Coffee With The Lord

I don’t want to be simplistic… I know there are suffering, oppressed people in unspeakable bondage to others. I also know there are individuals who are trying desperately to gain freedom from societal, emotional, even expectational prisons. And it’s not an easy thing to overcome sexual addiction or chemical dependency…

But Jesus said something that is unspeakably wonderful… something absolutely incredible and hope generating… if you believe it!

He said… “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free! … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” (from John 8:31-39)

Last night I learned quite a spiritual lesson that made the passage I read this morning all the more meaningful (didn’t realize it at the time – but it made a lot of sense this morning)…

It was time to go to bed, so I turned off the light in the living room of our house and headed for the bedroom in the dark. (Sharon, my wife, had already gone to bed, and turned off the light in the rest of the house.) So here I am going through a totally dark house, fumbling around, hands out in front of me trying to protect myself from running in to something, doing my best to remember where things were the last time I walked through the house! I kicked a few things, stumbled a bit, just about ran into the kitchen table and a granite counter top… Got the picture?

Then I read these words this morning during “Coffee with the Lord”…

“Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

That’s quite an assertion… quite a promise! But, I’d have to say I’ve found it true! Knowing Jesus has kept me from fumbling around in a morally and spiritually dark world! I see people all the time trying to make it on their own – feeling around in front of them trying to figure out what is right and wrong – trying to avoid making big mistakes with their life. Hoping they won’t run into something and hurt themselves and their reputation. Hoping that by the time this life ends for them they’ll get it right and everything will turn out alright.

Just gotta say, following Jesus has changed all of that for me… He’s given my life purpose and meaning. He has been a reliable guide! He has brought “light” for me in a dark world… He has become “the light of life”! And I am convinced… absolutely convinced, that He can be that for every living person! For heaven’s sake, don’t stumble around in the dark! Let Him be the “light of life” for you today! Follow Jesus! That’s what I’m going to do!

One of my wonderful faculty members, Garland Owensby, reminded me this morning of the accurate interpretation of Philippians 4:13, given the context of the passage… “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  Check it out and look at the pics…