Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart

Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

In Christ we have redemption through His blood.

We participate in the redeeming Lamb of God.

But we must understand the word redeem.

The English prefix re is derived from the Latin prefix re, which means to restore back or to recover.

Thus, redeem literally means not just to buy, but to buy back.

It means not just to purchase, but to repurchase.

The Lord died on the cross to redeem us.

This tells us that we were not meaningless to God–people scattered, separated from God, that He decided to purchase on the spot.

This would be like going to a second-hand store, looking at an item, deciding you like that item, and purchasing it.

You buy it on the spot, without forethought.

That is not the depth of redemption.

To buy back implies that we originally belonged to God.

We were already in his heart.

We were already His property.

Before we were born, before the foundation of the world, we were God’s own possession and property.

We got lost as His property.

But He found us and redeemed us.

He bought us back.

Redemption takes on a whole new significance when we realize we have been redeemed by the blood.

It is not merely a future salvation that we have–that we are going to heaven and not going to hell.

Though we do thank God for our destiny, redemption is far deeper than that.

We have been bought back, repurchased at the price of the blood of Jesus, in order to be restored back to the purpose for which we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.  

Until Tomorrow

With A Shepherd’s Love,

Pastor Jackson

THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS

Dan Haines Serious Surgery June 7

David Burnette  

Dwight Byrd

James Parker  

Amy Garner

Lamar Knight   

Jim Mabe 

Charlene Palmer

Lorraine Elliott  

Eric Ward

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Sandra Graham    

Dan Haines

Doris Loyd

Linda Alexander

June Cronan

Jillian Gray

Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad 

Brandon’s Dad 

Darlene Thaxton 

David Harrison

Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’mother 

Easton Fielder 

Erik Magusson

Freddie May’s Mom 

George & Linda Alexander 

James Burnette 

June Cronan’s Sister 

John Austin 

John McClain 

Lillanna Magnusson’s Mom

Linda Hodges’ Sister 

Michael Stanley 

Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother 

Rose Fuller 

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