"Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith"
Hebrews 13:7
Today marks exactly 5 years that I received the phone call that I never wanted to get. My Pastor, Leader, Confidant, and Friend, Prophetess Mother A.B. Jackson had passed away. I was sitting in a restaurant with my sister in San Antonio, Texas. Needless to say, the tears began to flow and I was inconsolable for a moment. I couldn't focus on finishing my lunch, on my reaction to the news, or on anything. My sister tried as best she could to comfort me. I called my "then boyfriend" in Missouri and he tried to console me over the phone. Everything seemed surreal.
Prophetess Mother A.B. Jackson (simply, "Mother Jackson" to those who knew her) was the sort of friend a person never wants to think about losing. Her passing left a void in my life, and I'm sure, all the many people who knew her. Once you met her, you could never forget her. It was the love of Jesus Christ that she exemplified to everyone that she came in contact with. You just knew that she was a woman of God by the way that she carried herself. Her conversation was always about Jesus and I never once heard foolish talking come from her mouth. It was all about wanting to see people saved. She truly cared about their souls.
I thank God for my mother, Hester Swarn. In 1978 she introduced us to Mother Jackson. Growing up in Macon, Georgia I can remember attending several churches, but it was at Jackson Temple that my family finally found a home church. There was just something about this Pastor. When my sister and I approached her and asked if we should join the church, she just smiled and said, "Daughter, just be led by God." And that smile of hers. It was so genuine and heartfelt. That's all I needed. Jackson Temple Holiness Church became the place, as a teenager growing up, where I learned so much. It was also the place that I got saved and baptized with the Holy Ghost. We had Holy Ghost filled mothers who taught the young people how to live for God. How to dress. How to talk. How to get up and testify and to be used by the Lord. How to witness. I'd never been in such a place like this before. We truly had a leader who loved the Lord Jesus with all her heart, soul, and strength.
As the years passed, my sister and I grew much closer to Mother Jackson. We had the opportunity many times to stay at her home after church services were over. That was always special. After Saturday night service, we'd spend the night and get to sit with her at the dinner table and eat. Always, Mother Jackson would say grace and repeat the Bible verse, "He restoreth my soul and leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." Afterward, whoever else was present and sitting at the table, had to recite a Bible verse as well. Then we would eat. We'd talk about the goodness of Jesus, and Mother Jackson never failed to sit there after eating and read the Word. What was so precious was after she finished reading, she would always kiss the Bible. "Oh my," I thought. "How she loved God's Word."
As I look back and reminisce over the memories of such a wonderful woman of God, tears well up in my eyes. They are not tears of sadness, but of the joy of knowing such a Godly, loving person. She lived what she preached. There were times, that if she had to rebuke you, then she would. If you weren't in church, you best believe that you would be getting a phone call to see why you were not there. That was pure love. It wasn't about the tithes and offerings. It was coming from a heart so filled with love that she didn't want to see people die and go to hell.
“God want somebody concerned
God want somebody concerned
Concerned about His people
Dying and going to Hell
God want somebody concerned”
Mother Jackson often sang this song to her congregation. She was concerned about the souls of people. When she got saved in 1954 the Lord gave her this message to give to a dying world:
“Your knowledge is going to pass away and your faith is going to vanish, but charity goes beyond the grave”
She always preached this to everyone she met. She could preach this message because her love was genuine. If people were hungry, she would feed them. If they needed shoes and clothing, she would supply them. If you didn’t have a way to church, she would make sure someone would be there to pick you up. When my brother passed away in 2000, she came all the way to Atlanta to pray for my grieving family and bought food. Mother Jackson was just that kind of person. She was a real Christian that didn’t have just lip love, but she loved in deed and in truth.
I will always remember Prophetess Mother A.B. Jackson. She lived the example of true holiness and righteousness. Yes, I cried the day that God called her home, and I still cry today. I miss her so much. I thought of her a lot when I was going through cancer. I wanted to hear her voice so badly. “Daughter, you keep the faith in Jesus”, I heard her say many times. “Tell that Devil he is a liar, and don’t let him shake your faith.” I heard these words echoing in my ears on those days when I didn’t think that I could go on. They drove me to the Word of God, and this same Jesus that my Pastor preached about so many times came into my room and strengthened me. I could hear her saying, “Hold on to faith daughter, and look up because Jesus is up.”
The main lesson that I learned from my Pastor was to always trust Jesus, no matter what. Lead by example, not mere empty words. Let your testimony be spoken out of a life lived for the Lord. Pray without ceasing. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love all God’s people. I don’t care for anything else really. I just want to live my life to the full every day, and that comes only through Jesus Christ. I could never fill the shoes of this great Prophetess, but I can follow the example that she left for all those who knew her. Love unconditionally and live for Jesus, because in the end, that is all that is going to matter.
