Coffee With The Lord

“O Come Let Us Adore Him!” … It was a song then > now > and on Into eternity

It’s clear to me from reading the Bible that God’s purpose in sending Christ to earth was redemptive (not simply exemplary). His plan from “day one” (i.e. the Nativity) and even before (eternity) was to rescue people from every nation and race from their sin, transform them and prepare them for eternity in fellowship with Him (eternity in heaven)! So when I read these words from the book of Revelation this morning my heart leaped with joy… God’s purpose and plan will one day be fulfilled!!

“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar… ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshipped God. They sang… ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!’ (From Revelation 7:9-12)

What a scene! It was wonderful at the Nativity, and it will be awe-inspiring to experience it in eternity! It will bring to fulfillment the wonderful redemptive plan of our Heavenly Father through His son Jesus to fulfillment!

That doesn’t mean, however, that achieving this wonderful goal will be easy! In fact, it cost Jesus His life on our behalf! It won’t be easy for those who are counted worthy to make up that worshipping throng either… When the question was asked “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?” This is the answer that was provided… “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and have made them white.” Salvation is the free gift of God offered through faith in Jesus Christ! That doesn’t mean however, that following Him won’t be costly. It always has been! But regardless of the cost, I want to be a part of that throng!!

Christmas traditions are special, memorable occurrences that nearly every family have… Christian traditions are even more meaningful…

For some it is a special reading from the Bible, for others its a special celebration of the Lord’s supper or communion. It may be as simple, yet significant as the “Father of the family” reading the Christmas story. Sometimes even a special dish for the dinner table can have Christian traditional value.

For the Bartel family, the giving of a personal “gift to Jesus” before we open our gifts to each other is traditional. A card or sheet of paper is passed to each person. Then a few comments are shared about the profound significance of the Lords wonderful gift of Jesus (and because of Jesus) to us. A time of prayerful reflection follows in which each person thinks about a gift – a personal commitment they’d like to give to Christ in the coming year. Each person writes their commitment on their card or sheet of paper… “To Jesus… then their commitment… followed by “From (and their name). It is placed in an envelope with the words “To Jesus… From…) and then placed under the Christmas tree. Believe me, a pretty significant “tradition” for the LeRoy Bartel family!

But today, in my Bible reading during my time of “coffee with the Lord,” I read of some even more significant and profound “traditions!” They are “traditions” that have powerful value for our Christian lives, they safeguard what we believe and hold dear, they help us contend for and even discern the difference between truth and error…. They’re REALLY important!

“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you! If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He made to us – eternal life!” (1 John 2:24-25) “Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (Apostle Paul)” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Now, I know there are some who call themselves Christians that have a tendency to dismiss the value of “traditions” … It seems to me that is a terrible mistake. I acknowledge many “traditions” are simply human inventions… But there are others that are vitally important, even instituted by our Lord (like Communion), and others have value because they serve as reminders, safeguards, and practices that keep us true to our faith and fellowship in Christ. Hey, this Christmas season I’m going to seek to dismiss traditions that detract from my faith in Christ, but I’m going to cling to (and sustain) the ones that deepen it!

Christmastime – or as the broader culture likes to call it, “the holiday season” – can tragically be one of the most materialistic and self-focused seasons of the year!  And Christ-followers can be swept into cultural vortex and find themselves abandoning or compromising their values.  I do not want to be a spiritual casualty of the season!

So when I read these words this morning during “coffee with the Lord” I was grateful for the reminder they provide (I’ve chosen to provide them in the words of the Message paraphrase)…

“Don’t love the world’s ways! Don’t love the world’s goods! Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.  Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father! It just isolates you from Him.  The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity!” (1 John 2:15–17 The Message)

Help me Lord to maintain a Christ-centered – eternal values focused – perspective!