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  • Sunday’s meeting

    Pastor John,

    Sunday morning, while you were preaching, the words from Paul came to my mind, where he said something like, we have been seated in heavenly places. That’s what it felt like sitting there with everyone listening to you, that something otherwordly was happening, something not human. It was a very special meeting. Very thankful that I could be there and for the whole week.

    Zoli

    ========

    Hi Zoli.

    The feeling I had during my sermon on Sunday reminded me of the feeling I had during a sermon on August 23rd, 1981. I had not felt that exact feeling since then, over 44 years ago. It was a feeling to our vision being readjusted to see what is really true, clearing the air of the pretty but deadly fog of this wicked world.  It was a holy correction from the heart of God and the mind of Christ, and I am thankful for it.

    Pastor John

     

  • The Two Baptisms

    Sir,

    Thanks for taking the time to respond to me.  I will try to keep my questions short and to the point.

    I’ve been involved in religion for many many years before I came to understand that Jesus DID NOT start Christianity but someone else with an agenda to deceive people did.  I have examined the perspective of Jesus’ message of the Kingdom and so that is where I identify.

    According to the record of the book of Acts there are two baptisms, one was from John and the other from Jesus; one is of the water and the other of the Spirit.  In the days of the Apostles, men received the baptism of the Spirit by the laying on of hands of the apostles or those who themselves were filled.

    How is that done today?

    Much Grace,

    Howard Williams

    =============

    Greetings, Brother Williams!

    You are correct that there are only two baptisms ordained by God in the Scriptures.  What is commonly called Christian baptism is not one of them.

    John’s baptism always included a message that the baptized person was to expect the baptism to come, that is, the baptism of Christ with the Spirit.  When the 12 Jewish disciples in Ephesus in Acts 19 told Paul that they had received John’s baptism but that they had never heard of the holy Spirit, but Paul disagreed and then corrected them.  Without hearing of the baptism of the Spirit, they had not received John’s baptism.  The man who had baptized them in water, Apollos, had said that was baptizing them with John’s baptism, but God did not recognize it as such.  That is why Paul baptized them again, this time adding the message that made that baptism John’s.

    The major difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism is that John’s was ONLY for Jews.  John said that his purpose for baptizing in water was to introduce the Messiah to Israel (Jn. 1).

    Jesus’ baptism is not just for Jews, but is for “whosoever will”, and it may be received by anyone at any time and place.  The only requirement to receive it is to believe the gospel and repent.  That is what God was showing Peter at Cornelius’ house in Acts 10.

    I have heard many testimonies of Jesus baptizing people when they were alone, in bed at night praying, in a cornfield, in a truck driving down the highway, etc.  Of course, God may also use one of his servants to lay hands on repentant souls to receive the Spirit.  God works all things according to the counsel of His own will.  We cannot lay out any boundaries for God.

    I hope that answers your question.  Thank you for writing.

    Your servant in Christ,

    John

     

  • Last Night’s Message

    Pastor John,

    Last night’s meeting was so good!  It took me back to this past year around our house. Big but it was good lessons along the way.

    I always had such misconceptions of what the right relationship between a husband and a wife was.  I spent most of my life as what I would call the “leader” and as Alex would tell you, I came into our marriage with A LOT of trust issues in the beginning.

    I remember the day I asked Alex very seriously, “Are you able to lead?”  At the time I was viewing it from a fleshly perspective and what I thought I knew about marriage.  But I was tired.  I knew I had spent a lifetime carrying a load that was not mine and longed for my place.  Over a short period, and Jesus fast-tracking us, I learned that leadership is not physical.  It is not someone barking orders or making demands.  It starts and ends in the Spirit.  It is not meant to keep you bound in a little box with no testimony, but to help you grow with Jesus.  The Spirit does not care if you are 25 or 45.  If you have life experience or not.  Jesus can teach you your space, and it doesn’t need to take decades to figure out, when truly walking with Jesus.

    Times that Alex has had to set me back in my space, it has rarely been in human words.  It comes with a look and feeling of authority.  I can’t really explain it.  But it settles something in me.  It does not belittle or bully.  It just firmly sets everything in order so that we can both keep on keeping on.  Even in the times he has had to voice something, it still feels the same.  I love that.  There is a relief and rest in how Jesus has ordered things.  And it is not my job to tell him I “think” he is wrong.  

    I remember one day I did feel a little misjudged/unheard.  Jesus thought otherwise because he told me it was not my job to manage Alex.  I remember the Spirit saying, “If I have an issue with him, I will tell him.”

    I know I have so much more to learn along the way.  But what a year of learning it has been!  I want to learn the lessons now.  To be an example to other couples one day.

    This week, I have been thinking about occupying my place in the body. Asking Jesus to show me why he has allowed me to be set apart.  I really want to step up and into what Jesus has for me.  The work here is so special, and I want to do my part to function.  After the meeting last night, I got to thinking that it is impossible to have a right relationship with anyone if the husband-and-wife dynamic is not what it should be.  How can I occupy my place in the body if things are not in order at home?  I can’t; it is impossible.  I can’t love my sisters with the love of God if I am sassy/snarky with my husband at home.  I cannot respect you or my brothers if I cannot respect the authority at home.  How can I humbly take correction or recognize the authority that you as our pastor have over the body?  Can’t do it.  Jesus perfectly designed marriage to reflect the order of the body, and I don’t think I really saw that until last night.  The truth is so simple, yet BIG. 

    Talk to you soon!

    Margo

     

  • God’s order

    Hi, Pastor John;

    Your message in Eph. 5 last night reminded me of what the Spirit showed me about God’s order when I was in my early thirties.  I was going to work at 5:30 in the morning, and out of the blue, the Spirit asked me, “Who was created first, Adam or Eve?”  I replied, “Adam, Lord.”  Then another question, “Whose name did Judy take?” Again I responded, “Mine.  She became a Mellick and left her maiden name behind.”  Then he opened the order of things for my home, and I know it is for others, too. 

    1- God

    2-Jesus

    3-A godly Pastor

    4-Husband

    5-Wife

    6-Children

    The first two in this relationship, and surely the third one listed, will not change unless Jesus takes the godly Pastor home to be with him. Jesus and his Father are doing just fine for eternity.  This is the chain of command.  If every home is in order, then fellowship will be experienced between each member of the family.  If any part of this order is not right, there will be trouble and strife. 

    I pondered on this the whole day at work and knew I hadn’t occupied my space as head of household.  When I got home, I rehearsed this scene with Judy.  I hadn’t been the father to our children as I should have been, and let her take on my responsibilities.  Essentially, she was doing my job, and hers with the children.  I just went to work and came home and worked, ate, and went to bed.  This formula works!  Everyone should be looking up this chain of command for help.  All direction and instruction flows downward.  If one does not have children or a spouse, the only thing needed is to ask themselves, “Who is above me in my chain of command?”  If mommy or daddy are gone, “Who is above me?”  If my children backslide, “Who is above me?”  God will always have someone above you for our help.  Loners, as you have instructed us many times, will fail and fall (eventually). 

    Love always,

    Billy

     

  • John 1:18

    Pastor John,

    John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the unique Son who is next to the Father has made Him known.”

    In your translation*, is “God” (spelled with a lowercase ‘o’ and ‘d’) Jesus?  Also is “Jehovah God” the Father or Jesus?  I just want to make sure I understand that correctly first. 

    My real question is who is the “Him” in John 1:18?  The verse makes it sound like Jesus is revealing GOD.  Trying to understand the context of that.

    Ben

    ========

    Hi Ben.

    Read John 1:18 like this:

     “No one has ever seen God the Father; the unique Son who is next to the Father has made the Father known.”

    Jehovah is the Father, not the Son.

    Thank you for the question.  Hope my answer clears things up for you.

    Pastor John

    * https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_translation.html

     

  • Thoughts from this morning

    John,

    As I sat at the fire this morning, I was overwhelmed by a couple thoughts:

    (1) in my 30s when I got a call from God to go to Him to be healed of a broken heart, the only place I knew to go to was a cult —Catholicism. I went there to learn what to do, say, sing, when to stand, sit, hold hands. I went there because I thought God was in the rituals. I thought to reach Him I needed to become a member of that cult. I had no idea of the freedom that the holy Ghost and Truth gives you to love the Father and His son the way they want to be loved not the way man wants us to be controlled. If there is a cult, it’s Christianity! 

    (2) humility is so important. After I went to the Catholic church and became a member of that cult, I soon realized that it was a personality cult. The substance of Catholicism meant nothing, and all I had, and all I followed, were priests from diocese to diocese. But Jesus gave me the humility to see my error. I didn’t have the wisdom or knowledge to know where to go, but I stopped going to that cult. Humility is a requirement to real wisdom.

    If Jesus hadn’t made me a humble person with a humble heart, I would’ve never let go of all of the things that I have been taught for 55 years about who I was, what I knew, and what was true. To let the scales fall off your eyes, be willing to see and act on what you see, and let go of all that you knew can only be Jesus and the holy Ghost! Oh thank you Jesus!!

    I know that’s what it takes, a humble heart, to come to him and to stay with him. I pray for everyone who has wandered off the right path, that Jesus will humble their heart, to see the error of their thinking, and to feel the freedom that comes in living in the spirit.

    Allison

     

  • “Rituals” and Acts study

    Hey Pastor John,

    After reading the Iron Kingdom chapter on Rituals, I decided to go through the Acts study online (https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_translation.html?tname=acts).  It has been so good to go back through this and gain knowledge, and it supplements the Rituals chapter really well.  In one of the teachings, you said, “It’s not possible for eternal life to be held by death.  If anybody is alive and believes in Jesus, he will never die.  Death is not in the kind of life you have.  The kind of life you have created death.  It’s death’s master, not its slave.”

    And you said that we cannot have the fullness of peace or the fullness of righteousness or the fullness of joy yet until we are in His presence, but it sure put a prayer in my heart to feel as much of it now that I can.

    Thank you for delivering all of these wonderful messages, and I am thankful that I believe and love it all!

    Anna D. 

  • What a Wonderful Meeting

    Hey, Pastor John! 

         I just want to say what a wonderful meeting we had today! I am so thankful for the blessing God gave me when I was out in the middle dancing in the Spirit. It felt so good to be completely willing to just do whatever Jesus wanted. That is a freeing feeling. 

         Afterwards, I sat down in my chair, and I was thinking about my experience. I thought about how I could feel Jesus pulling my heart out to the middle to dance for Him. Then, I had the thought that fleshly old me would want to just sit back and try to go unnoticed in the background, but when the Spirit is flowing, I have the power to go with the feelings. I was thinking that when Jesus pulls on our hearts, wanting for us to do something, all we have left to do is not be afraid to quickly go with what He has already put in our hearts. That’s what I want to do, not be afraid to respond immediately with what Jesus has already put in my heart. Those feelings are what are always right. Jesus is good, and it was so sweet today! 

         Thanks for everything, Pastor John. I love you.

    -Hope M.

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  • Anointed To Hear

    Good morning Pastor John,

    I am looking forward to being there again to see you all in person!  I am planning to be there for Thanksgiving, the Lord willing.

    While reading the Random Thought for Today (11/8), the one on “Anointed To Hear”* filled me with joy.  I know I have read this before with no real reaction.   But today when I read it, it went straight to my heart.  I felt so blessed.  I agree with Lou, “I am also anointed to hear.”  I believe we all are, who  believe what God gives you for us.  I instantly knew that without that anointing, I would believe anything and/or nothing.  I would believe Catholicism,  Baptist, worship crystals, or whatever the wind blew in that day.  I knew I/we are blessed by God!  To have a Pastor who is true to God, to hear the truth, and to believe it.  That is big!  The feelings I am feeling as I write this are making it difficult to type in a coherent way.   I feel like I should be dancing instead of typing.  But I had to share this belief in the value of our anointing while feeling it.  Now, it is up to us to be willing to change.  As we know, we cannot be more like Jesus without becoming less like us!

    Thank you for being true to God and sharing what He gives you in your anointing.

    Love

    Mark W.

    * Going to Jesus.com – Anointed to Hear

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