Coffee With The Lord

Jesus said, “But I say to you who hear, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you… If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same… But love your enemies and do good… and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (I read this during “coffee with the Lord” this morning in Luke 6:27-36)

Believe me, I know it’s difficult!  It doesn’t come naturally!  It is counter-intuitive!  But it is the very thing that makes Christ-followers distinctive and gives their life and witness impact in our world!

O Lord, help me live this way!  Help me move beyond what comes naturally and display your very character!  I want to make a difference in my world!  Help me! … Give me the grace I need to reveal Your character and values in my world!  Heavenly Father, I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen!

Don’t know if you’ve ever found yourself on the wrong side of an issue. You may have gotten “all worked up” over the issue, grabbed a picket sign and marched, written a letter to the editor, called the opinion line at a radio station, even stood up at a public meeting and “sounded off” … and then discovered you were on the wrong side of the issue. It can be embarrassing! How do I know? Guess!

As a Christian I want to be on the right side of important issues… God’s side! The Bible’s side! The side of righteousness! And I want to be on the right side of those issues in the right way… a Christ-like way (I NEVER want to embarrass the Lord or misrepresent Him!) I thought about that as I read these words in Psalm 97 this morning during “coffee with the Lord”…

“O you who love the Lord, hate evil!”

I don’t want to just throw around an adage, but I really believe my challenge is to “Love the sinner… Love the Lord… and hate evil!” In fact, I paused this morning and asked the Lord to help me keep those things in proper balance!

I think it helps to have some of the remainder of the Psalm in focus so I’ve provided some of what it says below…

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice! … The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory! … You, O Lord, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. O YOU WHO LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL! He preserves the lives of His saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous and give thanks to his holy name!” (from Psalm 97 ESV)

Read a Psalm this morning during “coffee with the Lord” and jotted in the margin of my Bible… I’m gonna do it!!  (Pay attention to the imperative verbs – I’ve put ‘em all in caps)

“Oh SING TO THE LORD a new song; SING TO THE LORD, all the earth!  SING TO THE LORD, BLESS HIS NAME; TELL OF HIS SALVATION from day to day.  DECLARE HIS GLORY among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.  ASCRIBE TO THE LORD, O families of the peoples, ASCRIBE TO THE LORD glory and strength!  ASCRIBE TO THE LORD the glory due his name; BRING AN OFFERING, and come into his courts!  WORSHIP THE LORD in the splendor of holiness… SAY AMONG THE NATIONS, “The Lord reigns!” (from Psalm 96 ESV)

Yes, today… to the best of my ability I’m gonna do it!