Experience the joy of Christmas as our choir presents COME WORSHIP THE KING that celebrates the birth of our Savior. Together, let’s make this Sunday a time of heartfelt worship, reflection, and communion, ensuring there’s no room for anything but reverence and praise for Him.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (WANTS TO BE) a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
James exposes the source of our struggles.
The word “wants” in this verse is very significant.
It means “resolves.”
This same word is used by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, which sheds further light on our understanding: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil.”
The thought in verse 9 is not merely an impulse to be rich.
It is a resolve to be rich.
It is the kind of decision one makes with a definite intention.
So Paul speaks of resolving to be rich, and James speaks of resolving to be a friend of the world.
When we receive the Lord, He comes in to take over.
All the rights to our life are gone.
We belong to Him.
We are under His headship.
We are under His lordship.
To have any resolve other than the resolve to follow Him, to know Him, and to live by Him is to have an evil eye (Matt. 6:23).
The Lord tells us that our eye should be “single” (v. 22).
This means that we should have only one goal, look at only one thing, and not tolerate a divided heart.
To have a single eye means to have a single heart (vv. 21-23).
When the Lord spoke of having a single eye, He did not contrast it with having double vision.
Rather, He used the word “evil” as the contrasting word for “single.”
This is because in God’s thought having anything other than God Himself as our one goal is evil.
Any resolve in our life apart from the Lord Himself will lead us into trouble.
There are serious consequences when we resolve to be a friend of the world or when we resolve to be rich.
Even to resolve to “get rich for Jesus” is an error of the heart.
We only need to have one resolve and that is, “Lord, I love You, and I am one with You. My only desire is to be under You and to follow You on the path of life” (cf. Matt. 7:14).
In the New Testament, Paul uses the phrase “Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This confession is very significant.
It means that the Lord is not someone outside of us that we are observing from afar.
No!
He is the One who lives and rules in us.
When we feel inwardly restrained from doing or saying something, we need to go along with that restraint.
Jesus Christ is not just our Savior.
He is our Lord!
Our only resolve is to say “Amen” and “Yes” to Him.
Until Tomorrow
With A Shepherd’s Love,
Pastor Jackson
THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
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 – Riverside
Deanna Fowler
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother
Donnie Butler’s Dad
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Easton Fielder
Ed Mays
Eric Ward
Erik Magnusson
Freddie May’s Mom
George & Linda Alexander
Heather May
James Burnette
James Garner’s Friend
Janie Roberts
Jillian Gray
Joanie & Jeanie
Joanie/Jeanie Mom
Jodi Bateman
John Austin
John McClain
June Cronan
June Cronan’s Sister
Kailey Bateman
Kathy Mabe
Kim McClain’s Mother
Krista Hilscher – Improving
Larry Barker
Lee Cronan – Success
Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Lonzo Christin
Lori Blount’s Mother
Lynn Garner
Marlon Cook
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Maureen Brown
Michael Stanley
Miles Bradshaw
Nancy Proudfit
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Pat Chupp
Ricky Gipson
Ricky Stubbs
Robbie Edwards
Rose Fuller – Rehab
Roseleigh Osborn
Sandra Graham
Scott Lanier
Soso Nzolo – 17 Yr. Old South African Pastor’s Daughter
Susan & Alexis Tesone
Tom Witcher