Coffee With The Lord

With the growing popularity of YouTube videos “Do It Yourself” has become a big deal! People are trying all sorts of difficult tasks they thought they could never do before.

HOWEVER, there are some things you just can’t do for yourself (or things that aren’t advisable for you to try). These are things for which you need a qualified person … someone who is appropriately certified, someone who knows what they’re doing. For example, “do it yourself heart surgery” …NOT RECOMMENDED! And it is usually not recommended that you serve as your own attorney in difficult court cases.

When it comes to you or I standing before God as guilty sinners we need a Divinely qualified priest and advocate! Jesus is that priest and advocate according to the writer of Hebrews in your Bible! You cannot deal with your own sin! You can’t forgive yourself at the Heavenly tribunal! You can’t take the divine pen and write “ACQUITTED” (the Bible word is “justified”) over the official record of your transgressions and sin! Jesus can!! He’s qualified as our “Great High Priest” and “Advocate” (the Bible word is “Intercessor”).

“He is able to save COMPLETELY those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered Himself! For the Law appointed as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath (God’s oath), which came after the Law, appointed the Son (Jesus), who has been made perfect forever! (Hebrews 7:25–28 NIV)

I read those words in my Bible this morning and had a bit of a personal praise and thanksgiving spell!! I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT JESUS IS DIVINELY QUALIFIED TO DEAL WITH MY PAST – PRESENT – AND FUTURE FAILURES AND SIN!!

I read a wonderful, encouraging Old Testament story today during my time of “Coffee with the Lord!”

The king of Aram had been at war with Israel. Time and again he had attempted to attack God’s people. Elisha, the prophet, had supernaturally informed Israel’s king ahead of time about these planned attacks in specific terms and consequently they had been able to avoid them. The report of this had come to the king of Aram. As a result he decided to lay siege to the city where Elisha lived and capture him! Elisha’s servant got up one morning and there they were … a whole army with horses and chariots surrounding the city!

He panicked with fear and cried out, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?!”

“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” And then Elisha prayed for his servant, “Open his eyes Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6.8-17 NIV)

Some of you – my “Coffee with the Lord” friends – are facing frightening challenges today! It seems like “the enemy” has surrounded you and is laying siege to you! You don’t know what to do or where to turn for help. The temptation is to panic!

My prayer today? “Oh Lord, open their eyes! Help them to see what is unseen to their physical eyes! Help them to see that ‘Greater is He that is in them, than he that is in the world!’ (1 John 4.4) and ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?! … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!’” (From Romans 8:31-39)

Yes, that’s my prayer… “LORD, OPEN THEIR EYES!” And when I’m about to panic about a situation in my life, may I hear the sweet whisper of my “Divine Intercessor”… “OPEN HIS EYES!”

A little longer “coffee with the Lord” post today but worth the read, believe me!!!

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO KIND AND GENEROUS PEOPLE! Here’s practical spiritual advice… Go ahead and do what is right and good and let the Lord surprise you with His unexpected, incredible blessing!!

Those were the thoughts that entered my mind this morning as I read the full story of the Shunammite woman and Elisha the prophet… (You’ve got to read the story in your Bible… it’s amazing! (2 Kings 4.8-37 and 8.1-6)

This wonderful lady opened her home to the prophet. She periodically prepared and provided a wonderful meal for him whenever He and his servant would stop by her home. She even, in a wonderful expression of generosity and kindness, appealed to her husband to prepare a “prophet’s chamber” for them (a hotel-like room to stay and refresh themselves in for a few days whenever they were in the area).

Her generosity and kindness did not go unnoticed! One day Elisha had his servant approach her and ask this question, “You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you?” He offered to do several things on her behalf but she deferred from asking for anything in return (which is just the way this kind of person usually acts).

The prophet’s servant reminded the prophet that she had not been able to have a child. The prophet prophesied she would have a son in about a year. And to her and her husband’s delight it came to pass!

But one day, out in the fields, the son suddenly fell sick and died. She was devastated and sent and called for the prophet. In bitter grief she told the prophet what had happened. Elisha hurried to their home, went up into the room where the dead child was and miraculously, the child was raised from the dead!

Story not over… Elisha warned the family of a coming famine and urged them to go away for a while so they would be able to survive. They went away to the land of the Philistines for seven years. Afterward they returned to Israel and made an appointment to appeal to the king to get their land back. Just as they arrived, Gehazi, the servant of the prophet happened to be meeting with the king and at his request just happened to be reporting some of the wonderful things God had done through the ministry of the prophet. Just as he was telling the king about the very occurrence of raising the Shunammite’s son back to life, who should appear for her appointment with the king but the Shunammite!! Gehazi exclaimed, “This is the woman, my king, and this is her son Elisha brought back to life!” The king’s response? He said, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now!”

Wow!! God causes good things to happen to kind and generous people! Reminds me of a well-known and quoted Biblical principle: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) One more verse of Scripture I read just this morning as a part of my Bible reading from Hebrews 6:10: “God is not unjust to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do!”

LESSON ONE MORE TIME… Good things – wonderful things – happen to kind and generous people! GO AHEAD AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD AND LET THE LORD SURPRISE YOU WITH HIS BLESSING!!