Coffee With The Lord

I read a passage this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” that’s a pretty tall order – especially in the kind of world and culture where we live out our Christianity… 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NIV)

“May God himself, the God of peace, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. May your whole spirit, soul and body be KEPT BLAMELESS at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Wow!!  “Sanctified through-and-through!!  Holy!  Completely set apart to the Lord, His will, His purposes, His cause!!  Spirit, soul, and body – inside and out – every attitude, inclination, molecule and atom, blameless and without fault when the Lord returns!!  Can you imagine it!  How is that possible?!  Well Paul, the apostle put it this way…

“THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL, AND HE WILL DO IT!”  What a relief eh?  It will be God’s provision, initiative, activity and power at work in our lives that makes it possible!

But there’s our part as well.  And I can tell you that’s when I began to have serious reservations… I know my weakness, I’m aware of the power of temptation, I’m all to aware of the times I’ve fallen short!!  I was praying about that this morning when the words of this old gospel song came to mind.  From my experience and perspective it helps provide an answer to “my side of it”…

1.  Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
   Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
   Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
   Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Refrain:
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

2. Never a trial that He is not there,
   Never a burden that He doth not bear,
   Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
   Moment by moment, I’m under His care.

3. Never a heartache, and never a groan,
   Never a teardrop, and never a moan;
   Never a danger but there on the throne,
   Moment by moment He thinks of His own.

4. Never a weakness that He doth not feel,
   Never a sickness that He cannot heal;
   Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,
   Jesus my Savior abides with me still.

Daniel W. Whittle – 1893

It’s an important, big event – I mean BIG event! – They’re the ones called “the catching away” [or the “rapture” and “the Day of the Lord” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11)!

In light of this, Apostle Paul – the Thessalonian believers Spiritual parent (Acts 17:1-8 cp. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 – 3:12) writes his Spiritual children like a caring “Mother” (1 Thessalonians 2:7) or a concerned “Father” (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12) would!

He gives his Spiritual children these important, final instructions to help them prepare for “the BIG event” – the biggest event of all, the “Day of the Lord!”

Now, you remember those final parental instructions from Mom and Dad as you prepared to go out for a big event – I mean a “BIG EVENT” – don’t you!  Oh, the reminders, the cautions, the assurances – even their final touches to your appearance while they were talking to you!  Well, Apostle Paul, their Spiritual parent, has a similar conversation in his letter to the Thessalonian believers to prepare them for “the BIG EVENT!”

And it’s a conversation we should heed as we prepare for our future with Christ as well!  Here are the aspects of it (From 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22)…

• Respect and honor for those “who are over you in the Lord!”
• Maintain peace and unity with fellow “brothers and sisters” in the Lord!
• Admonish the idle!
• Encourage the discouraged!
• Assist those who are weak!
• Show patience (not impatience) with one another!
• Don’t fall into the trap of retaliation – repaying evil for evil!
• Seek to “do good to one another (and everyone else)!”
• Rejoice! Rejoice!! Rejoice always!!!
• Pray continually about everything and anything!
• Give thanks to God in all circumstances!
• Don’t do anything that would grieve the Holy Spirit!
• Test everything (do determine what is genuine)!
• Keep – cling to what is good!
• Steer clear – avoid – every form of evil!

Now, I paraphrased Apostle Paul’s final instructions a bit, but I think I’ve treated them fairly!  The “BIG EVENT” is near for all of us – “just around the corner!”  I know the list is long, but we do ourselves (and others) a favor if we heed Apostle Paul’s instructions!  Don’t get frustrated with the “final instructions” of a concerned Spiritual parent… let’s listen closely and heed what they urge us to do!!

One of the shortest chapters in the Bible – Psalm 134 – but a chapter that teaches two profound and important truths about worship…

Psalm 134 is one of a group of psalms (Psalms 120-134)  that bear the designator “A Song of Ascents” – Psalms that were sung as pilgrims approached Jerusalem and the temple in preparation for worship.

So here’s the deal… We speak of “blessing” the Lord… and we seek the Lord’s blessing… This psalm emphasizes these two important aspects of worship that must be kept in mind for worship to be meaningful and profitable… Here they are along with the supporting message directly from the Psalm…

1. When we worship, we “bless” the Lord – We proclaim – we acknowledge – His goodness, His grace, His character in our praise! … “Come bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord … Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” (vss. 1-2)
2. We, however, must remember and acknowledge, His “blessing” is always prior to ours!  The recognition of His rich “blessings” ought to prompt our blessing! … “May the Lord bless you – He who made heaven and earth!” (vs. 3)

Two important and complementary truths that I always want to acknowledge and keep in focus as I prepare to offer acceptable worship to the Lord!