Sermon from the “Living Like Christ” series.
Author: Tom
“I Choose You!”
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.“
Ephesians 1:3-4 (NIV)
I just finished up a week where I had the opportunity to share my book, In Christ Alone: Discovering Your Identity In Christ, with people at the North American Christian Convention. The reaction of people to the content of the book was a great encouragement and confirmation to me. Time and again, person after person would flip through the book and with tears in their eyes say, “This is exactly what I need and have been looking for!” To be able to give them a copy helped me to experience the truth of “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
I believe the book connects with people of all ages and from all walks of life because it was written through my prayer times out of my own struggle with my identity. Day thirteen in my book is a reminder that “In Christ I Am Chosen.” This is a truth that many of us have a hard time accepting because it often feels like we are someone who no one would ever willingly choose. I still remember lining up at recess or in gym class and just longing to hear that day’s “captain” say to me, “I choose you.” I was rarely chosen last, but definitely not chosen first. I still remember wishing that some day, even just one day, I would be chosen first.
But it is not just in grade school where the picking and choosing takes place and we long to hear someone say, “I choose you.” We fill out applications and polish up our resumé hoping an employer will choose us. We look for that special person to be in our life who would choose us above all others. We speak up wanting our voice — our opinion — to be chosen as the way in which a group would go. When we’re chosen, we celebrate. But when we’re not chosen, look out! The thoughts of doubt and feelings of being unwanted creep in and before you know it they have taken over the mind. It is at those times I need reminded that I was chosen and I was chosen first! Before creation God chose me to be His and for me to live a holy and blameless life.
People will disappoint you. There will be times you will expect to be chosen and find yourself overlooked. There will be times that you seem to be chosen by others only to find that it was a temporary choosing simply to use you for their benefit and then you’re gone. There will be times when people choose poorly. There will be times when you choose poorly. In all of it, I need to be continually reminded that God never disappoints those who seek Him with a whole heart. He says that when we seek Him with a whole heart, He will be found. And when we seek and find, we discover a welcoming Saviour who is calling out, “I choose you!”
In prayer,
Tom
A Precious Gift
Happy Birthday Susan!
Today is a day
that we celebrate.
The birth of a girl
who really is great!
It’s not always easy,
but so worth the price.
To be given a gift
that’s so very nice!
She came at a moment,
just stepped out in time.
We all had each other,
but barely a dime.
From the beginning,
she was daddy’s girl.
With a smile so big,
any heart would unfurl.
I owe her my life,
and oh, so much more.
She gave me purpose,
which had gone out the door.
In the midst of great sickness
I learned to press on.
There are so many walks
on which we have gone.
Some say she’s different,
I suppose that is so.
For she’s filled with joy,
more than anyone I know!
She’s an angel from heaven —
at least in a way.
With a message from God
that she shares every day.
She longs for heaven
and it’s really not odd.
She teaches me much
about talking with God.
If you should wonder,
what her joy is about.
God’s presence is with her,
of that there’s no doubt.
The labels are plenty
to describe what she’s got.
But to describe her,
those labels do not!
CP and autism,
with seizures not few.
May be what she has,
but they don’t define who.
A child of the King,
a joy to mankind.
A sweeter person,
you never will find.
There’s no fake about her,
no motives to hide.
What you see on her face
is what is inside.
Throughout the years,
we have been told.
Prepare for the worst,
she won’t get this old.
Perhaps a few weeks,
even years may be seen.
But it’s not very likely
to go beyond teen.
And so here we are,
at twenty-six years old!
A gift straight from God
that’s still ours to hold!
I don’t take it for granted,
I thank God every day.
That He loved us so much
to send Susan our way.
She’s not really ours,
she is simply on loan.
And it’s a great privilege
to give her a home.
How long she will be here,
I really don’t know.
She longs for heaven
and is ready to go.
As I sit in a hotel
on this, her birthday.
Alone in a room
many miles away.
I wake up early
to spend time in prayer.
And God gives me this poem
that I now share.
© 2015 by Tom Lemler
We celebrated Susan’s birthday Sunday as I was headed out Monday morning for the North American Christian Convention. As I woke up early this morning and was spending time with God, He put this poem in my mind about Susan. I pray that she has a great day and continues to be a joy and blessing to others as she is to MJ and I.
In prayer,
Tom
Luke 18b: An Understanding of LIFE
Sermon from the “Living Like Christ” series.
The Silent Majority
Do we even notice
those who walk by?
The tired, the hungry,
those too numb to cry?
The heart that is broken,
in a life that is rushed?
A soul that is empty,
a spirit that’s crushed?
They are all around us,
in line at the store.
They’re even in church
as we walk through the door.
These people exist
in numbers not few.
Perhaps they are me,
perhaps they are you!
And if we should notice,
just what would we do?
The answers are plenty,
the solutions are few.
To treat one another
as God treated me.
To serve and to love,
all those we see.
To sit and to listen,
to give of our time.
To share what we have,
to our very last dime.
To lift someone up
who is feeling quite down.
And comfort the sad
who are wearing a frown.
But most of all,
we share of our treasure.
A hope that God gives
that is beyond measure!
The joy that we find
with God’s Spirit inside.
We always must share,
and never should hide!
© 2015 by Tom Lemler
I was spending time praying this morning about some lingering discouragement that tries to sidetrack me from time to time. As I did so, God put this poem in my mind to shift my focus to a world surrounding me that is full of unseen people who feel unnoticed and unappreciated. I pray that you and I are an encouragement to all those around us and that we are surrounded by people who will encourage us when we are down.
In prayer,
Tom
Luke 18a: Always Take Time to PRAY
Sermon from the “Living Like Christ” series.
Eyes That See
“Ears that hear and eyes that see — the LORD has made them both.”
Proverbs 20:12 (NIV)
I’ve reached the point where I rarely go anywhere without a camera. I share pictures on social media so often that some may wonder if I actually do anything other than take photographs. Surprising as it may seem to some, I don’t spend a lot of time taking photos. I have simply learned to use my camera as a personal worship tool as often as possible.
I receive a lot of compliments on my photos and the beauty they capture, as well as a few questions about where I find the subjects for my photos. My “secret” isn’t that complicated! While I do visit parks and scenic places when possible, nearly all of my pictures are taken in places where people pass by on a regular basis, often never seeing the things that I notice. I consider the noticing of these things, and the capture of them in photos, to be a part of my personal worship of God as I continually marvel at His handiwork and creativity.
The photos at the top of this article are an example. The picture on the left is the seed head of a water-lily blossom that I noticed at a public garden. The resemblance to a shower head caught my attention. While the water-lily in full bloom next to it probably was the subject of many photos that day, I wonder how many even noticed the beauty of the seed head. The picture on the right was taken as I walked down the city sidewalk on a family vacation. These sand lizards are everywhere in Florida, yet when I saw this one on top of a small accent light he seemed to be begging to have his picture taken. My wife joked about the Floridians probably thinking I was crazy to be taking a picture of something so common. Yet it caught my eye and reminded me of the amazing God I serve and worship.
So, what do you pass by on a daily basis that ought to be prayer prompts and worship reminders yet are never even noticed? What can you start doing that will help you better use the eyes and ears that the Lord has created? For me, I am continually tuning my eyes and ears to see and hear the wonders of God all around me!
In prayer,
Tom
The Invisible Man
It was a day
like so many other.
He opened his mouth
then wondered, “Why bother?”
No one would listen
to what he did say.
They just looked right through him
and went their own way.
He’s always alone
even in a large crowd.
It doesn’t matter
if silent or loud.
No one does notice
if he comes or he goes.
He blends into the wall,
alone with his woes.
He always is certain
his ideas aren’t that bad.
Some of them better
than anyone had.
But what good will they be
if no one will hear.
The ideas will be lost
is what he does fear.
You probably know one,
an invisible man.
Describe him in detail,
I doubt that you can.
He’s always around,
but never really seen.
Were his eyes brown or blue?
Or perhaps they were green.
We all are surrounded
each day that we live.
By invisible people
with so much to give.
Some are still trying
so hard to be heard.
While some have just quit
and they won’t say a word.
When we fail to listen
to those we won’t hear.
It is a great loss,
but there’s a greater, I fear.
For living within us
is the invisible One.
Given for our own good
by God’s only Son.
His Spirit within us
has much He would say.
But so very often,
we just go our own way.
His ways are much higher
and better than man’s.
But we tend to ignore it
and stick with our plans.
We get into trouble
when we go our own way.
Then wish God was clearer
in what He had to say.
A lesson I’ve learned,
is a good life-long plan.
Pay attention and learn from
the invisible man.
© 2015 by Tom Lemler
I know that I’m not known for talking a lot, but most of the time when I do it seems like I am the only person that can hear what I’m saying. As I was mowing this afternoon, I found myself thinking about my own experiences of presenting ideas and plans to various groups and people during my lifetime. A vast majority of them appeared to not even get a legitimate hearing because there was always someone with the right “sales” personality that would talk a group into a different idea — many which have proven over time to be doomed from the start. As I continued to think about these times, this poem showed up in my mind and God had me examining how often I treat Him and His Spirit in the same way as what I was feeling. I pray that this poem accomplishes His purposes and is an encouragement to you.
In prayer,
Tom
