Good morning PJ, 

I am up reading 1Kings 8 this morning. It struck my heart to read the words  Solomon prayed to God.

Solomon prayed for Jehovah to hear prayers when Israel comes to the church he built for Him.  Solomon ask God that after God shut up the heavens and stops the rain because of sin, that He would forgive.  Solomon prayed for any prayer, any supplication by any man or by all His people, be heard when they come and spread out their hands towards that church Solomon built for God and even calls it their resting place from Jehovah.

I don’t think I ever felt such a deep feeling of sadness that hearts are still trying to find God there.  Hearts are still going to churches in the hope that God will heal and forgive and send rest.  They are blindly searching for God, feeling their way in the darkness, and we were, too.  And it puts me on my face to thank Jesus this morning for coming and taking us by our hands and leading us to where our Father really is.  Where we can really have rest: in the Spirit.

I know Jesus can come get them, too, and there is a deeper prayer in my heart now for Jesus to do that. 

1Kings 8

   38. “…any prayer, any supplication by any man or by all your people Israel when they acknowledge, each man, the affliction of his heart, and he spreads out his hands toward this church,

   39. then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and  act, and give to man according to all his ways, for you know his heart (for you, you alone, know the heart of all the sons of Adam),

. . . .

   56. “Blessed is Jehovah, who has given His people Israel a resting place, according to all that He said.  Not one word has fallen of all His good word which He spoke by the hand of His servant Moses.”

Beth D.

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Pastor John,

Listening to the chat few days ago, you said, “if anything divides and ruins it (what Jesus has given us), it will be good ideas.”  My!  That is so true!  We all have them, but good isn’t God.  It makes me ask Jesus to save me from myself.  I have always thought that just one touch from God can save God’s children from being liars.  One healing from God will teach you to never claim a healing when He hasn’t sent one, because you know He really can!  And you know the difference!  That applies to preserving the truth and the unity God has revealed.  Having experiences from God, just one word from God and the power it brings, will teach God’s children to be quiet until He sends another word.  Experiences from Jesus will save us from ourselves – if we’ll seek them and become them.

Jerry

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Good morning,

It’s early here in Flagstaff and I have been thoroughly enjoying listening to yesterday’s reading!  As I was listening to and reading along, I had these thoughts stirring inside of me and began writing them down.  I wanted to share just a little of what I wrote:

The human heart cannot define God!  It sounds just plain silly when a sophisticated man without the Spirit of God, (who calls himself a pastor) stands up and tries to tell us who God is.  I’ve heard men try to do it!  It’s confusion.  It’s a bunch of flowery words that make no sense.  They may sound good to a philosopher or poet, but not to a heart that is filled the real thing!  God only defines Himself to us through His Spirit.  We can never know who God is without the Spirit of God telling us who God is! 

So thankful for this: 

“No one really knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone really know the Father except the Son, AND he to whom the Son may choose to reveal Him” (Mt. 11:27b).

Oh Jesus!  Thank you for revealing yourself to us!  You chose us and you didn’t have to, but you did! (I would never have thought I could be one of the chosen.)  Please Lord, help me to take advantage of every opportunity to get to know you better!!  That’s how I will say thank you for choosing me!  Amen! 

Paul said it:

“Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God!”

The depth of those riches can never be known unless we dig in and search for our Creator!  But here’s the good news!!  If you have the holy Ghost, then those riches are available to YOU!  I want to experience the depth of those riches.  I can feel the Spirit’s accessibility to have the kind of wisdom and knowledge that Paul is describing, and I want it!!  Oh Jesus!  Thank you for giving me the “want-to!”  I know that’s coming from you!

I just love what I am feeling!  Been so sweet here with Margarite  and Arnold. They have been so kind to Ben and me . We are heading over to see the Grand Canyon today, and I will be taking these precious feelings with me! 

Lee Ann

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John,

 One morning last week I was reading through the book of Acts.  When I got to chapter 16 where Paul and Silas were thrown in jail, I had a thought that I hope I can convey here.

Acts 16:

16. And it happened that as we were going to prayer, a certain slave girl met us who had the spirit of Python and who brought her masters great profit by fortune telling.
17. This girl, following after Paul and us, kept crying out, saying, “These men are servants of the most high God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!”
18. This she kept doing for many days. But Paul grew very annoyed, and he turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very moment.
19. But her masters, seeing that their hope for profit was gone, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the rulers in the Agora.

…

23. And when they had laid many blows on them, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to keep them securely,

After reading the above verses I asked myself, I wonder what happened to the slave girl once the evil spirit was cast out of her.

The Bible does not tell us what happened to her or give her name.  One thing we know for sure is that she became useless to her masters.

19. But her masters, seeing that their hope for profit was gone, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the rulers in the Agora.  

Her masters became very angry because the slave girl could no longer participate nor benefit them in their evil deeds.

I started thinking about how some of us could have been involved with others in wrongdoings prior to receiving the holy Ghost, perhaps with friends, family members, acquaintances, etc.  We then become miserable and cry out to Jesus for help.  If we repent, Jesus fills us with his spirit, giving us a new nature, and as a result, we become useless to the ones we were once mixed up with.  They may become angry and even threatening, just as the slave girl’s masters did because we no longer benefit them by our sinfulness.

This can happen with children of God after receiving the holy Ghost. They may become involved with wrong business practices or other ungodly affairs.  Later, they may get under conviction, repent and stop participating in evil.  Those they were involved with may become angry or threatening as well.

Good news!  Once we become useless to the world, we can begin to be useful in the Kingdom of God.  But as we all know, we can’t have it both ways.

 In January 1970, at the age of 19, I joined the US Army Reserves.  It was a six year commitment, but it was one of the best alternatives to keep me out of the Vietnam War.  My unit could still have been mobilized to Vietnam, but I reasoned that the risk was better than being drafted.  Our mission was to set up mobile fueling stations in the field, supplying gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.

 During my six-year enlistment, I became proficient at my job and was promoted to buck sergeant.  When my sixth year ended in January 1976, I enlisted for another year.  I may have been good at my job, but I also gained a reputation that I am too ashamed to even think about, let alone talk about it here.  I wasn’t the worldliest person among my fellow reservists, but I was a grave sinner nevertheless.

 My platoon sergeant was a Korean War veteran.  He expressed how pleased he was at the way I handled myself and my job.  I, and certainly others, were useful to him.

 Sometime around September of 1976 I received the baptism of the holy Ghost, becoming a new creature in Christ.  I was not the same person.  I no longer “fit in” with my comrades.  I became useless in a worldly sense. (I still performed my duties, but not with the worldly zeal and old nature I once had.) 

 I still had to fulfill my commitment and serve out my time.  It was not easy for me the next four months at our monthly drills.  I was not the old person that my buddies were used to.  My platoon sergeant, who was once pleased with me, was disappointed that I did not accept another promotion on the condition that I enlist for another year.  I was finally discharged in January 1977.

I thank Jesus for rescuing me from myself.  Instead of my sinfulness benefiting other sinners, I want my godliness to benefit my family in Christ, as I am benefited by them.

May we all remain useful for His honor and glory!

Tom

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Good Morning Pastor John!

I loved Lee Ann’s journey entry she shared. (https://pastorjohnshouse.com/mailbag/15747/my-journal/)

Learning to live in the ordinary has been a big theme around our house.  I have recently been trying to become more organized in my day and help my family efficiently make use of time in the evenings.  Last night was one of those ordinary nights around the house.  After housework, Allison and I turned on the YouTube and listening to your father’s testimony play in the background while coloring.  The Spirit had really impressed on me how much she is listening lately.  How even just having something playing in the background while doing tasks is still feeding her little heart.  Before bed, Alex and I decided to start Hebrews.  When I closed my Bible app, I realized something.  We had gotten all of our house to-do’s done, was able to have quality time together, and was still getting to bed early.  By keeping our minds on Jesus, even if it’s listening to our music, made all of us more efficient.  I’m convinced Jesus has a totally different clock than our 24 hours in a day.  I love how easy Jesus makes life feel.  It’s in the little things.  It feels good to lay your head on your pillow and know you did exactly what Jesus had for you that day.  Some would call us boring, but I call it simple living.  Tomorrow, Jesus may have something else in store.  An experience or lesson.  But by taking care of today, our hearts are ready when it comes.

Margo

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Hi Pastor John,

I’m reading the emails and catching up on the Malachi sermon (Malachi 1:1-11 (Part 1 v.1-6)).

I think some of this was already said, but…

It really hit me in this sermon how much Jesus loved his disciplines.  To have people who sincerely loved and followed him as much as they could under the law of Moses.  They truly had no idea what he was saying about…anything…the way we can with the Spirit.  And he kept telling them that there was going to be more.  They couldn’t comprehend that; they believed him, but they couldn’t have a connection with God without the Spirit like Jesus had.  Jesus knew this and loved them so much for believing in God through him.  What sincerity they had!  Because they believed Jesus, they were rewarded at Pentecost. To have the opportunity to believe in Jesus without the Spirit and follow him, what a testimony, which could have only occurred once in this earth’s existence.  God did something very special for Jesus’ followers.  The law couldn’t give the reward of knowledge and understanding like the Spirit does.  What a reward they received on the day of Pentecost!  Everything Jesus said and the knowledge therein was revealed.  In that moment, they had the anointing that Jesus had passed on for them to use before, but actively with them forever.  It’s like before Jesus sacrifice was accepted, they had gotten a trial run with him, then God gave them the family sized portion, haha. That is so sweet to me!

Then, to think about how many people cannot receive what God is saying now, but they believe God and have the Spirit.  He is really patiently waiting for us to catch up if we’re not getting it. He is so persistent with his mercy for us to understand.  This type of patience to wait for us to receive His knowledge is most certainly not of the flesh, but only of God.  May we have this kind of patience for each other to grow in the knowledge of God like He does for us.  And, may we be able to have enough of the anointing to consume (and apply!) the knowledge.

Wendy

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Hi there,

I was writing in my journal tonight and I started going back and reading some of the earlier entries I have written this year.  What a year in Jesus this has been, so far!  Most days are the ordinary, “I woke up and went to work” kind of days, but there are so many sweet testimonies woven into those ordinary days.  I realized these ordinary days we are living are made extraordinary by the life of God that’s inside of us.  There is really nothing ordinary about our lives if we are walking in the Spirit!  It brought me to tears reading these journal entries!  Here is just one small example from January:

January 4:  I slept late!  Woke up and read my stories for the school year that begins next week and wrote my lesson plans.  After Ben and I narrowed down three paint color options for his new room, we went out to finish making deliveries from Ellen’s closet giveaways and out to eat at La Cocina in Mebane.  Then, we went to Lowe’s to purchase the paint.  We painted his room last night, and it turned out pretty!  But I didn’t get to bed until after 2 AM and woke up at 6 to go over for morning fire at Pastor John’s house.

Enjoyed working alongside Ben to paint his room while listening to and singing along with some beautiful music.  So thankful for our music.  One song by Darren that has the lines, “So many people have laughed and cried; so many people have lived and died, but they’ve never believed in me, the way that you believe.”  I told Ben that song has more meaning to me today than ever before.  I love that Jesus has given me a heart to believe and love the Truth.  It’s the same Truth that Paul taught!  What I call the “Jesus-is-enough gospel”.  Not many in this world believe that gospel, (Matthew 7:14: “How strait the gate and narrow the road that leads to life!  And few there be who find it”).  Most reject the holy Ghost baptism and add all kinds of ceremonies and dead forms to replace the life that Jesus is offering.  It’s so puzzling to me why they would do that, but it’s been that way from the very beginning of creation.  God offered Adam and Eve anything they wanted from that beautiful, lush garden; however, that wasn’t enough for them. They just had to add the fruit from that one, forbidden tree.  This human flesh can never be satisfied!!  What Jesus offers us from his rich, beautiful holy Ghost garden is all we need!  That’s Paul’s gospel.  That’s the road that leads to life! 

But I also had this sobering thought as I was listening and painting: “Everyone in Paul’s life forsook him before he died.”  And then I sincerely prayed, “Jesus, don’t let me ever forsake the Truth you’ve given to me.”  Amen!  Forsaking the Truth is forsaking Jesus.

This very first paragraph of my 2025 Journal explains why I decided to start writing a journal this year:

Happy New Year!  I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions because they never last; however, I am hoping to keep this one.  I want to remember all of the wonderful ways Jesus blessed me this year, and I am hoping someone else will be blessed and encouraged who happens to read this one day.  Most of my days are pretty ordinary, but that doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t working and watching and protecting.  

So far, I have 56 typewritten pages; 139 entries!  I am so glad these are not just pages filled with “blah, blah, blah”.  If we can see it, our ordinary, simple lives are a beautiful and extraordinary story of God.   

Amen!!  We are so blessed!!  

Lee Ann

==========

I love Lee Ann’s testimony!  When I read it, I can the hear the Spirit saying, “Live! It’s a brand new day in Jesus! Live!”  If we are growing in Jesus, all we have- every day- is “a mouth full of thank you!” to our wonderful Father, just as Sister Willie so often says. And that mouthful of thank you is also for every single person Jesus has so lovingly placed around us. Jesus is not afraid to mix things up for us! And if we make a mess, how he loves to heal us and make us whole and happy again! I love your testimony- (I may not have the words exactly right)- our Father lovingly saying, ‘Try to make a mess so big I can’t fix it.’

What a good Father!

Donna N.

==========

Aw!  I feel the same way Lee Ann. feels.  We don’t have ordinary days; we extraordinary days in Jesus! An extraordinary LIFE in Jesus!  From the non-happenings to the happenings, life in Jesus is a notch above the rest. And he has made us all beautiful stories of God.

Leeann’s email made me think of the feelings I was having yesterday about the lines from Darren’s song: “To fear the Lord is the way that is right. To give him glory and all honor with your LIFE.”  Every day is a new day with Jesus, and if we give him the glory and honor with our lives, we honor each other.

Life in Jesus can be pretty simple if we don’t add to it.  I love your saying: “Get right with God.  Stay right with God.  And you’ll be alright with God.”  That’s doable.

Amy B.

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Pastor John,

I was listening to Genesis 20 tonight, and it struck me what it really means when God instructs Abimelech to submit to Abraham and he “will pray for you so that you will live.”

The back story, in Genesis 20:2-7, is that Abimelech had taken (but not touched) Abraham’s wife, Sarah, but he had taken her only because Abraham lied to King Abimelech about the nature of his and Sarah’s relationship.  Abraham had told the king that Sarah was his sister, not his wife, and Sarah told the king the same, at Abraham’s request.  Everything about that situation, as it is described in the bible, says that Abraham was in the wrong.  Yet, God required King Abimelech to submit to Abraham for the preservation of his very life.

I then considered suffering Job and all his mockers, and how God scolded Job near the end of the story, challenging Job to defend himself for voicing a complaint as an insignificant human.  God put Job through the ringer, so to speak, knocking him down flat.  Then God told Job’s mockers to submit to Job, so that he might pray for them so THEY would live (excerpt below).

Job 42 

7. And it came to pass, after Jehovah spoke these words to Job, that Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken what is right about me, as my servant Job has.
8. So, take now for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and you go to my servant Job, and offer them as a burnt offering for yourselves, and then Job, my servant, will intercede for you, for his face will I accept.  Otherwise, I will deal with your folly, for you have not spoken what is right about me, as my servant Job has.”

I then considered the Apostle Paul and how he murdered the saints of God in his zeal to rid the world of followers of Jesus.  But after Jesus touched Paul, God required all creation to submit to Paul’s gospel or spend eternity in the Lake of Fire mentioned in Revelation 20:14–15.

I then considered our own brother Paul, who, after God wiped his slate spotless, you asked to sit in the middle of the room so that anyone feeling they still had a concern with Paul could take it to Paul, and that “he and Jesus will help you with it.”  You then laughed and said, “That is just like God!” 

What that means is whoever God has forgiven is sinless. Whoever God has cleansed is spotless.  Whoever God has justified is perfect.  It means God’s majesty and glory make all things (all people) new, no matter what they have done in the past.  It means the washing away of sins that happens at one’s New Birth is the most glorious and important thing happening on earth when it comes.  It means when God shows up to restore a soul who has gotten off the path, that THAT is just as glorious as the new birth.  It means God is everything and that his touch makes all the difference, and it is all that we need, no matter the situation.  My, that is good!

What a glorious meeting in Jesus yesterday.

Jerry

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Hi Pastor John,

Today was wonderful!  I feel like the room levitated, and no words would appropriately express the feeling of joy and God’s love together. 

I was sitting here thinking about 1John 4:19 (“We love Him because He first loved us”) because God gave me this feeling/thought during Brother Billy’s testimony of all of us flying together under God’s wing of love and mercy.  That togetherness was emphasized in this thought/feeling.  Each testimony is our testimony, and we feel the feelings of them together!  Then it occurred to me how eternal God’s love is for us.  He first loved us, yes; but, it was love from the beginning of creation.  It’s not that He started loving us yesterday, or a few decades ago, or even the day we received the holy Spirit.  He knew our hearts and was waiting for us to get here to this earth, and most importantly, to be born into His kingdom. 

Then, I read 1John 4:16 (“We have known and have believed the love that God has for us.”), and the parallel struck me of what we have been taught recently about believing Jesus and then receiving a reward from diligently seeking him.  That verse in 1John says we not only believe the love of God, but we also have known it.  You cannot know it without believing it first, and then receiving the reward of love that God has for us by obeying Him.  Being a part of the family of God is eternal, and God’s love for us has always been eternal.  And, if we take care of each others’ hearts by obeying God, we will continue to be rewarded with even more unity and love together.  

Wendy

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