Coffee With The Lord

I’ve been privileged to work with some incredibly gifted “assistants!” They are detail oriented people with organizational and planning skills that have left me in awe! They were able to plan events, arrange details, and manage happenings in such a way that everything just seemed to fall into place with “success” written all over it! I could name names… but I would miss some of them and I would be in deep trouble – and ashamed!

But just as I’ve been deeply impressed with the skills and gifts of these gifted assistants… They “don’t hold a candle” to God’s abilities in this area! Anyone who has ever read the account of Peter and the “household of Cornelius” in Acts 10 (and just reflected on it a bit) knows what I’m talking about! Talk about significant!! (Breakthrough actually… because of what happened to “gentiles,” who at that time were marginalized; but instead heard the gospel, were included in God’s redemptive plan, and received the Holy Spirit’s empowerment!)

Here’s just a sampling of God’s planning, arrangement of events, and management of details to achieve the desired goal…

Cornelius, a notable gentile centurion and devout “God-fearer,” suddenly encounters an angel in a vision… The angel calls Cornelius by name, assures him his prayer and devotion to the Lord and the needs of others have been noted by God. He then gives Cornelius an address and a name (“Simon Peter”) and directs him to bring him to his home.

Cornelius immediately responds… He sends two trusted servants and a loyal soldier on this challenging mission (about a 40 mile trip via horseback).

As they approach Joppa the next day, Peter had gone up on the housetop where he was staying for a season of prayer just before lunch at noon. As he is praying Peter falls into a trance… He sees something like a large sheet with all kind of animals, reptiles and birds in it. He hears a heavenly voice saying “Rise Peter, kill and eat!” He refuses saying, “No! As a devout Jew I’ve never eaten anything ceremonially common or unclean!” The voice speaks directly to Peter: “What God has made clean, do not call common!” This happens three times.

Peter is puzzled about the meaning of this experience. As he is pondering it, the men from Cornelius’ house are just arriving… The Holy Spirit speaks to Peter at that moment, “Behold, there are three men at the gate looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”

Peter goes down, meets the men, hears the explanation of their mission, and the next day obediently leaves with them (another trip of 40 miles) to Cornelius’s house.

When they arrive, Cornelius welcomes Peter along with relatives and close friends he has invited.

Peter explains his reservations about meeting with gentiles: He says, “You know how unlawful it is far a Jew to associate with or visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. So I ask, why did you send for me?” (vss. 28-29)

Cornelius responds, “We are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” (vs. 33)

Peter opens his mouth and begins to explain the gospel to them… The Holy Spirit interrupts Peter’s explanation, and the Holy Spirit is poured out and they “speak in tongues” and glorify God.

Cultural, racial, and religious barriers are demolished and the result is that gentiles are included, along with Jews, in God’s marvelous redemptive plan (check out Acts 15:7-11; Galatians 3:28-29; 1 Peter 2:9-10).

Praise the Lord! Believe me, God is the Master orchestrator, planner and arranger!

In manufacturing it is easy to completely focus on the product being produced and overlook, marginalize and discard the byproducts of the production!  Wise manufacturers, however, have discovered that there is great value in paying attention to the byproducts of a process… In fact, sometimes the value of byproducts have actually eclipsed that of a product!

There is something to be learned from this fact as it relates to the miraculous activity of God in Scripture… There are some who have so focused on the miraculous activity of God (i.e. “signs and wonders”) that they have overlooked what I will refer to as THE “BYPRODUCT” OF HIS MIRACULOUS ACTIVITY!  And if the truth were acknowledged, the “byproducts” of  God’s miraculous activity can actually be viewed as the purpose of the “signs and wonders!”

John’s gospel actually powerfully illustrates this truth… “signs” – a favorite word in John to describe the miraculous, actually points beyond itself to the person and redemptive purposes of God in Christ!

Today, during my time of “coffee with the Lord,” I observed another example of this truth. 

The passage was Acts 9:32-43…  Two miracles at the beginning of the Church’s ministry after Pentecost…

The healing of a paralyzed man by the name of Aeneas, bedridden for eight years.  Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, speaks to Aeneas and says, “Jesus Christ heals you!  Rise and make your bed!” And Aeneas is immediately and supernaturally healed! … Oh, and the powerfully important “BYPRODUCT” of that healing?  “All the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and they turned to the Lord!” (vs. 36)

Here’s another… In the city of Joppa there was a wonderful, godly disciple of Jesus by the name of Tabitha (or “Dorcas”).  What a wonderful Christian lady Tabitha was … “Full of good works and acts of charity!”  She fell ill, however, and died.  They prepared her for burial.  But the disciples in Joppa heard Apostle Peter was nearby and urged him to come quickly!  Before any funeral was held, Peter went to the room where she lay, knelt down by her body and prayed… then he spoke to her dead body… “Tabitha, arise!”  And she did – raised from the dead!  What a powerful exhibition of God’s resurrection power!”  Wow!  … But what about the incredibly important “BYPRODUCT” of the miracle?  “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord!” (vs. 42)

Don’t get me wrong… I believe in God’s power to heal – I believe God acts in miraculous power in Jesus’ name! … But I NEVER WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PURPOSES IN HIS MIRACULOUS ACTIVITY!  I never want to make “signs and wonders” – miracles, if you please, “an end in themselves!”  God’s purposes are always redemptive!

Some of my Facebook friends are aware of the fact that I AM A STRONG ADVOCATE OF “LIVING BY THE NUDGE” (i.e. living and walking by/in the Spirit… Galatians 5.16; Romans 8.1-14)

I DEFINE “THE NUDGE” AS … “The sweet, sensitive and significant impressions of the Holy Spirit within the Christian’s life that would guide him/her to act, speak, behave and serve in keeping with the redemptive purposes and will of God.”

This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I read a passage of Scripture from the book of Acts in the New Testament that certainly illustrates the importance of  “LIVING BY THE NUDGE”!!!  …Acts 8.26-40 in your Bible (the story of Philip and the Ethopian eunuch…

Philip, a Spirit-filled Christian, is on his way from Jerusalem to Gaza (a road through the desert), directed by the Lord.  An important official from Ethiopia is traveling down the same road in his chariot on his way back “home”…  He apparently is a “God-fearer” – a gentile who worships Jehovah (but is NOT a Christian).  He is reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.  The Bible says, “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it’ (“THE NUDGE”!).  Philip hears the man reading from Isaiah, asks him if he understands it, and then begins with that very passage and tells him about the good news about Jesus!” The Ethopian official puts his trust in Christ and a little later down the road is baptized as a believer!

Wow!!  I want to live with that degree of Spiritual sensitivity and awareness!!  I WANT TO “LIVE BY THE NUDGE” – DON’T YOU?!!