Leave it in the Rearview Mirror

The pastor encourages listeners to leave negativity in the past and move forward in faith. He emphasizes the need for prayer, patience, and allowing God to be in control. He reminds them that their past does not determine their future and that God has a plan for them. The pastor also discusses the importance of seeking God's kingdom and not being influenced by worldly desires. He concludes by urging listeners to stay faithful and to reach out for salvation if needed. Praise the Lord. You've tapped into the encouragement corner again. This is Pastor Anderson. I'm here to encourage you in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, I have a wonderful message today of encouragement, of course. Leave it in the rearview mirror. Yes, leave it in the rearview mirror. For the Bible lets us know we should encourage one another and build up one another just as you also are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5 and 11. Yes, we're just excited about God. We're excited about His meaningful blessings. The number one thing that we're excited about is that He's soon to return. When you look at the things that are going on in the world today, society is getting progressively worse and worse. When you see these things happening, all the negativity that we face, it should let you know that His arrival is imminent. This gives us an opportunity to do more for God, to get ourselves together and to spread the love, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to exhibit more love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control according to Galatians chapter 5. Let us stop bowling to the thorn of grace right now. Father, we just ask you to give us more grace and mercy. We confess our faults to you. Lord, we just ask you to give us a holy ambition so that we can have spiritual progress on our journey. Lord, we know we need to spiritually strive in this Christian race, also in our Christian calling, Lord, because you expect perfection. We have to be right when you come. Even though we know we're not perfect, we have to be perfected in all our areas of Christendom, exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. So Lord, we just thank you. We magnify your holy name. In Jesus' name we submit this prayer. Amen. Once again, this is Pastor Anderson of the Encouragement Corner, and we're here to encourage you in your walk with Christ. I'm the pastor of Overflow Outreach Ministries. We're reaching out to you in the name of Jesus. Today's encouragement piece is going to come from Philippians chapter 13, verses 13 through 14. Philippians chapter 3, verses 13 through 14. And it reads, Brother in account, not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Listen, we have to all leave it in the rear view mirror. Just tell yourself today, I'm going to leave all the negativity, all my mistakes, all my defects, I'm going to leave it in the rear view mirror. Amen. You know, to obtain what God has for us, we have to move forward in faith, for the past is no more. And so I want to obtain what God has for me, and I'm sure you do too. But in order to do so, we all must move forward. And to move forward is to go straight. Forward means to go in a certain direction. But it's hard to move forward in faith if we don't have purpose. And see, our purpose should be to please God in all that we do. Some of you probably haven't been walking in purpose for a while, but it's hard to walk in purpose when we're always thinking about negative things, you know, anxiety, depression, things that have happened to you, you've failed marriages, might be battling addiction. You may be looking at yourself as how do I get myself in this predicament? But listen, you can do anything positive as long as Christ gives you the strength to move forward. So look at it like this. Leave the past today in the rearview mirror. Why? Because the past is no more. And while you're moving forward, always remember to be patient and prayerful and allow God to take the will and be in control. Now this is critical because I've heard people say, you know, God is my co-pilot. But how can a person be a co-pilot if they're in control? And so there is no dualism with the Lord. God is either in control of your life or he's not. And so as we move patiently towards, patiently forward and pressing towards that mark, we need to be prayerful. You know, men ought to always pray and not faint. And so we must pray in season, out of season, all day long. We need to continue to pray for people. We need to be praying for watch this people who are not saved because God likes the people that you don't like. Always remember that everyone needs prayer. And so we have to allow God to step in our situation and take the will and be in control. It's hard for God. It's hard to really trust God when we know he's really not in control. You know, we live in an hour where everyone, the world, it's amazing. Everybody say they have God, but everyone is not working for God. It's like a thing where it's la-di-da, kumbaya, we can do what we want to do. We all have God, but I'm going to go ahead and get turned up. But listen, God is requiring for us to be faithful in our walk with him. And so when God is in control, our mind is always on our purpose. Listen, our past does not dictate our future. Our past doesn't dictate our future. All right. Whatever has happened negatively or negative situations in the past, it doesn't dictate where God is taking you. All right. The past is no more. Let it go. You know, the oldest saints would say in church, let go and let God. Listen, we cannot let God until we let go. And so you have to have a spirit of forgiveness. No one owes you anything. Jesus paid it all. And so we all owe our lives to him. So our past does not dictate our future. You have a bright future if you leave all the negativity in your rear view mirror. And see, this is what Paul is talking about. He's talking about how he's pressing towards the mark, spiritually striving in this Christian race, in his Christian calling. If anybody had a reason to give up, it was him. You know, you have to read the scriptures for yourself. But he went through so much for the Lord. And a lot of us have gone through a lot. But it's too late to turn around. The Lord has brought us this far not to leave us. OK. And so our past does not dictate our future. Watch this. It was just a scenic route we took to get where God wants us to be. Now, that's amazing. Let me put it like this. If you want to get where God wants you to be, the Lord is going to take you the long way around. Right. The Book of Peter says after you suffered a while. See, this world make it seem as if just because you accepted the Lord as your personal savior, everything is going to be worked out quickly. But that's not true. We have to go through some things. We have to bear some burdens. We have a cross to bear. We have to deny ourselves for the Lord. You just have to give this world up. Honestly, we all have to give up the things of this world. The Bible says love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Watch this. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh. You know what that is. Seeking pleasure all the time. The lust of the eye, you know, the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Money is the is the bottom line, the variable by which we judge everything. You know, the lust of the eye, the compulsion to have everything that you see. Chasing money, thinking that money buys everything. Money gives you everything. Money brings happiness. These things are not of God and the pride of life, self-explanatory, seeking the praises of man. Watch this. None of us are made to be worshiped. We are made to worship God and give God the honor and glory from everything that we do. Now, listen, don't be worldly. Leave the world in your rear view mirror. If God doesn't get the glory from the things that we are doing, then it cannot be of God. And so we want to press towards the mark for the prize. God has a prize waiting for us. We have a heavenly reward, but there are some things here in the natural that God wants us to have as well. The scripture says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added. Amen. So we have to forget those things which are behind and reach for them to those things which are before. Everything that God has for me and for you. It's in front of me. So leave it in the rear view mirror to attain what God has for you. Move forward in your faith today. Leave the past where it's at and be patient and prayerful. And allow God to take the will and be in control of your life. And listen, our past does not dictate our future. It was just a scenic route that you took to get God to move on your behalf and to get you where he wants you to be. Listen, your time is in God's hand. Because we walk by faith and not by sight. Amen. So you have to give your life to the Lord. You have to walk patiently. You have to stay humble. And make sure your soul is right with the Lord. Jesus told Nicodemus, Unless a man is born of the water and of the spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. Amen. So you have to have the Holy Ghost and you have to be down, get washed, get baptized in the name of Jesus. So listen, this is Pastor Anderson, Overflow Outreach Ministries. This is the encouragement corner. If you are not saved, you can contact me. We will take you down. We'll get you baptized. Amen. Until the time of the refreshment. So we just love you. We encourage you to stay with God. Do not give up on God because he has not given up on you. Why? Because hell is the wrong place to realize any of us have made a mistake. So continue to have faith. Continue to keep a positive mind state and continue to keep the love of God in your heart and be an example of God's love today. We love you all in Jesus name. Amen.