Coffee With The Lord

This morning, my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” included a well-known and often applied verse – Philippians 4:8 – as a secret to “victorious Christian living”…

“FINALLY… WHATEVER is true, WHATEVER is honorable, WHATEVER is just, WHATEVER is pure, WHATEVER is lovely, WHATEVER is commendable, IF THERE IS ANY excellence, IF THERE IS ANYTHING worthy of praise, think about these things!”

Interesting… This verse has a reputation for forbidding and dictating what a Christian should NOT do or participate in in order to enjoy Spiritual victory and fruitfulness! Yet the words that I have highlighted are not words of prohibition, but permission – even recommendation! … “WHATEVER” (6 times) and the phrase “IF THERE IS ANY/ANYTHING” (twice). Doesn’t sound like prohibition to me – instead the verse seems to be promoting healthy, wholesome “CHRISTIAN LIBERTY!”

May I be one voice, along with Apostle Paul, to encourage you to find, think about, and participate in what is good, pure, uplifting and wholesome, in our culture. Now I acknowledge that prioritizing and choosing those things, excludes other things… But why not celebrate your authentic freedom in Christ, rather than approaching the Christian life from a negative perspective. Maximize and model what is wholesome, profitable, and good! Thanks for the permission and encouragement Apostle Paul!

“SHALOM!”… It’s is a Hebrew greeting meaning peace. It is used to confer peace, security, well-being, or welfare of an individual or a group of individuals.

There are so many things in life that would rob us of what “SHALOM” represents … even for Christians!

In my Bible reading this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I read this well-known encouragement and exhortation to followers of Jesus…

I believe it expresses the keys to “SHALOM” FOR CHRISTIANS in all kinds of circumstances and situations that would rob us of “God-given peace!” For Apostle Paul those situations included injustice, prison, and the needs of fellow Christians in the churches… Here it is – read it, reflect on it, and respond!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your reasonableness [a difficult word to translate, but one that emphasizes the character and demeanor that ought to character of Christians] be known to everyone! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING (“SHALOM”), will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus! (From Philippians 4:4–7)

“SHALOM” to you today from Philippians 4:4-7!!!

There may be some that think I’ve “gone off the deep end” … that I’m just a little weird… but I can truthfully say I LOVE THE BIBLE!! I don’t just like the Bible or appreciate the Bible… I LOVE THE BIBLE!

I’ve been reading Psalm 119 as part of my Bible reading here in Western Montana on vacation and I think I’ve fallen in love with it all over again… In Psalm 119 it is like the Psalmist holds a beautiful, multi-faceted precious diamond – God’s word – up under the light of inspection and slowly turns it so that every incredible facet, every color, every surface is allowed to display its beauty, power and clarity. I’ve been savoring it…relishing it…delighting in it every day. In the next days of my reading I’ll share some of the verses that especially impacted me (sometimes with a comment or two).

Today was no exception… From Psalm 119:49-56 – GOD’S WORD and It’s impact upon ME, MY RESPONSE!

“Remember YOUR WORD to your servant, in which YOU HAVE MADE ME HOPE. This is my comfort in my affliction, that YOUR PROMISE gives me LIFE… When I think of YOUR RULES from of old, I take COMFORT, O Lord… YOUR STATUTES have been MY SONGS in the house of my sojourning… THIS BLESSING HAS FALLEN TO ME, that I have kept YOUR PRECEPTS.”

I urge you to do what I’m doing as I READ through Psalm 119 … REFLECT on each verse and let it lead you to a life-transforming RESPONSE!