I asked myself what does Paul focus on?
Paul focuses on the prize that comes from following Christ rather than living in the past.

Interpretations:
I asked myself why would Paul mention ‘forgetting what is behind?’
I was reminded of the time that the Apostle Paul was involved in the persecution of Christians including the martyrdom of Stephen.

The apostle could have allowed the past to haunt him and dwell on the mistakes he did but he decides to move on rather than living in the past, by making up his mind to strain toward what is ahead putting His focus on Jesus.

I asked myself what could ‘to strain ahead’ mean?
I was reminded of Paul’s emphasis on the present and future. In the present, he does not look back but looks to the future. It is not effortless though because he strains to look ahead which means it is possible that the memories of the past are fighting with him. But he does not give up! He depends on Jesus to work in him and through him. All the effort on his own without the pardon, purpose, power, promises,  and peace of the Lord would have been fruitless.

I asked myself why does he not give up?
He intends to press on toward the goal to win the prize. It is not any prize but the prize that God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus. This in itself is so awesome to know because no matter what Paul had done in the past, he is joyful now because of God personally calling him heavenward in Christ Jesus! He is working on putting the past behind. That is exciting to know especially since he is still in prison but does not lose hope!

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life here?
The Lord does not want me to live in the past no matter what has happened but to move forward depending on Him and Him alone. Lord knows that my past can haunt me so He uses the Apostle Paul as an example for me to strain ahead to win the prize for which God calls me heavenward in Christ Jesus! Thank you Jesus.

HOW THE GOSPEL GIVES ME TESTIMONY REGARDING P.A.S.T:
Yesterday, Father's Day was painful for me because of the 'What if' memories I had concerning my beloved daddy. My dad went to be with the Lord in Dec 2007. As I shared about how wonderfully my dad took care of us with my loving wife Chandra, I also shared with Chandra the moments I missed out with my dad because I was so preoccupied with my feelings and self. When we lose someone no matter how many 'What if's' come to our mind, we cannot escape the fact that it happened and it is too late. This was the pain I dealt with yesterday again. I am so thankful to the Lord who understands our pain and what we go through and wants to help us. I was really depressed for different things until I had  my Quiet Time this morning. In my Quiet Time, I learned about the Apostle Paul and how he dealt with the past of being responsible for the persecution and death of Christians: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14, NIV)

This made me see how much the Lord Jesus loves me and is telling me through His Word to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. In that process, to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Thank you so much Jesus.

I don't know what you are going through friend but Jesus knows. Your past could be as painful as mine especially when what we lost we cannot get back for different reasons or it could be unbearable to think about. Whatever the reason, the Lord Jesus wants to give you hope, help, and healing when you turn to Him and choose to follow what He tells you to do regarding your past so you can take the present he gives you as a present from the Lord looking towards the future with Him by your side. This won't be easy but He will send the right people your way.

You and I need the Lord's help if we want our goal to be to focus on pressing toward the prize that God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. I know the Lord wants you and me to live in the present and look to the future as we depend on Him  to receive the prize on that day!

Won't you do that friend?

He will bring inner healing in your life to deal with the wounds and scars of your life because He loves me you so much and as the song by Wayne Watson goes, "He is the friend of the Wounded Heart" Praise the Lord! I know whatever you are going through, Jesus will help you through it too.

Living in the past hurt my relationships, my own time with the Lord Jesus, and so many other areas until I surrendered everything over to Jesus and decided to serve Him in where He has placed me remembering, "But life is worth nothing unless I use it to do the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about God's mighty goodness and love." (Acts 20:24, TLB)

One of my favorite movies is 'Sin Eater' which is reviewed at http://www.pittsburghstandard.com in the ENTERTAINMENT Archives. It is basically about Jesus who eats the sin away of a girl who cannot seem to live her life anymore because she feels guilty of causing her brother's death. We all face different skeletons of the past but the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He will be there for us.

If Jesus could help me overcome so many things of my past to PARDON me and help me rest in Him in the present to have PURPOSE and help me to look to the future holding on to His PROMISES in His POWER, I know I can have His PEACE in the present. He can do that for you too! Thank you Jesus!

I ask you now dear friends, how can you deal with the P.A.S.T in your life?
Dear friends, our past can have such a hold on us that sometimes we can just get paralyzed and not move on. The pain and mistakes of the past can be lingering in our minds and the infamous ‘only-if’ starts to rule in us. ‘Only if’ will not change what has happened for me or for you.

There are things that happened in our lives we had no control of, yet it could be eating us alive as we relive those moments in flashbacks! My loving wife suffered a lot in 2007 because she was not in India when her loving daddy went to be with the Lord. She also deals with a lot of 'What if's' but I am so thankful to the Lord Jesus that the Word He has given me is the same Word He can give my wife too and all of you.

Other times we are responsible for what happened and that can eat us alive too! The pain can be too much to bear. The Apostle Paul understood that because he had the blood of Stephen on his hands.

What can be worse than having a hand in murdering someone?
The Apostle Paul was not removed from the ministry like I was but was guilty of having a hand in the murder of Stephen when he was known as Saul of Tarsus! Yet in Christ, He was able to come to the point to put the past behind him.

I was removed from ministry twice in different areas of my life. Jesus alone continues to bring healing and restoration into my life! The Lord Jesus has used my loving wife Chandra, my loving mom, and especially Pastor Hugo Cheng and Edwin to help me deal with the past even though it has not been easy recently again. The Lord can do that for you too bringing the right person into your life to help you. Depend on Him friend.

Sometimes it is good to share the past not to dwell in it but so we can finally put it behind us and move on! Other times to deal with it to bring us back to the place where we messed up if restoration can be possible. This is what happened to Joseph's brothers. They were able to relive their past of what they did to Joseph and be reconciled to him when he became governor as told in the Book of Genesis.

Friend, I don’t know what you are facing and what the past has done to you. I do not know the scars and wounds of the past that you carry. But this I do know, the Lord Jesus Christ knows the pain you have been through and the pain that some things still cause you. He sees your scars and wounds and wants to bring healing in your life. As long as you hold on to the past and dwell in it, you have not opened the door for Jesus to come and be your Healer. He wants to be your Healer whether you were responsible for what happened to you or others were responsible. Oh yes, He wants to heal you where you are at.

You won’t be able to turn back the hands of time but in Christ you can move on. Yes, you can! Don’t let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you messed up so much that there is no hope for you. That is a lie from the pit of hell itself.

No matter what has went wrong whether it is in a relationship, academics, career, ministry, etc, Jesus knows about it and wants to help you. When you depend on Him and seek Him, He will open better doors. Things that cannot be changed, the Lord will give you the peace and endurance to get through and enjoy the present He has given you. So that you could look to the future and one day receive the prize the Lord Jesus has for you as you come to Him face to face.

Every time the past comes up, make a conscious decision to focus on Christ and what He has called you to do remembering how much He loves you and 'no good thing will He withhold from those He loves'. Of course, when we think about good things, it is in His terms and not ours. 

No matter what you go through, you can get help from our Lord to strengthen you, guide you, and lead you for His Name's sake! He will be the Lord of Your Past! You can go out in faith and do what you believe the Lord Jesus put you here for! Our Lord Jesus has a plan for you  no matter where you have been or what has been done! Yes, He does! Rest in His Arms of Love.

Freedom From Your Past
by Ramesh C. Reddy

Having trouble with your past?
Don't know how long it will last?
It's eating you up like a bomb's blast?

Cause missed opportunities coming to you to haunt,
Making you hurt and daunt?
No way to keep count?
ANSWER AWAITS, you can in life mount. (Matt 11:28-30)

You cant look back (Philippians 3:13-14)
Cause your self-esteem will lack. (John 14:1)
Life ain't over, though you are under attack (Ephesians 6:11)
And on the wrong track. (Isaiah 30:21)

You think though it is too late (Matt 19:26)
Because you have messed up each Date( day )? (Psalm 50:15)
May make you, yourself hate? (Isaiah 43:1-4)
That is not your fate. (Romans 8:28)
Christ is the Gate! (John 10:9)
Will deliver you from your broken state. (Luke 4:18-19)
Gotta walk by Faith (Hebrews 11:1)
And upon him wait. (Isaiah 40:31)

Jesus has your best interests in mind. (Romans 8:28)
Depending on Him and His Word, will us remind. (Col 3:16)

Loves you so much, for you He died on the pole ( Cross ) (1 Cor 15:3)
Please give him your heart and lets do our role. (Psalm 37:4)
Wonderful to know, each day his Blessings and Mercies are New.
How many situations in the past we blew. (Psa 103:17 & Gal 2:20)
AMEN!

May you rest in the Arms of Love of our Savior who will be the Lord of your past as you accept past, Savior trusting!

"Past Aside, Savior Trusting! (P.A.S.T)"/"How can you deal with the  P.A.S.T in your life?"

MAKE THIS YOUR PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THE PAST!
Thank you Lord Jesus for your amazing love. I love you very much Lord. Oh Lord please help me. When I think life is too late for me because of the mess that has been made, remind me to hold on to you so you can deliver me. There have been times I feel like I am in a haunted house where bad memories are in control, and each room has its own devilish ghosts. I keep being hurt and getting discouraged. Oh Lord, God of the armies of Heaven please deliver me. Please put me back on the right track. Thank you Lord you will deliver me whatever situation I am facing regardless. Thank you Lord, the past is not my fate. You created me for a special purpose. Thank you  Lord with your Spirit in me, I can and will be able to take control of the haunted  past. Jesus I yield myself and my past, present, and future to you. I surrender my life in your control. I don't want Satan to rule me and make me a prisoner of the past. I want you to be my Master and be Lord of my past! Please Lord whatever your decision is for me, though I may not understand, give me the strength to endure. Thank you Lord, your blessings and mercies are new each day. You speak to me from Isaiah 43:1-3 by saying ___, this is the Lord speaking, " ___ you have been called by Name. ____ you belong to me. ____ you are precious in my sight."( Isaiah 43:1-3)  Thanks Lord Jesus I am called by Name. I am precious in your sight. I belong to you. You will never leave me nor forsake me. IN YOUR NAME I PRAY LORD, THANKING YOU FOR EVERYTHING, AMEN.

You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)