Coffee With The Lord

As a young man preparing for the ministry, I believe I was led by the Holy Spirit to a very important life-verse… 1 Corinthians 9:27 (I read it again today during my time of “coffee with the Lord”).  It has served me well over the years and has assumed a pivotal role in my life.  In fact, after I realized the importance of staying in shape and working out daily in order to function at a maximum personal level, the surrounding verses near my life-verse became even more special to me.  This is not to say, I’ve never had a failure or stumbled from the principle and truth my life-verse expresses, but regardless of those failures it has continued to be a central, guiding principle in my life.  It expresses my life-quest and desire in service for the Lord.

Here is the passage with my life-verse included in all caps…

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it! Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So Ido not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL, LEST AFTER PREACHING TO OTHERS I MYSELF SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED!” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV)

I think we’ve all seen it at some time or other… A person with great promise in public life disgraced by a moral or ethical lapse or pattern of living.  A young talented entertainer self-destruct through an undisciplined lifestyle.  An athlete shooting for a world record or championship season disqualified for violating the rules.  A high profile pastor disgraced and disqualified for ministry because of a tragic “moral failure.”

I don’t want to be that kind of person!  With God’s help I want to listen to the warning of Apostle Paul in this passage and exercise Spiritual self-discipline… Hey, a “fruit of the Spirit” is … “self-discipline” (Galatians 5:22-23).  And if you’ve fallen, acknowledge it, ask God and others to forgive you, establish some accountability, and allow God’s grace to restore you and enable you to rebuild what sin has destroyed.  It can happen!!!

This morning I read one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture… Isaiah 65:17-25…  God’s prophetic message through Isaiah of the wonderful future ahead for God’s people!  A new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells!  A new Jerusalem!  Millennial blessing and God’s eternal kingdom all blended into one incredible scene! 

So here’s what I did… I “Googled” the phrase “new heaven and new earth” into “images” and looked at the pictures there… all someone’s mental images – their imagination of what “heaven” must be like – imagination run wild!  And all of them taken together don’t begin to touch the splendor, the beauty, the grandeur of what lies ahead for the people of God!  (I’ve included one sample just to tease your imagination.)

Here’s Isaiah’s prophetic vision of it all…  (Enjoy!  Savor it!  Relish the thought!)  I’ve included a “taste” of it below from the New Living Translation” … Enjoy!!

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! … The sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young! … For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the LORD, and their children, too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! … I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN!” (from Isaiah 65:17-25 NLT)

Hey, a time like this is coming for the people of God!! It’s going to happen… “THE LORD HAS SPOKEN!“

And if that isn’t enough to blow your mind, check out Revelation 21-22 in the New Testament!  Wow!  What a wonderful future for the people of God!  I’d say it’s a great way to prepare for the upcoming Easter season wouldn’t you?!

I can tell you, there are some things I love to remember and recall… beautiful things, pleasant thoughts, enjoyable experiences!  There are other things I’d like to forget… but it’s not as easy as that … they’re persistent unpleasantnesses – painful memories!

I’m so glad God’s not like that… He remembers what is really important – He recalls what is eminently helpful.  On the other hand, He has the incredible ability to forget some things – things I find it difficult to forget – things that I’m ashamed of, but are wound up in my memory.  In fact, I read this wonderful passage in the Bible this morning…

“REMEMBER your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

“REMEMBER NOT the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

“ACCORDING TO YOUR STEADFAST LOVE REMEMBER ME, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” (From Psalm 25:6-7 ESV)

This brought another wonderful passage to my mind… “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth [and believe me, that’s incredibly high!], so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west [and that’s infinitely far!], so far does he remove our transgressions from us!” (Psalm 103:10–12 ESV)

Gotta tell you, I’m incredibly relieved… and grateful!  Aren’t you?!  Thank you!  Thank you!!  Thank you, Lord!!!