Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Psalms 36:9, “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”
James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Then immediately he adds, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
The religious way of understanding these verses is that first you cleanse your hands and try to purify your heart.
You try to make things seem right, according to your thought.
Then you draw near to God, as though you are the savior and the one who cleans yourself up–as though you are the one qualified to know the duplicity in your heart and to know when your heart is divided, as though you can do the work yourself.
You think that after you have done what you could, then you can draw near to God.
But James does not say it that way.
He says to come as you are and draw near to God.
As the well known hymn says, come just the way you are, without one plea, but that His blood was shed for you.
Blood has been shed.
You can come the way you are, and God will draw near to you.
Then you get in the light: “In Your light we see light” (Psa. 36:9).
In God’s light your hands are dirty, and you say, “O Lord, look at the dirt on my hands.”
And yet, when you are looking at your hands, you are not looking at them with yourself as the point of reference.
You are looking at yourself in His light.
And in His light the blood is cleansing.
You can weep and you can repent, and you can shed tears.
And all the time that you are weeping and repenting and shedding tears, it is not at all ascetic or religious.
You are actually participating in the grace of God.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
Wednesday’s Prayer Requests
Linda Alexander
Joel Bateman – Hospice
Ethel Proudfit – Hospice
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Ashton Bateman
Brandon’s Dad
Charlene Palmer
Darlene Thaxton
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Dr. Don Davis
Easton Fielder
Erik Magusson
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Jim Mabe
June Cronan’s Sister
John Austin
John McClain
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Michael Stanley
Mike Ferus
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Rose Fuller
Sandra Graham
Scott Nix
Terrell Loyd
Tom Witcher
James Garner’s Friend
Kim McClain’s Mother
Lonzo Christin
Ashely Burn’s Sisters
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Stubbs
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier
Sheila Simmon’s Cousin