GOD KNOWS AND LOVES YOU!

The Lord has searched and known us.  Searched is defined as "looked carefully for."  Known is defined as "being familiar with."  God is familiar with us as He knew us even before we knew ourselves.  God knew us before our mother and father ever knew each other.  HYAH!  The thoughts that God thinks toward us are not of evil but those of peace to give us an expected end.  God wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our very own soul prospers!  He does not wish that any of us perish, but that we all come to repentance! God loves us so much that He gave His One and Only begotten Son to die for  our sin, so that our expected end is eternal life through Christ Jesus if we only believe!   Jesus was wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement for peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed! We are  healed in our body, we are healed in our mind and we are healed in our soul!  Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and rose on the third day and ascended back to His rightful place in heaven where He is seated on the right hand of His Father.  He is not only just sitting, but He is making intercession for you and all others who believe, serve and live for Him!

When you know that God knows and loves you it will not be an issue to be Single, Saved and Waiting.   Allow yourself to be found as God hides you while that special someone He has prepared especially for you finds you!

I WON'T GO BACK!

Philippians 3:12-14 reads:  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting 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. KJV

Her in the book of Philippians, Apostle Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi as he writes this letter from being imprisoned.  Particularly, in this third chapter, he is speaking from a personal standpoint of view on the high calling of God.

He starts off by stating "not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect."  
In this he is saying that he has not already accomplished, achieved, gained, obtained, or even reached perfection, be he is pressing on to make it his own.  I have a question for you, "what is he making his own?"  That mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, this is what Paul is aiming to be perfect.  He was determined that he was not going to go back to where God God had saved him from.  He decided no matter what is was he had to suffer, he was going to remain focused on what was before him, "the prize" and leave those former things behind him.  

It is a dangerous thing to accept Christ as your personal Savior and go back to the former things of old. that you claimed He saved you from.  Many are abusing the gift of grace as a liberty to continue in sin.  God forbid!  Many have one foot in the Kingdom of God and the other foot along with the rest of their body, mind and soul in the world.  There are too many that have turned away from their first love and the things that kept them close to Jesus when they first believed.  I want to share with you some of the dangers of going back.  

THE DANGERS OF GOING BACK

You Crucify the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame

• Hebrews 6:4-6 reads~ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

The scripture is letting us know that it is impossible for those who were once spiritually aware; had spiritual knowledge or insight through the power of the Holy Ghost which resulted in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to be renewed again unto repentance because of their falling away from the things of God and returning back to the world.  You have crucified the Son of god afresh and put Him to an open shame.  This brings Christ to an open shame because it sends the wrong message to the world that you can't be kept by Him and his work on the cross was in vain!  You are as guilty as those who crucified him first, they received no repentance!

The Latter End is worse that from the beginning

• 2 Peter 2:20-22 reads~ For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered into them.  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb.  The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

This scripture is saying one who has been rescued and saved from the contamination of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and are not twisted and caught up in it after overcoming it, the condition of their spiritual state is worse with them than from the beginning.  it would have been better if they had never known the way of righteousness in God, than after having known the truth that has set them free, to turn from it.  What happens to them is what is  said in the true proverb, they have returned back to their sinful ways and are no wallowing in it.

You are no long fit for the Kingdom of God

• Luke 9:62 reads~ And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Here Jesus is speaking to one of His disciples while teaching them the things of discipleship.  No one having begun to walk with Christ and begins to long for those former things of the old man, is fit for the Kingdom of God.  Take Lot's wife for instance.  She was instructed by the angel that led Lot, her and their daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah, not to look back, but Lot's wife looked back from behind him, and became a pillar of salt.  Don't go back because you may never have a chance to return.  Those who remain in Christ are supposed to be the salt of the earth and the preservers of His righteousness in it.

IN CONCLUSION

Are you souled out?  Are you sold out?  Are you fully committed to God and the things of Him?  Is your mind made up?  1 Corinthians 5:17 is a Christian's mandate...Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed way; behold, all things are become new.  If you are a new creature in Christ Jesus, old things should have passed away all thing are become new.  A new way of living, a new way of thinking; a new way of walking; a new way of talking; you are brand new and not like the old former self.

We must be like Paul who left those former things behind and pressed towards the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus and:

• Wrote four of the Epistle Letters- Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians and Philemon
• Endured being whipped many times without number 
• Faced death again and again
• Endured 39 lashes by Jewish leaders on five different occasions
• Endured being beat with rods 3 times
• Endured being stoned once
• Endured being shipwrecked 3 times
• Endured being adrift at sea one whole night and one whole day
• Endured many sleepless night while working hard and traveling long journeys
• Endured facing danger from rivers and robbers
• Endured facing dangers in cities, deserts and in the seas
• Endured facing danger in dealing with men who claimed to be believers but were not
• Endured going hungry without food and inadequate clothing to keep him warm

Yet in all of this Paul DID NOT GO BACK to the former things of old or allow any of these trials, setbacks and tribulations separate him from the love of God through Christ Jesus!  I stand on my faith today just like Paul, determined, "no matter what I have had to suffer or endure, "I WON'T GO BACK!"