Jesus

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Pure Religion

The world is all grumpy
      and people act mean.
It’s all about “my rights”,
      or so it would seem.
We look at each other,
      instead of within.
Yes, I have a problem,
      it’s caused by my sin.

God gives us an answer,
     I believe this is true.
He sent us a Savior
      to make me brand new.
When I live for Jesus,
      He calls me to care,
for widows and orphans
      and people out there.

To examine my own self
      to see what is wrong.
Then allow Him to change it
      while I praise Him in song.
My faith is not visible
      by what I might say,
so I must act different
      and reject my own way!

This little writing
       is really quite plain,
I live for Jesus
      and He keeps me sane.
The life that He gives me,
      I pray for you.
That the glory of Jesus
      is all that shines through!

I pray that you find some joy and encouragement through these words.  I’ve been preaching a sermon series through the book of James and as I spent time preparing to wrap up that series, these lines just flowed from my mind.  I figure that God put them there and He brought them out, so He has a purpose to use them in someone’s life.  I pray that someone is you!  🙂

In prayer,

Tom Lemler

©

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Elementary Christmas

‘Twas the week before Christmas
      and all through the schools,
Not a student was listening
       nor following the rules.
Their minds were all elsewhere
      and thinking with joy,
That Christmas might bring them
       the latest new toy.

Then quite unexpected
       and out of the blue,
the meaning of Christmas
      came shining right through!
They sang of sweet Jesus
      and remembered His birth,
that very first Christmas
      when God came to earth.

It was quite a lesson
      I pray we did learn,
The real gift of Christmas
      was given, not earned.
These lines are over,
      the rhyming is done.
My prayer for each person,
      that we’d follow the Son!

I pray that you find some joy and encouragement through these words.  I’ve not even made an attempt at writing a poem since high school English when I was required to.  Yet as I considered the school and preschool children that are in the building every day as I work, these lines just flowed from my mind.  I figure that God put them there and He brought them out, so He has a purpose to use them in someone’s life.  I pray that someone is you!  🙂

Merry Christmas!

In prayer,

Tom Lemler

©

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The Art Of Re-GIFTing — Part 4: Tell

This is the fourth and final installment in the series of posts on re-gifting: Jesus style!  Together we’ve looked at the Grace that is needed, the Inventory that is necessary, and the Faith that must grow.  All of these are important and vital components, but the GIFT of  Jesus to others isn’t complete until we Tell!

Much speculation has gone on regarding the friendships, or lack thereof, of the Samaritan woman from John 4.  The fact that she is out at an “odd” time of day and by herself would seem to indicate that no one was willing to be with her.  And yet here she is with amazing news: “This man I’ve been talking to claims to be the Messiah!”

Did you get that?  Jesus sets the example for us in the gifting of Himself to others by not only living out the Grace, Inventory, and Faith components we have looked at — He also lives out the Telling of who He is.  The rest of the story has great insight and meaning, but it is the statement of Jesus, “I who speak to you am He.”, that unlocks the GIFT of Jesus in the life of this woman.  Transformation begins to take place based on Jesus revealing Himself to her.

It doesn’t stop there!  This woman is a quick learner and rushes back to the village to tell everyone who will listen about the true GIFT of Jesus.  She has experienced Grace, Inventory, and Faith through her encounter with Jesus and now she feels compelled to pass it on.  The results are astounding!  The entire village turns out to see Jesus and hear for themselves the message the woman is sharing.  The story ends with people believing in the GIFT of Jesus — some believing because of the “telling” by the woman, and others believing because the “telling” made them curious enough to go see for themselves.

If you have grasped hold of the GIFT of Jesus, how are you doing at telling others about what you have found?  When you experience the Grace of Jesus, it is for you — but it is not for you alone!  You must be busy telling others about the Grace that exists in your life.  When you go through the inventory times of life when you discover just how empty you are and just how much Jesus has to offer, there is an obligation to tell others about the One who has everything you need.  When your Faith grows in your life and calls you to take a stand for your beliefs, you must be ready to tell others just Who it is that you believe in.

I pray that you are growing in your practice of telling others about Jesus.  If you have received and experienced the GIFT of Jesus, then I pray that you complete that GIFT by practicing the Tell part on a regular basis.  To modify the old saying, “Tell at all times, if necessary use words!”  If you don’t know the GIFT of Jesus, then I pray that you will listen openly when someone tells you about the best GIFT of their life.

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The Art Of Re-GIFTing — Part 1: Grace

This post is the first of a series I had written on another blog of mine a couple of years ago.  I will periodically be posting those writings here on this blog.

I had the opportunity to preach at the Deer Run Church of Christ on the last Sunday morning of 2008.  My message was entitled, “The Art of Re-Gifting” and looked at the example of Jesus found in John 4:4-42.  In most of my preaching I like to wrap my sermon points around a word that gives people a “handle” to carry the sermon home and remember what God is calling them to do.  In this sermon, I looked at four points from the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  These points hung on the word GIFT.  It was all about the gift of Jesus that causes Paul to exclaim, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  Jesus gives us an example of how we can take the gift He has given us and “re-gift” it to others.  This article will look at the first point: re-gifting Jesus style requires grace!

John’s telling of this encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman opens with a comment on the nature of Jesus that is often overlooked and not considered — Jesus was tired!  I can picture Jesus finally arriving here at Jacob’s well, relieved that He can finally be left alone to get some rest.  John lets us know that the disciples had gone into town to buy food and Jesus chose to be alone, or was left alone, to unwind from the journey He had taken.  I can picture it because I have been there — tired from travel, tired from the pressures of the day, tired of people, just wanting to be left alone to rest, relax, and think.  Are you there with me yet?  Are you comfortable?  Are you in that “relaxing zone”?  If so, then perhaps you can imagine the arrival of a stranger to your place of isolation and rest.

What is your reaction?  What is my reaction?  Perhaps, “Go away!”; or “Leave me alone!”; or, “Can’t you see I’m tired?”; or perhaps our initial response would be the same as Jesus, “Will you give me a drink?”  In His tiredness, Jesus initiates a conversation.  Maybe this was simply a reaction to meet His own need for a drink.  We would be okay with that.  Simply fulfilling a need doesn’t have to interrupt the rest we so desperately want — it may even improve it!  But Jesus doesn’t leave it at meeting His needs.  As a matter of fact, it soon becomes quite apparent that this was never really about the needs of Jesus.  Instead, Jesus extends grace by stepping out of His tiredness to interact with an individual that needed to know Him.

But the grace of re-gifting goes even deeper.  This wasn’t just anyone that Jesus was interrupting His rest for.  This was a Samaritan and a woman.  This offering of grace even catches the woman by surprise that this Jewish man would be talking to her.  The idea of a Jewish man to be talking to a woman in public was unthinkable.  And to talk to a Samaritan, asking her to help you, was simply unheard of.  Yet here is Jesus, about to embark on a conversation designed to reveal to this woman the priceless gift that stands before her.

I know, you are thinking, “So what?  Doesn’t apply to me!  I don’t mind talking to women and I have nothing against Samaritans.”  But it does apply, doesn’t it?  You and I know people that we do our best to avoid.  People of different cultures, nationalities, lifestyles, or whatever it may be — we choose not to associate with them.  We excuse it.  We rationalize it.  We even attempt to justify it.  But in the end, we must come face to face with the grace shown by Jesus and ask ourselves, “How are we doing at extending grace — undeserved favor — to all those we encounter?”  You see, that is the first step in re-gifting Jesus style.  We must recognize that the gift we have received from God is so undeserved that we are willing to extend grace to all people we encounter.

I pray that the encounters that you and I have with people will be filled with grace.  May we learn from Jesus how to re-gift what God has given us.

Up next:  The Art Of Re-GIFTing — Part 2:  Inventory