She was walking out to her car to get her coffee as we were walking into the church. The significance of that moment would soon be pivotal in my life and I pray will have a similar impact on all who receive this message of hope.
An unusual fondness was evident in our hug, greeting and words. That fellowship originated from an experience we had together two Saturdays before that bonded us In Christ, by His Holy Spirit, even though we had been complete strangers before that day.
We had both attended a Woman’s Retreat called Your Story For God’s Glory, and experienced something both of us had never experienced and in the process we sure discovered why our stories matter. As she began to tell her story. I felt her struggle. She was beginning to share a buried secret sin, that seemed to carry layers of shame. She was clearly struggling. I sensed the Lord’s whisper to “go stand with her”.
I hesitated in prayer to confirm this was really the Holy Spirit and not just my doing or desire to help her. At that moment she looked right at me with questioning eyes. I motioned and asked if I could come stand with her as where I was sitting was close to the pulpit. She said shook her head up and down to signal a YES.
God had made the way. I went onto the stage and put my arm around her. She gripped my hand on her right shoulder. I placed my other hand on her left shoulder. Like anchoring her from collapsing. Her telling her story was taking a lot out of her. Sharing the weight of her past seemed too heavy, a weight she needed to release but the process drained her.
As she told of an abortion, tears began to flow. A mourning seemed to overtake the room and with it a feeling of shame that comes with secrets not fully feeling God’s full redemption yet.
Her courage was surprising. She spoke with emotion sharing her experience and God’s grace. The whole audience was tearful, quiet and subdued. The enormity of how Christ had became real to her and that His forgiveness had flooded her soul was moving.
Her story evidenced a move from head knowledge of Jesus and religion and fear of hell to heart receiving of a real relationship of knowing Christ as Savior, her sin of abortion forgiven!
She had gone from knowing Jesus in her head to truly knowing Him in her heart. She wasn’t just aware of His forgiveness — she felt it. She knew that she could never have earned it, and did not deserve forgiveness but Jesus had paid the price for her forgiveness on the cross. All because of Jesus, she was forgiven and free!
We shared in these great realities: Christ our Savior gave Himself for us! Christ our Savior fully forgave us both from abortion.
We were free — not just from the penalty of sin, but free to live out the power of forgiveness and the joy of salvation. And we longed for others to know Christ the way we did — deeply, intimately, and radically transformed by His grace.
At that moment, we were no longer strangers. Standing together, shoulder to shoulder, we were united in our Savior, depending on His redemption. We were sisters in Christ.
Now, back to the coffee. Two weeks later, after our brief but meaningful exchange at the church entrance, my husband and I went to a new class where a video series by Pete Briscoe was shown. The teaching was on Galatians Chapter 1. The lesson began with Pete going into great detail about his love for coffee — the ingredients, the creamer, the sweeteners. It was almost comical how much attention he paid to this one simple drink.
But then, without warning, Pete poured motor oil into his coffee. The room was stunned.
He had just spent all that time describing how much he loved his coffee, and then, he added something toxic. And that, of course, was the point — the “mixed gospel” is just like that. It might look good, it might sound good, but when you mix in the idea that we can earn our salvation — when we try to add our own works to what Jesus has already done — we poison the gospel.
That coffee was now poisonous, just like the “mixed gospel” is. And this realization hit me hard.
The message was clear. The contrast of the real gospel and the mixed gospel was clear through this illustration. He spoke about the mixed gospel as another gospel, as the cursed gospel and as no gospel at all. Of course, his intention hit the mark. Everyone realized this was the cursed Gospel coffee!
I marveled at the significance! We are called to the real coffee Gospel only!
C CHRIST
O OFFERS
F FORGVENESS
F FOR
E EVERYONE
E EVERYWHERE
Christ Offers Forgiveness For Everyone Everywhere.
This is the true coffee of Christianity — and this is what we are called to live out.
Trying to earn salvation by adding anything to the finished work of Christ is like adding poison to a cup of coffee. Christ’s work on the cross is complete.
All the finished work of Christ for the forgiveness of any sin is represented by real coffee!
We are to live what my new sister In Christ had modeled in her giving testimony of God’s amazing Grace!
Just as my new sister in Christ had shared her story of grace and redemption, so we are called to share the real Gospel, the one that is all about grace — God’s grace, poured out freely, for us!
That morning, her going out to her car to get her coffee, represented to me that she would go to those outside the church and bring them in! She has the real coffee and will share the real coffee, the real Gospel of ALL GRACE!
Let’s live the true coffee of Christianity! Let’s live Revelation 12:11: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
For Christ’s sake, for the advancement of His kingdom, for the power of God to salvation for any who will believe, let us tell of The Gospel of Christ, of His wondrous works for the children of mankind! This is the day of salvation. (Romans 1:16 &13:11; Psalm 107:31; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
Praying for those multitudes in the valley of decision to choose this day who they will believe and who they will serve! (Joel 3:14; Joshua 24:14-15)
Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins! Matthew 1:21. Why not let him? It is the greatest and most important decision of a persons life whether to believe or reject Jesus Christ!
As it says in John 20:31: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
BELIEVE, SAVED, then OBEY out of thanksgiving and love. The Real Gospel of Grace!
Believe, Obey, Saved. (This is the motor oil, cursed, not real gospel—trying to earn salvation is poison!)
Jesus paid for our salvation. He is worthy of all glory honor n praise!
{“Jesus is ‘the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him’ (Hebrews 4:9)
As believers, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we will receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.
“Lord Jesus Christ, thank You that through Your sacrifice, we can approach the throne of grace. We can find mercy for our past and grace to help us in whatever struggles we face.”From the Devotional Day 307 Of The Bible in one year 2019 by Nicky Gumble on You Version}
Thanks for reading and visiting! MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU!
