“Deuces!”

Scripture: “ … But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” –Philippians 3:13, NIV

As I was driving on yesterday, I started to take listen to a song that’s been out for a while. It’s a song done by Chris Brown, with a remix that features a slew of today’s hottest hip-hop artists: Drake, Rick Ross, and Kanye West to name a few. The name of this song that I’m referencing is today’s title: “Deuces”. Within this song, Brown is letting the listeners know that he can do better with the lady/things he has chosen. Within the chorus of his song, you hear Brown say, “I am moving on to something better, no more trying to make it work, Deuces!, Makes me want to say bye bye, say bye bye, say bye bye to her, Deuces!” If we were to hit the switch on this from a spiritual standpoint, each of us have some things we can say “Deuces” or bye bye to! There are things that are slowing us up to better things. Let today’s main scripture provide you encouragement to give the “Deuces”, Peace, See You Later, sign to within your life.

Philippians serves as today’s backdrop for our message. A prison-bound Paul is writing to the church at Philippi, a church that’s very close to his heart. Scholars reveal that the target audience of this letter was the bishops and deacons in Philippi (refer to Philippians 1:1). Within this epistle/letter/book, Paul addresses two areas: there’s no confidence in the flesh (verses 1 – 14) and encouraging the Philippian church to follow his example (verses 15 – 21). Within Paul’s discussion of not having confidence in the flesh is where we’re launched into our scripture for today.

Paul writes within the first piece of our scripture for today this: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind”. In other words, Paul gave “Deuces” to his past! Paul gave “Deuces” to what he use to be as a persecutor of Christians! My encouragement to you on today is to forget what is behind you. Give your past “Deuces”! Give your past financial issues “Deuces”! Give your past marital issues “Deuces”! Give your past work hang-ups “Deuces”! Give your past eating habits “Deuces”! Whatever that is holding you back from getting the things God has for you, give it “Deuces”!

When you forget those things that are behind you and give it “Deuces”, then do what Paul says in the latter part of the text: “Straining toward what is ahead”. In other words, it’s time to forge ahead and move into a greater anointing! It’s time to move ahead and forge into a greater “wealthy” place! It’s time to move ahead and forge into giving yourself a better marriage with your spouse! It’s time to move ahead and forge into giving yourself a better life as a single person! It’s time to move ahead and forge into giving you and your family a better life and provide “Deuces” to past heartache and pain! Many of us cannot escape the past, but if you cannot do it, then you cannot strain toward to what’s ahead! Ahead of you are blessings! Ahead of you is peace! Ahead of you is life and life more abundantly! Ahead of you is greatness within yourself, greatness within your workplace, greatness in every aspect of your life! In order to get ahead, you have to plow ahead and make an effort to get there, there being ahead!

In closing, “Deuces”, Peace, See You Later, is something we tell our friends when we’re leaving them to do other things. Tell your demonic enemies/spirits/enemies inside of you that I am giving you the “Deuces” and it’s time for me to get bigger and better things! Are you ready for those things? If so, tell the past “Deuces” and say Hello to your future!