Coffee With The Lord

One of the toughest emotions to handle is loneliness! Most of your life you’ve been surrounded by people, activity, interaction with others, the fellowship of friends, family, colleagues … and then nothing! Alone! It can happen because of the loss of a spouse, a move to a new community, retirement, a misunderstanding or a disagreement. Regardless of the reason, it’s painful! People who have experienced it will tell you it’s almost like a living death!

I guess there are willing hermits (it’s hard for me to imagine) – but I’d argue we were made for fellowship – we’re not created to be alone! If you’re experiencing loneliness, you’d probably like to see it fixed – fixed in a satisfying and fulfilling way!

Apostle Paul experienced the pain of being alone – even abandoned! In his second letter to Timothy he reported, “Demas has deserted me, since he loved the present age, and he went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatian and Titus to Dalmatia… At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me.” You can almost feel the emotional pain he was experiencing! But Paul also testified, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear.” (from 2 Timothy 4:9-17)

Loneliness does not need to destroy us! It can have a constructive outcome! The fact is, the Lord NEVER abandons us – as His children we always enjoy His fellowship! “He has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you!'” (Hebrews 13:5) Which reminds me of the words of the refrain to an old gospel song…

“No, never alone!
No, never alone!
He promised never to leave me,
Never to leave me alone.”

Have you (or someone you care about) recently decided to follow Jesus?  Here’s wonderful advice for brand new believers from Jesus Himself, the premiere disciple maker…

“Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, ‘If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples!   And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free… I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin…  If the son sets you free, you will be really free!’” (from John 8:31-36 the NET Bible)

Here’s a few important principles from what Jesus said in this passage for those who would be His followers…

1. Ongoing obedience to what Jesus taught is big! Listening to His voice every day and building His principles into your life by obedience will really make you His disciple!  (Listening alone – knowing what He taught by itself is not enough… Obedience anchors the truth if your life!)
2. What Jesus taught, when it is known through both hearing the truth and obeying it, will free you from old destructive patterns of behavior! The Holy Spirit will be there to set you free when you read/hear His word and then obey!
3. Don’t fool yourself, you’re not free yet if you continue to yield to old destructive, sinful patterns of behavior. He said, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin!”  But remember…
4. Overcoming is a process! If you fail or fall, pick yourself up, acknowledge your sin, ask God to forgive you, claim His enabling grace and move on in obedience!  “Consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus!” (Romans 6:11)  The death Jesus died on the cross was your death to sin!  His resurrection insured your experience of resurrection power.  “If we say we do not sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess (i.e. acknowledge) our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!” (1 John 1:8-9)

Hey, you’re a follower of Jesus now!  “If He sets you free, you will be really free!”

My wife and I attend a wonderful church – Trinity Church, Cedar Hill, TX. (and I’m sure you feel the same way about the church where you attend and participate!).

One of the highlights of each Sunday at our church is “Prayer Ministry Time.” Small group leaders, pastoral staff members and their spouses and others who have been asked to serve, come to the front during worship and are available to pray with anyone who desires about any need they may have. Sometimes it is preceded with a prophetic word urging someone to trust God for a particular need. It is a powerful time in every service! … People are healed! Miracles happen! Needs are met! Prayers are answered!

Today, during our prayertime, I had a powerful visual image that flashed into my mind (you might even call it a “vision”)! … It was Prayer Ministry Time at our church and I saw a door before the congregation… Emblazoned on the door was a single word (much like you’d see on an office door): It said “Opportunity.” I saw some people entering the door of “Opportunity” and on the other side was God’s powerful glorious presence, His promises and His provision. For those who entered the door there was an atmosphere of joy and victory – even incredible peace! Others however, were hanging back and were reluctant to enter the doorway of opportunity for fear, or because they had been prayed for before, or simply not wanting to bother anyone with their need. I found myself wanting to cry out… “Go forward! Allow someone to share you need in prayer and faith! You may experience a miracle! Here is your opportunity!”

I know this is not a typical “coffee with the Lord” post! But I want to encourage some of you that may be holding back during prayertime at your church – or you may just have been reluctant to ask someone to join you in prayer for a particular need that you are concerned about… There is power in that kind of prayer! Prayers of agreement work! God honors them! Here’s a couple of Scriptures to encourage you…

Jesus speaking: “I say to you if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven! For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20) Now I am aware that the context of that passage has to do with a congregation doing one of the most difficult things it has to do – church discipline. If, however God promises to honor agreement when discipline is necessary, He certainly will honor agreement in prayer for the needs of his children!

The other passage is found in the epistle of James and establishes a Biblical pattern for those who have needs in a church body… It says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray! Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise! Is anyone among you sick? Let that person call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:13-15)