Coffee With The Lord

We cannot buy our salvation – our acceptance with God – with money! (Psalm 49:6-8; Matthew 16:26)

We cannot earn it by doing good works (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Thinking that we can change ourselves, and make ourselves acceptable to the Lord with great resolve, will only leave us frustrated and helpless! (Romans 7:18—25)  But the very last verse of that passage declares God’s wonderful secret to our victory… “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

This morning during “Coffee with the Lord” I read a great Old Testament prophetic passage that predicted the coming of our Savior and what He would accomplish on our behalf on the cross to deal with our sin and provide salvation…

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all… By his knowledge shall the Righteous One, My Servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities… He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”  (From Isaiah 53:4–12 ESV)

There is an old gospel song that captures the truth of God’s provision to deal with our sin through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ…

“What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can for sin atone!  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Naught of good that I have done!  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my hope and peace… Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my righteousness… Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

–Robert Lowry

I’ve just got to say it… Praise God for our wonderful Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ!

My wife, Sharon, read me this powerful little story this morning from a free magazine, entitled “House to House – Heart to Heart,” distributed by The Brown Street Church of Christ in Waxahachie, TX.  I was so blessed by it, I decided I had to post it in “Coffee with the Lord” this morning…

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An old Indian chief constantly spoke of the Lord Jesus and what He meant to him.

“Why do you talk so much about Jesus?” asked a friend.

The old chief did not reply, but slowly, deliberately gathered some sticks and bits of dry grass.  He made a circle of them.

In the circle he placed a caterpillar.  Still silent, he struck a match and lit the sticks and grass.  They watched the caterpillar.  As the fire caught around the circle, the trapped caterpillar began to crawl around rapidly, seeking a way of escape.

As the fire advanced the helpless caterpillar raised its head as high as it could.  If the creature could have spoken, it would have said, “My help can come only from above!”

Then the old chief stooped down.  He extended his finger to the caterpillar which crawled up on his finger to safety.

“That,” said the chief, glowing, “was what the Lord Jesus did for me!  I was lost in sin.  My condition was hopeless!  I was trapped.  Then the Lord Jesus stooped down.  In love and mercy he drew me out of the horrible pit of sin and shame.  How can I help but love Him and talk about His wondrous love and care?”

— Author unknown

“According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”  (Titus 3:5)