Coffee With The Lord

As I read my Bible every day I discover that it gets right to the bottom of most issues in our lives… Like the passage today…

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:1–3 NIV)

Encouraging words – comforting words – reassuring words for those going through deep trials… I read them this morning embedded in Stephen’s sermon in the book of Acts. They reminded me of the truth upon which they are based in Exodus. I believe they will be a blessing to one of my Facebook friends that is a part of the “Coffee with the Lord” group today… Someone out there needs this reminder.., GOD CARES!!!

The Lord spoke to Moses and said to him… “I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come to set them free.” (Acts 7.34 NIV)

And from Exodus… “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant … He looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” (Exodus 2.23-25 NIV)

“The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them… and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (Exodus 3.7-8 NIV)

As I read those words today I was reminded of the reassuring truth in 1 Peter 5.6-7… “Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your care upon Him because HE CARES FOR YOU!”

Don’t know who needed to be reminded of this truth today, but here it is… You may feel forgotten, even abandoned… you wonder if God is even aware of what you’re going through… He is! He’s aware! He’s concerned! HE CARES! He will act to sustain you, help you and rescue you! He did for His people Israel… He will for you!

As I reflected on Acts 4.32-35 this morning during “coffee with the Lord” it prompted a prayer in my heart… “Oh Lord, help Your Church to return to its pristine and primitive roots! May it’s original practice and dynamic be restored through the dynamic, life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit! May the community of faith depend less on government programs and more on grace-filled generosity! May the truth that we “love one another” and others be so distinctive that it opens doors for the gospel and hearts to its truth so that multitudes are attracted to you! Through the power of the Holy Spirit may we overcome timidity and fear so that regardless of the cultural climate we “testify powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” May we live in such a way that “God’s great blessing is upon us all”!!

You ask, “Now what prompted all of that!? These words from Scripture…

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” (From Acts 4:32-25 ESV)