Uplook - September 20, 2025
Happy Saturday to the beloved of the Lord,
I love this time of the year with the hints of fall like leaves beginning to change color and cool crisp evenings. I also love the fact that there is a merging of various fall sports including football, volleyball, and the end of baseball season. (Go Mariners...this is Seattle after all).
But most of all I love that none of these things even move the needle of God's love toward us. It remains solidly pegged in our favor. We were reminded of this last evening by Sis. Esther Olusanya in the opening message of special meetings in Chehalis. She read from the prophet Jeremiah ...
"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3
She noted that even while God's just nature required consequences for the rebellion of His covenant people, His love for them was not diminished and it was with that love that He continued to draw them back into a relationship. The same is true for us today.
Sometimes we feel that what we have done excludes us from returning to the Lord and that somehow His love for us is diminished. Reality, on the other hand is quite the opposite. Consider Jesus' parable in Luke 15 of the two wayward sons...the first who we often refer to as "the prodigal". His father's love extended first to allowing his choice concerning inheritance to be carried out even with the prospect of pain and devastation. No doubt the father's heart was broken at the departure of the young man ...and yet real love demands it being freely chosen. When the young man "came to himself" it was because of memories of the love and care of his father, even toward his hired help. Determining himself, unworthy of a father's love, he desired even the care of a hired servant which his father provided and so returned. But much to his surprise...his father was waiting and watching for just such a return. With this change of heart and will in view, the father rushes out to meet the son showering him not with "I told you so's" but rather with a warm embrace, a call to wrap him in the best clothing, and restoration of the authority he had as a son. A celebration (of love) was quicky called.
The second son...while not called prodigal was also farther away from his father's love than he thought, and that again by his own prideful choice. Yet, even in his anger and disappointment, he is encouraged by the father back to the place of love for his own brother, and invited into the celebration and back into the self-severed relationship not only with the father but also his brother.
Today...may we never lose sight of God's "everlasting love" for us and may we quickly return if we have wandered or strayed from it knowing that He is still drawing us with his "lovingkindness."
Housekeeping Notes
Chehalis Special Meetings - Sunday evening service will be cancelled tomorrow to allow those who wish to join the 4 pm evening service that opportunity.
Contact List update - It is time once again to update our phone/contact list. If you could please email or text me any updated information (mail address, phone number, etc) in the next two weeks we will make the necessary updates.
God Bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
I love this time of the year with the hints of fall like leaves beginning to change color and cool crisp evenings. I also love the fact that there is a merging of various fall sports including football, volleyball, and the end of baseball season. (Go Mariners...this is Seattle after all).
But most of all I love that none of these things even move the needle of God's love toward us. It remains solidly pegged in our favor. We were reminded of this last evening by Sis. Esther Olusanya in the opening message of special meetings in Chehalis. She read from the prophet Jeremiah ...
"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3
She noted that even while God's just nature required consequences for the rebellion of His covenant people, His love for them was not diminished and it was with that love that He continued to draw them back into a relationship. The same is true for us today.
Sometimes we feel that what we have done excludes us from returning to the Lord and that somehow His love for us is diminished. Reality, on the other hand is quite the opposite. Consider Jesus' parable in Luke 15 of the two wayward sons...the first who we often refer to as "the prodigal". His father's love extended first to allowing his choice concerning inheritance to be carried out even with the prospect of pain and devastation. No doubt the father's heart was broken at the departure of the young man ...and yet real love demands it being freely chosen. When the young man "came to himself" it was because of memories of the love and care of his father, even toward his hired help. Determining himself, unworthy of a father's love, he desired even the care of a hired servant which his father provided and so returned. But much to his surprise...his father was waiting and watching for just such a return. With this change of heart and will in view, the father rushes out to meet the son showering him not with "I told you so's" but rather with a warm embrace, a call to wrap him in the best clothing, and restoration of the authority he had as a son. A celebration (of love) was quicky called.
The second son...while not called prodigal was also farther away from his father's love than he thought, and that again by his own prideful choice. Yet, even in his anger and disappointment, he is encouraged by the father back to the place of love for his own brother, and invited into the celebration and back into the self-severed relationship not only with the father but also his brother.
Today...may we never lose sight of God's "everlasting love" for us and may we quickly return if we have wandered or strayed from it knowing that He is still drawing us with his "lovingkindness."
Housekeeping Notes
Chehalis Special Meetings - Sunday evening service will be cancelled tomorrow to allow those who wish to join the 4 pm evening service that opportunity.
Contact List update - It is time once again to update our phone/contact list. If you could please email or text me any updated information (mail address, phone number, etc) in the next two weeks we will make the necessary updates.
God Bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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