Coffee With The Lord

This morning I read what the Bible refers to as “A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite” – I don’t know the guy personally, but I certainly agree with him. In fact, I want what he had to say to be true of me. I want the Lord to be the theme of my song, the underlying topic of all my conversations! Here’s how Ethan the Ezrahite opened Psalm 89…

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.’ … O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?” (Psalm 89:1-2, 8 ESV)

May it be so Lord – may it be so!

I realize the following passage is usually reserved for reading during the Christmas season, but I’d like to have you think about it in a new way today… I did, and it was really uplifting…

Who would you expect to be the audience – the recipient – of a message so grand and glorious?

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them… And the angel said to them, ‘fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that that will be for all the people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is well pleased!’” (From Luke 2:8-14 ESV)

Dignitaries? World leaders? Royalty? People of influence and power?

No!!! Bedouin shepherds!! Now you may never have seen a Bedouin shepherd… I have! They are a common lot – very common! They may not have bathed in a while – long greasy hair, clothes that have been on their body for a week or two, slept out in the Judean hillside, a tooth or two missing, not much money in their pocket. Educated? Perhaps… but maybe not. Influence? Not so much.

THAT is who the Living God sent an angelic messenger and a heavenly choral multitude to announce the birth of the Messiah – “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” – God’s Son!!

This morning as I reflected on that, this passage came to mind…

“For consider YOUR calling: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, SO THAT NO HUMAN BEING MIGHT BOAST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, ‘LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV)

As a Christian who embraces biblical values I am deeply concerned (and I am confident I am not alone)! Increasingly I see the broader culture becoming what Francis Schaffer called “post-Christian” (even antagonistic and intolerant of biblical moral values). I’m alarmed that your children and my grand-children will likely grow up and live in a cultural context that lauds and celebrates things the Bible calls sin and perversions. A culture of “disposable marriages” – “same sex marriage” – open homosexuality (and that just highlights a few very visible issues). Situational ethics and tolerance will become the cultural justification for all kinds of abhorrent behavior for Christians. Anyone who takes a stand against what “tolerance” and “diversity” trumpets will be labeled a “bigot” or “radical.” Scary eh?

How can our children or grandchildren remain morally pure? How can new Christians who have come out of lives of sin be discipled to overcome the temptations they face in the marketplace (and sometimes even in religious circles)? Those concerns were running through my head this morning as I read these wonderful words in Galatians…

“The Lord Jesus Christ… gave Himself for our sins to DELIVER US FROM THE PRESENT EVIL AGE, according to the will of our God and Father!” (Galatians 1:4 ESV)

Jesus is enough! God is up to the task! The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, followed by His resurrection from the dead, provides the adequate provision and grace to transform a life and give deliverance from the present evil age!” This brought to mind another wonderful assurance in the Bible… “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you BLAMELESS before the presence of His glory with great joy – to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, BEFORE ALL TIME, AND NOW, AND FOREVER! AMEN!! (Jude 24-25 ESV).

Praise the Lord! I’m relieved… but I’m also vigilant and interceding!