Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney ...
Hebrews 11
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney ...
Hebrews 11
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for HE hath prepared for them a city.
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Recently I made a mistake in telling another Christian about a new TV series that I found to be interesting.
When she viewed the episode and responded, she talked about how she was reminded of her years before she was born again, when she was a nurse and she went on to dredge up negative memories of parents who had violent children and how sorry she felt for those parents.
I asked God how I could handle this and I felt led to apologize to her for causing her to have memories of the time before she was born again, since she is now a new creature, born again, with a new life in Christ and the old life is dead.
The apostle Paul said:
Philippians 3
13 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,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:
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2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
As a born again Christian, we go forward as a new creature, focused on the life we have been given by God.
If we allow ourselves to think on memories of our old life, we might live in "death" of this world for that is what the old life was to us, a type of death.
I have many bad memories of my previous life but I try to make my mind focus on the life I have been given by God and go forward thinking of edifying the church in that new life and scriptures showing that life.
Instead of death we have been resurrected to walk in that new life of the way of Jesus, The Word.
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And even as we view physical death of individuals, we now have another way of looking through the scriptures.
Paul tells us he would not have us sorrow over death as this world does, who have no hope.
I Thessalonians 4
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go before) them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
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In physical death, the spirit leaves the human body. (James 2:26)
Paul tells us the spirit of the person sleeps in Jesus. (I Thess. 4:14)
I know the spirit of the dead person is not under the ground in a dark grave! The spirit that was the person we knew in this life is asleep in Jesus when he belongs to Jesus.
And even if you don't know if the person was born again, even at his last breath on this earth, God could have caused him to be born again. So you can have hope even when you don't know.
Focus on the resurrection if you are a Christian, not on graves.
I have never visited the graves of either of my parents or my favorite aunt, because I just don't see them in that grave. Their body is in a grave but their spirit left their bodies when they died and their spirit is asleep in Jesus, not in a grave.
When my cousin told me she was visiting the grave of her dead husband and taking him flowers, I said to her: "Why? Who are you trying to impress? Thurman is asleep and cannot see you there. So who are you trying to impress?"
She became very quiet and thought on what I said. Then she said, "Then it really doesn't matter where we are buried."
I replied, "Right!"
I believe my cousin was born again when she acknowledge this truth from God which I spoke to her.
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When we are born again, God raises us from the dead of this world and gives us a new heart and a new Spirit that we can follow HIM.
Ezekiel 36 (God speaks of the New Covenant)
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.
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Colossians 3
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, WHO is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with HIM in glory.
We have been raised by God from the dead of this world when we have been born again by God's Spirit.
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* For writings on additional subjects, click here: Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog
