Left Overs

"[B]eing confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"- Philippians 1:6 (NIV). 

Each year our church chooses a committee to recruit people to fill in all the open slots for numerous committees at our church, such as: Acts 1:8, Budget and Finance, Community Awareness, Children's Ministry, Music, etc. The chosen people, once they agree to serve, are presented to the whole congregation for a vote of approval, which was this past Sunday. I was rolling off my current three-year commitment, ready to serve on another committee, but never received a call to serve on one. Maybe, I was wrong and my three-year stint wasn't over. I searched the listed names under each team, but my name never appeared. Like the childhood way of choosing team members for a game, I was a leftover, not chosen. Don't worry, because I'm not, I know God has something for me to do; He always does. Today's Scripture reassures Christians that God always chooses us for His team. The positions may change, but it's always for God's glory and for our completion in transforming us into the image of Christ. David was relegated to watch sheep, until God called him to fight a giant and anointed as king (1 Samuel 17). Amos tended Sycamore fig trees, until God called him to be a prophet (Amos 7:14). Many times, God uses those not chosen, the leftovers, to be His chosen in His kingdom work. If you are sitting on the sidelines, be confident, God is at work in you...until the day of Christ Jesus.

Spiritual Tantrum

"When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me""- John 21:21-22 (NIV).

Measuring our lives to the lives of those around us can lead to spiritual tantrums. I was one of four children my mother had in four-and-a-half years. She tried so hard to make us all feel equally loved and we were always prompt in letting her know when she was slipping. I remember getting eye level with the cups, as she filled all four with Kool-Aide, making sure the level was equal between the four. Anything less than equal was met with a childish tantrum, but, don't we still do it as adults? Instead of complaining against our earthly parent, we harbor discontent with our Heavenly Parent when we see a fellow believer blessed when we feel lacking. That discontent is equal to a spiritual tantrum. However, we can comfort ourselves that Peter. the rock, suffered the same malady. Jesus had just told him how he would die for following Jesus...Peter's response, "What about John?"  Jesus tells Peter He makes those decisions and John's fate isn't any of Peter's business. Notice, Jesus doesn't tell Peter He SHOULD follow Him, but that he MUST follow Him. There a distinct plan for each of Jesus' followers. Scripture says, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16). Your story, my story, was written down before we were ever born. My brother may have had more Kool-Aide in his cup from time to time, but I always got my portion and was refreshed. We must trust Jesus to provide, as we take up our cross and follow Him. 

Naked Branches

"Then He said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And His disciples heard Him say it"- Mark 11:14 (NIV).

The peach tree my daughter planted five years ago was not appreciated by me, until it started bearing peaches last year. Excited, I Googled how to prune the formerly unwanted tree, put compost around it, and had my husband erect a small fence to keep the deer from enjoying any of my bounty. Unfortunately, something has caused the tree to wither. Only 10-15 leaves remain on the once healthy tree, and the immature peaches are hanging on naked branches. Why? We aren't certain. My husband added more fertilizer, but it could have been disease or parasites within the tree. Near the end of His ministry, Jesus cursed a fig tree. He was on His way to the temple, where He overturned the tables and drove the money changers out saying that instead of making the temple a house of prayer for all nations, they had turned it into a 'den of robbers' (v.17). On the way back, His disciples noticed the cursed fig tree had withered. Jesus gave them the "with faith, you can move a mountain" message. He began by saying, "Have faith in God...whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (vs. 22-24). The cursing of the fig tree was an object lesson for all of us. The withering of leaves meant the tree was going to die. The fig tree represented Israel's faith, though leafy, the true state of the temple was on deadly grounds. In fact, within forty years the Jews were forced out of Jerusalem and the temple destroyed (70 AD), never to be rebuilt. How is this an object lesson for today's church? Have Christians, Jesus' church, merely been looking good (all leafed out), yet not producing fruit? Has nurturing and growing faith been replaced with "what's in it for us?" We need to look at Jesus' judgment on the fig tree and be aware of any signs of withering. Jesus' response, to His disciples, was four profound words: "Have faith in God." We need to pray and ask Jesus for the kind of faith that produces kingdom fruit. Then believe it and receive it. If not, we'll be like my peach tree...naked branches on a dying tree. "If you do not remain in [Jesus], you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:6).    

Live As A Believer

"Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them"- 1 Corinthians 7:17a (NIV).

Day after day unfolds, similar to the day before: I wake to my annoying alarm, eat breakfast, go to work, work four hours, eat lunch, work four more hours, go home, eat dinner, and prepare for bed. There's nothing extraordinary about routine days. Routine days may feel like you're not accomplishing anything for God's kingdom, but our routine days are preparation days; days that God is working in us, in order to further His kingdom through us. For example, Moses led routine days of shepherding sheep, for 40 years, until he saw a burning bush and was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Gideon was threshing wheat, pretty routine for the man who was about to fight, with only 300 men, and defeat the Midianites, scoundrels who had been terrorizing the Israelites for the past seven years. The point is, these great men were leading routine lives, doing routine things, day after ordinary day, when God called them to do extraordinary things in extraordinary ways. God's timing, God's ways, and God's thoughts are beyond our comprehension. While you lead your routine life, live as a believer: study God's Word, pray continuously, and trust in His perfect will. "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14). Routine days are not by chance. There is purpose in everything God does.

Inexhaustible One

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand"- Isaiah 41:10 (NIV).

I lost one of my hot curler clips at my sister's house over the weekend. Well, I did find it, but in pieces after her front yard was mowed. Hot curler clips, for you women who have naturally beautiful hair and don't use them, or in case you're a man, are used to hold hot rollers in your hair for at least 15-20 minutes to give your hair some body. The loss of the clip seems minuscule, but then, what's to hold the roller in place without the clip? You may wonder what I did this morning; well, I held the curler in place, switching arms as each tired from being held up high when the blood drained down to my elbows. It was a funny sight, even to myself. The pain we ladies go through to make ourselves look as pretty as possible! Ha! Today's message made me realize how weak our own strength is in upholding ourselves. God's right hand never tires, never becomes strained, and never stops. On the other hand, (no pun intended), we humans wear out. We grow tired, strained, and eventually give up, even with our best effort. God is always with us, to strengthen us, and when our strength falters, He upholds us. He's far better than any clip we could ever find. If you are struggling, trying to uphold yourself, call on the name of the Lord: "I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live" (Psalm 116:1-2). Why exhaust yourself when the Inexhaustible One is waiting to uphold you?     

Don't Miss the Trolley

"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left"- Matthew 24:40 (NIV).

My family went to "The Island," a popular shopping island in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. So much so, that you park and catch a trolley to the island. My husband and I rode with our daughter and son-in-law that morning. We had just parked when we saw the trolley loading. Everyone bolted. We could hear the conductor announcing there were no more seats, but you could see there were seats scattered throughout the multi-car trolley. We were all darting across the street, but I got stopped by a car as I was crossing. I managed to get to the other side just as the trolley pulled off with everyone in my party on board...except me. I waved as they pulled off. My daughter phoned her dad, who thought I got on with her, then everyone got stressed out. They had left Mom behind. The movie "Left Behind" is about the Rapture; a story about those who were left behind after Christ plucked His followers from this earth. Those left behind, in the movie, were so stressed out to have their loved ones missing. As the movie progressed, some discovered why they were left behind, why they missed their "trolley," that their lack of faith caused them to miss the most important day in their eternal life. My story ended well, I decided to walk to "The Island," instead of waiting on the next trolley. I ended up beating everyone there. They were so happy to see me waiting for them as they got off the trolley. We've all laughed about leaving "Mom" at the trolley depot. We need to be ready when Christ's "Trolley" comes; because He said, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). Brothers and sisters, we want to be the one taken, not the one left behind. Be ready. And, if I go before the Rapture, I'll rejoice to see you get off the "Trolley" that day.