Does Jesus Still Love Me?

The three-year-old was quite serious when she asked her mother this age-old question:  “Does Jesus still love me?” Harper had disobeyed and knew her mom wasn’t happy, but most importantly, she wondered what Jesus thought.  Could He possibly love her even though she’d “blown it” again? 

Little Harper’s question is poignant because, if we’re honest, many of us have asked this very question.  You may be pondering this question right now.  Or you may know someone who is wondering whether or not God can ever forgive them.  

Amazingly, the answer to that question is simple. Yes, the Lord loves us.  Indeed, we discover time and time again in Scripture that God loves everyone (“For this is how God loved the world, He gave His one and only Son…” is how the New Living Translation’s John 3:16 explains this fact).  Most of all, He is “not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9, New American Standard Bible). 

Repentance is key to a secure relationship with God, just as it is critical to restore any relationship.  Harper’s mother still loved her despite the willful disobedience, but in order to make things right, Harper had to ask her mom for forgiveness.  When she did so, they moved on because there wasn’t anything to interfere with their healthy, harmonious relationship. 

Merriam-Webster explains that repentance basically means “to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong ….and that you want to do what is right.” In other words, attaining forgiveness involves these components: 

Feeling sorrow or regret.   

Expressing that regret specifically.  

Seeking forgiveness to make the relationship right again.   

These three steps heal broken relationships, including the one we have with God. Whether it’s the first time (as we find in Romans 10:9, NLT, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”) or the many times over a life-long journey that we need to ask God for forgiveness, the process is very straightforward.  This is how the Apostle John described it: 

“If we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—He won’t let us down.  He’ll be true to Himself.  He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.”
(I John 1:9, The Message Bible) 

So, if you feel you’ve blown it with God, ask for His forgiveness. While God loves you, He is going to wait for you to “want to do what is right.”  

If you know people who feel unsure about the Lord’s love for them, encourage them today with the truths we’ve just covered.  Remind them of the simple steps to either begin a relationship with Jesus or to reconnect with Him. 

And if you want to stay reassured of the Lord’s love for you, read His Word in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Why? Well, Harper would probably explain it this way:  “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” 

Thought of the Season

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:38-39, New Living Translation 

Here’s the story I’ll tell my friends when they come to worship,
    and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
    give glory, you sons of Jacob;
    adore Him, you daughters of Israel.
He has never let you down,
    never looked the other way
    when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do His own thing;
    He has been right there, listening. 

Psalm 22:22-24, The Message Bible  

Never before in human history have we been besieged by so many words. Like the blast of a winter storm, words whirl in and out of our lives via airwaves or the Internet. Some people inundate us with incessant conversation; others simply send a surplus of texts, tweets, and email messages. Most of the time we process those words promptly, then prepare ourselves for the next round of communication coming our way.

It is for these reasons, particularly during this busy season, I felt it important to keep this Sonkist message short and, hopefully, sweet. In fact, I’d simply like to have you focus on one single word: Adore.

Now, as often happens, one word can lead to another—but hold on for a few more paragraphs for that second, far more important “word”. Right now, let me briefly explain what I mean by the term adore.

Like the famous song Adeste Fideles, adore finds its origin in Latin. The root meaning, ad + ōrāre, literally translates “to pray or to beseech.” In ancient times, anyone who used this word would have understood it meant “to plead with, appeal to, or approach (a god) as a suppliant or worshipper,” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adore). No one centuries ago would ever have thrown around the term loosely as it often is today, for instance, “I just adore that outfit” or “We found a new restaurant we adore.” Instead, adore would have involved the greatest respect and reverence as the “oration” (prayer) was offered up.

The passage of time doesn’t mean the significance of the word need change for those of us who worship the One True God. Indeed, as the psalmist encourages in the passage above, we can and should adore Him, especially during this most holy of seasons. Why? Because, unlike others in our lives, He doesn’t let us down, look away, or stop listening. He is worthy of our praise, so let’s be sure to “punctuate it with Hallelujahs.”

This time of year, that praise might come in the form of Christmas songs like O Come All Ye Faithful, which when translated from the original Latin leads us to that second, most important Word we should know:

Yes Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!

 Why should we adore Jesus? Because He is literally “the Word” (John 1:1-4). He is not only with God, but He also is God. He is  “the Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—” (Luke 2:11a). If we are going to adore anyone, it must be Him—and there’s no better time to do so than right now.

Can you take a few minutes today to adore your Lord and Savior? To do so, simply put everything else out of your mind and just focus on Jesus. What has He done for you? Thank Him for that. If you have a little extra time, read a favorite passage of Scripture, or listen to some music that inspires you to worship Him. Make this adoring process a priority each day of this holy season—and in all the seasons He gives you along life’s journey.  

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Sonkist Ministries!

  Thought of the Season

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through Him,
    and nothing was created except through Him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and His life brought light to everyone.

John 1:1-4, New Living Translation

Each fall for countless generations, Cornish gleaners would hear a familiar euphoric cry from the master of the harvest:  “Yma genef! Yma genef! Yma genef!”  This jubilant shout signified that the last crop had been cut, so field laborers would gather to lift up their own joyous reply because their season of toil had ended, and a great time of celebration was about to commence.

Most of us can understand the reason behind such enthusiasm, although we may never have experienced an agrarian lifestyle.  Indeed, people around the world appreciate the benefits that an ample harvest brings to their individual homes.  Yet even with such autumnal blessings, many in 2021 may not feel like celebrating anything.  The fallout from a global pandemic is still creating a plethora of problems. There’s also an unbearable amount of worldwide atrocities delivered to us daily in the news. More locally, some in leadership have failed us while a few families we know are floundering. 
If you are feeling overwhelmed by life’s circumstances right now, you are not alone. Actually, centuries ago the Apostle Paul shared how the difficulties of this world are particularly challenging for Christians:

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.  We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.  But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Romans 8:23-25, New Living Translation 

Like those early believers, today’s Christ followers know a better season is on the horizon.  Once you and I accept Jesus as our Savior, we are given the promise of eternal life (John 3:16; I John 5:11-12). And although pain, grief, and even groaning are normal reactions to living in a fallen world, we’re encouraged to do more than mourn our losses.  Instead, in these verses we are urged to “wait with eager hope” for God’s perfect plan to unfold which includes an amazing future we can’t even imagine (Jeremiah 29:11; I Thessalonians 5:9).

Why would God have us wait for the joys of Heaven, which include new healthy bodies that will never again experience the pain brought on by sin?  The answer to this query involves the most important harvest season the Lord has sanctioned, as the Apostle Peter explains:  

The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent . . . and remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters . . .  
II Peter 3:9, 15-16a 

What are we waiting for?  God’s timing—not only for our futures but also for the many souls yet to be saved. The seeds of salvation are still being planted, and the Lord is patiently gathering all who wish to join His forever family.  Jesus made this mission clear when He shared a farming analogy with the disciples:

You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!
John 4:35-36 

Since the Lord’s mission is focused on gathering souls, those of us who follow Him can take up this mantle while we await our “full rights as His adopted children.” In other words, while we “wait with eager hope,” we can be involved in His harvest process.  And notice what is bestowed upon those who choose to work alongside Him:   Joy!  Joy in 2021?  Joy in the midst of problems, even a pandemic? Yes, most definitely yes!  The Lord is the purveyor of joy, and He wants to share this jubilant feeling with His co-laborers. 

As we slowly shift into this fall season, remember another much-anticipated shout is coming soon.  When He deems the timing is right, “the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a commanding shout.” This will signal the end of His harvest season for “the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Can you participate more in the Lord’s mission? Despite what you are going through, could you help plant seeds that may lead to someone’s salvation? Would you join in the efforts of fellow believers and assist in the gathering of souls, decreasing the number of those who might cry “the harvest is finished, and the summer is gone . . . yet we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20)?

May you experience great joy this Harvest season as you await the Lord’s return with eager anticipation!

  Thought of the Season

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.

Luke 10:2

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
Jeremiah 17:7

For many people, summer is typically a season for rest and relaxation.  Sunshine is plentiful, and the outdoors beckon.  Even if a vacation isn’t in the plans, trips to the beach, lake, or river are definitely on the docket.  It’s the time of year when we give ourselves a pass to unwind and reboot, literally kicking off our shoes as we relish the warmth that long summer days send our way.

There’s also another delightful aspect to Summer 2021:  HOPE is in the air! Despite residual problems from a global pandemic, people not only seem hopeful about the future, but they are also talking more and more hopefully. 

For believers, a hopeful outlook is always possible because we have access to God, the Creator of hope.  Indeed, the Bible is full of stories about how the Lord has offered hope to individuals just like us.  Whether in good times, bad times, or even uneventful, between times,  God can give a peace about the present and confidence regarding the future that no one or nothing else can provide. A prayer by the Apostle Paul gives us some insight about what this kind of hope entails:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Notice that joy and peace are certainties when you and I choose to put our trust in God.  In other words, we are part of the Lord’s hopeful equation. After we take this initial step of belief, the Holy Spirit can powerfully impact our lives, even allowing us to “overflow” with a confidence we never imagined possible.  Jesus explained exactly how the Holy Spirit can assist us:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard…” (John 16:13).

Believers have a connection with a powerful triumvirate—God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit who look after and provide for us at all times and in every season.  This alone should give us renewed hope, even helping us to change our perspective about the negative circumstances we sometimes face while living in a far-from-perfect world:

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
Romans 5:3-5 

These verses explain the most important reason why you and I can have hope:  God loves us! Because of this reality, we should be able to trust Him to assist us with our burdens and also help us relish all of His blessings.  And no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, we can rest in the knowledge that the Lord is using everything to develop our character, strengthening us in the here and now while preparing us for all the seasons of life yet to come.

At Sonkist Ministries, our prayer is that your summer will be full of hope.  We encourage you to dive deeply into the Word, and soak in all the wisdom the Son has to offer.  Rest in the joy of your salvation—and be sure to share God’s love with others around you since Harvest season is on the horizon!

  Thought of the Month

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.
Psalm 33:20-22

So, God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
Hebrews 6:18 (New Living Translation)

  Promise-breaking starts way too early in life.  In fact, if you consider your own history, you may have interacted with a child who promised to be your friend one day but changed her mind the next. Or maybe you recall with trepidation the scene from middle school when a buddy promised to save a seat for you but then decided to give it to someone else.   Or perhaps you can relate to so many who have had their feelings from a first “love” dashed within days of the budding romance. These are just some of the painful experiences that have marred our developmental years and, sadly, seem to multiply as we move through adulthood.

Of course, as adults we realize that broken promises are just part of living in a far-from-perfect world.  Maybe what’s most disappointing to those of us who are believers is that we struggle with the same promise-keeping problem as everyone else.  Like the Apostle Paul, we recognize that “nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:18-19).

Thankfully, as the author of Hebrews points out in the Scripture above, God’s children have access to the one and only Promise Keeper.  And because the Lord doesn’t lie, we can have confidence in everything He promised—most importantly His assurance of eternal life, that “hope that lies before us.”  So, when God says that everyone who believes in Jesus “will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), we can trust that truth.  When Jesus reminds us,  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), we don’t have to worry about some missing step needed to earn our place in Heaven someday.

What more do we need in life than this?  Nothing—but, as our amazing God always does, He offers His forever family so much more.  See how The Message Bible explains the “additional benefits” our Promise Keeper provides:

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.
(I Peter 1:3-5)

These verses make it perfectly clear that God is at work for us in the here and now, giving us “a brand-new life” and “everything to live for.”  We find these assurances over and over again in Scripture, for instance, “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (II Corinthians 5:17). Part of this new way of living involves the Lord developing us into keepers of His promises too:  ^“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him” (Philippians 2:13).

I don’t know about you, but I need to focus on the Promise Keeper much more in the days ahead.  After all, we can’t change the past or avoid every promise-breaker, but we absolutely can connect with the One keeping an eye on us today, tomorrow, and forever.  

Many blessings to you during this season of rebirth and renewal from all of us at Sonkist Ministries!

  Thought of the Spring

God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.

Psalm 18:30