Coffee With The Lord

No fear! Not ashamed! Bold – not intimidated! These need to be more than just bumper sticker slogans!

That’s the kind of people God wants and the Holy Spirit produces in a culture that is increasingly anti-Christian and a world where followers of Christ who openly live out and share their faith are persecuted!

I know you’ve seen them… wounded people, cowering souls, who almost seem ashamed of themselves – afraid of almost everything, reluctant to look up, fearful of speaking up and terrified of getting involved in any cause…

God’s presence and transforming influence in a life doesn’t produce that kind of person! His grace is at work within lives, where He is invited, to produce wholeness, health, integrity, love, joy, peace, and hope!

I just read it this morning… “The Spirit God gives us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner [Apostle Paul speaking to Timothy]. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God… This is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day!” (From 2 Timothy 1.7-12 NIV)

In another place Apostle Paul put it this way… “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes!” (Romans 1.16)

Arrogance is sin! But a confident, bold Christian, with a healthy self-concept in Christ is a good thing! We need to be Spirit-filled, grace transformed, oozing love, walking in faith, living out the mandate of Christ to take the gospel to all people – all nations! Lord work within me by your Spirit to become that kind of Christian!

Here’s a “Sip” that will challenge and build your faith!

“A man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. He said, ‘Sir come down before my child dies!’  Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.  As he was going, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering!  So he asked them the hour when he began to get better… they told him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’  The father knew that was the hour when Jesus told him, ‘Your son will live.’  And he himself believed, and all his household.” (From John 4:46-54)

There are people we look at and wonder if they would ever be open to the things of God – wealthy people, powerful people, important people, or famous people. Others that we may put in that category are those who may be evil and opposed to the things of God (they may even be a bit frightening). It may, however, simply be a loved one, a family member, a neighbor or an employer. At any rate, we more or less, write them off as beyond being influenced for Christ… Let me tell you, Daniel 4 blows that line of thinking (you owe it to yourself to read the whole chapter)!!!

Daniel 4 is really an “open letter” from Nebuchadnezzar himself, king of Babylon, the most powerful man in the ancient world and about an experience he had with the Living God. Here it is in his own words…

“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth… It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endures from generation to generation… At the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him ‘What have you done?’ Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways are just; and those who walk in pride He is able to humble!”

Wow! Builds your faith doesn’t it! Believe me, God ways to reach people like that! In this case He used Daniel to help facilitate it (check it out – Daniel 4) … Hey, He may just use you or me to help reach someone like that with the gospel as well!