The Origins of Coffee with Jesus
Where this entire idea started and how we got here.
Five years ago, my wife and I moved to eastern Washington state. After almost ten years of living in Portland, Oregon- my wife grew up there- we felt God called us to a new place.
It wasn’t until we got here that we realized God was bringing some profound healing to us. Sure, there would be some complicated things for us, too, but there was important work to be done in our lives.
One of those works was learning how to experience Jesus completely.
My faith, to this point, had been primarily foundational in nature. There were many lessons about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; however, things had become stale.
With a move of God that hit my wife and me that led to us moving, we started to see a new depth to our faith. It was in this new depth that I found myself feeling distant from Jesus.
Distance from God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit
I learned something fundamental early on in my faith but didn’t quite understand what it meant until this season of life.
In that early lesson, I was told somewhere that our feelings of distance from God were more about us and less about God.
He desires a relationship with us, so if there is distance, in many cases, that is because of what is happening in our hearts.
“If God feels distant from you, he isn’t. He is just calling your deeper.” — Steven Furtick, Elevation Church
I have found time and again that the distance I feel is a challenge to go deeper with God. That was the case when my wife and I moved.
There were more profound things that God was calling us into, and that distance was more on my end, in my heart. I wasn’t outright fighting what God called me, but I wasn’t going for it either.
Coffee with Jesus
After we moved, I met with a pastor a few times. It was a chance meeting, but it was a divine encounter.
We would discuss our faith, fatherhood, marriage, and many other topics during our times. Ultimately, I finally shared that I felt distant from God.
He shared a similar story about how this happened to him. When he and his wife moved to the area, he couldn’t find any pastoral positions.
At that point, he felt like the ministry was drying up for him. But he started a practice that would change his life.
He started inviting Jesus into his morning quiet times in a very tangible way. After he shared what that looked like, I started doing it too.
I started having coffee with Jesus.
He encouraged me to make two cups of morning coffee when I got up for my morning quiet time. The first cup would be for me. The second cup was for Jesus.
He said to sit down wherever I would have my quiet time and bring the extra cup. Then, after getting settled in, Jesus, out loud, came and had coffee with me.
I followed these instructions and started waiting for Jesus to show up.
Then, one morning, about a week after I started, I felt the presence of God enter the room. When I say this, it’s a remarkable feeling.
It’s like getting goosebumps that don’t go away and flicker like flames in a fireplace. Anyway, this sensation started to happen, and I turned to where I put the cup of coffee.
Jesus showed up at that moment.
Jesus didn’t show up physically, but I could feel his presence, and it was as if he was there. And I heard him say:
“I am with you. Right here. Right now. Whatever you need, however you are feeling, share your burden with me.”
Over the next hour, I poured out my soul before Jesus. And what I heard him say brought healing, peace, and comfort that has changed my life.
You Can Experience Jesus Too
I continued the practice for the rest of that month and had more encounters like this one with Jesus. The experiences brought me out of the funk and dismay I had felt for so long.
Above all, it allowed me to step into that place with Jesus at any moment. The mercy I feel in these moments is for everyone, not just for me.
Whenever someone tells me they feel distant from God, I share this practice with them. Asking Jesus for coffee sounds silly, but it’s more about positioning our hearts toward him.
Do in the physical, and the spiritual will follow.
Sometimes, when we do something physical as an act of obedience, the spiritual follows. That is what happened in this instance. I positioned my heart to see and experience Jesus, and Jesus showed up.
Not that he isn’t with us. But I was able to receive him into my space and situation where I couldn’t before—the physical obedience of inviting him in bringing about the spiritual experience that I needed.
This is true for many things. Sometimes, we feel like God is calling us to do something in the physical. Maybe it is to give more, talk to the homeless person on the corner, or hug someone.
When we step into these calls on our hearts, something happens in the spiritual world that brings blessings to us and those around us.
Why Create a Publication Called Coffee with Jesus?
While I know plenty of devotionals and resources, I felt God made it clear to me recently that my call is to help people know Jesus and grow closer to him.
In a recent dream, I found myself sitting where people were walking by and looking for something. When I asked what they were looking for, they said they didn’t know but knew something was missing.
As I observed longer, someone sat beside me and said I wasn’t to give up my blessing or inheritance as Esau did. I was to step into it, and they handed me a book.
As soon as I took the book, people started stopping as we talked and found ourselves talking about Jesus. Some people had never heard of him, others didn’t understand who he was, and others still had encountered Jesus but had not done so in a long time.
And then, as if nothing had happened, Jesus stepped into the crowd and started to talk with each person.
Get Ready to Experience Jesus
Coffee with Jesus is about introducing people to experiences with Jesus. The idea is to read the Bible and ask Jesus what he says about each passage. Reading the Bible will teach you more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
As you do that, ask Jesus to meet with you over the content we provide; you will have opportunities to experience Jesus in new ways. As this happens, it will deepen your walk with God and help you grow in your faith.
And so that is why I have created this publication. So, what do you say? Want to sign up today?