TerryLema

As Jesus was preparing His disciples in John 15 for His separation from them by calling them His friends – not servants – He reminded them of something very special. 

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” [John 15:16 HCSB]

Our friendship with the Father through Christ Jesus, His Son, was not one of our choosing. We are God’s friends because He chose us to be so. He also chose us for a purpose, to go out into this world and bear fruit that remains.

I often hear people quote the last part of verse 16, “whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.”

When they quote that verse, it is not always in the context in which it was spoken. It is sometimes quoted in a very selfish way … that God will give or do whatever they want if they ask for it by using “Jesus’ Name.”  They quote it as if God is some dispensing machine in the heavens – put in the “Jesus’ Name” token and take out whatever you want.

The context, however, is different. The context is that God chose us to be His friends that we might go into this world and produce fruit that lasts.

Fruit that lasts is fruit that is eternal. It is produced through sacrifice and good works. It is born in the lives of others, not something we selfishly claim for our own greedy needs. It is not that new car or more money or a bigger house, it is patience with the unlovely, compassion for the hurting, love for the lost. 

That is fruit that remains … it remains all the way into and throughout eternity. That is the fruit that is always ours when we ask and seek it in “Jesus’ Name.”

The last two days I have been thinking more about the message Pastor Laura brought on Sunday from 1 Kings 18, the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel. The first thing I noted was God’s perfect timing; the second thing was that when God speaks our obedience is to be immediate.

The third thing was from verse 19. It was part of Elijah’s instruction to King Ahab. “Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” [HCSB]

Pastor Laura reminded us that this was not a walk in the park. This was a long trek up a mountain. And as the Scripture notes, the summons was to “all Israel,” not to just a few people.

It had not rained for three years. The trail would have been dry, perhaps dusty. Some sections were probably hardened like concrete. Every step up that dry mountain would have been a chore.

And only Elijah knew that God had promised rain.

Did you ever think about that? The King, the nation of Israel, all the false prophets and Elijah trudged up that dry mountainous trail together, but only one man, Elijah, did it with hope and a promise in his heart.

Elijah knew that God always fulfilled His promises. He had been experiencing that for the past three years.

Elijah may not have known exactly how God would do it, but he knew rain was promised and rain there would be.

I had one of those days last Sunday.  We had just rolled over to Daylight Saving Time. I had my annual rant about how I hate time changes. It was, of course, a Sunday, so I went to church after one fitful night where I dreamed about trying to set clocks ahead and about how awful I would feel all day with less sleep. One of those days, right?

God, however, had more for my day than just my annual grumpy. Instead, He spoke to me several times as I listened to the message Pastor Laura brought. It was from 1 Kings 18, about Elijah being told by God to go to King Ahab and gather all Israel to Mt. Carmel—that included the prophets of the false gods Baal and Asherah.

Three things touched my soul profoundly. The first was that God’s timing is perfect—even when it comes through difficulty.

God opened my heart and mind to show me His perfect timing. I thought I would pastor The Way for many more years. I was walking three miles a day, had tons of energy even at 72. In fact, someone in the congregation called me the “Energizer Bunny.” Then in a matter of weeks that changed, and two auto-immune diseases struck. Fatigue and pain became a constant companion.

At the same time, God was calling Pastor Laura to be a senior pastor.

As I look back, God’s timing was perfect. I do not know if the transition to Christian Faith Center (CFC) Middleton would ever have happened had it not been for my getting out of the way and Pastor Laura stepping in. I do not know if we would ever have had the opportunity to reach the lost of Middleton like we will now, except for having CFC adopt us.

This was decidedly one of those Romans 8:28 times. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” [Romans 8:28 HCSB]

It is that time of year again. This is what I call “Yuck Saturday.” It is the day we have to turn our clocks for Daylight Saving Time. We lose an hour of sleep tonight. I will be out of sorts tomorrow because I have one of those internal clocks that can time my response to something in my oven down to less than 60 seconds.

It will take me nearly a month to readjust to the time. And since I am a morning person, who goes to bed by 9 PM, flipping that clock ahead one hour puts the sunshine where I do not want it and takes it away from where I do (the morning).

And to be honest, how does adjusting a clock on the wall save daylight? We will get the same hours and minutes of daylight whatever the clock says! I wish they would pick a time and leave it. Eventually I will get used to it.

Now that I have had my yearly tirade … I admit that resetting those clocks to spring forward and fall back remind me about our future found in Revelation 20.

One day we will live in that eternal city. That “city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” [vs 23 HCSB]

Those who will abide in that eternal light are “only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” [vs 27]

Got your name written?