From Gary... No more "blame game"

Today, Americans play the blame game. If something goes wrong- its somebody else's fault. If your life is falling apart because drugs or sex or excess spending; its not YOUR FAULT, blame it one someone else. The list of such things is endless and might include such things as promotions at work, losing an athletic event, problems with your children, a messy home, unpaid bills, etc.. But, sooner or later you must come to grips with the consequences of your actions. One of the best examples is the apostle Paul.  The following passages give some insight into what he had to mentally reconcile...

Galatians 1:11-24 NASB
(11)  For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
(12)  For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
(13)  For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;
(14)  and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.
(15)  But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
(16)  to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
(17)  nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
(18)  Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
(19)  But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
(20)  (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)
(21)  Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
(22)  I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;
(23)  but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy."
(24)  And they were glorifying God because of me.

How could he have possibly dealt with his actions before becoming a follower of Christ?

Philippians 3:1-14 NASB
(1)  Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
(2)  Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
(3)  for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
(4)  although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
(5)  circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
(6)  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
(7)  But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
(8)  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
(9)  and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
(10)  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
(11)  in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
(12)  Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
(13)  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
(14)  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Have you made mistakes? Get over it! Does the past bother you? Make it right as best you can! Conscience bother you? Give it up to God! Don't want to? Well, soon or later you will have to!!!  Paul looked at his unconverted life and let God use him. He put the past behind him (he forgot what lies behind) and looked forward to being like Jesus and doing HIS WILL. And the result?

1 Timothy 1:15-16 NASB
(15)  It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
(16)  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

With Jesus, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!  No matter how bad your life has been, Jesus can make it right!!!  Deal with your life, and do it now!!! Not enough for you? Well, turn to Acts, chapter 2:14ff. to see how the people who actually killed JESUS dealt with their condition.

Now, its time to start making better choices- choose wisely!!!