Coffee With The Lord

It been a rough couple of weeks for Bible believing Christians (perhaps its more accurate to say months and even years)! Values godly people embrace and hold dear have been trampled upon by a secular, Christ-rejecting, independence asserting culture. Violent people in the name of a religion have killed innocent children and Christ followers. Biblical values have been flaunted and trampled upon with godless glee. Injustice has had a heyday. Outright lies have been told with the excuse, “Oh, that’s just politics.” How bad can it get?

How should a Christian respond? Francis Schaeffer asked this pertinent question…”How Should We Then Live?” What can we expect moving forward?

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I think I got at least a partial answer from what imprisoned Apostle Paul wrote to the Christian congregation in Philippi as they faced the challenges of living out their faith in Christ in the ancient pagan world (Check out Philippians 2:27-30)…

He told them… “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ!” (My comment? Christians live by a completely different set of values – let us never forget it!) He went on to say, “May I hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents!” (May God help us to avoid the trap of disunity – fighting with one another rather than focusing on presenting the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to a hurting world in the power of the Holy Spirit!) Then he reminded the Philippian Christians, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake!” (It is so easy to forget this fact… suffering for the Lord, for His cause, for the sake of righteousness [i.e. for the right reasons – never the wrong] has always been the lot of those who faithfully followed Christ!)

Hey Apostle Paul… Just want to say, “Thank you for reminding me!”

My Bible reading today during “Coffee with the Lord” included Luke 11:33-36.  In that passage Jesus is quoted, emphasizing the importance of the “eye” and the “light” the eye brings to the entire person.  His words emphasize the importance of what the “eye” lets into our inner person – either bringing “light” or “darkness.”  Two things are especially emphasized… 1) If you have “light” within – let it shine…don’t hide it!  And 2) Guard – be careful – about what you let into your inner self! 

Here it is, right out of the Bible, in His words:  “No one, after lightening a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light!  Your eye is the lamp of your body.  When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.  Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.” 

While I was reading these words, a little children’s song I used to sing as a child in “Children’s Church” came to mind… But it’s message is appropriate for adult followers of Jesus as well! 

“O be careful little eyes what you see 
O be careful little eyes what you see 
For the Father up above 
Is looking down in love 
So, be careful little eyes what you see 

“O be careful little ears what you hear… 
 

“O be careful little tongue what you say… 
 

“O be careful little hands what you do… 
 

“O be careful little feet where you go… 
 

“O be careful little heart whom you trust… 
 

“O be careful little mind what you think…” 

-Traditional 

I don’t know about you, but I intend to be careful about what I let within my mind and heart… LIGHT!  And I want my “light” to shine brightly – I don’t want to hide it! 
 

It’s one thing to “just have your eyes open” – to glance at something… It’s quite another to look closely, to analyze, to appreciate, to grasp or apprehend something.  In the first case you simply pass over what is considered usual, ordinary, even rather insignificant, giving it a cursory glance.  In the second you see the item as very significant, beautiful, even profound – it’s worth reflection and remembrance!

The truth of God’s word fits the second case…  It’s what caused the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18 and 24 to cry out, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law! … Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors!”

The need of grasping the life-changing truth of God’s word caused Apostle Paul to pray that God would give fellow Christians, “The Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of their heart enlightened, so that they may know what is the  hope to which He has call you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe… And being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with al the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 1:17-19; 3:18-19 ESV)

Because of my need to grasp, embrace, and appropriate the Divine truth expressed in Scripture I’ve made it my practice over the years to pray Psalm 119:18 before I enjoy my time of “coffee with the Lord” each day – “OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDERFUL THINGS OUT OF YOUR LAW!”  I recommend praying it… then pause, slow down and bit, depend on the Holy Spirit’s presence and help, and reflect deeply on what you see and read.  It’s life-transforming!!!