Author Archives: David Porter

About David Porter

When he was in college, David Porter wanted to be a journalist. Today he is a preacher. In Coffee Stains, the preacher and journalist meet to bless everyone who likes a funny East Texas story with a spiritual kicker at the end!

The Grumpy Old Lady

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In Luxembourg, someone told a little story that supposedly happened many years ago (probably not). It concerned a parish priest, lost in the countryside, looking for a certain village. He ran across a grumpy old lady walking along the road and enquired of her how to get to the village he was looking for.

“What!” she exclaimed. “You try to tell us how to find our way to heaven and you can’t even find the next village?”

Fortunately, today we have GPS (sharp-tongued old ladies still abound anyway).

Actually, it is a pretty important question. How do you get to heaven? Most people tell you to just be good. That should do the trick, huh?

Once I visited a young man in Texas. The visit stood out for two reasons—one was the mean-looking dog that he had the hospitality to shut into another room while I was there. That was good because I don’t like huge dogs salivating and looking at me as if I were a Big Mac with lots of onions.

The visit also stood out because of his response to a question I posed to him.

“If you were to die tonight and stand before God, and God were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’, what would you say?”

He hesitated then replied, “I’ve done some good things and some bad things …” His voice trailed off. Evidently, he was hoping that the good things would weigh more than the disobedient ones.

The problem is those bad things.

Excuse me for repeating myself, but I’ve thought a lot about that illustration of the inner turmoil of Mother Teresa we talked about a few weeks ago. Probably few humans could boast of as many good works as her. She healed a lot of hurt and lived her life sacrificially.

But her heart wasn’t settled.

I’m not judging her in anyway because it’s God’s job to judge each of us. All the same, we’ve got to realize that’s it’s not what we do that saves us. It’s what God did in Jesus Christ on the Cross and what He does in us when we simply put our faith in him that causes the Father to write our name in the book of eternal life.

If the number of good things we do on earth determines our entrance into heaven then Jesus died on the Cross for nothing! In that case, we earn our ticket to heaven.

But God says we have to repent of our sins and turn towards Him, putting our faith in His grace and mercy.

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21 NIV)

Eugene Peterson expresses it like this:

“Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.” (The Message)

When we do good things, it’s just the overflow of a thankful, obedient heart. We’re so glad of what Jesus did for us and in us that we give Him our whole life. He gave His all for us, we do the same for Him.

There is a way to eternal life in heaven, and His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

___________________

Hmmm…

Commenting on those who affirm their “freedom” in Christ to justify certain actions Erwin McManus asks, “Why does your freedom in Christ look so much like my bondage before Christ?”

Coming Alive ! Or the Saga of the Dead Battery

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My computer battery and I have something in common—we both run out of juice quickly if you use us somewhere where there’s no other power source.

The other day I dutifully followed my wife to the furniture store to buy a couch. She could have done it without me because I only have two prerequisites before buying—how much does it cost and will it be comfortable for naps? Actually, I’ll admit that it would be nice if it looked good too. I don’t want to be embarrassed by a huge green slab of something or other masquerading as a couch in my living room.

The first ten minutes I was there I spied a lot of couches that would do—white ones, brown ones, leather ones, soft ones. I was ready to buy one of them, but you know as well as I do that no one gets off that easily. We looked at them; sat on them; considered their fabric; and whatever. But the longer we went the more I could sense my “battery” running down.

Shoes stores have a similar effect on me. Bookstores on the other hand …

So, to avoid melting to the floor in a useless heap, I told her to buy the one she wanted and I sunk onto one of the couches that we were (maybe) going to buy. Ahhh … There, in a near comatose state, I pulled out my trusty mp3 player and started listening to one of my favorite podcasts. That has a way of renewing me. It’s like spinach for Popeye.

I listened and watched people coming and going. Two young ladies and a little girl were puttering around a little distance from me when one of the ladies, who seemed to be in her late 20’s, lit up like a three-year old who has just been offered an ice cream cone. I looked to see the cause of the smile and I spotted a man about 15 years older coming towards her.

They began to talk and there were lots of little smiles from her. He kind of leaned against a table and looked debonair and handsome—at least as debonair and handsome as a guy in his mid-40’s with a beer belly could look. She sent out little signals like … I really don’t know how it is you ladies send them out, but she was broadcasting.

And he was leaning there trying to look like a hunk. And he did–a hunk of something.

I knew they weren’t married. You know how? I cheated a bit because I didn’t tell you that the mama tried to get her little girl to greet the guy and the little one didn’t want anything to do with him.

But I would have known anyway because they were too nice to each other, and too interested in each other. Married people don’t act like that, do they?

Walk through the store and see what you can see. Couples with scowls on their faces, stressed out, not happy with each other. They look like they are trying to rack up “frequent frowner” miles.

Fortunately, not every one is like that, but far too many fill the bill.

I’ve got a personal question to ask? M’aam have you smiled at your husband today? And you, sir, have you done your “Tom Cruise cool” look to try to please her? (I know lots of you and I’d like to see your “Tom Cruise cool” look. That should be good).

Or have you at least been kind and spoken sweetly to each other today?

“Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (1 Thessa. 5:15-18, The Message)

If God expects us to treat other Christians like that, how much more should we work to treat our spouse and our children with kindness and affection? We have to work to make sure that the atmosphere in our home is an atmosphere of love and caring. We worked hard at our relationship before we were married. Why not now?

This Coffee Stain comes with an assignment. Go find your spouse and give him or her the sweetest smile you possess. Say something nice.

Then write me back an tell me how it turned out.
__________________________________

“It’s never enough to be sympathetic with the pain that others are feeling. You also have to understand what causes the pain, and then you have to do something about it. You have to figure out how you can make changes to help alleviate the pain.” Joe Ehrmann quoted in Season of Life by Jeffry Marx

Mother Teresa’s Worry

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One of the wonders of childhood is to watch an old hound dog lying in the shade of the porch, panting and drooling, on a hot summer afternoon. Have you ever wondered why a dog pants ?

According to what I read, our canine buddies don’t sweat like we do so they lower their body temperatures by panting.

You could save a lot of money on deodorant if you panted instead of smearing on the Right Guard or Secret. Just be careful not to hyperventilate.

Other animals pant when they’re thirsty also. The Psalmist had evidently seen a thirsty deer panting and made an application to his own life.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
These things I remember as I pour out my soul …” (Psalms 42, NIV)

I think we all get like that sometimes. I read an article recently that commented on some of the writings of Mother Teresa in which she revealed a terrible spiritual darkness that she experienced as she sought to sense the presence of God. In 1957, she wrote “I find no words to express the depths of the darkness.” Over twenty years later she wrote to the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, “As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.”

Yet it seems that she was reaching out to God. She also wrote in a prayer to Jesus, “If this brings You glory — if souls are brought to you — with joy I accept all to the end of my life.”

I make no pretense of judging Mother Theresa—only God knows her heart and eternity will reveal His judgment, just like each one of us will be judged. But I think I understand a bit of what she suffered. Maybe it was what St. John of the Cross called “the dark night of the soul.”

There is nothing better on earth than to feel the presence of the Lord Jesus and swim in the ocean of the knowledge that He loves you. “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Ps. 16:11)

But some mornings I wake up and I don’t feel anything; God seems far off or it seems that He’s mad at me and I’m not sure why. It’s kind of scary and sometimes it goes on quite awhile.

What causes it? The source could be spiritual or physical fatigue, a satanic attack, the weight of problems, a trial that the Lord allows to test you, a time of mental weakness, a sense of our weakness before the challenges of life, sin, a lack of trust in Him, or probably a lot of other things.

The big question is how do you get rid of it?

I’ve learned, and I’m learning, to just continue on, believing the truth of God’s Word whether I feel like it or not. The key is to do right even if you don’t feel right. Often action follows feeling but in a mature Christian’s life, he acts whether he feels anything or not. As often as not, feelings follow actions.

In dry times, dark times it’s good to “talk to your soul.” Eugene Peterson captures this key well in his paraphrase of Psalms 42. “

“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.

When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
crash and crush me.
Then GOD promises to love me all day,
sing songs all through the night!
My life is God’s prayer.

Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
“Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
“Where is this God of yours?”

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
He’s my God.” (The Message)

“Fix your eyes on God … Rehearse everything you know about Him.” What do you know about Him? Here’s what His Word says:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:14-16, NIV)

Do right whether you feel right or not. Allow Him to search your heart to see if you’ve gotten away from Him.

Normally, the feelings will be back after awhile. But if not, just keep going forward because God is true and his Word is true, whether we feel it or not.
_____________________________

Hmmm…

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela

Naked!

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I used to have this embarrassing dream–I would be at school and suddenly realize that I was in my underwear. Panic! You kind of wonder how I could leave home and not notice a little detail like that, but things don’t have to make sense when you’re dreaming.

The worst is that it feels like you’re really in that situation whether you actually are or not.

So the rest of the time I would try to put on my pants, or find my pants, or whatever. I hated that stupid dream. Not too many of us care to show up in a public place clad only in our skivvies.

I never actually went to school in my undies, though I did rip an embarrassing tear in the seat of my pants, when I was in high school I think it was. My solution was to take my coat and tie the arms around my waist, effectively covering the embarrassing area. You might think that would be a tip-off to all the jokesters in my class that something was goofy but we weren’t really classy dressers in my school and no one really said anything.

Except my math teacher …

This lady had a piercing voice and a sharp tongue. As she passed me in the hall, she said sarcastically, “What happened? You tear a hole in the seat of your pants?” Grrrr… I gave her a sheepish grin and a non-committal answer, and understood anew why I didn’t like math.

No one likes to be exposed like a plucked chicken in front of others. You want to know something that scarier than that, though? God sees us without any kind of feathers. Listen:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Heb. 4:12,13

Ah …

Adam and Eve sinned and tried to hide from Him but you might as well try to hide from the air. He’s everywhere.

Who can stand the scrutiny of a Holy God? He knows all, sees all, understands all. There’s no hiding from Him. We’re guilty.

So what to do?

Put some clothes on, but make sure they are the right ones!

I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isa. 61:10, NIV)

Instead of trying to “dress up” by our own efforts why don’t we just let God dress us? When we put our faith in Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins and to receive the gift of eternal life, he gives us this new suit of righteousness.

We really look sharp in the presence of God the Father, clothed in the righteousness that comes by faith in Christ.

But without Him, we’re naked in the searchlight of His holiness.

It’s no dream because we’re all going to stand before Him. God calls us to turn from our sins, ask forgiveness, and put our faith in the Lord Jesus. Then you get your righteous suit. Lookin’ good, buddy!

And you’re no longer naked before Him—you’re clothed in Christ’s righteousness and the Father accepts you gladly.
_________
Hmmm…
“Don’t be embarrassed to try and fail. Be embarrassed to fail to try.” Unknown

Do You Think Little Red Riding Hood Was A Bit Slow ?

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I have a hard time believing some fairy tales I’ve read.

The one about Little Red Riding Hood, for instance. That kid must have had a learning disability.

Just think. Here’s a wolf disguised as her grandmother and she couldn’t tell the difference. Either she was off a bit off or her grandmother was really ugly.

Maybe Red’s mama rocked her too close to the wall when she was an infant? (“Rock, bump, rock, bump, rock, bump…”) That’ll do it.

But dull though she was, even (A Little Slow) Riding Hood could tell that something wasn’t quite right with grandma. “What big eyes you have grandma!” “What big ears!” “What big teeth!” “What bad breath!” (I just made that last one up. Did you notice?)

When something was off she asked questions. That’s not bad advice for Christians who never ask questions, who just plunge head first into everything they hear. Maybe they’re not quite as swift as Little Red …?

We’re constantly bombarded with Christian messages today and most are anywhere from okay to excellent. They help us grow. But, if we could hear well enough, a few of these messages have a distinctive wolf accent.

How can you tell what comes from God and what doesn’t? Here’s a few hints:

1. Is Jesus and his work on the Cross truly exalted to the highest place or does someone use Him as camouflage to exalt himself and manipulate others? (1 Corinthiens 12:2)

2. Is what is taught really based on and in agreement with all the Word of God? (1 John 4:6)

3. Do the “manifestations” of a ministry build up the Church or do they simply stir human excitement? (1 Cor. 12:7; 14: 4, 5)

4. Does this message motivate us to go and tell others about Jesus, or is it mostly about us? (Acts 1:8; 2: 17, 18, 21)

5. Do the fruits last more than a few weeks? We sometimes get caught up in outward manifestations but the most important thing is a passionate love for Jesus and my brother, and a pure life, full of faith and good works.

6. What does the “anointing” of God in you say? (1 John 2:24-27). The Spirit says, “Amen!” to the truth. If He’s silent or troubled, be careful. And if you don’t have a regular time spent with God, how are you going to know Him well enough to judge?

7. What do other mature Christians think? (1 Cor. 14:29b).
We also need to be careful to not be like those who are fully capable of identifying imposters without wanting all that God has for us. That’s also a sin and we can find ourselves in big trouble with God if we lose our first love.

God shook the Ephesians with this word:

“I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out.

“But you walked away from your first love—why?

“What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall! “Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. “You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too.’’ (Revelations 2, The Message).

Test teachings and ministries. Don’t just swallow everything you see because it wraps itself in robes of Christianity and success. Otherwise, like little Red Riding Hood, you’re in danger of being swallowed yourself.

Hmmm…
If men knew what they were saying about each other, there wouldn’t be four friends left in the world. Blaise Pascal