When Things Don't Work... Jesus Has a Plan!

Guest Post by Luis Rey

I had a desire to preach about Jesus, and I always said that if
whatever I wanted to be didn’t work out, then I would be an
evangelist. I never wanted to be a “pastor” in a church, even though
many people thought I would be one.

After pursuing a career in music for a few years and having some
success, I felt the “call” to full-time ministry (more on this below).
Through the years, I constantly struggled with my consistency in my
walk with God, and at times, felt the pressure of “being better” being
in a position of authority in the organized church. What I didn’t
understand was that I was walking in ignorance.

You see, I had asked Jesus to come into my life when I was a child,
but I never understood what it meant to receive the life of Christ in
exchange for my life. I walked in great zealousness for God, trying to
either earn my relationship with Him, or working to prove I was worthy
of His blessings. My friends, I lived a life much like a Pharisee,
trying to please God by following all the rules, because that’s what I
thought a good Christian does. I had a mental assent that Jesus would
forgive me, but to me that included feeling a lot of remorse, tireless
confession, depression and even desperation. There were things in my
life that were destroying me and I found myself without the strength
to conquer them, and instead of trusting in the Spirit, I thought it
best for me to try even harder. My faith wasn’t in Jesus, it was on my
ability to make things right with God.

But God in His great mercy and patience had other plans for me. You
would think after serving in some powerful churches, several
mega-churches in fact, and serving as a pastor and student pastor that
I would walk in understanding, right? I tell you that just because a
man has a position or title does not mean he walks in truth. In the
quietness of my heart and through a desire to overcome my frustration
with my life that had a form of Godliness yet without power, I heard
the true message of Jesus. This message filled my soul as I truly
heard of what Christ has done for us, according to the great grace and
love of God. I began to hear the gospel of God’s work reconciling the
world unto Himself, which included me, without any help of myself. The
power of the Spirit revealed to me that I was no longer a slave to my
sin, that in fact, my old-self HAS been crucified with Christ, and if
I am like Christ in His death, then…get this…I am assuredly like Him
in His resurrection… in THIS life! The New Covenant of the loving
Father began to wash over me, in which He says, “AND THEIR SINS AND
THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." Father began to reveal
Jesus in me, as I began to walk as a new creation, not because I had
tried to become one, but because in Jesus, I am one!

The true Good News, the Gospel, of Jesus Christ invaded my life, my
heart, my soul, and my mind. I truly had to come to repentance,
changing my mind about where my righteousness was found, and I now
place my faith in the grace of Christ Jesus alone. I discovered that
in being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of
the Son, that I am no longer working as a slave to please God, but I
am resting in the truth that I am a son, and if a son, a co-heir! And
though I “serve” God today, I serve Him as a son, prayerfully doing
whatever it is He asks of me.

Out of this great awakening from my slumber, I realized that there is
no such thing as “full-time” ministry, that ALL who are in Christ
Jesus have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Through this,
Father began to open my eyes to His Kingdom beyond the four walls of
the modern-day expression of the church. As part of that awakening, my
wife Ashley and I gave up the assurance of a full-time paying job at a
church and began a journey being led of the Spirit to preach and teach
the Gospel wherever doors open.

There is so much more to our journey with our beautiful children, and
we are hungry to preach this beautiful and powerful Gospel of Jesus to
as many people as possible. We also want to encourage you in your
ministry of reconciliation and we ask that you join us in furthering
the Gospel throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

Posted via email from Archie's Life Stream