Coffee With The Lord

I’ve been around long enough that I’m a bit wary of my “good intentions.”   I can recall times I’ve been to an exciting and inspiring church service where I’ve been challenged to “make a commitment” and I’ve done it!! – made all kinds of “promises to God – only to discover delivering on those promises is more difficult than making them.  Shamefully, I admit to having some of the same spiritual challenges as Simon Peter who I read about this morning in the Bible during my time of “Coffee with the Lord!” 

After the moving experience of the Lord ’s Supper, Jesus predicted, “You will all fall away!”  This really bothered Peter and he fervently declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not!”  Jesus responded (knowing Peter “inside-out”), “Truly, I tell you, today – yes tonight – before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”  The Bible says at that point Peter insisted emphatically, “EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE WITH YOU, I WILL NEVER DISOWN YOU!” 

But in Gethsemane, when Jesus needed prayer support the most, Peter failed Him…  Jesus had admitted, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow – to the point of death!  Stay here and keep watch” (in other words “stay awake and alert – support me in prayer!”)  What did Peter and the others do?  They slept.  The Bible says, “Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,” He said to Peter, ‘are you asleep?  Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation!  THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK!’”

Peter failed!  And later, under pressure, Peter did precisely what Jesus had predicted! …  He died that he even knew the Lord (not once, but three times)! (vss. 66-72)

Tragically, the pathway of discipleship is all too often littered with the stuff of “good intentions!” … mine included!!  I need several things, it seems to me, as I reflect on Peter and my own failures this morning…

• I need to be more careful and thoughtful before I “pop off with my mouth” saying I’ll do something.
• I need the inner strengthening and support that prayer brings – I need to pray more. 
• I need the Lord’s forgiveness for all the times I’ve made promises and haven’t kept them!
• And finally, 4) I need the continual empowering of the Holy Spirit to help me (Peter certainly did… Thank God for Pentecost!!)

(Quotations from Mark 14 NIV)   

“ABUSE OF AUTHORITY” – It’s a big problem among leaders today!

I think we’ve all seen (or suffered from) individuals that let a little authority and power go to their head. They “throw around their weight” – they’re demanding, dictatorial , abusive and threatened by anyone who has another opinion. Tragically there are some of these kinds of leaders in Christian service! There is nothing “Christ-like” about the way they seek to lead others! As spiritual shepherds go, they “drive sheep” – they don’t “lead” them.

But there’s also the opposite extreme… The leader who avoids confrontation at all costs – the person who finds a place to hide when there is an issue to be dealt with – the “shepherd” who really wishes someone in the “flock” would just take over. I know a few of these… If you looked up the term “laissez faire” as a leadership term in the dictionary, their picture would be there. They are directionless, convictionless, valueless, and spineless. Those who seek to follow them have no idea where they are headed, what the vision is, or what values they stand for. They abuse by neglect.

I read a passage in the Bible today, penned by apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit that speaks clearly to “abuse of authority” (in fact, it’s actually found twice in 2 Corinthians – an epistle where Paul’s authority was being seriously challenged). I think these verses provide an understanding of leadership and the use of authority that served as a guiding principle for apostle Paul (and I want it to always guide me)… Here it what Paul had to say…

“If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do! So even if I boast somewhat freely about THE AUTHORITY THE LORD GAVE US FOR BUILDING YOU UP RATHER THAN TEARING YOU DOWN, I will not be ashamed of it.” (2 Corinthians 10:7-8 NIV)

“This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the AUTHORITY THE LORD GAVE ME FOR BUILDING YOU UP, NOT FOR TEARING YOU DOWN.” (2 Corinthians 13.10 NIV)

So how to avoid the two extremes I’ve presented… How to keep the “authority automobile” on the road and not in either ditch… I’ve come up with a little phrase personally that has helped me in my use of authority as a leader (and has helped a lot of other leaders as well)… here it is… God wants me to be “STEEL UNDER VELVET.” I need to use authority to build others up, not tear them down… “CONVICTION WRAPPED IN KINDNESS” Think I need to go out and find some more “velvet!”

Things are not always as big, powerful and effective as they seem to be at first glance! I’ve seen huge, ugly, ferocious and terrifying monsters in a parade… and they were just polyester skins filled with hot air… one little poke in the wrong place and they’re a shriveled-up pile of nothing! On the other hand, I’ve seen rather plain, simple, tiny objects (that contain a tiny battery and a minuscule chip) – no bigger than a dime that had the power to move huge, heavy objects and do incredible, detailed tasks.

All of that entered my mind when I though about two distinctly different spiritual realities… and it was all a part of my Bible reading this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

The first is a deception – the arrogant, loud boast of empty power – a lie! Designed to intimidate a believer, fill them with fear, and immobilize them!

The second, is a rather plain, simple follower of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who knows who they are in Christ, who encounters the power of the archenemy of God and His people – Satan. Those believers may also encounter the intimidating, proud voices, resistance and cruel strategies of a Christ rejecting world.

So who is stronger? Which of the two can overcome?

Here is what Apostle Paul declared…

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh! The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have DIVINE POWER to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and we take every though captive to obey Christ!” (From 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)

Again… things are NOT always what they appear to be! Those who follow the Savior, Jesus, are merely human, but God’s power is at work in and through their lives! OUR POWER TO OVERCOME THE ENEMY DEPENDS ON HIM! MAY WE NEVER FORGET IT!