COFFEE THOUGHTS

COFFEE THOUGHTS Sip... Coffee time. I had an interesting morning yesterday. A conservative Mennonite from PA had a flat tire and needed help. Well, I’m a fixer man, and so I offered they could bring it to the shop and I’d see what I could do. In the process I noticed plain clothing and my mind went to my childhood. We were what many would have called “plain” people. We shunned the world and lived a very separated life. In my walk with God clothes is about the last thing on my mind. It seems like it’s a full time job for me to grow in faith, grow in Christ-likeness, grow in the fruits of the Spirit. To be honest, I have done very poorly at that. Maybe I don’t get it because I am not THAT spiritually mature. Yet even now as I write I have a hard time imagining that God is THAT much into clothes. The tire was fixed, I was thanked multiple times, and there was a wonderful spirit of joy present. The conversation we had; I knew they also knew the God I speak of. People have a lot of different Ideas of how God must be served, or what one must do to be saved. Later my mind went to Corinthians where Paul talked of the burning of wood hay and stubble in the lives of the believers. Notice this is written to people of faith. The wood, hay and stubble will burn, but they will be saved. I wonder, what is the wood hay and stubble in my life? What will burn? Only what’s rooted in Christ Jesus will endure. God knows! If you have an opportunity read 1 Cor 3. Good stuff it is. Gerald D Hochstetler Jr. #coffeethoughts on Facebook Used with Permission

 

SUSTAINED BY FEEDING

SUSTAINED BY FEEDING Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. John 6:57 The source of our spiritual Life is our union with the Son of God. And the source of Life for Jesus is his union with the Father. The Father is the source and sustainer for Jesus, and Jesus is our source of Life as well as the one who sustains us. These are spiritual truths which we will learn as we grow in our Christian life. Just as physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by spiritual nourishment, and that nourishment is Jesus Himself. This is symbolized in the Lord’s Supper, but we truly experience it when we meditate on our Lord, believe in Him with trusting faith, take time for prayer and read his words in the Bible. And then, day by day we find that we are being transformed by the power of His life within us!  We know what it means to feed on Jesus, even if we can’t fully explain it in words. The wisest thing we can do is to continue practicing this, so it is as much of a habit as sitting down for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We are invited to eat abundantly, and it will be to our eternal benefit when Jesus becomes just as essential as our daily bread and drink. Lord, I thank You that this, which is a necessity for my new life, is also my greatest joy. Even now, I feed on You. By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

WAY, TRUTH, LIFE

WAY, TRUTH, LIFE Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 The Way: Jesus is the bridge or path that connects humanity to God the Father. The Truth: Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God's character, reality, and Word. The Life: Jesus is the source of spiritual renewal and eternal life. The second part of the verse ("No one comes to the Father except through me") means that Christians believe Jesus is the sole path to salvation and communion with God. Some people complain that this is a very narrow view of God, but Jesus himself is the one who said it! So either Jesus is wrong: or it's completely true and we need to get our belief system in line with God's.

 

NEVER ASHAMED

NEVER ASHAMED Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32 What a gracious promise this is! It is a great joy for me to confess my Lord. Though I have many faults, I am not ashamed of Jesus, nor do I shrink from declaring the truth of His cross. O Lord, I have not hidden Your righteousness in my heart. How sweet is the hope set before me in this verse! Friends may abandon me, and enemies may mock me, but the Lord will never reject me. I am confident that the Lord will acknowledge me here on earth and give me new signs of His favor. And one day, I will stand before the great Father in heaven. How wonderful it will be to hear Jesus confess me then! He will say, “This one truly trusted Me and was willing to bear reproach for My name’s sake; I claim him as Mine.” The other day, a man was knighted and received a jeweled garter from the Queen, but how insignificant that honor is compared to the glory of being acknowledged by the Lord Jesus in the presence of Almighty God! May I never be ashamed to own my Lord. May I never be silent out of fear or give in to compromise. How could I ever fail to confess Him who promises to confess me? I know that you have little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my Name. See, I will make those who have lied about you, fall down before your feet: and they will know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9,10 By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

ARE YOU BLESSED?

ARE YOU BLESSED? Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, who has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Psalm 40:4 The world tells us that the blessed, or happy, person is the one who succeeds in business, grows wealthy, or rises to power. People chase after these worldly goals. On the other hand, there’s no competition for the path of sainthood, and few envy the heroes of faith. Yet, from heaven’s perspective, the highest positions are held by those who trust God wholeheartedly. If we study the Beatitudes, we learn who is truly blessed. When we trace the word “blessed” through the Bible, we find what it means to dwell within the circle of God’s favor. The one who trusts in the Lord is blessed because their feet are on solid ground, they have joy that can’t be shaken, and no disaster—financial, political, or personal—can disturb that trust which has proven (over and over again) that God is faithful! Isn’t it worth seeking this secure blessedness? No other trust is truly safe, not in this life; and what about the day of judgment that follows? Only those whose trust is in God are truly blessed. The question is, where is your trust? Are you among the blessed? By J.R. Miller