Coffee With The Lord

It’s the day before Christmas and this morning I had an arresting and challenging experience! I met “Glory!”

Sharon and I had gone early to the grocery store to do a little last-minute shopping. We started to check out the items we were purchasing, and I noticed the name on the identification badge of the sweet lady who was checking us out. Her badge read… “Glory.” I said to her, “Is that your given name?” And she responded, “Yes it is… like glory to God in the highest!”

I just felt I should ask if she were a believer – a Christian, a Christ follower – so I did. She responded enthusiastically, with a hand upraised, that she was.

She appeared to be from Asian descent, so I asked her what country she was from. She indicated India. I then told her that Sharon and I, through the sale of coffee and mugs when we are speaking at conferences and churches, helped fund a ministry training school in Bihar, India.

Her face darkened and she replied, “Oh, that is a hard and dangerous area of India!” And then she told us the story of her father…

She said, “My father was an ‘on-fire’ for the Lord!” He was in Bihar sharing the gospel and was assaulted by a gang of young men three times. They told him to stop or they would cut him in pieces and throw him into the river.” She said, he told them, “That’s alright – go ahead! If you do I’ll just go to heaven anyway!”

How moved Sharon and I were by our brief conversation with “Glory” on this Christmas Eve! We both left the story broken up, our eyes filled with tears – almost unable to speak!

As some of you know, every day, I lift persecuted Christians, their spouses and families to the Lord in prayer! I pray for their protection, their provision, and any need they might have that comes to mind. I pray that they will be strengthened, encouraged, and emboldened by the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Lord will open incredible doors of opportunity for them to share the gospel.

I don’t know if I ever was one who prayed for her father the day he was assaulted or not. Perhaps someone else did though. There was a line behind us at the grocery store and she was very busy checking out people, so I didn’t get to ask more questions. I may go back to the store sometime soon to see if “Glory” is still there.

But may I ask you to do something? Would you pause and pray for persecuted Christians around the world? Many are facing severe persecution today, many are in prison, separated from their families. They face hunger, danger, even death for their faith in Christ. Their spouses need prayer, their children need prayer, the churches they are a part of need prayer! Will you on this Christmas Eve or Christmas Day pause and pray for them?

Just let me say, I’m glad I met “Glory” today!

I think one of the most precious and meaningful truths of Christmas is the fact that Jesus, the one born of Mary on Christmas day, is referred to as “Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” in Matthew 1:22-23 (completing and fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14).

“God with us!” – what a thought, what a truth! Apostle John picked up on it and declared, “The Word [Jesus, Himself] became flesh [human] and dwelt [or lived} among us!” (John 1:14)

I just finished re-reading the wonderful autobiographical story of Bruce Olson – or “Bruchco,” Christian missionary with the Motilone Barí Indians, an indigenous tribe in Colombia and Venezuela. He struggled greatly to explain the truth of Jesus to the Motilones. One day, as a flash of God-given insight, he explained it this way… God came down and “walked all of our trails with us!”

That is the wonderful story of Christmas and the truth of the “incarnation!”

I don’t know the trail you’re on today! I am aware of what some of you are experiencing… pain, sorrow, temptation, loss, abandonment, isolation, or danger. Some of you are even facing death this Christmas… Hard trails! Here’s the wonderful truth of “Immanuel, God with us” … He has “walked your trail” – and He, our risen Lord and Savior will, “walk the trail with you!”
Here’s how the writer of Hebrews in the Bible expressed it: “It was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest… Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested!” (From Hebrews 4:17-18 NLT)

“Immanuel” – “God came down to walk our trails!” We do not walk alone – He walks with us! The wonderful truth of Christmas!

Just read it again today during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

A very wise man reminds us in the Bible, “Fear [reverence] God and obey His commands, for this is our duty! God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (From Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NLT)

But praise God, that’s not the WHOLE story…

“If we confess [acknowledge] our sin to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from ALL wickedness.” (1 John 1:9 NLT) and “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west!” (Psalm 103:12 NLT)

Whew… am I glad! (I have a BC – “Before Christ” – just like you do) and some stumbles along the way that need His forgiveness and cleansing!)