Coffee With The Lord

From eternity past into eternity future… “The Jesus story! A manger and beyond!” That’s going to be the theme of my reflections in “Coffee with the Lord” this entire week – from Christmas through New Year’s Eve.

This Christmas morning I’m reflecting on “His miraculous birth!”

John 1:1-14 clearly teaches that Jesus – the One referred to in the passage as “the Word” – existed in eternity past with “the Father!” In other words, Bethlehem – the manger, was NOT His beginning! It was simply His manifestation to the world! God manifesting Himself in flesh – deity assuming humanity! And why? So that we could see what God was really like! So that, in a few years, He could offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sin and conquer death on our behalf!

Oh, and what a miraculous thing His birth in Bethlehem turned out to be! First of all, the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies… all the way from the place and the person who would bear the fetus … to what He would do and the ultimate role He would fulfill in history! I mean conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a chaste virgin… (miraculous!). The grand announcement of His birth by an angelic host to humble shepherds on a Judean hillside… (miraculous!). The supernatural sign in the sky (the “star”) and the gathering of wise sages (kings) from countries afar to bring Him gifts… (miraculous!). His divine protection from Herod’s plot provoked by insane jealous fear… (miraculous!).

So here I am this Christmas morning worshipping the One our Heavenly Father sent to earth to redeem us… Reflecting on the wonderful and miraculous nature of His birth – The One who existed before time, was active at creation, and Who came to us in human history in Bethlehem… born in a manger! Wow! “Oh come let us adore Him… Christ the Lord!”

We’ve been receiving a host of Christmas cards and letters at our house! We love to hear the news from dear family and friends. In my Bible reading this morning during “coffee with the Lord” I read the following verses from the short epistle (letter) 2 John. I can only imagine the joy it brought and expressed…

‘II rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father! And now I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment… love one another! And this is love that we walk according to His commandments.” (2 John 4-6)

What joy it brings to hear that our friends and family are “walking according to the truth!” How satisfying and fulfilling to hear that they “love one another!”

Gotta say, I affirm and echo the words of Apostle John… It makes me “rejoice greatly” to hear that news from family and friends!  Just reporting… We’re “walking in the truth” and determined to “love one another” down here! Have a blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year!

We have a lot to learn from how the Bible describes the people of God who live just before God’s final and righteous judgment that surely will come upon a wicked, rebellious and unrepentant world…

Here is how the Bible describes it in the book of Revelation…

“I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished! And I saw…those who had conquered the beast (i.e. the “Antichrist”) and its image…

And what do these people who have “conquered the beast and its image do just before God pours out His righteous wrath at the end of time upon an unrepentant, Christ rejecting, Christian persecuting world? They worship!! That’s right! – they worship!! They don’t gloat! They’re not preoccupied with the pain, persecution and suffering they’ve experienced… They’re focused on Him – The Lord! Here’s how Revelation puts it…

“And they sing the song of Moses…and the song of the Lamb saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God, the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear [reverence], O Lord, and glorify your name? For You alone are holy! All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed!” (from Revelation 15:1-4)

As we approach the end of this year and view with dismay a world spiraling out of control because of it’s sin and rejection of Christ. As we see the sad consequences of sin and the evil influence of Satan in so many places in our nation and around the world. As injustice seems rampant, innocent people suffer, and Christians bear the brunt of the hatred of those who reject Christ… Rather than become preoccupied with the problems and the persecutors – and become eaten up by bitterness and anger – may we learn from our brothers and sisters at the very end of time and do what they do… May we look upward and worship Him!!

Help me Lord! Help me to make their song, my song, as we approach the end of time and the close of another year!