Coffee With The Lord

You’ve got to get this picture… The king has returned from conquest!  He has been the mighty victor – the enemy has been defeated!  The streets are filled with cheering people as he rides into the city.  The aroma of the spoil of the victory fills the air … some of sweet and pungent spices from far-away places – other odors, not so pleasant, the smell of death.

That is the scene behind 2 Corinthians 2.14-16 – one of the passages I read this morning during “coffee with the Lord”

“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession.  Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.  Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.  To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?”  (New Living Translation)

We lived in enemy territory under the dominion of a tyrant king.  But Jesus, our Savior, engaged the battle to deliver us, and He won!  We – those He has redeemed and rescued – are the spoil of his conquest.  Our lives produce a fragrance in His victory parade.  To those who accept His victory and sovereign rule our lives and testimony bring hope … we produce the fragrant odor of life!  To those who resist His reign in their lives, however, there is the ominous odor of death.

I want the liberating victory of Jesus to be evident in my life!  I want the fragrant odor of His conquest in my life’s battles to bring hope to those around me!  And I’ll pray fervently for those who are rejecting the Gospel – the “Good News” of His victory over sin and Satan… I certainly prefer the odor of life to that of death!!!

Integrity is a big deal!  People who are true to their word and keep their promises, even under duress are not plentiful – but they are valuable!  They can be trusted!  Tony Dungy, great NFL coach and committed Christian emphasizes its importance (see pic).

The Psalmist, David, posed this question and made this strong affirmation:  “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle [enjoying the potent, profound presence of God]?  Who may dwell in Your holy hill?  He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart… Who swears to his own hurt and does not change! … He who does these things shall never be moved!” (From Psalm 15)

In my Bible reading this morning, Apostle Paul had given some assurances to the Christians in Corinth about his intention of visiting them.  He was concerned that when he gave an assurance of what he intended to do that he fulfill it, and not be viewed as one who vacillated. He wanted to be true to his word!  Most of all he wanted His word to be like that of God and His Savior, Jesus Christ… True!  Dependable!  Not qualified or vacillating – “yes and no at the same time!”  Inspired by the Holy Spirit Paul declared, “All the promises of God find their ‘Yes’ in Christ! – In Him they were always ‘Yes!” (From 2 Corinthians 1:.15-20)  God keeps His word!

Listen, I want my integrity to mirror His integrity, don’t you?!

A picture worthy of reflection… How did it “change the world?” In what ways? For whom? For how long? In what ways has it changed “your world?”