Coulda Woulda Shoulda

If you're a born-again disciple of the Lord Jesus, His call is deep and ongoing, extending well beyond your time on this earth. He doesn't want you to look back and see you've lived a Coulda Woulda Shoulda brand of barely there Christianity. He's calling us deeper, to stand strong...and to take a strong stand.

Never doubt this: the result of His call will be far beyond anything you can imagine. No matter how things look, He is always working for our eternal good. Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 31:3. You can bank on this: He's calling us higher by drawing us deeper.

So sell out to Him and grab onto the abundant supply of His eternal best. It's impossible to surrender too deeply to God. Selling out to Him is a heart attitude that the unsaved world cannot understand. They will think you're weird. Even some church folk will think you're weird. So what, it's what God thinks that counts.

Read your Bible. Study it. Learn what's in there. Let it speak to your heart. You'll see that a lot of very godly people were what the world called weird. But they were never weird just to be weird. They simply embraced a greater sense of God's reality, then acted on it. You can do the same.

No matter how far any of us go with Jesus, more is always possible. Do I have regrets? Absolutely! But I've confessed and repented as deeply as I know how. I look back on my life. It certainly could've been different and more fruitful for His Kingdom if I'd only gone further, if I'd only surrendered deeper.

That brings me to a frequent prayer. It goes like this: “Lord, whatever You do, don't leave me the way You find me now.” If there is any future regret, I think the most common one will be that we Coulda Woulda Shoulda sold out more deeply in our time here.

John 15:8 says "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." That requires going further, surrendering deeper. That's part of my personal Coulda Woulda Shoulda.

I can't go back, but I can definitely go forward, surrendering deeper to Jesus, letting Him make me a better fit for the Master's use. 2 Timothy 2:21. I share that hoping it speaks to your heart.

But now, back to your life. He wants to plug you into His story in new, fruitful ways. So determine to surrender deeper. Become a better fit for His use.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8. We play a part in that. He also wants us to be fishers of men. Matthew 4:19.

He wants us to accurately represent Him and stand strong for REAL truth. If something claims to be truth but doesn't line up with the Bible, it's a lie. There’s a lot of so-called Truth masquerading as Real Truth. That's why you have to know the Bible, the more the better. That knowledge needs to be enlightened by a growing sense of His intimate presence and power. Yes, He wants that for you.

In the midst of the present culture wars, there will be many challenges and tests as we take our stand for Jesus and what's right. Hebrews 10:38 tells us that the Lord takes no pleasure in the person who shrinks back from walking in faith. Consider this a call to go forward and not shrink back.

Be strong. Remember that Jesus said "whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory...". That's from Luke 9:26.

In the face of trouble, keep trusting Him. That makes God smile. The trouble you face is an opportunity to grow. Be bold in the midst of trouble by selling out to Him even more. That will put an even bigger smile in God's heart. You have everything to gain along with a greater sense of His secret presence.

Spiritual wickedness is alive and very active in this world, trying hard to subvert what is true and righteous. Spiritual wickedness has always called evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20. Spiritual wickedness uses unrighteousness to suppress the truth. Romans 1:18.

Many people are rebelling against God, turning God's standards of right and wrong upside down, perverting truth. The rebellious embrace twisted life styles and godless immorality. There are women claiming to be men and men claiming to be women. They believe it’s true simply because they say so. Many have mutilated their bodies through drugs and surgery. Even worse, many claim that abortion on demand is a basic human right when God calls it murder of the helpless, murder of the innocent.

When we don't agree with them, we're the ones called haters, trouble makers, and threats to society. In the NIV, 1 Peter 4:4&5 says 

They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Bible believing born again Christians must stand for truth even when it brings persecution. And it will.

On a societal level, the cultural battle is ramping up. A big part of it takes place at the ballot box. Every Christian should vote and stand against evil. Elections matter. Being silent won't cut it.

Recognize, though, that at its core, this is a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12. The unsaved world is often little more than a PR spokesman for Satan and his wicked spirits. 1 Timothy 1:4. 

Satan and his wicked spirits are also behind antisemitism and hatred of all things Israel. Throughout the centuries, they have been the very root of that hatred. 

Psalm 126:6 tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It is well past the time for Pastors to make a strong stand from the pulpits of America, praying for and teaching about Israel's salvation, both physical and spiritual.

Up till now, a lot of Christians got by with minimal faith and commitment. God wants you to consider the growing intensity of this battle. Minimal faith and commitment won't be enough going forward. It simply won't be enough.

The Lord Jesus knows all about your journey...the good, the bad, and the incomplete. He has dreams for you, really good dreams, the very best dreams. He knows how to get you from here to there. He wants to personally walk out His dreams for you, in you, and through you. That's really what you were made for...His dreams.

This is life-changing, so I'll say it again. The more you're surrendered, the more He'll be able to personally walk out His hopes and dreams for you, expressing His life in you and through you. You will bear Kingdom fruit, and that really pleases Him.

Going deeper with Jesus is a heart attitude kind of choice. It's a great thing to seek and pray for. Trusting Him can be scary at times, so don't let fear hold you back.

Ask Him to give you a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit and a deeper love for the Bible. Ask Him to help you be radically sold out for Him. Those are prayers He wants to answer. Those are prayers you need Him to answer.

Go ahead, sell out for Jesus. You won't regret it. Fight the good fight of faith. Don't let Coulda Woulda Shoulda be the sound track of your life.