Coffee With The Lord

This morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord” I was so impressed by the godly leadership skills of Hezekiah in the Bible…

When facing the crisis of a siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, king of Assyria, he consulted with his officials and military staff, strategized, and did what he could to deal with the situation (2 Chronicles 32.1-5)… That’s always good practice!!  Do what can be done!

Then Hezekiah encouraged the people he led to trust God! The Bible says, “He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words:  ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.” (2 Chronicles 32:6–8 NIV)  What a wise and godly leader!

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, scoffed at Hezekiah, taunted him, and demeaned the Living God … The Bible says, “He spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world – the work of human hands.” (2 Chronicles 32.9-19)

Hezekiah went one step further … He did what every godly leader ought to do in a crisis… HE PRAYED and got others to join him in prayer!  “King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this.  And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.  So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side.“  (2 Chronicles 32:20–23 NIV)

So, four key leadership lessons from Hezekiah when you’re facing an incredible crisis…

1. Do what can be done – collaborate with good godly people, strategize, and take constructive action.
2. Encourage those you lead not to listen to those who ridicule the Living God, but instead urge them to join you in trusting the Lord.
3. PRAY FERVENTLY (and solicit the prayer support of other praying people)
4. Then trust God to act in powerful ways (…and He will!)

I was there at the beginning when he experienced “new birth” … My friend had a powerful, life-transforming experience with the Lord!  At the outset, his walk with the Lord was characterized by passionate love, devoted service and tenacious faith that simply trusted the Lord with fearless abandon.  The Christian life for my friend was one grand, exciting adventure.

Then it seemed spiritual boredom and weariness began to set it.  The adventure of serving the Lord turned into mere duty.  Love was less ardent.  Discipleship became tiresome routine – spiritual disciplines minus passion.  If the truth were told, it appeared following Jesus had become just a little boring…

I thought of my friend this morning as I read this analysis of some believers in a first century church in Ephesus (from Revelation 2:1-5) …

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil… I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.  But I have this against you – you have abandoned the love you had at first” (one version simply calls it “first love”!) …

I have to admit it – a time or two I have felt I had the telltale symptoms of that spiritual disease!  It scares me to death!  What can you do if passionless Christianity and mere dutiful discipleship sets in?  What’s the remedy for lackluster love for the Lord?

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN – THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – PRESCRIBED THREE THINGS FOR BELIEVERS IN EPHESUS…

REMEMBER … how far you have fallen.  Remember what it was like when serving the Lord was more than going through the motions and instead was driven by Spiritual passion and ardent love.

REPENT … turn around, acknowledge your Spiritual malaise to your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, your Savior.  Change your mind and heart about serving the Lord.  Refuse to settle for loveless Christianity!

RETRACE YOUR STEPS … find out where you got off track, where you “lost it”, when-where-and-why you began to operate on Spiritual autopilot.  Do a course correction!  In the words of Scripture… “do the works you did at first!”

Don’t be like the guy that knows he’s on the wrong road but keeps on driving, refusing to ask directions, unwilling to acknowledge that things just aren’t right.  Serving Jesus is too wonderful – too fulfilling – too filled with miraculous, life-transforming living to simply morph into day-in-day-out, mundane, boring ritual.  He said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly!” (John 10:10)  Don’t settle for anything less!

Push back!!  You don’t have to take it sitting down!!  Or as my brother, Wes, says it… “Com’on, don’t be a spiritual woose!!!”

Here’s how Peter urged believers under attack by “the enemy – the adversary – the devil” to respond… (1 Peter 5.8-11)

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  RESIST HIM, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Several things came to mind this morning as I read that passage during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

1. The attacks of the enemy are real… and he’s sneaky and devious!!!  Alertness to his devices is called for!  Don’t take your spiritual adversary lightly – his goal is your failure and eternal destruction.
2. Push back!  Arm yourself with the Truth – what you know to be true from God’s word and your personal experience of God through Christ… be “firm in ‘the faith!’”
3. Be aware that you’re not the only one experiencing spiritual attacks… it’s the common experience of believers “throughout the world” (and I might add, it has been the common experience of believers throughout the ages)!  Others have faced (and are experiencing) the enemy’s attacks and have overcome!  You can too!!
4. And finally… “The God of ALL grace – the One who has promised to provide everything you need to overcome – will “make your strong, firm and steadfast” (and even if you falter and fail a time or two, He will “restore you”)!

So… Hang in there!  Don’t let “the adversary” intimidate you… he may bluster – he may roar!  God is greater!  Through His grace you can (and will) overcome!!