Coffee With The Lord

JESUS CARES!!! DON’T DOUBT IT – DEPEND ON IT!!!

He understands and shares our sorrow – our sense of loss – and brings us comfort and hope!

Lazarus, a dear friend, loved deeply by Jesus, lived in Bethany. He became very ill and died. Jesus was not there at the time (in fact, he delayed His coming, even though Mary and Martha, his sisters sent Jesus word). They did not understand (but Jesus had a wonderful plan – the “resurrection” of Lazarus!).

When Jesus did arrive, Lazarus had already been dead four days. Both Martha and Mary did not understand… DID JESUS CARE? Martha told Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died!” Mary echoed her complaint! It’s clear both ladies, understandably were struggling to understand…

DID JESUS CARE? In my Bible reading today as I soaked up the pathos of this story in John 11 (you really ought to read it for yourself!) It became abundantly clear to me JESUS DID CARE – HE CARED DEEPLY! Here it is from the Bible…

Jesus went to the tomb. “When he was Mary weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled… JESUS WEPT!… Then Jesus, deeply moved again came to the tomb.” (From vss. 33-38)

Jesus had the stone before the tomb removed… And in keeping with His word of assurance to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live!” Jesus prayed and then cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out! And the man who had died came out!”

You see, not only does Jesus care… He conquered death on our behalf! He is the resurrection and the life!

As I read this story and identified with Martha and Mary an old gospel song came to mind sung by Guy Penrod and the late, great Beverly Shea. You owe it to yourself to listen to it (I’ve provided the YouTube link)!!!

A life-giving “Sip” today!

Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die! Do you believe this?’” (From John 11:25-26)

Here’s an interesting idea – straight from Apostle Paul’s little epistle to his friend Philemon…

How about doing the right thing – the difficult and challenging thing, the thing you really don’t find natural to do – not because of a sermon on it, or because someone pressures you to do it or “bribes” to get you to do it; but because you’re motivated by love to do it and you know it pleases the Lord!

Philemon, a rich Christian landowner, had a runaway slave, Onesimus. The law at the time would have sanctioned severe consequences if Onesimus were found. When he escaped, he went to Rome, somehow, he met Paul, heard the gospel, responded in faith, and served Paul in prison. Paul felt an obligation to return him to his master and sends a letter appealing to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus…

Listen to Paul’s appeal… “Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you… I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment… I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart… I preferred that your goodness might not be by compulsion, but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant, but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother in the Lord.” (From Philemon 8-16)

Wow! All of us at some time or other in following the Lord in business, education, politics, in ministry – or just in relationships – will face a challenge that is somehow similar. What will we do? How will we respond? Will we do the right thing because of pressure or threat – or will we do it out of love, our commitment to Christ, and simply because it is the right thing to do?

Oh, Lord help me to always do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do as a Christian!