Coffee With The Lord

I know several of you have experienced it… a life-threatening illness or an accident… and miraculously, you survived!

As many of you know, Sharon and I had such an accident six months ago.  Coming home from Montana, a car drifted into the lane of a truck in front of us in Colorado, lost control and swiped our vehicle on the driver’s side, taking out our rear axle, causing our SUV to roll 2-3 times.  All I had time to do was cry out “Jesus!”  Car was totaled.  My wife. Sharon, had 10 fractured ribs (several with multiple fractures), a fractured collarbone that had to be surgically repaired, and a punctured lung.  I escaped with just a deep bruise on my left hip.  ICU for Sharon, a lot of pain, surgery, physical therapy, long recovery… but we both are blessed to be alive!

I don’t know why… I guess it was just the shock of it all and my need to help Sharon right after the accident, but I didn’t immediately fall to my knees beside our mangled car in the ditch and offer thanksgiving to God for sparing our lives.  I should have… but I didn’t.  Believe me, since then both Sharon and I have done just that… alot!

And then this morning during “coffee with the Lord” I read Psalm 30 and wrote these words in the margin of my Bible:  “What to do after the Lord saves your life, and you walk away alive after a near death experience.”

Here it is from the Bible…

“I will extol You, O Lord for You have drawn me up… O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me!  O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol [death]; You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit [the grave]!

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name! … To You, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:  What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?  Will the dust praise You?  Will it tell of Your faithfulness?  Hear, O Lord, and me merciful to me?  O Lord, be my helper!

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent!  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!”  (From Psalm 30 ESV)

So today, I paused after reading this Psalm and reflected… and then I made it’s words my own… and did what I probably should have done after the accident in that ditch in Colorado… offered, deep, heartfelt thanksgiving to the God who spared our lives!

I can almost see it now… a handsome metal plate attached to the articles in the ancient Israeli Tabernacle, or engraved into the gold, bronze or wood, or embroidered into the delicate and beautiful fabrics that adorned it… “Crafted lovingly by Bezalel and Oholiab.” And additional wording could have been added “with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

These two men, according to passages I’ve read in my Bible reading the last several days, were responsible for all the stunning craftsmanship that made up the Israeli Tabernacle! Of course they had natural talent and ability – but even that was God-given. But they were called by God and gifted by the Holy Spirit to fulfill this role as well. They did not fulfill the task alone, but taught others to do the tasks needed and oversaw their work so it would be worthy of the Lord’s Tabernacle and to bear their name.

I mean, search the Scriptures… Nowhere in the Bible will you find “craftsmanship” listed as a “gift of the Holy Spirit” except in Exodus 31:1-11 and Exodus 35:30 – 36:5. Which leads me to suggest that our understanding of the rich diversity of “Spiritual gifts” is beyond imagination and includes much more than what takes place in the auditorium of a church but also embraces the things that occur in “the marketplace!” But all of it is to be done “for the glory and honor of God!” The God-honoring work of Bezalel and Oholiab would have taken place in workshops of various kinds and involved a variety of skills.

Here’s just a taste of what the Bible says in the Exodus passages I cited:

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you.'” (Exodus 31:1-6 ESV)

“Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver-by any sort of workman or skilled designer. Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.'” (Exodus 35:30-36:1 ESV)

And then what follows in chapters 36-38 are at least 65 instances in which it is said of Bezalel, “He made, he overlaid, he coupled, or he cast” … 65 times!!! Many contributed – but it was all done under Bezalel’s oversight and calling. “Crafted lovingly by Bezalel and Oholiab (and many others) with the help of the Holy Spirit”

Is it any wonder that Apostle Peter in one of his epistles urged, “As each has received a gift, let him/her use it to serve one another, as good stewards of GOD’S VARIED GRACE (God, rich “variegated” giftings, the Greek text implies)… in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong all the glory and dominion forever and ever!” (1 Peter 4:10-11)

In the class at Trinity Church, Cedar Hill, Texas, where I share teaching responsibilities, a friend of mine, Bobby Stoval just finished a wonderful teaching series on “The Call of God.” All Christians are called by God in some way – and gifted by the Holy Spirit to do what God has called them to do! Whether in the marketplace or the Church, may we do everything with excellence – for the glory of God – to help others and advance the cause of Christ! That’s my desire.

People get all messed up about money. One of the big complaints today about churches is “all they ever talk about is money.” Objective analysis, however, of that assertion reveals it is simply not true!  The fact is that many who make that claim are very preoccupied with money themselves.

When an opportunity to give is presented how do we respond… with griping?  Or do we respond with greatness of heart and glad generosity?

I thought about that this morning as I read an account in the Bible of what I would call “contagious generosity.”  Here’s what the Bible records…

“Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, ‘This is the thing that the Lord has commanded.  Take from among you a contribution to the Lord.  Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution… Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.  And they came everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.  So they came both men and women.  All who were of a willing heart… every man dedicating an offering… and everyone who possessed something… Everyone who could make a contribution… Every skillful woman brought what they had made… And the leaders brought… All the men and women whose heart moved them… they brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.”  (From Exodus 35:1-29)

And here’s “contagious generosity” exhibited in the New Testament: “I want you to know about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty over flowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints – and this not as we expected, but they give themselves for to the Lord and by the will of God to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

No grousing, no complaining, no reluctance… moved by a generous heart and a willing spirit they responded to the need and the Lord’s command!  I want my giving always to be characterized by that!  Here it what Apostle Paul urged: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver!” (7 Corinthians 9:7) … “Contagious generosity” – that’s what we need, not “griping givers!”  People who see a need, and listen to the Lord, and allow their hearts to move them to generosity.  I want to be that kind of giver!