. Transgressions are everything that were related to our past that are not godly.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression. (Why did He do it?) for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
(26) Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou majesty be justified.
The word “justified” means proved right. God says put Me in remembrance. What is it that God wants us to remind Him of? The things He has said about us! He not telling us to remind Him of the bad things. That’s not His way. He says remind Him, and when you do this you are really reminding yourself, of what I have said about you.
Listen to what our Father says.
“My only thoughts about you are about who you are and what My Son has done for you. You have not past with Me. You are always in My present. You will never find me thinking thoughts about you that don’t agree with what I have spoken about you in My Word. You will never find me having thoughts that would make you feel condemned or unworthy, or filled with regret. I would not do that to you. What Father would?”
I got to thinking about some of the things I said to my children over the years and that hurt because what I had said made them feel less than who they truly are to me. Anger does that ladies and gentlemen. Anger. Remember that.
Then He took me to Revelation. We’re still talking about memories. Go to Revelation 12 and we’re going to read verse 10.. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
We’re not at the place where Satan is cast down. He’s still accusing us. And he gets before God and says “I thought you said that now that they’re born again, now that they have your life and nature, they don’t have to sin anymore. Did you see what Barry did?”
Not only is he the great accuser before our Heavenly Father, he does a masterful job with us, in accusing us, in making us have feelings of regret – making us feel unworthy because of the things we have done in our past. And the sad part? We listen to him. Instead of us kicking that thought to the curb when it happens, we listen to it.
God says “Satan will always use your thoughts to try and steal, kill and destroy who you are in Me. …
He took me back to Genesis 3 and what Satan did to Adam and Eve. He destroyed who they were in Him.
“He gets so frustrated when he stands before Me saying things about you because when he speaks, I can’t hear him. Did you hear what I said? I can’t hear him when he speaks things that are not in agreement with what I have said about you. But far too many of you listen anyway. You have My life. You have the ability to tune him out just like I do when he feeds your mind with thoughts that are contrary to who you are as My son and My daughter. …
I thought it was very interesting that He says “My son and My daughter.” Normally, the Lord says “My sons and My daughters.” But He wants us to understand how very personal this is for Him because He is address us individually!
“You have to make your thoughts agree with My thoughts and you do that by speaking My thoughts.” He then took me to Joshua 1:8 where it talks about meditating day and night in the Word.
Turnt to Isaiah 55.
(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
(9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Now people have taken these two verses to prove that we cannot think the way the Lord thinks and that we will never be understand Him. Is that really what this is saying? No. Go back up two verses. It only takes two verses to see what He’s talking about.
(6) Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.
(7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
If the unrighteous is going to “return to the Lord,” don’t you think he has been with the Lord before? Don’t you think that maybe his thoughts were not entirely opposite of the Lord?
Turn to I Corinthians 2.
(9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now look at verse 16. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Listen to what the Lord says.
“You can know when the enemy is attacking you through your thoughts. You can know when he is marshaling your emotions against My life in you. Did I not say in My Word that the Holy Spirit would lead you and guide you into all truth and that He would show you the things to come? But knowing the attack is coming or that it is happening isn’t enough. You have to make the decision to put on the mind of Christ. You have to bring into subjection every thought from your past that causes you to feel defeated, helpless and vulnerable. I cannot do that for you. But if you will spend time with me in worship, I will be able to bath your emotions with the truth of My love.”
When you start heading down “memory lane” the way the enemy is taking you, and your cloud starts coming over you, our Father says worship Him.
Re-read Philippians 4:13-14.
Paul says that he not reached everything that Jesus desires of him. But let me tell you what I do count. Paul says “I count,” “I do,” “I reach forth,” “I press.”
The Lord says “When you make a deliberate decision to act on what I have spoken in My Word, I can move to bring My Word to pass in your life. You see, My kingdom is set up in such a way that when you act according to its laws, you will receive everything that My kingdom, the place where you now live, has to offer – no exceptions.”
“Listen to me, your past no longer exists in My mind. There is nothing about you that has ever happened that should cause you to feel that you are not good enough or worthy enough for Me to shower My love on you. I love you. I have loved you for a long, long time. I have loved you through the ages. You are blessed – much more than you know. Your enemy knows how blessed you are. He knows what you have received as My son and My daughter. But if he can keep you in a place where memories dominate, where your emotions rule, he will keep you from your life. Don’t allow the enemy of your soul to steal what I have given to you through My Son. Don’t let him convince you that you can’t defeat the memories of your past that bring you into a dark place. Instead, talk to me. Remember what I said in Isaiah. Remind Me of what I have declared about you in My Word.”
I finished in Isaiah 55 and reread verses 8-13.
The Lord says “Talk to Me, build your faith and know that when we talk, all of heaven is listening. I hear everything you say and I will bring you to a place of pure joy where rejoicing is all you will ever know.”
Memories have the ability to make us forget who we are and what God has done for us. If left unchecked, memories can take you down a road that hard to get back from. So I encourage you today, that when a trigger brings a memory that can take you to a dark place, talk to your Father. He loves you. Never, ever forget that!
