Coffee With The Lord

A wonderful word of assurance today to someone who has been the “prodigal!” Rebellion has been the hard road you have traveled, it ended in a lonely pigpen, lost hope and gnawing hunger deep within! But you came to the end of yourself – you came to your senses, you found the road home, and in humility threw yourself at your Heavenly Father’s feet! (Read Luke 15:11-32 in your Bible for the whole story!)

Often during “coffee with the Lord” I sense that He has given me a wordfor someone… Today in my Bible reading it was a word for a prodigal who has returned to the Lord…

I read a business news article yesterday that indicated “impulse buyers” are hurting the profitability of Amazon.com. The article indicated there are a lot of people who buy items without forethought and then either cancel or return the items. Increasingly this has had a negative impact on Amazon’s profit margin.

I thought about that article as I read the challenge Jesus gave to some individuals to “follow Him” today in my Bible reading. One challenge was given to the “impulse follower” – to that individual His words seemed to communicate“ a forceful message of “count the cost” before you sign up for the journey. But there was another potential follower Jesus addressed. To that person he issued a compelling, urgent message of the highest priority… “Follow me,” Jesus said… “No excuses!”

Here it is right out of the Bible: “Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!” And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’”

So here’s the deal…

Are you an “impulse buyer” when it comes to discipleship? The world is littered with them. They hear a powerful and compelling sermon and quickly “sign up for the journey” without “counting the cost.” Perhaps you’re one of them – you’ve “gone forward” ten or fifteen time in different crusades or churches but have not followed through. Over time it is possible to become impervious to the Holy Spirit’s conviction! Listen, it’s time for you to realize the “cost” of discipleship and make a quality decision!

But you may be the second person… You’ve been deeply moved and challenged but there has always been hesitancy and excuses. Listen, you needed to realize following Jesus is a “life and death matter” with eternal implications! Jesus’ call has priority over everything else… It is urgent and compelling… Hear Him say it you again today: “Follow Me!”

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read a passage and just sensed the Lord saying to me, “This is my special word today for someone who has been going through a trial!”  Now I don’t believe this is a general word to everyone – but it is a special word from the Lord to someone!  You will know deep in your heart whether or not it is God specific, special word to you!

It has been a tough year for you!  It just seems like everything has gone wrong!  Satanic attack!  One difficulty after another!  You’ve been tempted to give up and throw in the towel!  The storms you’ve faced have been vicious and unrelenting!  The enemy has attacked without mercy!

Here is God’s word this morning to you – a prophetic word if you please, specifically to your heart… “The storm is past!  The battle is over!  The enemy has been defeated!”  And the passage I read that prompted that word to you?  Isaiah 25!  A word of encouragement to God’s people after the attacks and onslaught of their enemies… but also God’s word to YOU!  (You should read the entire passage today… I am just posting the highlights from it for you…)

“O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure! … You have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat… He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken!  It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!’” (from Isaiah 25 ESV)