Forward Never Backward

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

The Australian coat of arms displays two creatures - the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to the citizens of Australia. Both the emu and kangaroo can only move forward, not back. The emu's three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backward, and the kangaroo's large tail prevents it from moving in reverse.

I hear so many people saying, "I just wish things would go back to the way they were."  I'll be the first to say; there are aspects of everyday life that I would love to see a return to normal, but I also know in my heart that God does not want His church to go back to the way we were.

He has been awakening us with a call to battle. In the unseen realm, there is a war being waged. The prize, the issue of this war, is the souls of men and women. Satan is destined for Hell, but he is not going to go quietly. He is determined to destroy God's work and His followers. We see adequate proof that Satanic powers have infiltrated many world governments, including the United States of America. The legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, the growing opposition against Christians, the Bible and Jesus Christ are just a few examples that lead us to conclude that Satan has a firm grip on many of our leaders.

None of us have the luxury of remaining neutral or sitting on the sidelines. We need every follower of Jesus to be actively engaged. Whether you realize it or not, you are in this war; the question is, which side are you on? Is your life being used as a factor for good or evil? Are you being used by God or Satan?

In the fourteenth chapter of Exodus, after escaping Egyptian bondage, the children of Israel faced a seemingly impossible situation. The Red Sea lay before them, and fast approaching from behind are Pharaoh and his army. There is no way to escape - nowhere to hide. The Israelites became very afraid, and they cried out to the Lord.

When faced with their first major test, the children of Israel's first instinct was to go back. They began to complain to Moses, saying,  "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."  Exodus 14:12

But God had no intention of leaving them to die. He already knew what He was going to do.  "And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go FORWARD."  Exodus 14:15

Harry Truman said, "Men who live in the past remind me of a toy I'm sure all of you have seen. The toy is a small wooden bird called the Floogie Bird. Around the Floogie Bird's neck is a label reading, backward; I don't care where I'm going. I just want to see where I've been.'"

The command God gave His people in the Old Testament is the same directive He is giving His church today - go forward, never backward!

We cannot live in the past. We cannot dwell on the revivals or moves of God that we have experienced in years gone by. We do not have the luxury of looking back where we have been; we have to see where we are going with clarity.

In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart's jet crashed. It appears that the pilot and copilot became unconscious during the flight. Air traffic controllers could not communicate with the pilots, and the Air Force sent two jets to investigate. As they pulled alongside Stewart's plane, they could see that the windows were fogged up. It appears that somehow the cabin lost pressure allowing cold air from the stratosphere in the aircraft. After the plane ran out of fuel, it plunged to the earth below. One of the pilots who flew alongside the plane said, "It's a very helpless feeling to pull alongside another aircraft and realize the people inside are incapacitated and racing toward death. And even though I am only fifty to one hundred feet away, there's nothing I can do to help them."

There are millions of people today who are hindered by sin and ensnared by Satan. They are like that plane, swiftly plunging toward Hell. They may live on our street, work beside us, or even live in our homes. Unlike the pilotless jet, you and I can rescue them. Without question, in this year 2021, we are facing things we never imagined could be possible. But God is still God, and His commission to His church has not changed.

The changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most moving things I have ever witnessed. The relief commander accompanies the oncoming guard. The relief commander orders the guard being relieved to "pass on your orders" to the oncoming guard. The guard being relieved will say to the oncoming guard, "Post and orders remain as directed." The oncoming guard's response is always, "Orders acknowledged."

Our orders have never changed. We are to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.

In August, I visited Arlington, and the temperature was in the nineties, with the humidity near one hundred percent. The soldier guarding the tomb was in full military dress, including gloves. The conditions were miserable, yet for thirty minutes, he fulfilled his duty and walked the mat. They do this twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, in the heat, cold, rain, sleet, and snow.

There are things taking place in our nation that will likely make it harder to be a Christian. But, "for such a time as this," you and I were born. We have many words of encouragement from those who have gone before us and faithfully endured hardship for the gospel's sake.

" Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." ~  Apostle Peter (I Peter 4:16)

" Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."   ~ James (James 5:20)

"It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."   ~ Jude (Jude 1:3)

" Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." (I Timothy 6:12)

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (Galatians 6:12)

"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 Godin Christ Jesus."    ~ Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:13-14)

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."   ~   The Lord Jesus Christ! (Mark 16:15)

" Cheer up, Christian! Things are not left to chance: no blind fate rules the world. God hath purposes, and those purposes are fulfilled. God hath plans, and those plans are wise and never can be dislocated."   ~ Charles Spurgeon

God does have a purpose and plan for His children in 2021 - GO FORWARD!