Coffee With The Lord

It’s a wonderful story… rich in truth and life lessons. In the Bible it’s often labeled as “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” (or “The Unjust Judge”). You really should read it yourself in the Bible… Luke 18:1-8. It’s a story that teaches by contrast more than analogy… The “unjust judge” (self-occupied, arrogant, and unwilling) in viewed in contrast to a “righteous God” (loving, righteous, and generous).

In the story a helpless widow comes time-and-again to an “unjust judge” asking for help and redress against an “adversary” who is taking advantage of her. At first the judge simply puts her off and ignores her. But she keeps coming! Finally, he tires of her coming, and in order not to be bothered by her any longer, he gives her justice and redress.

When Jesus told the story, He declared its purpose at the very beginning… that His followers “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (i.e. it’s purpose was to encourage “sustained faith” in prayer). In fact Jesus closed the story with these words: “And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry out to Him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?”

The story, which teaches by contrast, (The “unjust judge” is NOT like our “righteous Heavenly Father), is more about the character and God and the need for “sustained faith” than simply a lesson on the value of persistence (i.e. “persistence wins!”). Stories on the value of persistence are “a dime a dozen” (“we often quit to early” – we “throw in the towel” before we win).

Instead the lesson here, it seems to me, is that the Lord rewards “sustained faith!”

Here’s Bartel’s personal definition of “faith”…

Faith is confidence in God… trusting His character, believing and obeying His word, laying hold of His promises, following His leadership, and drawing upon his encouragement and strength.

Now I know that the Bible teaches it does not take a large amount of faith to gain answers to prayer and see God do great things: “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

But this story emphasizes the importance of “sustained faith!” It’s a faith that presses through, keeps believing, and keeps trusting in God and His promises regardless of the challenges, regardless of the trials, regardless of the adversaries and adversities!

So here’s my encouragement to you (and my personal resolve)… We have a faithful, righteous, loving God! Let’s keep coming to Him… keep asking… keep believing! … “sustained faith” is what we need! “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you He will give justice to them speedily! Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-8)

Someone told me about a wonderful product… bragged about what it could and would do. I looked it up online and read the reviews… Wow! If the promotional stuff was true and the reviews were valid, what was I waiting for? I needed the item! So I ordered it… It arrived and I read the stuff on the packaging… Yup, what they advertised was right there on the label! I got it out, read the instructions, tried to follow them closely and… Disappointment! It wouldn’t work for me!

Sometimes the Christian life is like that for people. Others brag it up, testify to its benefits, market its potential… But when you try to make it work as advertised, it just doesn’t deliver as promised… Victory – an overcoming Christian life is expected – but something less than that is the reality.

Well, perhaps what we do when we have a product that isn’t “up to the hype” can serve as a guide for us… We contact the manufacturer and ask for help! In the case of the Christian life – we consult the inspired Word of God!

This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I read some instructions that address how to have Spiritual victory while living in a pagan world… This guidance comes directly from the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul… (He was addressing struggling believers in the city of Colossae):

First a challenge – an exhortation:

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives [“walk”] in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving….

Then a warning…

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ…

Finally, the Spiritual provision and reality that can be experienced (forgiven, free and fulfilled)!

“For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness! He is the head over every power and authority… You have been buried with Him in baptism, and were also raised with Him through your faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us! He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (From Colossians 2:6-15 NIV)

Hey this is not just “so much fluff” or “marketing baloney” – It’s God’s inspired word – His guidance for getting and gaining Spiritual victory in THIS life! It works! My advice? Camp out in this passage a while – pore over each aspect of the instructions – and see if the quality of your Christian experience doesn’t improve. God wants all that your “life in Christ” is cracked up to be!

Among his sons, the work ethic of Ewalt W. Bartel, was his identifying feature… It was one of his most noteworthy characteristics. He worked HARD – and enjoyed it – he found it incredibly satisfying. He would arise before 5 a.m., grab an oatmeal cookie and a glass of milk my mother had put out for him the night before, milk the cows (we had a grade A dairy farm), then jump in the school bus and run his route, arrive back home and clean up the barn, grab a bite of breakfast mom had prepared, then go out and take care of farm work, grab lunch, more farm work, jump in the bus and run his school bus route, come home and milk the cows, clean up the barn, take care of some more farm work, and then end the after what we called “supper” and have his devotions before signing off for the day and going to bed.

All of us boys have watched the sweat pour off of his body as he would tackle a task, hear him grunt with effort, and then go on to another task, and another, and another. He would periodically pause, breathe a deep sigh, smile slightly and say with deep satisfaction… “Well that’s done!” Ewalt W. Bartel found hard work incredibly satisfying… It was part of his persona… His DNA. And I must say, his sons picked up on it and embraced it.

All of this as a prelude for a post promoting “the Lord’s work!” Apostle Paul was not lazy – He and my dad were “soul brothers” when it comes to finding “work” (hard work) satisfying. I must admit, I find some individuals who claim to be in “the Lord’s work” an affront to the Apostle Paul’s example! I’m afraid some use “the ministry” as a front for a life of leisure and recreation. Apostle Paul would be indignant! I’m with Paul… As a professor of ministry courses at a Bible university over the years, I have challenged students, “If you’re not willing to spend long hours, work hard, weep with the hurting, and help the struggling, and study diligently to serve healthy spiritual meals from God’s word, don’t bother to enter “the ministry!”

Want to hear it from the mouth of Apostle Paul himself (with a couple of parenthetical comments from “your’s truly” based upon the Greek language of the original text)… Here it is:

“Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature [complete] in Christ. For this I toil [the Greek word means “to work hard”], struggling [this is a Greek word that literally means “to wrestle” and implies physical, emotional, and spiritual exertion] with all HIS ENERGY [not my strength or energy] that He powerfully works within me.” [In other words, when Apostle Paul was “bone tired” through his efforts in “the Lord’s work” he discovered a supernatural, satisfying, inner strength that would come to him, empower him, buoying him up, and enabling him to press on and complete the tasks the Lord had given him!] (From Colossians 1:28–29 ESV – my comments in brackets)

Gotta tell you… I want to live that way! Ewalt W. Bartel was my human example of a healthy work ethic… Apostle Paul sets the standard for me in “the Lord’s work!” At the end of my life, I want to be able to pause like my Dad, smile and sigh and say, “Well, that’s done!” (i.e. my work for the Lord – my calling as His servant).