Regrets

Do you ever have regrets?  Ummm, duh!  Who doesn't?  But it seems lately that a lot of my "yesterday" regrets are showing up at my door and knocking.  I peak out the door and see them standing there wanting answers...and they ain't leavin till they get answers.  I try to shew them away, ignoring their desires or at times I try to justify them, but they ain't buyin.  They know what is going on.  And the person behind them is Satan himself.  He won't back down because he gets the sense that they are getting to me.  Especially when I try to justify them.  Those are the moments that Satan is like, "ok, let's hear him out" (with a very evil smile on his face).  Sadly, this is how I have function for years and years and years.  I try to carry out the same process every time and it hasn't worked.  How are you doing in that department?

And like I said, a lot of them have been showing up.  What am I to do?  There are way too many of them to address.  But I have good news on how to deal with them.  It really is simple and the best part free.  Well, for me it is free...for someone else it was costly.  Here it is:  when satan comes knocking with all my regrets, i don't even open the door anymore, i just scream at the top of my lungs, take it up with Jesus, He handles all my problems now.  I don't let satan have any of my time.  Because i have learned, if I give satan any attention, he will just keep piling on guilt, shame, and anger.  He is the master of those things and frankly, those are things I don't want anymore.  I have carried them for way too long and they slow me down.  In fact, they make me crawl some days and I am tired of that.  I want to be free.  I want to run.  I want to dance.  I want to sing.  I want to share.  I want joy.  I want peace.  I want love.  Now those are things that get me fired up, but those are simply things that satan in his "mastery" just cannot provide.  He will be slick, but nope...he equals NOTHING.  But i don't open the door to him anymore.  I don't deal with him at all.  I just point him to Jesus...Jesus will be taking care of all my issues now.  See, it has taken me a bit, but Jesus is EVERYTHING to me, and I am just now getting the tip of the iceberg to that goodness.  I want more.  Satan has come "to steal, kill, and destroy; Jesus came that I may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)  Amen.  Make satan take it up with Jesus. 

Let's go one step deeper - take a glance at Zechariah 3...now this will preach:

"then He showed me JT the sinner standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at His right hand to accuse JT.  The Lord said to Satan, "I rebuke you, Satan!  Indeed, I, who has chosen JT (all sinners) rebuke you!  Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"  Now JT was clothed with filthy garments (my choice) and standing before the angel.  He spoke and said to those who were standing before Him, saying, "remove the filthy garments from JT."  Again, He said to JT, "see, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."  Then with His hands on his face He says to JT, "if you will walk in my ways and if you will perform MY service, then you will also govern MY house and also have charge of MY courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here."  WHAT?  How is that?  Oh, what great love is this!!!   And since this is true, don't let satan have access to that amazing gift please!

Let me tell you what happened to me the other day.  Satan came at me big time and even question my ability and integrity with being a pastor...how could you?  And I said to him, "I am not a pastor because of me...I am a pastor because of Him.  You don't like it fine, just go take it up with Jesus...Satan left and so did the regrets.  But if I know satan, he will come back again and this time he will have more with him, but in the meantime, I'll just soak myself deeper with Jesus knowing that Jesus has me covered..."my grace is sufficient for you JT...for power is perfected in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9).  I clearly know that I do not deserve this, but "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  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."  (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

When regrets come knocking and they will, don't answer the door...just turn your eyes to Jesus...He has already answered the door from the Cross.

Are We Advancing the Gospel

I love the phrase advancing the Gospel!  And the question arose for me today according to Philippians 1:12-18, am I advancing the Gospel?  

Let me set the scene for you.  Paul loves to talk about Jesus.  Anywhere!  Anytime!  Anyhow!  Jesus.  Believe it or not, Paul would get arrested for talking about Jesus and he considered it joyful moment...why?  It was still an opportunity to advance the Gospel.  See, even though Paul was in chains, the Gospel is never in chains.  So Paul is chained to guards according to v.13 and these guards were important people who changed shifts every 6-8 hours...so guess what happened to each guard connected to Paul?  Jesus time!  Haha.  Paul was like, "you might chain me up, but you can't chain up the Gospel, so we are going to talk about it."  See, there is no mention of them chaining up his mouth.  So let's say, every 6-8 hours a guard is changed.  So, in a days time, maybe 4 guards.  Do these guys repeat or are there 10 guards?  It doesn't matter because at that moment, whoever is chained up to Paul, they are going to hear about his Savior.  My message in prison is "get me out of here asap!"  Paul used it, since he was there anyways, as a platform to talk about Jesus.  Now, today my eyes were opened to the impact of the phrase advancing the Gospel.  Now look at Philippians 4:22 - "All God's people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household."  Wait, what?  How?  Well, go back to Philippians 1:12-13.  Paul was advancing the Gospel even though he was in chains to roman soldiers...who worked for Caesar!  Are you kidding me?  And do you know what else happened besides roman guards hearing about Jesus?  It gave Paul's brothers and sisters confidence (v.14) to preach Jesus...without fear....ADVANCING THE GOSPEL!!!

So I have to ask myself the question today, have I advance the Gospel today and if not, what is possibly my excuse?  I AM NOT IN PRISON, I am a free man!  Are you advancing the Gospel today?  What is your excuse if you aren't?  It is time to rise up!  Let's be bold and courageous fearing nothing!  

Praying

I think anytime we approach Scripture, and I mean anytime, we should pray a prayer that Paul prayed over the church of Ephesus.  In fact, I think it is critical to having our minds open to the magnitude of embracing the power of the Gospel.

Pray, "Father, would you please give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation as I approach Your Words.   May you open my eyes and heart to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Your Son Jesus that surpasses knowledge.  In the Name of Jesus."

Then, when we taste and see that the Lord is good, we will be better resourced to share that truth with others.  Then I pray the same pray over who I am about to share the Word with so that it is not just information, but that there would be a transformation that could happen because the Gospel is understood not from a knowledge point of view, but from the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.  For the love of God in the Name of Jesus.

Let's do it!