Coffee With The Lord

Can you think of places where the Lord has revealed Himself to you in a special way – times when God’s presence has seemed so real to you? … I can! The list includes my time of salvation very early in life as a small boy in a little church in Ronan, Montana. Then the time when I was genuinely “baptized in the Holy Spirit” (same church – a powerful, empowering time, in the Lord’s presence!) I can recall the time when I received my call to ministry at a children’s summer camp. I remember a powerful and profound time of recommitment as a teenager. And then there was a communion service in which it seemed like waves of God’s love swept over me again and again, inundating me. Words like “precious!” and “profound!” come to mind to describe those experiences. They were defining places and events in my life. They are vivid in my memory even today! Some of them happened in a church service or building … others did not.

Psalm 84 is a song celebrating the Temple – Where God revealed Himself, and the Lord’s presence was sensed there. The Psalmist even pictures a small bird seeking to find a place to build a nest – a home in the temple to enjoy God’s presence! I’ve given you a taste of the Psalm below… Allow its words to catalyze memories of the Lord’s revelation and presence in your life in the past and awaken a desire for fresh encounters with Him wherever and whenever He chooses to reveal Himself to you in a special way… I did today (and it was wonderful!)…

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the Living God.

“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise! Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion…

“A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in You!”

(From Psalm 84 English Standard Version)

Those who help churches with their “public image” and help them keep the people who attend as “guests,” emphasize the importance of “putting their best foot forward” and creating “a positive impression” from the moment they arrive in the parking lot until they enter the doors of the auditorium on Sunday morning… Usually 15, maybe 20 minutes. The studies show that most people make their decision whether or to attend again based upon whether their experience was positive in that window of time. Interesting eh? But what if the decision is made later… as a result of the quality of the worship, a time of greetings at the beginning of the service, or the abilities of the pastor in preaching the sermon… Are those the most important benchmarks and measurements in selecting a church for you or your family?

I’m going to suggest, perhaps not… It’s possible to arrange a smooth operation in the parking lot, encourage greeters to present a friendly, welcoming face and greeting, have signage that is helpful, and bathrooms that smell…well “smell good,” and still not be a “healthy church!” It’s possible to hire the finest musicians, have a worship set that is contemporary and well done, and have coached congregation members about how to reach out to guests in a greeting time, and have a sermon strategy that includes media or drama, delivered by a polished, prepared preacher and still lack the qualities of a vibrant, vigorous, healthy, fruitful church expressing itself beyond the Sunday morning services… In fact, I would suggest that choosing a church for yourself or you family may not be best based on simply a Sunday morning worship experience.

Why do I say that? In part because of what the Living Christ said to the church in Sardis, through Apostle John, in Revelation 3:1-2: “I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead! Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of God.” Or what about what he said to the church in Laodecia? “You say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing! But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!” (Revelation 3:17) And how about the Church in Corinth who in their public gatherings, were not “lacking in any Spiritual gift,” but a church that Apostle Paul later acknowledged, “I could not address you as Spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ… for there is jealousy and strife among you – you are still of the flesh and behaving only in a human way.” (1 Corinthians 1:4-7 cp. 3:1-4)

So here’s a little advice from an old “pastor”… Don’t make your
choice of a church based simply upon what happens in the parking lot, or the next 10-15 minutes as you enter the church building… Don’t make it simply based upon the quality of the “worship experience” in the auditorium either… Take a little time (perhaps several Sundays), poke around a bit, ask a few people in the congregation and in the community about the church… pray about your choice… ask the kids and youth in your family about their experiences… Do they take discipleship seriously for everybody? Is the Bible the central text for preaching and teaching ministry? And to the best of your ability, prayerfully determine how closely the church measures up to description of the “Early Church” given in Acts 2:42-47 (you really need to read it! … It was not perfect… but it was “healthy!”) I think that’s probably a better approach to choosing a church for you and your family!

Hey… just a few suggestions from “an ol’ pastor!”

How to deal with unpleasant things the Lord allows to come our way?  Some of those things are downright painful!  Others seem unfair!  Others we try to chalk up to no more than the kind of circumstances that seem to happen to just about everyone who lives on planet earth and breathes air!  (But God is supposed to be in charge of everything… Right?!)

Admit it… its not easy to deal with the unpleasant things that God allows to come our way! … I think back and to my regret, when it’s happened to me, I’ve been guilty of complaining, questioning, and sometimes just a generally bad attitude!  And if the painful, distasteful circumstances were to be viewed as “a test” of my “godliness” and “grace” I’m not sure I got a very good grade!  How well have you done?

Apostle Paul had faced plenty of negative stuff in his service for Jesus… I read a catalog of what he faced just yesterday during “coffee with the Lord” and thought to myself, “Wow, that seems more than what one person should be expected to handle!”  (Read it for yourself in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-30)

But Paul, as a devoted servant of the Lord, had experienced some powerful and wonderful things as well… “visions and revelations of the Lord… he had been caught into the third heaven… and heard things to wonderful to be told!” (2 Corinthians 12:1-4)

But back to the negative… In his own words, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,” he said “a ‘thorn’ was given me in the flesh – a messenger of Satan to harass me to keep me from becoming conceited.”  He went on to admit, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me!” (12:7-8)

So did the Lord remove it (whatever it was)?

Here, in Paul’s own words, is what God said to him:  “But the Lord said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness!’” (12:9a)

So how did Paul deal with it – how did he respond?  He said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me!  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities… For when I am weak, then I am strong!” (12:9b-10)

Oh, Apostle Paul, may your response in unpleasant situations and circumstances instruct me!  May I hear and learn from you… That God’s grace (God’s enablement and provision) is sufficient!  That the godliness of my character is more important to God than my comfort!  That in unpleasant and painful situations, God’s power can rest upon me and enable me!  That In my weakness His strength can actually blossom!  Oh Lord, may these things be true in my life when You allow unpleasant circumstances to come my way!H