AQUÈL QUIEN LA BUENA OBRA EMPEZÒ

Sorry about that.  But the topic today and focus verse, when ever I hear it, cause me to drop into the Spanish translation.  I can't help it.  I blame Steve Green for his "Hide'em in your Heart" series which helps people memorize scripture through song.

One of the songs is "AQUÈL QUIEN LA BUENA OBRA EMPEZÒ," which is sung in Spanish obviously, and is the translation of Philippians 1:6. (NIV) "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

That is a promise worth remembering.  God will be faithful to finish the work He has started in us! When I get down because I feel as though there is no progress in my walk, I can know that God is not done with me yet.  When I feel like everything is just standing still in my life, I can know God is not done with me yet.

That is exciting.  That should make you smile and help you get through a rough spot.  Don't worry, you keep working towards what you feel God has for you, and He will keep working on you as well until you are complete.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

I am...

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10)

I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)

I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)

I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14)

I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18)

I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16)

I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5)

I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)

I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the  world (1 John 4:4)

I have received the gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17)

I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened (Ephesians 1:17, 18)

I have the power over all the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me (Mark 16:17, 18; Luke 10:17, 19)

I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him Who created me (Colossians 3:9, 10)

I have no lack, for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)

I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with my shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)

I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13)

I show forth the praises of God Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)

I am God's child-for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23)

I am God's workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10)

I am a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am a spirit being-alive to God (Romans 6:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

I am a believer, and the light of the Gospel shines in my mind (2 Corinthians 4:4)

I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions (James 1:22, 25)

I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17)

I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me (Romans 8:37)

I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11)

I am a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3, 4)

I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)

I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9)

I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, I am not my own (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am the head and not the tail; I am above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)

I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)

I am His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12)

I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood (Ephesians 1:7)

I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God's kingdom (Colossians 1:13)

I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Galatians 3:13)

I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:7)

I am called of God to be the voice of His praise (Psalm 66:8; 2 Timothy 1:9)

I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)

I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)

I am greatly loved by God (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power (Colossians 1:11)

I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7)

I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward (Philippians 3:14)

For God has not given [me] a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20)

Copyright © 2008 Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.

Pssst...and so are YOU (if you want to be).

Against the wind

Philippians 3:13, 14 (NASB)

“…but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“ 'Cause I struggle with forward motion 
I struggle with forward motion 
We all struggle with forward motion 
'Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds 
Well every time I gain some ground 
I gotta turn myself around again 
It's harder than it sounds 
Well every time I gain some ground 
I gotta turn myself around again”

Forward Motion by Relient K lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group      

                  

Forgetting what lies behind.  Reaching forward.  Pressing on toward the goal.  The Prize.

Personal history is the single greatest hindrance (personal opinion) to growth and progress.  Remembering where I have been, what I have done, reviewing and mourning the mistakes I have made, and holding on to it all.  Trying to pick up the pieces and get moving again feels like walking against the wind sometimes.  Two steps forward, one (or three) step(s) back.

I need to release the past so I can experience the future.  There is a saying from my last job: “shots down range can’t be recalled.”  Once that bullet leaves the barrel, you can do nothing further with it.  Let it go and concentrate on the next shot.

That is pretty much what Paul is saying here.  The past is the past, deal with the now and future.  These are things you can affect. 

The past and my harboring it has held me back in forward progress.  It is all released.  I am stepping out in faith and leaning forward.  I need to get the momentum started in the right direction since: “a body in rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion, unless the body is compelled to change its state”. (Newton’s first law of motion).

There is truly a prize in my future for which I am aiming, and she is as beautiful now as when I first fell in love with her 18 years ago.  There might be a distance between us today, but every day I pray that it gets smaller until we are where we need to be: together again.

Today’s happenings:

• Flying home to Alpine, TX (via Midland Airport from Houston Hobby)
• Communicating with my wife (just texts since she is still vacationing and I respect her time)
• Planning the rest of the week's activities:
     Need to figure out what is up with return to work
     Schedule place to stay Thursday-Sunday in Midland for chemo treatment
     Lots of mail (and bills I am sure) to go through
     Need to exercise this week!!! Even just a walk.

Selfish Prayer items:

• My complete healing from cancer in colon and liver and wherever else it may be lurking
• My relationship with my Wife, for complete reconciliation of the relationship
• My children, for protection and health-I love them dearly and need to be with them