Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
Matthew 18:22, “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
What is the perfect church?
It is a forgiving church.
It is a longsuffering church.
It is an enduring, patient, caring church that is receiving all the failing, sinful, ungodly people who have Christ in them.
There is forgiveness up to seventy times seven.
And there is love and there is mercy.
There is this kind of relationship that you do not find in any other place.
In other places, when someone treats me unfairly or I am offended, I leave and go somewhere else.
But that does not accomplish the Lord’s desire to perfect the church in the realm of God’s unconditional love.
This is the meaning of His prayer in John 17:23, “that they may be made perfect into one.”
Being perfected into one is simply this: the love of God being perfected in us toward one another.
This does not mean the perfection of your condition.
It means the perfection in my response to your condition–how I receive you, love you, pray for you, and have mercy toward you.
It is how I receive you and make you the object of God’s love, no matter what condition you are in.
The church is filled with the love of God–the love He has toward us, the love we have toward Him, and the love we have toward one another.
How marvelous that this is the love in the church.
The love-life in the church is the unconditional love of God coming to us.
We know what He has done for us.
We know how He has received us.
Now that same love is demonstrated toward one another.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
TUESDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Jim Mabe’s memorial service will be Thursday at 2:00 at the church.
Paula Ferus
Marlon Cook
June Cronan
Amy Garner
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Andrew Halevi & Daughter
Ashely Burn’s Sisters
Brandon’s Dad
Coly/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Dan Haines
Darlene Wiggins
David Burnette
David Harrison
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Donnie Butler’s Dad
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Easton Fielder
Eric Ward
Erik Magnusson
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner’s Friend
JERRY ROBERTS
Jillian Gray
Jodi Bateman
John Austin
John McClain
June Cronan’s Sister
Kim McClain’s Mother
Larry Barker
Lee Cronan
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Maureen Brown
Michael Stanley
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Ricky Stubbs
Rose Fuller
Roseleigh Osborn
Sandra Graham
Scott Lanier
Soso Nzolo – 17 Yr. Old South African Pastor’s Daughter
Tom Witcher