Coffee With The Lord

Spring is here… a wonderful, beautiful, invigorating time of the year! And Easter, it seems to me is the ideal “exclamation mark” on Spring!

But planting comes first… It’s colorless, it’s ugly, the seed looks dead, and even if it is a sprout or seedling there’s not a lot to cause rejoicing… and as Sharon, my wife, declared as she left the house to go to the “nursery” today where plants are sold, “it’s going to mean a lot of work!”

But you plant it – ugly, dead-looking seed, or bare seedling… in hope and with Spring expectation! And just wait…!!!

Thought of all of that this morning as I read these wonderful words from the Bible…

“So it is with the resurrection of the dead! What is sown is perishable; what is raise is imperishable! It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory! It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power! It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body… Just as we have borne the image of the person of dust, we shall bear the image of the man of heaven! … We shall be changed! For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality! When the perishable put on the imperishable, and the mortal put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying this written: “Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? … Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (From 1 Corinthians 15:42-57 ESV)

Spring is here! … Easter is on the way! I’ve seen some dear Christian friends “planted” in hope! The “Resurrection” is coming! “Up from the grave He [Jesus] arose! The One who declared, I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in me though he die, yet shall he live!” (John 11:25)

What’s your favorite city? Why did you select that one? … The food, the entertainment available, your experience with friendly, helpful people; or perhaps the fact that you lived there once? How about your least favorite city? Why did you select that one? (Let’s not go there, eh? J)

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I read about “Zion”… favorite city of the ancient people of God – the Jewish nation. For them (and in the Bible) an idealized city, representative of a future city – “the New Jerusalem” – eternal home of the righteous and God’s eternal abiding place! Psalm 48 talks about – a “song of Zion”!!

“Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the Great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress… As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever! Selah

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! … Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, (i.e. consider her beauty – her qualities) that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” (From Psalm 48 ESV)

All of this reminded me of an old southern gospel song: “Looking For a City!” – The Chuck Wagon Gang ….

“Here among the shadows living in a lonely land,

With strangers we’re a band of pilgrims on the move;

Through dangers, burdened down with sorrows

And we are shunned on every hand,

But we are looking for a city built above!

“Here in disappointment often we so sadly roam,

And earthly friends, no longer speak one word of love;;

But truly we have found contentment,

Jesus promised us a home!

So we are looking for a city built above!

“In this land of dangers we are going here and there,

We’re simply trusting in the blessed Savior’s love!

And mercy tho’ we may be strangers,

Living in this world of care,

We’re always looking for a city built above!

Refrain:

“Looking for a city where we’ll never die,

There the sainted millions never say goodbye!

There we’ll meet our Savior and our loved ones, too!

Come O Holy Spirit, all our hopes renew!”

The book of Revelation puts it this way…

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2–4 ESV)

Now here is an awe inspiring and sobering thought from my Bible reading today (in Texas)!…

“Now you [YA’ALL] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12.27)

And here’s a definition/description of the Church I crafted based on that concept several years ago that has been a blessing to many people…

We are His hands! We are His feet! We are His voice! We are to be His healing presence! And our task is to re-present/represent Him in our communities and around the world without distortion in the power of the Holy Spirit both personally and collectively.

Tall order isn’t it?!! (But we can do this through His enablement, empowerment and leadership!)

I mean, think about it… Paul called the CORINTHIAN CHURCH – “THE BODY OF CHRIST”!! If you know anything about “the Corinthian Church” that is “grace!” [and points up the possibilities for YOUR CHURCH as it is led and empowered by the Holy Spirit!]