Coffee With The Lord

Oh, may the inspired purpose John articulated in his gospel be fulfilled!

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name!” (John 20:30-31 NIV)

GENEALOGIES! One of the most neglected parts of the Bible! What many Bible readers try to avoid! The names are weird and difficult (if not impossible) to pronounce. There’s just one right after another with the dreaded words repeated over and over again… “Such and such BEGAT such and such, and another such and such BEGAT such and such” and it just seems to go on verse after verse – chapter after chapter!! Mention 1st and 2nd Chronicles and people actually cringe!!!

I’m reading the “genealogies” right now as part of my Bible reading during “Coffee with the Lord” … 1stChronicles alone begins with nine chapters of them (54 verses, 55 verses, 24 verses, 43 verses, 26 verses, 81 verses, 40 verses, another 40 verses, and 44 verses! … “BEGAT” AFTER “BEGAT” – NAME AFTER NAME!!

So a number of years ago, while pastoring a church, I had just finished my Bible reading and had laboriously struggled through some of the genealogies. I wasn’t in a very good (or religiously thankful) mood… I had a hospital call to make for a member of our congregation in a city about 90 miles away. Got in the car, backed it out of the driveway, and reached over to turn on the radio… Christian radio station, no worship music on at the time, and believe it or not a program entitled “The Heaven and Home Hour!” … DRAT!!! But the speaker caught my attention with these words… “I’ve was reading my Bible several years ago and I was right in the middle of the genealogies! I have to admit I was complaining to God about that part of the Bible, when God spoke to me… [NOW the guy had my attention!] The Lord spoke to my heart and said, ‘If I cared enough about those people to make them a part of my eternal plan – rest assured, I have an important place for you in my eternal plan as well!’” … Then he added “I’ve never read the genealogies the same again!” … TRUE STORY!!!

WOW! What a powerful truth!

And today – after reading the genealogies – I also read these words in Scripture…

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets — who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated — of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (From Hebrews 11:32–40 ESV)

Here’s hoping that you and I NEVER READ THE GENEALOGIES THE SAME AGAIN!

Today in my Bible reading during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” I thought of someone who may be going through “A WHALE OF A PROBLEM”– and probably one that resulted from their own self-will! (Hey I’ve had more situations like that than I want to admit!)

Oh you guessed who I’m talking about in the Bible, eh? Jonah!

God’s will revealed? … “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me!”

Jonah’s self-will? “But Jonah ran away from the Lord … found a ship … and after paying the fare, he want aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

The result? “Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm that the ship threated to break up.” After trying to deal with the storm, the sailors reluctantly threw Jonah overboard, and “the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights!”

An incredibly unpleasant, frightening, and dangerous predicament (and one caused by Jonah’s rebellion and self-will!). I mean imagine it!

What to do when facing a “whale of a problem” – the consequence of one’s rebellion and self-will? Jonah did the RIGHT thing!

Here it is right out of the Bible in Jonah’s own words…

“From inside the fish JONAH PRAYED TO THE LORD HIS GOD! He said, “In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me! From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and You listened to my cry! … You , Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit! When my life was ebbing away, I remembered You, Lord, and my prayer rose to You, to your holy temple! … I, with shouts of grateful praise will sacrifice to You! What I have vowed I will make good! [It would be interesting to know just what Jonah promised God!] I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’

“And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (From Jonah 2 NIV)

My recommendation from personal experience? When you’re in a “whale of a problem” of your own making – your foolishness, your rebellion against God’s will, or your stubborn self-will have gotten you there… PRAY! PRAY FERVENTLY! CRY OUT TO THE LORD! Acknowledge (i.e. confess) your sin and ask for forgiveness! Ask the Lord to help you, deliver you and guide you! My experience is that He is a faithful, merciful, gracious God!

Here’s a couple of other verses to support this plan…

“Good understanding giveth favor, but the way of transgressors is hard!” (Proverbs 13:15 KJV)

But praise the Lord… “If we confess [i.e. acknowledge] our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness!” (1 John 1:9 NIV)