Coffee With The Lord

Well this morning I began my annual “Birthday Prayer Run!” This year running 74 miles in a week in celebration of my upcoming 74th birthday! I’ll keep you posted on my progress for those who are interested. Each year I invite prayer requests from anyone who would like me to pray about a need they have or are aware of. You may text message your request to 972-921-9317 (as always confidentiality is assured).

Wonderful “Lord’s Day” (Sunday) run today… Prayed for a lot of needs friends have sent in. Sitting at 43 miles completed… Should be able to complete my 74 mile birthday run sometime on Wednesday (body staying healthy, no accidents and the strength God supplies).

Well it’s day #5 of my annual “Birthday Prayer Run!” Goal is to finish a mile for every year of my upcoming birthday in a week (this year I turn 74). So today I finished 12.36 miles for a total in 5 days of 55.36 miles (praying about prayer requests friends send me all the way)… 18.64 miles to go!!! Feeling strong – feeling good! Hope to finish Wednesday morning… we’ll see.

Day 6 of my “Birthday Prayer Run” – goal 74 miles in a week in celebration of my 74th birthday… Just finished 13.84 miles today… only 4.8 miles needed tomorrow to reach 74 miles! Plan to do that in the morning. Watch for a celebratory post!!! Yahoo and a “Bartel fist pump!” 😉 ✊

I don’t know if you’ve ever borne the brunt of bullying … I have.  I’m grateful that this issue has received some public attention.  The cruelty that some mete out on others is tragic and needs not only attention, but intervention.

I was bullied a time or two in elementary school… In those times how I wished I had a big brother to stick up for me (My problem?  I was the oldest!).  An older brother would have been able to step into my moments of threat and fear, and have scared the bullies away!  Mad moms have successfully intervened with bullies – and, believe me, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a really angry mom!  But an angry dad… well that’s something to make you shake in your boots! 

Thought about all of that as I read Psalm 35 this morning…

“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! …Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation!’  Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me!  Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away! ⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them! … Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation.  All my bones shall say, ‘O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?’”  (from Psalm 35:1–10 ESV)

I don’t know if you feel bullied by our spiritual “Adversary” this morning or unjustly accused or attacked by someone or something else… Take heart, you have a “Divine Advocate”… and He’s bigger and stronger than your adversary … and He takes attacks against his children personally!  He’s not absent… He’s ever present!  Cry out for his help like David did in this Psalm!  He has promised to help!

Just thinking today about “unsung heroes”… wonderful people, simple saints, those who love the Lord with all their heart and others (regardless of their ethnicity, culture, station in life, education or lack of it, wealth or lack of it, their religious background or anything else) and serve them in the name of Jesus without fanfare, notoriety or media attention (and sometimes without appreciation).  But God notices! 

Think about it … who is an “unsung hero” – a devoted, selfless, follower of Jesus – that comes to your mind today?…

For me it is my mother-in-law, Linda Barnett, who is now with the Lord in heaven.  A single mom, who raised 5 children on housekeeping wages.  Who often opened her home and her heart (and her cupboard) to others in need.  Whose aging car was used to pick up a whole group of widows and faithfully took them to church each Sunday in Polson Montana.  Who rarely missed a service at her church.  Who sacrificially gave to those in need, prepared food for those going through trials, and in the estimation of her family and everyone else who knew her was “addicted to serving others!”  I could go on…

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read about other “unsung heroes”…

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, He will sit on His glorious throne…  Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (From Matthew 25:31–40 ESV)

That’s right… Righteous, godly, loving, caring “unsung heroes” serving others in Jesus’ name… worthy of the highest honor!  Today I salute you!  And one day the Living Lord of Glory will honor you before all the assembled host of heaven and the assembled nations of the world – in fact, the entire universe!

On the other hand, there are those whose religion (whose Christianity) is in name only… (I challenge you to read the next verses to find out about what happens to them…)