107 - Greg – “It appears to me you continually look back on your past and beat yourself up.”
“My brother Michael,
I listened to you video on “Michael Chriswell exposed” and I have a few words that came to me as I listened to you. First, it appears to me that you continually look back on your life and beat yourself up over the past. Since you have come to Jesus, that is just that… in the past. You can’t change what you have done and all the remorse you show over the past can’t change it either. Trust me brother I have more than enough things to dwell on and to weep over as well but we are not called to do that.
Our brother Paul wrote in Philippians 3 “12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, 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, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”
The Lord does not tell us to dwell on the past but rather to work on what lies before us. My heart breaks over being a slave to this world for as many years as I was. But thanks be to Jesus for setting us free to love and serve him. I know that if one over your children did something that deeply disappointed you and then apologized and repented of it you wouldn’t want that child to continually dwell on it or even reflect on it but after being forgiven and restored to right relationship you would not bring it up over and over again to make him/her feel bad over but would rather want them to learn from it and move forward. Father wants the same with us. 1 John 1 states: “ 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The Greek implies “and the guilt associated with those sins.” If Father has forgiven us those sins who are we to dwell on and hold on to them? Let them go, brother, and press on to the prize set before us… set our hearts and minds on things above!
I know you know these things, but it seems you have not incorporated them into your walk and that is what I am encouraging you to do. I so much appreciate you and what our Lord has done in and through you in helping so many people, including myself, out in this time in which we live.
Another thing that jumped out at me as I listened to you was that you called yourself the “the chief of all fools”. Our Lord said in Matthew 5 “22 but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” I believe this applies to ourselves as well as others for we are all created in God’s image. Words are extremely powerful and the things we think or say can have a profound influence on the way we see ourselves and others. You are truly a gifted speaker, and you present your testimony very well. Our Father has and is using in more ways than you are aware of. I simply desire to encourage you to continue to fix your eyes on him and let the past be the past and look to what Father is doing and going to do in and through you in building his Kingdom.
In His service,
Your fellow servant,
Greg
REPLY AFTER MY RECORDING:
Michael,
My apologies. I did misunderstand you and I greatly appreciate the clarification and apologize. I’m listening to your latest “Isolated and Alone” and it is a blessing plus. The isolation of being alone takes its toll for a time but the growth factor to be alone with God is so wonderful….
Keep up the good walk!
Your fellow servant,
Greg”
The Paradox of Nothingness and Somethingness in Christ
The journey of faith is often marked by a paradoxical tension: the simultaneous recognition of our nothingness and our somethingness in Christ. Paul who labeled himself, "the chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15), and the "least of all the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:9), reminds us that we are but "jars of clay" (2 Corinthians 4:7), fragile vessels but we contain the immeasurable treasure of God's Spirit. This awareness of our own inadequacy should not lead to despair, but to a profound humility, a grateful recognition that any good within us is a gift from God, not an achievement of our own.
The Puritans, those giants of faith who have gone before us, understood this paradox well. Their prayers, recorded in Streams in the Valley, reveal a deep awareness of their sin, weakness, and nothingness before God. They understood that anything that brings us face-to-face with our sinfulness, though painful, is far more valuable than any temporary comfort. As Andrew Murray wrote, true humility is recognizing that "self is nothing, and God is everything."
This humility is not a morbid introspection, but a source of strength and joy. It frees us from the burden of self-reliance and allows us to rest in God's grace. It enables us to see the shame of our past, not with condemnation, but with gratitude for the redeeming power of Christ. As God promised Israel, "You will forget the shame of your youth" (Isaiah 54:4). This promise extends to us as well. We can look back on our past failures, not with self-loathing, but with a renewed appreciation for the grace that has saved us and continues to sustain us.
Let us embrace this paradox, this tension between nothingness and somethingness. Let us cultivate a humble heart, ever mindful of our dependence on God, and ever grateful for the immeasurable gift of His love and grace. May we find rest and relaxation in Him, knowing that He is the source of our strength, our hope, and our joy.
