Coffee With The Lord

CLOSE COLLEAGUES IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE (“ministry”) are dear to us! We’ve dreamed together, labored together, prayed together, struggled together, been frustrated together, rejoiced together, experienced victories together…

Believe me, I’ve got some – precious colleagues in ministry! Names and faces are flooding my mind as I write this!

My Bible reading this morning included verses from the little “personal” epistle of Philemon… Here’s part of the message that Apostle Paul sent to Philemon…

“To Philemon my beloved fellow worker… I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints! And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you!” (From Philemon 1-7 ESV)

Here are a few of the things Paul highlighted about His friend, Philemon… Memories, thanksgiving, prayer, his qualities (love, faith, joy) shared blessings, and the personal refreshment received from the relationship and service together.

A dear friend and colleague especially comes to mind – Dr. John W. Wyckoff! Many years of faithful Christian service together at SAGU (Now Nelson University)… Now a long and arduous hospitalization with leukemia and related issues. Dear, dear friend with all the qualities Paul mentioned about Philemon – and the feelings I share! Prayer bathed in warm love pours out of my heart “without ceasing” for John… Love you, John!

You got someone like that?

Solomon had it right!  “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm!”  (Proverbs 13:20 ESV)

The people we choose to “hang out with” – our close companions – really matter!  They influence us greatly!  We need to choose them wisely!

WOW! What God is able to do in the lives of the unfaithful and apostate – the backslider who has abandoned faith, godly living, and God’s love!

I read about it this morning in Hosea’s prophecy during my time of “coffee with the Lord” … And “WOW” IS ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY!

In the inspired words of Hosea, God’s chosen people, Israel is described as a “prostitute” – No, worse than that… they are like a “spiritual slut!” (they gave themselves to sin, idolatry and evil without asking anything in return!) In fact, they actually sensually solicited sin and those who promoted it! The Lord’s command for Hosea to marry a prostitute (“Gomer,” have children by her, experience her unfaithfulness… and then receive her back in love illustrates God’s message.

God speaks through his prophet in Hosea 2:19-23 and says, “I will betroth you to Me forever! I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, and in steadfast love and in mercy! I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness! AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE LORD! … I will have mercy on “No Mercy,” and I will say to “Not My People,” ‘ You are My people!’ ; and He shall say, ‘You are my God!”

Now the “Prodigal Story” in the New Testament (Luke 15:11-32) is a wonderful story of God’s love, mercy and grace! But I’d have to say this account in Hosea rivals – or even surpasses it!

If your personal story is similar to Hosea’s description – or if you have a family member or friend who has turned their back on God and plunged deeply into sin – THERE IS HOPE! Jesus declared it, “Whoever comes to me I will NOT cast out!” (John 6:37) And 1 John 1:9 assures us, if we confess [acknowledge] our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!” … One more time – WOW!!!