Purpose! Newsletter - May 2026

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. -Jesus- John17:20-24

Jesus was praying about us.

 “Them also which shall believe on me through their word;”  The Gospel would be proclaimed by the Apostles and others would believe and follow Jesus. These believers would become the Church Jesus had said He would build. That church would grow and extend into all the world for generations until his return to catch them away into heaven. So Jesus is praying far into the future which future we are.

This prayer expresses the true heart of Jesus.

The Greek word “one” here is to be united most closely (in will, spirit). The will is what one wishes or has determined shall be done. The spirit is the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides. So the church, having determined what should be done, learned from the teachings of Jesus, must do all within its power to accomplish that. Of course that is with dependence upon the Holy Spirit who will reveal precisely the will of Jesus.

Such an endeavor requires a oneness, a unity, a cohesiveness. 

I like the word cohesive. Let’s take a look at it.

Cohesive: When the parts of the whole work or fit together well, they are cohesive, like a cohesive family whose members pitch in with everything from making dinner to painting the house.

The adjective cohesive comes from the Latin word cohaerere, or “to cleave together.” Cohesive things stick together, so they are unified.

That is the requirement for successful church function. That is important in the local assembly of course, but Jesus is referring to the universal church, all that believe in him. At the risk of sounding negative, I don’t think we have accomplished the task. Not only universally, but unfortunately sometimes the local church has more division that a fourth grade math textbook.

No wonder so many outside of the church refuse to enter.

Jesus prayed, That the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The key to the world believing in Jesus being the sent one from heaven for the redemption of mankind is that the church display the unity akin to that which the Father and the Son have.

He has even given us his glory to enable us to reach that end. We are to be the glorious church. Alas, we have failed to allow his glory to shine through us so the lost can see the truth of Jesus. With hundreds of denominations, sects, and so many claiming to be the only true church, the unbeliever does not know where to turn, who to trust, or where to go lest they end up in the wrong one.

That the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Not only can the world not see the truth concerning Jesus because of the misbehavior of the church, but neither can they experience the much needed love of the Father. A love that is the love the Father has for his Son Jesus. That is some kind of love. That is the love spoken of by Jesus in John 3:16: For God so loved the world.

There is eternal hope.

And yet, for those who have seen the light, who have believed, and decided to follow Jesus there is the eternal hope.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be.

Only then will we all be one. Amen.

This May let us be cognizant of the prayer of Jesus and move to being a part of it being answered. May it be so. Amen again. -PJF-

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And now a word from Pastor Shirley

Does the Good Ever Outweigh the Bad?

We have all heard people say, “I hope the good outweighs the bad.” This is usually said when people think about where they might go when they die. Heaven or Hell.

As Believers, we know going to Heaven or Hell does not depend on how much good we do, it all depends on one thing. Whether or not we have asked Jesus Christ to forgive us for our sins and for Him to be Lord and Savior of our lives.

Anything good that a person does will never outweigh the bad because the bad will always overpower the good. Our deeds, whether they are good or bad, are always bad. The Bible tells us our hearts are deceitful and evil thoughts come out of them. There is no way we can do “good” if the core of  our being is deceitful.      

In order for our deeds to be counted for good we must be saved through Jesus Christ. It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven of everything we have ever done, good and bad, so we can begin again with no record of the past.

When we ask Jesus Christ to forgive us, he takes away the mistakes we have made and gives us a fresh start. The old is gone and we are brand new. We are free from past failures and the bad things are no longer there. No one can bring those charges against us because it has been washed away by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ, and only in Him, we will never have to worry about the good outweighing the bad. -SAF-

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 Happy Birthday!

Pastor Shirley Flores

May 15, 2026

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Guidelines for Successful Living

In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 through 7, Jesus gives us many guidelines for successful living.

The message is three chapters of practical and spiritual  exercises we can engage in that are profitable for ourselves and in our relationships. 

I want to touch upon Matthew 6:19-21:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures

upon earth, where moth

and rust doth corrupt,

and where thieves break

through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

There are two depositories for our treasure. One is earth, one is heaven. One is secure, the other is not.

Whichever one we choose to invest in will reveal our heart.

Not everyone chooses the best place.

Those who choose earthly pursuits end up with great loss.

Choosing the correct place guarantees our principal investment remains safe. And consequently produces most profit.

Let us invest wisely of our wealth in the kingdom of God. Expect great dividends both now and forever. -PJF-

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Purpose! Ministries Inc.

16605 Sunrise Lakes Blvd Suite 6

Clermont, FL 34714

Sundays 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

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Pastors PJ and Shirley Flores

     Purpose! Ministries

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