Coffee With The Lord

1 Corinthians 3:10-17… Part of my Bible reading today (You really should read it yourself)…

The Lord is building His Church! (NOT a building though!)

The Lord is building His church – the “temple” where He manifests His powerful presence! He does it with redeemed people – they are the “living stones” He builds it with! (cp. Ephesians 2:19-22)

The firm, strong foundation for the Church, however, is Jesus Christ!

We participate in the building process – He uses us! We need to give Him our best and build with things that endure!

Our part – what we have done in “building” – will be tested! Is it enduring – can it stand the test?

Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit gives a final warning: “Do you not know that you (it’s plural – “You all!”) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells among you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy them! For God’s temple is holy, and YOU are that temple!”

Are you ever bothered by the fact that arrogant, self-reliant, God-ignoring and rejecting wicked people seem to “get-by-with-it” – “thumb their nose” at God, persist in their wickedness and abuse others?

It bothers you too, eh?

Well there’s a Psalm for that – Psalm 10! I read it during my time of “coffee with the Lord” this morning… helped a lot! In fact, I found myself turning the words of much of it into a prayer!

Here is what I underlined from it in my Bible today…

“Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

“In the pride of their face the wicked do not seek God – all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God!’ … He says in his heart, ‘God has forgotten, He has hidden His face, He will never see it!’

“Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted!

“Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, ‘You will not call me to account?’

“But you do see! To You the helpless commits himself!

“Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account! O Lord you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed! (From Psalm 10)

Don’t know about you, but I agree with the Psalmist! I made His prayer mine today!

This post in “coffee with the Lord” is for those involved in Christian service. You’ll know what I am talking about…

Sometimes in service for our Lord, you will have had a very busy day of “ministry” … Things have happened that have produced emotional, physical and spiritual drain. You are “bone tired”! You just feel like you need to get away for awhile … no people, no pressure, no one with needs … solitude! An opportunity to refresh and replenish would be good… You need some space, OK?!!

And then there is a knock at the door… or the phone rings… or someone interrupts you in the hall…

I read these words this morning in the Bible about our Lord… John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin had just been beheaded… “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said… ‘send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away, You give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14.13-21)

My observation over many years of serving Jesus? Sometimes the biggest miracles happen when we serve others even when we’re “bone tired!” In this instance Jesus fed over 5,000 besides women and children (10,000 – 15,000 people at least!) on 5 loves and 2 fish with basketfuls left over! I’m not advocating foolishness – or saying you should never withdraw for rest (believe me, I’m not saying that)!! But I am saying sometimes the biggest miracles happen when we just go ahead and serve others even when we’re “bone tired”! I can tell you the stories!!