Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Philippians 2:1-2, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
The way you can tell that you have applied the cross is that others are happy with you.
You may ask what this means.
To fulfill my joy means to make me happy.
And how are you going to make me happy?
It is by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
This kind of oneness in the Body requires the cross.
In Philippians 2:6-8 Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus taking the way of the cross.
Then he applies this cross-taking mind to the believers in the verses that follow.
He speaks of God operating in us both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.
This operation has to do with the inward application of the cross.
And the way Paul would know that the saints at Philippi had inwardly applied the cross is that harmony would be among them, the flow of fellowship would be between them.
This would make his joy full.
This would make him happy.
Sometimes in the church life we have not made the Body happy because we have been so “crossless” in our experience.
So the joy in the church is not full.
The Body is a barometer.
Are we making the Body happy?
Are the saints full of joy because of us?
When the saints think about us, when the saints consider us, when they see our face, do they get happy, full of joy?
This is a good way to tell whether we have applied the cross inwardly–do we make the saints full of joy?
Paul was saying, “Make my joy full. Encourage me. Fellowship with me. Bring some consolation to me. Make me happy.”
Such an atmosphere comes from the inward application of the cross.
Make your wife happy.
Make your husband happy.
Make the brothers happy.
How do you do it?
By inwardly applying the cross to murmurings, to reasonings, to right and wrong.
Get out of the realm of the self and into the spirit.
Be constituted with Christ, and the joy in the church will be full.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Amy Garner
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Ashely Burn’s Sisters
Brandon’s Dad
Charlene Palmer
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Dan Haines
Daniel Cooper
Darlene Thaxton
David Burnette
David Harrison
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Dwight Byrd
Easton Fielder
Eric Ward
Erik Magusson
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner’s Friend
Jillian Gray
Jim Mabe
Jodi Bateman
John Austin
John McClain
June Cronan
June Cronan’s Sister
Karen Slane
Kim McClain’s Mother
Lamar Knight
Larry Barker
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Alexander
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lorraine Elliott
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Michael Stanley
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Ricky Stubbs
Rose Fuller
Roseleigh Osborn
Sandra Graham
Sandy Paschal
Scott Lanier
Scott Nix
Terrell Loyd
Tom Witcher
Tony Breedlove