Coffee With The Lord

Young emerging leaders are often discovered and formed in the most unexpected places!  They often do not possess the “advantages” of power, prestige and privilege that others enjoy.  Their incubation often takes place in poverty, small towns, the “wrong side of the tracks” and the farm.  Many great leaders got their education in one room schoolhouses, little colleges or possessed no formal education at all!

Wise seasoned leaders recognize this and are continually on the lookout for young emerging leaders with promise.  Identifying young people with leadership potential and gifting, for these seasoned leaders is a life quest.

For those with Christian values, God’s calling and gifting, are key components in identifying and developing young emerging leaders.  They view this critical issue as non-negotiable.

This morning my Bible reading included a case study in the identification of young emerging leaders… David in 1 Samuel 16…

Saul, the first king in Israel, had disqualified himself through pride and disobedience.  The Bible says, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel?  Fill your horn with oil and go.  I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’”

So Samuel obeyed and went to Bethlehem.  He arranged for a sacrifice and invited Jesse and his sons to attend.  Eliab, the eldest – the natural choice, appeared.  Samuel thought this was probably the one.  God spoke however and said, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature because I have rejected him.  For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart!” (verse 7)  …Abinadab appeared… then Shammah… then the seven other sons of Jesse passed by.  In each case God told Samuel, “The Lord has not chosen this one.”  Finally, Samuel asked, “Are all your sons here?” And Jesse admitted, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.”  So young David (a human afterthought) was brought.  When Samuel saw him, the Lord spoke… “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!”  The least likely in Jesse’s and Samuel’s view was chosen by God!  The Bible says, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers.  And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” (verse 13)

Over the years it has been my privilege and responsibility to identify, encourage and help the development of young emerging leaders.  I CAN TELL YOU, SOME OF THE VERY BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE HAVE COME FROM THE MOST UNEXPECTED BACKGROUNDS!  Several years ago I read Carl Sandburg’s ABRAHAM LINCOLN: The Prairie Years and the War Years.  From a purely natural perspective, who would have chosen Abraham Lincoln as one of the most effective presidents the United States has known?  LISTEN, I NEVER WANT TO FORGET THIS FACT; “THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES: MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART!”

An interesting (and significant) feature of Biblical interpretation to remember is the importance of examining the relationship of passages that are adjacent to one another.  Often that relationship is purposeful and clearly the Biblical writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a reason for placing the passages adjacent to one another.  Significant truths are often taught by this and significant insights gained.

There are many examples of this that could be cited.  Today in my Bible reading I encountered one, that in the past I have overlooked (probably because it bridges a chapter boundary) …

I think all of us are impressed by a person we’d call “THE REAL DEAL” – a person who expresses authenticity, consistency, character, and integrity.  They practice what they preach.  Their Christianity is genuine!  There is not a fiber of hypocrisy in their personhood!

So here’s what I read yesterday… “And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,  ‘BEWARE of [those] who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:45–47 ESV)

I wrote this in the margin of my Bible yesterday… “Beware of these kinds of people!  They are NOT ‘the real deal!’” (And it became the focus of my “Coffee with the Lord” post yesterday!)

Then in the very next passage (at the beginning of the next chapter – an unfortunate chapter boundary marker, I must say) I read these words today… “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” (Luke 21:1–4 ESV)

What a contrast!  What a powerful truth!  The ostentatious, the self-righteous, the proud, the attention seeking, the spiritual bigots are NOT ‘THE REAL DEAL’!  They are the hypocritical – and they will be the condemned!  On the other hand, the sincere, the simple believer, the humble, the generous, the consistently righteous (and often the unnoticed and overlooked), ARE ‘THE REAL DEAL!”

Don’t know about you… but I WANT TO BE “THE REAL DEAL!” 

Perhaps some dear, dear friends have just spent some time with you… You know the kind: You share values, experiences, and faith.  These are the kind of friends you laugh with, cry with, and can have deep, authentic, unvarnished conversation with.  They just left… you hated to see them go, and after they departed your heart ached (there was even a tear or two)!

I got up early this morning and had my usual time of “coffee with the Lord” during which I read the following passage. (It’s really a prayer and blessing!)  As I read it, I thought… What a marvelous passage to share with friends to express your heartfelt feelings! … What a way to bless them!

And then it entered my mind to share it with you today; my “coffee with the Lord” friends!  And so here it is… my blessing and prayer for YOU (from two different versions of the Bible… you can take your pick)! 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12… 

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve you have for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (the English Standard Version)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.  Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (the New Living Translation)

So, from me today… God’s richest blessings on you (and all that involves)! 

Why not write down the reference and when you get an opportunity share it with some of your dear friends?