Sunday October 28th, 2012



6

Questions and Answers

Do you have the coffee to begin the process, (do you belong to Christ)?

John 3:3-8

 ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

 ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

 ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born gain.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:3-8

 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Are you starting everyday with a fresh cup of coffee, (is Christ first)?

Is your coffee still in its pretty packaging, (are you saved, but sitting on the sidelines)?

How close would someone have to get to smell the aroma of your coffee, (intimately, just hearing your name or maybe somewhere in-between)?

Have you turned on your coffee maker, (are you seeking God’s will and purpose for your life)?

Are you sharing your coffee with others, (this one is a dozy.  Outside yourself, is there anyone that would say you are living up to your potential on what Christ has for your life)? 

        Before answering this question, hear me out.  We are not all called to be ministers or leaders of many.  As a matter of fact, if we used this as a measuring stick to live for Christ, we will more than likely constantly walk around feeling defeated.  What are your gifts?  All of us have at least one if not many.  We all have a part in “The Great Commission”!  What is yours and how are you using it?

 When was the last time you “loved”, what the world we live in call or categorize as, “the unlovable”? I know this isn’t my wife’s original saying but it is used so often with me, I feel like it is hers.  Often times when I don’t walk daily with Christ, I have traits or tendencies to be very firm and uncompassionate towards others.  When this happens, my wife will often look at me and very discreetly say in my ear “it’s easy to love the lovable”.  These six Words, “it’s easy to love the lovable” really are powerful when you find yourself on the opposite side of how Christ has made us in His image:  LOVE; love everyone, for we are all God’s children.  Back to the question, when was the last time you loved the unlovable?

            Know this; I say this next statement to all of us.  Often, we ration our love or give our love with conditions behind it.  i.e.:  I will love you until you hurt me, but then, I am gone; You haven’t treated me that well lately so I will hold back some of my love; The list can go on and on.  What I have found to be true in my own life, not just through the Lord’s teachings but through the most precious person in my life (my wife) is that we can love unconditionally.  We can love firmly with compassion and we can love others regardless of what they have done or haven’t done to us.  Christ gave His life for all of us.  Not just for what we perceive to be good but for every one of us regardless how good one may look from the outside, I can promise one thing, we all have our battles.

            I leave you with one final question and I ask that you pause before reading it, clear your mind and ask yourself this very simple but complex question:

“Can we take what we need and take less than we give?”

Let me expand on this question, so you do not miss the point.  Can we take enough to get by, but give more to others than we keep for ourselves?  Can we give more than we keep?  Have you ever given until it hurt?  For most of us this would be difficult to do for a lifetime, but have we ever done it for even a season? 

          Christ has called us for so much more than our daily routines.  Where are you stuck and what are are you doing about it TODAY? 

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ constantly lived within the embodiment of this question!  So the answer is yes, we can!

          Remember this:  We were not called to be religious, but to love.  Love and honor our Lord and Savior and one another.  Helping those in need is always the first step in sharing the Good News.  (The Great Commission)  Help someone and expect nothing in return.  Do this in private and build treasures in Heaven.

The Great Commission is not for just the heads of church, but for all of us.

Mathew 28:18-20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus has called all of us to spread his teachings to all nations till the end of time.  All of US!!!

         

        My hope is for all of us that have read or will read this parable, Christians or not, that you will never be able to see an ad or coffee product, smell the aroma, even for that non coffee drinker or taste a fresh cup of coffee without thinking of Jesus. From His miraculous birth,  His sacrificial life to His greatest gift; SALVATION, a chance to spend eternity in Heaven, in worship and praise, and experience an inner peace that can only be achieved through Him.  I pray for all of your eyes to be opened and your hearts to be filled with God’s amazing and unconditional love, so that it can spill onto everyone around you.  Make sure your next cup of coffee, is a cup of Heaven!

THE END!

Thank all of you who took the time to read this!  God Bless!