WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASSES

6:30

Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:

Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Peter is the most notable example of the survival of faith.

When the Lord told him that Satan desired to sift him as wheat, that meant “The devil is going to come to you, Peter. He is going to shake you up one side and down the other. You think you love Me? You think you are so much for Me? I am going to show you, Peter, that there is nothing in you for Me.”

And Peter denied the Lord.

But before that the Lord said to him, “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.”

This means Peter’s response, his living faith, should not fail.

Then the Lord added, “And when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

The word “returned” can also be rendered “converted” or “turned again.”

So when Peter turned again, He was to strengthen the brothers.

Though Peter denied the Lord, his faith did not fail.

It came back.

On the day of Pentecost, there was power with Peter, because his faith had survived the test.

It had proved to be genuine.

Sometimes we pass through trials, environments that shake us down to the bone, and we feel, “God, there is nothing in me for You.”

But we just need to give ourselves a little time.

We will discover that deeper than our mind, deeper than our emotions, there is a response in us.

And that is what surfaces in us.

It is called faith.

And it sounds like, “Jesus, I love You. I love You even more.”

This shows that we experienced Christ in a genuine way.

James tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience (1:3).

The word “patience” comes from a compound Greek word.

The first part of the word means “under,” and the second part of the word means “remain.”

So patience means to remain under.

When there are pressures, difficult environments, we experience patience by remaining under the environments.

When we do not get what we want, we remain under that situation.

When we feel deprived, or things are delayed, we remain under.

When things do not happen the way we think they should, we know how to remain under.

And that remaining under, that patience, is Jesus Christ.

He is patience.

When you are there under a certain environment and you are saying “Jesus,” you are experiencing Another life that is able to remain under with joy.

With joy!

Not with grumbling, not with complaining, not with “I cannot wait to get out of this situation.”

But you can remain under.

This is patience.

This is the faith that does not fail.

It survives despite the intensity of the testing.

Until Tomorrow 

With a Shepherd’s Love 

Pastor

TODAY’S PRAYER LIST

Amy Garner’s Dad

Charlene Palmer

Dr. Don Davis

Freddie May’s Mom

John McClain 

Kathi Mabe

Rose Fuller

Terrell Loyd

Tom Witcher

Wes Knight

Ann Sullivan – Paula’s Friend

Bentley Smith

James Garner’s Friend 

Kim McClain’s Mother

Lonzo Christian             

Ashley Burn’s Sisters

Bill Moody 

Charlie Sessom – Waiting  

Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons 

Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother

Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace

Kenny & Nora Allison  

Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister  

Larry Barker  

Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah

Mary Sims  

Marynell Ford

Pastor & Mrs. Driskell 

Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend 

Ricky Stubbs  

Rod Gustafson – Cancer

Roseleigh Osborn  

Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son 

Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend

Sheila Simmon’s Cousin

Tammy Shellnut’s Mother/Dad