Red
Rover Red Rover send _______ right over! This was one of my
favorite games to play with my friends. Forming two teams who were facing each
other, one team would call out to someone on the other side to see if they
could come over and break through our barriers. As we desperately held hands
with the others on our team we waited until the crash came. They either crashed
through our line or joined our side because they could not break the hold. It
was one of those games I could pretty much hold my own unless a semi-truck was
coming through. Don't get me wrong, I am small and can get bowled over, but I
also have a strong grip and great determination to win. Most games have a way
to select the teams. I was not usually the first one chosen for any team ever.
Life
doesn't always give us the choices we might desire. But sometimes not getting
what we would choose is not so bad. We then learn to cope, to do something
we've never done before, and it makes us stronger. Jesus said to His disciples,
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
(John 15:16)
He came to have a team for Himself. He calls whosoever who would come
to be on His team. Jesus saw me and called me, and He sees you and calls you.
Before we even knew Him He loved us and desired for us to be on His team. He
doesn't wonder if we might be good enough for the team. He knows we would never
make it without His help. He paid a very high price to even have a team. Now He
gives us a choice to join Him. He knows not just who we have been, but what we
are capable of. His love is so powerful. He knew if we could experience His
love and learn to trust Him, nothing could stop us. Anything we had ever faced
when we were alone now we face together with Him. He causes us to overcome. He
promised Holy Spirit will come inside us and make everything about us new.
Jesus loved to tell stories to explain what He wanted us to know. He said that
we had the potential to be like a good tree bearing good fruit. He
actually lived a life here on earth in order to help us bear fruit. When He no
longer lived on earth, He returned to Heaven. He said His Spirit would remain
and live as part of us, inside of us, every minute of the day. When it does we
will begin to bear fruit like He did – but we can't do it without Him. It's
about doing it with Him. Jesus says I can make it happen I can make your dreams
come true. I will cause you to be fruitful. He used a picture of himself as the
vine and we the branches. Now the branches don't bear fruit if they aren't attached
to the vine. The branches needed the water and nutrients the vine provided to
bear fruit. The branch needs the water and the nutrients the vine provides in
order to even sustain it's self. The branch cannot live on it's own. Jesus
desires to provide life for us and the facts are we cannot "live"
without Him. John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Mostly He wants to make us fruitful
for the benefit of everyone, so everyone will know Him.
