Coffee With The Lord

Sometimes Christians act like little children – “tattletales” on a playground – they run to their teacher and say… that group or person over there (as they point emphatically with their “spiritual” finger) don’t believe exactly like we do, they don’t play by the same “spiritual” rules, they’re not doing the Lord’s work just like we do it! Someone needs to stop them!! They’ll ruin everything!!”

How do you think the Lord responds when we act like that?

Good question! Do you think He says, “Thank you for that important information! You’re exactly right! I’m going to go over and put a stop to what they’re doing ‘in my Name’ and on my behalf right now!! Or does He respond with a rebuke to the “tattletale” – just like a parent or teacher sometimes does on the playground?

Well, fortunately we’re not left in doubt… There is a situation just like that in the Bible…

“John spoke up, ‘Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group!’ Jesus wasn’t pleased. ‘Don’t stop him! No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. If he’s not our enemy, he’s an ally. Why, anyone by just giving someone a cup of water in my name is on our side! Count on it – God will notice!’ On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t! You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck!” (Mark 9:38-42 from The Message paraphrase)

Just gotta say, I don’t want to behave like a spiritual “tattletale!” Somehow I don’t think the Lord has changed his attitude about it. I admit, there are some things that really matter – like the truth of “the Gospel” or misrepresenting what God has clearly said in His Word! But simply complaining about the fact that a fellow Christian isn’t in “our group” or makes a big deal about differences in “ministry style” or arguing about minor differences of in doctrine, won’t win the approval of the Lord.

My Bible reading this morning emphasized “a life-transforming gaze!” …”When one (a person) turns to the Lord, the veil (i.e. that which hinders seeing) is removed.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (From 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV) 

I jotted this in the margin of my Bible today: “Oh Lord, may any ‘veil’ that hinders my gaze be removed and may ‘the gaze that would transform me’ be fixed upon His glory!

“O God, save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might… O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth! You are my helper; the upholder of my life! … I will give thanks to your name, O Lord – You have delivered me from every trouble!” (From Psalm 54 ESV)  This Psalm is  “lament” of David, crying out for God’s help and vindication against his enemies/adversaries… “Oh God hear my prayer!” … We can cry out as David did and trust God to do it!