Coffee With The Lord

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift… to give to someone, and to receive! It is liberating! It brings a great sense of relief and peace!

The “Master Forgiver” – the one who sets the standard for forgiveness – is God, who provided for it through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ for our sins!

During my time of devotions this morning (I call it “coffee with the Lord”) I read the following wonderful words from the Bible that provoked this reflection…

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness! … Hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption! And he will redeem us from all our iniquities!” (adapted from Psalm 130 ESV)

Someone has said, “God’s problem is not how to judge and condemn us! His challenge is how to forgive us!” And He has done that by offering His own son as the sacrifice for our sins… Jesus paid the penalty for our sin!

The New Testament reinforces that truth! “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!”

Which brings me to my final thought today… Why not share the forgiveness you have received with someone else you feel has wronged you? Here is how the Bible puts it: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.2 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32 NLT) Try it! It’ll make you more “Godly!”

You may have lost a loved one recently and miss them terribly! They were devoted followers of Jesus and you wonder what happens to them in the future after they die. Or it may be that you are facing death – you trust in Jesus, but really would like an authoritative word about your future as a Christian. Well the Apostle Paul helps out on these issues! This is what he said (and notice how he said it!) I’ll let him speak on the issue…

“Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep [or died]. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words!” (1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 ESV)

Let me just point out a couple of things I think will be helpful…

1) Apostle Paul is sharing something that he has heard directly from the Lord!

2) A Christian’s resurrection and ascension is based squarely on the resurrection of Jesus! He paved the way and conquered death! Because He did it – those that are His (those that are “in Him”) will experience it… He is the “firstfruits” (cp. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)!”

3) Consequently, the coming of the Lord is a big deal for us… for those who have died “in Christ” and are still alive and following Him when He returns.

4) The bottom line – the outcome of all of this? We’ll be “home!” Forever with the Lord! How did the old gospel song express it? … “This world is not my home! I’m only passing through! …”

Someone of my “coffee with the Lord” friends needed to hear this word of assurance directly from the Lord today! I know it surely encouraged me this morning! Our future is certain “in Christ!”

I believe passionately that “church” should be a place of fellowship, of worship, of the proclamation of God’s word, of discipleship and of ministry to one another… But I also believe with all of my heart that our gatherings should also be a place of prayer!  What do I base that on?  The very words of Jesus about the ancient “temple.”

Here’s what Jesus said after he drove the money changers out of the temple… “My house shall be a house of prayer!” (Luke 19:46)

Now in a very real sense, today we do not have a literal temple like the one that existed in Jesus’ day.  In fact, today, followers of Jesus, when they gather together are His temple!  The apostle, Paul, taught gentile Christians, “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the entire structure, being joined together, grows into A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD!  In Him, then, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit!” (Ephesians 3:19-22)

So when we gather together… there are many things that are important and necessary (and some that are not!)  But one non-negotiable for me, based upon the very words of Jesus, is that our gathering should be characterized by prayer! …. He said it, “my house shall be house of prayer!”