Coffee With The Lord

As a young boy on the farm, I remember my father giving me instructions about chores he wanted me to do, while he went into town on an errand.  There was always a healthy sense of responsibility and expectation with those instructions.  Believe me, when I say he expected obedience and task fulfillment while he was gone!

All of that came to mind as I read the instructions – the assignment – that Jesus gave his disciples shortly before He left them to return to heaven…

Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go (literally, “as you are going” or “in your going”) and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (From Matthew 28.16-20 NIV)

Just a couple of observations… 

The authority of our Lord and Savior is complete and cosmic!  We really ought to take His command seriously!  We will be held accountable!  As His disciples we really need to be about the business of disciple-making (and not a lot of other stuff)!

Secondly, although He went back to His Heavenly Father in heaven, He did not leave us to flounder alone in the task!  Look at the next statement in the passage… “And SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the very end of the age.”  He sent His promised Holy Spirit to assist us as we obediently seek to fulfill what He instructed us to do!  (cp. John 14.15-18; 16.5-7; Luke 24.46-49; and Acts 1.8)  All I can say to that is PRAISE THE LORD!!

Had a charismatic, Christian friend… He really liked what was showy and dramatic in Christianity.  He loved seeing the manifestations of the Spirit like tongues, interpretations, prophetic utterances, signs and wonders… It was evident that he thought those who displayed those things a lot were very “spiritual” people (in fact he said so)… He was very much into those things himself (and you could tell by listening to him and watching him that he wanted others to think that he was very “spiritual.”)  However…

When he was in a restaurant he could be very demanding of the waitress or waiter and embarrass you.  Had a bit of a short fuse if you crossed Him up.  His opinions were always the right ones and he seemed to delight in “showing you up” in front of others.  When decisions had to be made it “was his way or the highway” (I’ve seen him stalk out of a business meeting when he disagreed with something… didn’t slam the door, but came close).  A bit intolerant of others weaknesses and bigoted.  Kinda liked to get even if someone did him wrong… When he was really “ticked off” he could “cuss” like an ol’ sailor… Did I say he thought of himself as a “spiritual person”?

Thought of him this morning as I read this passage in the Bible…

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

“Love never ends!  As for prophecies – they will pass away; as for tongues – they will cease; as for knowledge – it will pass away… So now faith, hope, and love abide – these three – but the great of these is love!” (from 1 Corinthians 13 ESV)

Yup, when I read that this morning I thought of my friend who wanted to be thought of as “spiritual” … Then I thought about me…

Well praise the Lord!!! Completed my annual “Birthday Prayer Run” in celebration of my 74th birthday in 6 days (one mile for each year of age). (Birthday is actually next week but had to schedule it a week early.) Ran the entire 74 miles – 74.29 miles actually (no walking allowed Had the wonderful opportunity of praying for the requests that friends send me. Been doing this each year since age 65 (for some reason each year it seems a little longer ! “Fitness with a purpose!”

See Sharon’s, video of me finishing the 74 miles this morning… https://www.facebook.com/sharon.b.bartel/videos/10224481356172546/