Pastor John,

Wow!  I’m reading John 6 this morning, and I am overwhelmed by the fact that Jesus has written what is on those pages onto our hearts.  Look at what we understand!  It’s not hard for us to hear.  It is wonderful! 

Reading John 6:38–40 made my spirit leap!  God is on our side. It is His will that nothing He has given to Jesus be lost, but that Jesus will raise them up on the last day.  That’s us!  God gave us to Jesus, fully knowing His will – and I love that so much.  Sometimes it just feels too wonderful not to share!

38.For I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of  Him who sent me.

39.And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given to me, but that I should raise it up in the last day.

40.And this is the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

. . . .

53. Therefore, Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

54.He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I’ll raise him up on the last day.

55.For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.

56.He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57.Just as the living Father sent me, and I live by the Father, so also, he who eats me shall live by me.

58.This is the bread who came down from heaven – not the way your fathers ate manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

59. These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60. Then, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?”

61. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this offend you?

62. Then, what if you see the Son of man ascending to where he was before?

63. It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The things that I am telling you, they are spirit, and they are life!

Beth

 

John,

I love Margo’s heartfelt testimony  of how she chose to not go down the pathway of bitterness after losing their baby. (https://pastorjohnshouse.com/mailbag/15828/trusting-god-in-all-things/) That takes trusting that Jesus is right and he is true and withholds no good thing.   And I love your response to her about bitterness being a form of self-will.  That felt like such an arrow hitting the bullseye for me. 

Some years back, I had times when I couldn’t understand how some prayers and situations I was praying about continually went unanswered, and it led me to the brink of bitterness.  I thought I was trusting Jesus, but what he taught me was that I really just wanted what I wanted when I wanted it in the situation, not God’s timing.  I got tired of hurting.  I got so focused on how my prayers were unanswered that I almost missed the everyday sweet things Jesus was doing for me to encourage me to hold on.  I got shortsighted and was tired of suffering through things instead of really understanding that if he had given me what I wanted when I wanted it, I would not have learned the lesson of waiting in patience for the best outcome – that there was a purpose from God for my unanswered prayer.  I remember right where I was when He finally got that through to me, and what sweet relief it brought and it changed me.  The waiting had served its purpose.  Jesus was patient with me as I learned and overcame my carnal mind by choosing to trust and wait.  He answered those prayers in a way that let his lessons stick with me.  I wanted what He wanted more than what I thought I wanted. 

After I learned my lesson, I could say from my whole heart when faced with fiery tests and trials, “I trust you, Jesus, and I know you have my answers and relief, and I will wait on you. You are working on my behalf.”

I’m so thankful Jesus has helped us learn to desire his way and timing that leads to peace, instead of pushing to have things our way, which leads to regrets.  There is a way to press in for answers and do things God’s way so that wonderful testimonies come forth.  We may not understand what He is doing at times, and I tell Him that I don’t understand sometimes, but I trust Him because I know His heart towards me. 

Bitterness is a form of self-will.  What a wonderful word of wisdom to hold tightly to as we live our lives. 

With much love,

Bess

Good Morning Pastor John!

As a few are aware, we lost a pregnancy recently.  Just shy of a week of what we thought would be officially announced.

For several weeks, things had been touch and go. Hurry up and wait and wait again.  Over time it took a toll on me.  I tried to stay optimistic by ignoring feelings, in what I know now were the Spirit letting me know this wasn’t working out.  I started to feel beat down, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Alex’s take on how I was doing was that I was here, but I wasn’t here.

Alex and I were talking shortly after.  I didn’t want this to take me to a dark place.  I knew the Margo of years ago would have dug a trench Jesus would have had to rescue me from.  I said, “You know, I’ve been through some things in this life that most people without the holy Ghost would never recover from.”  But Jesus has done the impossible in every situation.  Why would this be any different?  We started giggling and realized most worldly people would think we are crazy.  Why aren’t we angry or pounding the floor in grief?  How could our God do this to us?  And don’t get me wrong; this has been an emotional roller coaster and painful.  I still have those crying moments.  BUT Jesus is the lifter up of our heads.  It’s okay to feel sad, but I can’t stay there.  Jesus has been too good for him to have to come dig me out again.  I would have been a mess without knowing through this that God designs all things for us.

Alex said to me recently, “Welcome back; I missed you.”  Or something to that effect.  Soon after that, I started hearing thoughts like, “What are you chasing after?”  I had been so distracted with the “want” of a baby and other things, I was completely missing everything in front of me.  Jesus gave me a wonderful job.  We have two beautiful children that are growing quickly.  And I have a wonderful husband.  Life was just passing me by.

So, this weekend we planned a little day trip, something we knew would be easy for my physically and not too far from home.  We had the best time.  At the very end, we got caught in a heavy rain storm.  Many people were running up the hill because they didn’t want to get wetter.  About half way up, I had the thought, “Why are you in a hurry?  Regardless if you rush or not, you are still going to be soaking wet?  Those other people are still going to be soaking wet.”  The destination was the same, and I had a choice as to whether I was going to enjoy where I was or be in a hurry.  All I could do was look up, start laughing, and enjoy the moment.

When we got home, I told Alex that for the first time, I didn’t think.  I didn’t worry about what needed to be done or what our next move was.  It was simply enjoying the time Jesus gave us.

I have no clue what Jesus has in store next for us.  Whether that’s an addition or something else.  But I know it’s the perfect plan, and I don’t have to be in a hurry to get there.

I love you, and I’m so thankful for our family.

Margo

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Hi Margo,

This is a wonderful testimony.  Trusting God to be in control of all things for our good, even when things are not going as we hoped or as we would like, is the only way to escape “the root of bitterness” (Heb. 12:15).  Disappointment is a great test of the heart, and many fail it.  It is a blessing for me to hear that you are overcoming the flesh’s addiction to self-will and are resting in faith in the peace of Jesus.

Not many recognize it as such, but the bitterness that creeps in when disappointments come is actually a form of self-will.  It often happens that people refuse to be happy because they are not getting what they want.  I love the apostle Paul’s faith, who said, “I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all circumstances, I have learned the secret, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phip. 4:11b-13).

Paul didn’t desire to be hated or beaten as he was on several occasions.  No sane person would want that, as he testified, he had learned the secret of true happiness!  And that secret was to rest in the promises of God.  As Paul told the Romans, “I consider the sufferings of this present time to be unworthy of comparison with the glory that shall be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).

We can feel that way, too, and I am glad you are feeling that way and testifying to what God will do for our hearts if we put our trust in Him.

Thank you for this precious testimony!

Pastor John

 

Good morning, John,

A couple of nights ago our family read the book of Ruth and studied all the good things-the purposes-that God had planned for Naomi, Boaz and Ruth. Even though it appeared that the famine, the deaths, the trials and the toiling were overwhelming, devastating and life shattering, it was God’s perfect plan. God used the famine to get Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons to Moab, where Ruth was learning to be a hard worker and dutiful woman. Boaz was in Bethlehem being a good steward of what God had put in his hand which prepared him to be in a perfect position to step in as near kinsman when the women came back to Israel. 

God was laying out each piece of His master puzzle to give each one His very best because of their high standard and willingness to put their whole heart into whatever was given to them to do, no matter the circumstances. God was preparing for Obed, Jesse, and David,  all the way to Jesus, to come through them. How could they have known each act of obedience was what God was looking for from them to bring His son through their lineage? How could they have imagined the impact their obedience during the good times and the trials would have on us who live today so we could have a real relationship with the Father and the Son with life in the Spirit?  

It was so good and encouraging to be reminded to continue in well doing because our lives are not our own. Even though we can’t see very far down our own life’s road, we trust The One who is working all things together for our good. We can do our best daily so we will be in a position to be used by God to touch others He chooses to bring in. 

Thank you for teaching us the Old Testament and how to slow down to read and take in the lessons hidden in there that make our lives fuller and sweeter. 

Love,

Bess

 

Good morning, Pastor John!

The new job that I started, has stirred my heart, and I wanted to share it.

In this new position, I will troubleshoot and help recipients of cochlear implants, which is an implanted hearing device.  I am still in training, so I have been listening to the calls coming in and hearing the various situations.  In doing so, I have heard how life-changing it is when the ability to hear is gone due to lost equipment or equipment that needs repair.  I have heard mothers frantically trying to return hearing to their children, elderly who cannot drive to appts or to get food because they are afraid to drive and not hear sirens or horns.  They are afraid to be home alone, and feel isolated and alone.  I have heard frustration and heartbreak when financial obstacles block them from new equipment or insurance has denied  their claim.

I have an hour drive to and from work each day and that is my time to talk with Jesus.  In one of those drives, I was thinking about how precious my hearing is, and my heart hurt for those who cannot hear or who go through so much to hear.  I am not angry or against them for not being able to hear.  I want them to hear like I can and will do everything I can to help them.  Some of the situations I hear, I or my colleagues cannot do anything to help them, except ask Jesus to help this person and let them hear.  Other times, I can play one small part, and it will change their life.  They can hear and return to work or school, drive to appointments, go to lunch with loved ones and friends, or just make a phone call again. 

As I feel all of these feelings, I feel like Jesus let me know that I should feel like that for who are spiritually deaf, too, because they are also cut off from life, that I should not be angry or frustrated that they cannot hear His truth, but keep a compassionate heart and pray for them.

So, I took some time in the morning and read all the verses with the word “deaf” in them.  There are 16.  I am going to share them below because they touched my heart. 

We are so very blessed to hear from Jesus!

Exodus 4:11  And Jehovah said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb or the deaf, or the seeing or the blind? Do not I, Jehovah?”

Leviticus 19:14 You shall not curse a deaf man, nor shall you put a stumbling block before a blind man, but you shall fear before your God. I am Jehovah.

(These two verses really struck my heart.)

Psalm 28:1 To you I cry, O Jehovah my Rock!  Do not be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I be like those who go down into the Pit!

Psalm 38:13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear, and I am like a dumb man who does not open his mouth.

(Testify!  Tell what Jesus is doing.  Live!)

Psalm 58:4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like a deaf adder that stops his ear,

(I read about deaf adders. It is interesting.)

Isaiah 29:18 And in that day, the deaf will hear words of a scroll, and out of dimness and out of darkness, the eyes of the blind will see.

Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.

Isaiah 42:18 “Hear, you who are deaf, and look, you who are blind, that you may see!”

Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind, but my servant, and deaf like my messenger that I send?  Who is blind like the one to be repaid, and blind like the servant of Jehovah?

Isaiah 43:8 Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears!

Micah 7:16 The Gentiles will see and be ashamed of all their power.  They will lay a hand over their mouth.  Their ears shall become deaf.

Mark 7:32 And they brought him a deaf man who had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

Mark 7:37 And they were completely astounded, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak!”

Mark 9:25 Then Jesus, when he saw that a multitude was running together toward him, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you to come out of him, and enter into him no more!”

(Jesus can tell a spirit to never return.  I felt faith surge in me reading that.  My heart said, “Do it, Jesus, do it!”)

Beth

Good morning, Pastor John.

I sat here this morning and watched the sunrise, just taking a minute to breathe it in.  It was beautiful.  I thought of the verses of His mercy being new every morning.  I wanted to read the verses with “morning” in them. 

As I read down the first few verses from Genesis, the word “so” stood out to me, and then I read Gen 1:31 and it hit my heart that because God saw all that He had made and it was good, there was a 7th day.  It says it a few times in Gen 1 that “God saw that it was good, so”….  Something about that struck me.

At some point, God will see that it is bad, and there will not be another morning.  God told us it will be that way, and that, in itself, is His mercy. 

I just wanted to take a minute, while we both are here with another morning before us, to say I love you and write out my thoughts of God to you.

If you go home before me, I will miss writing you.  You have been my pen pal in Jesus for many years now, since 2011. 

Have a wonderful day from Jesus! 

Beth

Genesis 1:5.  And God called the light “day”, and He called the darkness “night”. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:8.  And God called the expanse “heaven”. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the second day.

Genesis 1:13. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.

Genesis 1:19. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the fourth day.

Genesis 1:23. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day.

Genesis 1:31.  And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. So, there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Lamentations 3:

22. …the tender mercies of Jehovah. Yea, we are not consumed because His compassions do not fail;

23. they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness!

Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 92:2 to make known your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night

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Thank you, Beth.

While we can, let us all love one another and take care one another’s heart.  Life is short, and every opportunity to do good is precious.

Pastor John

Good morning, John,

Listening to yesterday’s wonderful morning audio, I heard Jimmy say this, “Sometimes you got to make some messes to find out that’s really not what you want.”  Then you added, “What we think we want sometimes, if God gives it to us, we find out ‘That’s not what I want!”

You went on to say, “And getting out of it then… you have to go to Him to get out of it!”  That’s my own testimony.  I was that self-willed person who got what I thought I wanted, only to find out quickly, “That’s not what I want!”  I would often go in my closet and fall on my face and beg God to get me out of it!

It took that miserable experience for me to find out that I don’t want my own way!  It was a relief to throw up my hands and surrender my own will to His perfect will for my life!  I’ll never forget how I felt after Jesus rescued me, and I was thinking about going to design school.  The new, rescued me wasn’t about to make a big life decision without God’s approval.  I was driving down the road talking to Jesus about the situation, and I heard myself praying, “God, please let me know the right thing to do.  I am in neutral here.  I don’t know what will make me happy, but you do.”  I had become thoroughly persuaded in my heart that Jesus, and doing His will, is the only thing that can make anyone happy in this world.  Amen!

What a sweet, peaceful feeling it is to be content with trusting Jesus for our happiness.  I wish I could convince every young person in my life that trusting our future to Jesus is the only way to have any hope of true and lasting happiness, but they must be thoroughly persuaded in their own hearts that this is true.  Jesus would prefer that we take the easier route by obeying God and doing His will, but whatever it takes for Jesus to convince us that He is our “happy” is worth whatever we have to go through.  I heard this on the recording from yesterday: “Whoever or whatever you hang onto, you’re going to lose anyway.”  That is true!  So, why not surrender it all to Jesus and be happy!

Solomon’s conclusion of the whole matter was ,“Fear God and keep His commandments.  For God will bring every work into judgement, whether it be good or whether it be evil.”  Amen!

Lee Ann