Coffee With The Lord

It has become something of a recurring reminder from the Lord in my life – the need to engage in regular, sustained intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Statistical analysis at home and abroad place the numbers of martyred Christians at nearly 100,000 annually! This is a staggering number! We are often isolated from the breadth of circumstances persecuted Christians face… It can run the gambit all way from harassment in the workplace, neighborhood, or educational institution to imprisonment, assault, and martyrdom.

Isolation, discouragement, fear, bitterness, and a sense of abandonment are just some of the human emotions that persecuted Christians must deal with. Many have to deal daily with poverty, lack of nutrition, medical issues, concern for their families, and filthy prisons. They must be able to depend of the fact that we, fellow members of the “body of Christ” – the “family of God” – support them with faith-filled, Spirit empowered, regular, sustained intercession! We must not fail them!

The importance of intercessory prayer support for suffering fellow Christians surfaced again this morning during my Bible reading… Apostle Paul, imprisoned in Rome, and facing the real possibility of death for his faith and witness to Jesus Christ, wrote these words to fellow believers in ancient Philippi…

“I know that THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS and GOD’S PROVISION OF THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance! I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always CHRIST WILL BE EXALTED IN MY BODY, WHETHER BY LIFE OR BY DEATH. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:19–21 NIV)

So here’s my resolve… I will regularly support fellow Christians at home and abroad who are suffering for their faith and witness for Christ Jesus with regular, sustained, Spirit-led intercession!

Here’s my conviction… I believe the Holy Spirit will provide the strength they need to stand fearlessly and faithfully for Christ in their circumstances… and I believe God has the power to vindicate them and bring supernatural deliverance for them! I pray for that!

And my confidence regarding these believers? I believe they will exhibit the same determination that Paul expressed: That shamelessly, and courageously, that “Christ will be exalted in the lives by life or by death! To live is Christ – to die is gain!”

I’m praying for them daily – they are not forgotten! … Will you join me?

Anyone who has been a parent knows the feeling of appreciation and legitimate pride they feel when their children exhibit heartfelt, authentic obedience. It makes parenting an enjoyable experience… No complaints, no arguments, no dour expressions or pouts… a simple “Yes, Dad or Mom” and then ready, willing, immediate obedience… Sounds like a miraculous state of affairs, to many parents, doesn’t it?

I am confident our “Heavenly Parent” experiences the celestial equivalent of those feelings when we, His children, exhibit heartfelt obedience – doing His will and heeding His word willingly, with all our heart.

I’m reading Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible) the next several days. Today I read the first section labeled “Aleph” for the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet (verses 1-8). It captured my attention because it addresses precisely this issue – How the Heavenly Father feels about His children when they are obedient…

“BLESSED are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD! BLESSED are those who keep his statutes and seek him WITH ALL THEIR HEART! They do nothing wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be FULLY OBEYED. Oh, that my ways WERE STEADFAST in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.”

Oh, I’ve got to tell you, I want to live that way! Lord forgive me for the times I’ve failed you in this regard! Transform the character of my heart – remove the sinful, rebellious streak within me that I sometimes struggle with! Take away the “heart of stone” and in its place give me a tender, “heart of flesh!” (Ezekiel 11:19-20) May my quick, ready and willing obedience bring pleasure to your “Father- heart!”

This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I read a passage and then grinned… The passage? Ezekiel 6… Here’s what captured my attention…

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them and say; ‘Oh mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places…” (From Ezekiel 6:1-3ff)

Have you ever observed someone making a comment, or saying something to one person, but they really we delivering a message to someone else? Maybe you’ve actually done it. The question that could be asked is, “For whose ears were their comments really intended anyway?”

In this passage it is clear that, although Ezekiel was to “set his face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them,” his message was really meant for the ears of rebellious, idolatrous, sinning Israel! In fact, in the rest of the chapter this comment is made four times regarding Israel when God acts to bring judgment on their sin… “And then they will know that I am the Lord.”

I guess the message is this… “When God speaks – when God acts – we should not shovel the message over our shoulders and dismiss it by saying, “Oh He’s talking to someone or about something else!” We should pause, reflect deeply, and ask ourselves, “What is the Sovereign Lord saying to me?

“He that hath an ear, let him hear!”