Spectator or Participater?

I’m going to get straight to the point with this post! If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior you are a part of the body of Christ! We all have a gift, my question to you is, are you in the game or on the sideline? I’m not talking about being on the bench either; I’m saying are you being a spectator. Christianity doesn’t need any spectators! It’s just like a football game there are more spectators than players! You see we live in an important time and the world is in a critical state! We as Christians have a very important roll to play! Are you in the game? Are you reaching out to those in need? The body of Christ has an upward reach in worship, an inward reach in our spiritual nourishment, and an outward reach to people who do not know Jesus! 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV) says “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” The fact is we are all called to do something. Jesus has trained us and equipped us to get in the game! So today score a touchdown or better yet make a tackle!!!!!!! Have a blessed day! With LOVE, Jason

The Healer

Jesus asked,
"Do you believe I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
"Because of your faith, it will happen."
And suddenly they could see! Matthew 9:28-30
You gotta believe!
"If you study the healing ministry of Jesus in the Gospels,
a recurring pattern emerges —
again and again,
Jesus looked to see if the sick person was showing faith to be healed.
Healing is "according to your faith." Matthew 9:28-30
Jesus had all the faith and healing power necessary, even to heal blindness.
There were no questions, no doubts, in His mind about His ability to heal these two blind men.
The variable was not Jesus' faith,
but the faith of the men desiring to be healed.
And when Jesus had determined that they did indeed have faith in His healing power,
He cured them of their blindness.
This same pattern is seen in the ministry of the apostle Paul.
A lame man was listening to Paul preaching the Gospel.
During this sermon, Paul looked directly at him,
saw that he had faith to be healed
and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’
At that, the man jumped up and began to walk". Acts 14:8-10
Did the apostle Paul have the "gifts of healing"? 1 Corinthians 12:9
Apparently so.
But the healing did not occur until the lame man himself "had faith to be healed."
Therefore,
it is urgent that we grow in faith to be healed.
Jesus’ apostles understood the importance of this.
Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith grows as we focus on Jesus the Healer.
Acts 9:34 records the apostle Peter ministering healing to a lame man.
He simply said to the paralytic,
"Aeneas,... Jesus Christ heals you."
Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
"Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.
"I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"
Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
"I am willing," Jesus said.
Let His own words establish the fact that it is His will to heal!
Psalm 103:2-3 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases...
Faith for healing grows as we realize that Jesus has provided
both the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our diseases.
1 Peter 2:24 ...by his wounds you have been healed.
Faith for divine healing grows as we remember that from God’s standpoint,
healing is already DONE — "You have been healed."
Matthew 8:16-17 "...Jesus healed all the sick.
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases."
Matthew 4:23-24 Jesus went throughout Galilee
healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus’ will to heal includes YOUR sickness!
He healed "every disease and sickness."
1) Remember that faith comes by hearing God’s Word.
2) Focus on Jesus the Healer.
3) Remember His words to the man who was uncertain about Jesus’ will to heal: "I am willing."
4) Don’t forget the salvation benefits of forgiveness of sins and healing of sickness.
5) Remember that Jesus "took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." Don’t you carry them a minute longer!
6) Any affliction you have can be healed — Jesus healed "every disease and sickness."
7) And thankfully, "Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and TODAY and forever". Hebrews 13:8
Jesus healed His people 20 centuries ago, and He is still the same — He will heal you today!" Have an AWESOME DAY! Love you all, Jason

Hand to Hand

I pray this post rocks you and that it challenges you. A Man died and went to heaven. When he met St. Peter he told him how grateful he was to be in Heaven, but he wanted to know how much better Heaven was than Hell. So he asked Peter to let him glance in Hell for just 10 seconds. That a way he could know just how grateful he could be. Peter said OK. When the man looked in Hell he seen a large table as far as the eye could see filled with the best food he had ever put his eyes on. Then the kicker! He asked Peter why everyone around the table were like bones and very malnourished? Peter told him in Hell they have to eat with 5 foot long chopsticks and you could never get the food to your mouth from the table because of the chopsticks being so long. That’s why they are starving to death. So Peter closed Hell up and began to walk with the man through Heaven. Then he took the man into the Banquet room. In there was the same table with even better food on it. Like Fillet steak, poppy seed chicken, shrimp, crab legs, krispy creme donuts (hot n now) if you know what I mean, you get the picture! But the man noticed something everyone around this table was full and looked very healthy! So the man asked Peter “What do these people eat with?” Peter replied, “The same 5 foot long chopsticks!” So then the man asked Peter “how it was possible for the people in Hell to starve but the people in Heaven to be very healthy. When they used the same 5 foot long chopsticks?” Peter then replied, “In heaven we feed each other from across the table. Those 5 foot long chopsticks work if you are willing to serve one another.” This is just a joke but I think we can learn a lot from it! In our own communities people are starving for things like: Love, Security, Feeling wanted and needed, a purpose just to wake up in the morning. I have a real hard time with this because in my home community we have people who are homeless, hungry, and want to change but can’t seem to find anyone to help them! In America we have so much on the table of opportunity with those same chopsticks trying to feed only ourselves. Reach out today feed someone else. You reap what you sow, if you feed others you to will be fed! I have some question and then I’m closing this post out. Are you willing to feed your community? Is your Church reaching out? We as Churches have a lot of resources and a lot on the table. We must serve; it’s what Jesus Christ said we should do!!!! When people with Passion partner together things get done inside the Church and the Community! I am so thankful that I have the resources and energy to do this very thing within my own community! Thank you Jesus, for everything. It’s my prayer that eyes will be opened through this post and people will begin to feed others instead of themselves! With Love Jason

Giving God your ALL!

Let me just say before I write anything we at "The LOT Project" give Jesus Christ all honor, all glory, and all praise for what he did through this family's situation. The very fact that he would choose us humbles me as i write this. It all started when I got a phone call at 9:30 pm on a Friday night from a ministry leader here in Anderson. He said "I have a 28 year old single mom who has been in an abusive relationship. She has a nine year old, a 21 month old, and a newborn. She has packed up diapers, wipes, i hamper of clothes, and she is headed to Anderson. That's all she has. She has nowhere to go". He told me that he had called every program and every woman's home in the upstate and that there were no openings anywhere. Then he said something that at the time made my heart scream. He said "You guys are our last hope. Jason, I know you guys can make this happen". So I immediately went to the Lord and prayed "Use us. Have your way with us. Bring your people, together to make this happen." I didn't know how? I didn't know when? I just know Jesus spoke very clear to me and it literally sent chills from my head to my feet. His exact words to me were "I will give you strength, I will give you resources but you are going to have to step up and lead this situation and know that I've got you." I met the mother and the 3 children at Wendy's off exit 19 in Anderson. Seeing those children and that mom in need broke me to the point that I would do anything to help them and that's what I told Jesus! We took them to a local hotel owned by a friend and put them in a room for five days! With some help from other folks we stocked them with food. Then I began looking for a house. I made 1 phone call and boom we had a house. I was told the house needed a lot of work and that if we wanted to redo it we could. So on Sunday we began working on the house. I called all our volunteers, shared the story and they were all in! Many of them dropped everything they were doing, even their jobs (They took days off from work!) and began helping! The Haven of Rest in Anderson replaced the porch. We replaced all the carpet. The bathroom and parts of the kitchen were redone. We painted and boy did we clean. We were able to paint the outside of the home and even landscape the yard! Then came the fun part decorating and moving furniture in for the family. We got the house finished, which only took 4 days (yes I know our God is HUGE!). Other folks were able to fill up the fridge and cabinets with food, cleaning supplies, dishes, pots, pans, Heck everything! It was one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done, but I assure you it was not easy! I learned several things through this. The most important thing I learned however was that God has surrounded our ministry with people that truly LOVE serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We as a ministry are 6 months old and God is doing huge things. That rocks my world! I pray this story encourages you but at the same time challenges you to get out of your comfort zone and trust Jesus to lead you! If it's God"s will, its God's bill. We all do things like this everyday if we unite as one body!!!! Thanks again to all who pitched in to make this happen. This family's life has been forever changed! Check us out on the web @ www.thelotproject.com. We are also paying this family's bills for a year so get on board and help us help others! You can donate online and it's safe and easy JUST DO IT! Love you all through the LOVE of Jesus thanks again to all who helped, Jason Ashley.