Coffee With The Lord

New Years just around the corner… People celebrate leaving the past year with its challenges and difficulties behind and look forward to a NEW YEAR – new opportunities, new relationships, new successes! They party hard and they try to forget the past! High expectations are rampant!

But I must say I read a passage from the Bible this morning – the day before New Year’s Eve celebrations – that would leave the hopes of an earthly New Year like a crumpled-up piece of waste-paper thrown in the trash with disgust because of the heavenly declaration of hope and certainty! You want to talk about “NEW” – you want to be hopeful about the future – here it is! And the best part is, it’s guaranteed for ALL WHO EMBRACE GOD’S WAY FOR THEIR LIVES AND FUTURE AND LIVE TO HONOR HIM!!!

‘Then I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH HAD PASSED AWAY, and the sea no longer existed. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because THE PREVIOUS THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY! Then the One seated on the throne said, “LOOK! I AM MAKING EVERYTHING NEW!” He also said, “Write, because THESE WORDS ARE FAITHFUL AND TRUE!” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water as a gift to the thirsty from the spring of life. The overcomer will inherit these things, and I will be their God, and they will be My sons and daughters.” (From Revelation 21:1–7)

And that’s not all… Read the rest of the passage – from chapter 21:9 – 22:5 – if you want a good reason to celebrate the future for God’s people! … A “New Jerusalem” – capital city of Heaven, a new and glorious situation for all who abide there! New! New!! NEW!! ALL THINGS NEW AND GLORIOUS… FOREVER!!! You talk about a reason to celebrate with HOPE (Not “hope so” for God’s people – expectant certainty)! You should read it, reflect on it, and REJOICE!!! I did!

Wow!! Bet it’s been awhile since you heard (or read) the words to this old gospel song!! (Was reminded of it by my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” this morning… see the Scripture reading below the words of the song).

“Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold;

 I would make sure of Heaven, I would enter the fold.

 In the book of Thy kingdom, with its pages so fair,

 Tell me, Jesus, my Savior, is my name written there?

Refrain

 “Is my name written there,

 On the page white and fair?

 In the book of Thy kingdom,

 Is my name written there?

“Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea,

 But Thy blood, O my Savior, is sufficient for me;

 For Thy promise is written, in bright letters that glow,

 “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow.”

“Oh! that beautiful city, with its mansions of light,

 With its glorified beings, in pure garments of white;

 Where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair;

 Where the angels are watching, yes, my name’s written there.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE.  And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  AND IF ANYONE’S NAME WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  (From Revelation 20:11–15 ESV)

I want to be SURE “My name is written there!”  How about you?  Are you sure… Have you put your trust in Christ to “save” you and give you eternal life?  (Cp. Revelation 21:9-27 esp. vs. 27)

Perhaps I’m “jumping the gun” a bit (but that’s OK)… New  Year’s is just around the corner (four days to New Year’s Eve – five to New Year’s Day)!

My Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” today provoked within me a New Year’s wish and prayer for all my “Coffee with the Lord” friends on Facebook, my WordPress blog, and Twitter…

If I were going to identify ANYTHING I’d want to hear about them… And if I were to pray for them… What would it be as we approach the New Year?

Here  it is… taken from 3 John 2-4 – The wish Apostle John sent to his dear friend Gaius and his Christian friends…

“My dear, dear friends… I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul!  I rejoiced greatly to hear you are walking in the truth!  I have NO GREATER JOY than to hear that you are walking in the truth!” (adapted from 3 John 2-4)

Listen… I want you to prosper and be in good health – but more than ANYTHING ELSE, I want to know you’re doing well Spiritually and that you’re walking day-by-day “in the truth!” 

That’s Dr. Bartel’s passionate prayer and wish for all of you as we approach 2023!!!