Coffee With The Lord

I’m really grateful this morning for the significant spiritual leaders I’ve had in my life – those who have made a profound impact on my walk with the Lord.  They came to my community, pastored a church that I attended, or somehow crossed my pathway and were a tool that God used to bring me to Christ, contribute to my spiritual growth, were a channel God used to meet a need in my life, or helped me through some phase or situation where I needed help.  Some had a position or title – others did not, but their contribution was profound!  I could give you names but the list would be pretty long and I am confident I’d forget or neglect naming some…

Here’s Apostle Paul’s list:  “Tychicus…is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord!  I have sent him to you…that he may encourage your hearts… Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother… Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner… Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, is always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God… Luke, the beloved physician… Nympha, who had a church in her house.” (from Colossians 4:7-18)

Oh, the God-ordained diversity!  Did you pick up on some of the key descriptors – the characteristics of these spiritual leaders?  …“faithful minister, fellow servant, encourager, fellow prisoner, prayer warrior – brother (or sister)”?  All of them God’s agents for encouragement, spiritual growth, strengthening and stability.

I’m grateful for each one God has sent my way and their contribution to my life!  Aren’t you?!  In fact, right now I’m pausing during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” and offering thanks for them by name to my Heavenly Father.  …And, believe me, I’ll be looking for opportunities to tell them personally what a blessing they’ve been to my life!

STRONG ASSURANCE… GREAT PROMISES… INCREDIBLE ENCOURAGEMENT… (AND NO NEED FOR COMMENT!)  Back-to-back passages, yet!  SOMEONE NEEDED TO HEAR WHAT THESE PASSAGES HAVE TO SAY TODAY!!!

From Psalm 124…

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side… if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! ⁷ We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

From Psalm 125…

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.  For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.  Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!”

If you’re following the “Necessary Food Bible Reading Plan” that I developed several years ago, one of the passages that you read today is one of the most difficult and disturbing in all of Scripture – Judges 19! It tells the revolting story of a culture without a moral compass. It seems like almost every ethical principle and moral norm imaginable is violated in the account! (I could describe it and tell the story but it is too graphic and disgusting for this venue. Read it for yourself and keep in mind this is a historical account, not fiction – it actually happened!). I’m convinced that this account is included in the Bible for the very purpose of producing a revulsion – a moral nausea – in the hearts of spiritually sensitive people. It’s there to drive us to our knees in prayer and out into our culture with the message of the gospel and the “salt and light” of “Kingdom” values!

The story begins to end with this incredible… no, more than that, this absolutely irrational scene:  “And the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.  And they said, ‘O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel!?”

Why has this happened?! How absolutely stupid and silly! The last verse of these chapters gives the answer… “In those days there was no king in Israel. EVERYONE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.” THIS CHAPTER RECORDS WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN A CULTURE THAT ABANDONS THE MORAL NORMS OF SCRIPTURE! It’s where we’re headed as a culture as we more and more reject the moral guidance of Scripture and embrace “situational ethics” – what “seems right in their own eyes”. The inconceivable today becomes actual tomorrow. I’m Concerned… and praying… Praying fervently!! “Oh Lord, send a moral and Spiritual revival to America… to our world!!!