Coffee With The Lord

I believe that one of these days the Lord will return just as the angels said to the apostles as He ascended into heaven… “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven!” (Acts 1:11) In Scripture that is called “the Blessed Hope!” (“Our blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!” Titus 2:13)

I was impressed this morning as I read Apostle John’s description of the event in Revelation 1:7… The immediacy of it! It’s described in the Greek language as though He were actually seeing it happen before his very eyes… (I’ll try to capture it with the way I translate it)… “Look! (Behold!) He is coming with the clouds! (cp. Acts 1:9-10) Every eye will see Him – even those who pierced (crucified) Him! And all the people of the earth will wail because of His coming! (cp. Daniel 7:13-14 and Zechariah 12:10) This WILL come to pass! Amen!” (my translation)

That’s why I believe Apostle John said, “Blessed is the one who reads the word of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it, and who keep (take to heart and act upon) what is written in it… The time is near!”

I want to live my daily life with a keen sense of that immediacy! I want to be ready when He returns in the clouds! “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Ever take a picture and accidentally focus on the wrong thing? … Perhaps a leaf, or a stick… something that was in the range of sight, but not the main thing – the thing that really was the intended object of focus. When that happens, the main object is still in the range of sight, but it is slightly out of focus and the photograph isn’t as satisfying or effective as it should have been.

I think that sometimes happens when we read Malachi 3:6-15. We tend to make the passage focus on tithing… but it doesn’t – it focuses on something else (tithing is just the case study – the example – of the real issue, the real problem…

Now, let me quickly say that I believe in tithing – in fact, I practice it! I do NOT, however, practice tithing as “law” – I practice it worshipfully. It is a way I honor God and His claims upon my life! I believe the biblical principle (both Old and New Testament teaching) is that “the sacred portion” (in this case 10%) sanctifies the whole (the 90%). Therefore I offer the 10% to God worshipfully as a witness and declaration of His sovereignty in every aspect of my life… over everything I am, own, possess and gain.

Having said that, let me return to the issue… The main thing – the issue in Malachi 3:6-15 was NOT tithing! It was the fact that God’s people Israel had strayed from the Lord in their heart and lives! Their forefathers had gone astray – and in Malachi’s time they also had gone astray! They were guilty of saying, “It doesn’t pay to serve the Lord!” (And they were acting like it as well!) Their failure to tithe was simply the SYMPTOM of the real problem!

Here’s how the prophet Malachi expressed it…

“I the Lord do not change! Therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts! But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions… Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (or room for it)! I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God.’”

The problem? They had strayed far from God. A symptom of the problem? They no longer honored God with the tithe! They said it didn’t pay to serve God! They had slipped into pattern of life in which they only lived for themselves! God was saying… “Return to Me!

The challenge of this passage? I want to put God first in my life! If I’ll obey His word, do His will and honor Him in everything just see what He will do… consider what will happen… “I will open the windows of heaven or you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (or room to contain it)!” Gotta tell you… I want to focus on the main thing… serving God with all my heart!

The Bible doesn’t encourage irresponsible behavior! God doesn’t honor sloth and laziness. There is usually something we’re expected to do – an action God has designed for us to take in order for us to experience His help, deliverance and victory.

I thought of that this morning as I read King Hezekiah’s frightening experience with Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The Bible says, “Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, he planned with his officers and his mighty men…” You then read the account of the wise, strategic actions he took on behalf of the nation… He did his part… he did what he could… he did what a good leader could be expected to do!

Then Hezekiah acknowledged what he could not do – what only God could do! Here is what the Bible records…

First he encouraged his commanders and the people… “He spoke encouragingly to them saying, ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us a the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.”

That, however, did not stop Sennacherib, king of Assyria from trying to intimidate Hezekiah and blaspheming Jehovah God.

Hezekiah’s response? He prayed and trusted God! “Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet… prayed because of this and cried to heaven! And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with same of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons truck him down there with the sword. So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side!” (from 2 Chronicles 32:1-23 ESV)

I want to be that kind of Christian… I want to be that kind of leader! When I face challenges may I take the appropriate, God-honoring action I should. But then may I pray fervently and trust the living, mighty God to act!