Unconditional Love

I have been thinking of how incredible God's unconditional love is. This week I have been reading the stories from Luke 15 which describe the celebrations in Heaven when "one sinner repents." The most profound story talks about the love of the Father when one son leaves with his inheritance and the other son is angry at his brother's return.

Both sons have a performance mentality. Both think the Father's love is based on what they do, good or bad. However, the Father loves them unconditionally. No matter what they do, the Father loves his sons. He loves us unconditionally. Even though he may be saddened by our anger or bitterness, He loves us unconditionally. We may have a prideful attitude like the religious leaders and He still loves us unconditionally. In fact, we can totally go against him and even reject his invitation to come to the party and he still loves us unconditionally.

This is incredible! We can blame Him for everything bad in our lives and God loves us unconditionally. We can completely reject His wisdom and counsel and God loves us unconditionally.

John 3:16 really says it all. "God so loved the world that He gave..." God loves us unconditionally!
Rev, Jason Wilson

 

Brothers and sisters

I have noticed a theme to the scriptures I have been reading and studying lately. The Lord our God wants us to look around at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage them in the grace we see in their life. I fail to do this often but have God is growing in this area of my life encouraging me to be an encouragement to others.

Look around and see the grace in someone’s life today and then pray giving thanks to God for that grace. Secondly, encourage the believer by telling them you prayed to God giving thanks for the grace you see in their life. So often we lean on our own understanding and ask God does he even care for us? But God cared for us so much that he sent his only son to die for our sins. Jesus would come and live a life just like you and I yet he would do it in full obedience to the father. Yes God cares for us very much more than we can ever imagine. Know that you are loved very much today. Walk in that truth today.

Love Rev. Jason Aka fluffy

Examine your prayer life

I challenge you today to examine your prayer life, your wants, needs and request that have been made lately. Then I want you to think of what you have done for Him lately, or what excuses have you made for not doing what God would have you do. Now, I wonder, what kind of shape we would be in, if when we went to God with our long laundry list of "wants and needs", He gave us back some of the excuses, we pawn off on Him.

PRAYER: "Lord please help me with my rebellious child?" GOD: "Not today, I'm too tired from hunting yesterday, maybe next week. PRAYER: "Lord help me with my wife?" GOD: "Maybe in a week or two, but right now I'm just too busy enjoying this beautiful weather." PRAYER: "Lord help my mom or dad past this trial they are going through please?" GOD: "I would, but I didn't realize it was Sunday already and I have made some other plans. You understand don't you? Maybe later." PRAYER: “Father please spend some time with Mr. Shawn,he is so lonely?” GOD: “I was going to do that, but it is baseball, softball, football, basketball, soccer season and I just have to many irons in the fire right now.”

You say, "this is ridiculous" right? But it is the same bologna we give God daily. Now before you start throwing stones at me, I am not saying that you have to do for God, for Him to do for you, but what I am saying is how can we go to Him and "expect" action and results, when we give little to nothing in return.

Love Rev. Jason Aka fluffy

love

The splendor of God surrounds us! What? You can't see it? STOP! Look around. He has made everything you see, hear and feel. He is the amazing God that shares His splendor with His creation. Although we encounter hardship, disappointment, and hurt; God is sovereign. He and He alone is in control. Praise Him, Worship Him, Love Him, as He is God. He is God and God is Love!

Love... Such a misused term today. God is Love, we love Him Because He first loved us. If we do not know love we do not know Him. Yet if we know Him we have and can know Love for He is Love. Without Him we are incapable of Love. By seeing the splendor of His creation we can see His love for mankind. His love was made evident and irrefutable when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to come and be the sacrifice for all of man's sin. He also shares His love as He shares His handiwork with us on a daily basis, ever changing as it is, yet we sometimes ignore what God is sharing with us due to lack of attention to His detailed work. Everything and everyone has a purpose for being here, we must look to Him for that purpose of our lives. As we sometimes ignore the splendor of His creation people also ignore the work of His Son. As His child we are to be the hands and feet, ever working for His glory, pointing those in darkness to His saving light.

Love Rev. Jason

Reflecting

I can remember when I was in elementary school and all I wanted was to be in high school. I couldn't wait to turn 13 because that was a big deal. I couldn't wait till I could play high school sports. I couldn't wait till I got my learner's to start driving. I couldn't wait till I could date and drive by myself. I couldn't wait till I turned 18 and got out of the house. I couldn't wait till I turned 21 and became a man. All of these major events in my life seemed so far away and I thought that time just crept by so slowly. I wanted these things so bad to hurry and come and now I want time and events to slow down!

But I were reflecting on these things and having some laughs, I began to think about my spiritual side. I noticed something in me and many Christians I see that troubled me that was the opposite of what it should be. Humanly, growing up we cannot wait to grow, get older, get experience, and do challenging things and try new things and opportunities. However, with our spiritual side, we are the opposite. We seem to not want to grow, we do not want to take chances, we do not want to try new things, we do not want to seize new opportunities, and we do not want to gain experience.

Think about humanly how many mistakes you made and how many times you would say, "If I could go back I would do (fill in the blank) differently. But ask yourself how many times you would go back and have God do (fill in the blank) differently in your life? We mess up and make mistakes but God never has. So why do we want to take risks and challenges in our fleshly walk but not our spiritual walk? Why is it that we are willing to do anything once in our human walk but are so hesitant in our spiritual walk as if God has let us down and made mistakes?

When we think about it we really do not give God the credit He deserves. We talk the talk about how great He is, how He has never left us or let us down, how He has ALWAYS brought us through, but do we really live it? Are we really willing to take risks in our spiritual walk, grow, learn, trust Him at all cost in every situation? And when I am talking about taking risks I am talking about gettin out of our comfort zone and letting God do things in and through us that we normally would say no to.

Why is it that we are so willing to trust the world and our human side with so many failures and disappointments and so unwilling to trust our Lord who has a perfect track record? Maybe it's because we don't want to grow up spiritually because we know that when we do, we are responsible for it and God requries more of us. What are you willing to do today? Are you willing to grow up? Are you willing to take a chance? Are you willing to be discipled?

Love Rev. Jason Aka fluffy

Technology

In recent days I have found that my own personal afflictions have all the more turned my heart and mind to the Lord Jesus and to those whom He has called me to serve.

In the midnight hours of darkness and quiet I have found a renewed desire to pray for those in need – regardless of the need they might have. I was scrolling through my wife Facebook about 2;45am. one morning when it hit me. Why not do what my daughter Maycee ask me to do so i sent out a email and a text a status update that simply says “How can I be praying for you?” I did so and within minutes the requests began to come – one after another. Since that early morning I have posted the same question each day.

But one thing I know – that Jesus, along with me, is interested in them all. What a privilege to intercede on behalf of others in prayer. Once again I have found a way to embrace technology in a way that I believe can impact other people’s lives for the good and bring Glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many would choose to use an outlet such as Facebook to vent their latest frustrations, share the latest gossip, or waste time and energy on meaningless debate but shouldn’t those of us who claim Christ seek to use it as an avenue to further the ministry of Jesus Christ? I think so! Let me encourage my friends to ask a simple question on facebook ask “How can I be praying for you?” And when the responses come – just pray.

One other thing about prayer – I found it helped me to not be so focused on my own pain and discomfort but rather to use it as a stepping stone to be available to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ.

Love Jason Aka fluffy

Forgive

Morningstar things I learned is that blaming someone you do not know does very little to ease you. My point is that many of us do not know God or Love. We know what we have heard about God and what we expect from Love and if we don’t like what we’ve heard or don’t get what we want, we reject them both. And the fact is we cannot have one without the other, because God is Love. That means if we have one then we have the other or we have neither. This statement is beyond religion my friends and gets to the heart of the matter. Forgiveness is an act of Love. I will put this as simply as I know how and you can contact me if you have any questions.

God is One. Love is One. We are One. This is why you must forgive yourself in order to forgive others and why holding a grudge against someone else hurts you. Forgiveness is an act of Love. You cannot truly Love and restrict your capacity to forgive. “anyone who says they are in the light but hates their brother or sister are in darkness until now” and “how can anyone claim to love God who they cannot see and hate their brother or sister who can they can see?”

My friends I am not trying to be tough, but rather trying to communicate that I understand that the need to forgive is often a hard pill to swallow. I won’t make light of it because it is a heavy subject for those struggling with it. However, if we don’t swallow the pill of forgiveness, we will choke on the poison of resentment–a sure prescription for becoming part of the problem by contaminating the solution Love offers.

Said in Love.

Rev.Jason