This was so fun and effortless to write. Glad our lyrics blessed everyone. – Brad and Allison

Raindrops on roses

And whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles 

And warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with string

These are a few of my favorite things.

 

Speaking in tongues when the Spirit baptizes

Learning old hymns that have lots of reprises.

Falling in love with the songs Darren sings.

These are a few of our favorite things!

 

Those poor Catholics! 

And those Christians,

They must feel so sad.

If only they’d learn to love our favorite things,

We know they would feel so glad!

 

Pastor John’s sermons and 

Gary’s songs bless us.

Fire-side mornings with scriptures to discuss

We are so grateful for what Jesus brings,

That’s why we sing of our favorite things.

 

North Carolina and all of its seasons,

Someday we’ll live here for all the right reasons.

We enjoy marriage and our wedding rings,

These are just more of our favorite things!

 

If we’re sinful,

Not repenting,

That makes us feel bad,

We fall on our face and cry out to our King,

And then we don’t feel so sad

 

More great musicians like Donna and Billy,

Make us shout praises like dear sister Willie,

Keeping us safe under God’s loving wing

We are so thankful for these precious things.

 

Betty and Earl tell their great testimonies

Young people also have their holy stories,

Jesus provides us with feelings He brings

Praise God we’re loving His favorite things!

 

When we’re lonely,

Missing family,

Sometimes feeling sad,

We simply rejoice in our favorite things,

And thank God for all we have

Hi Pastor John,

Michelle and I listened (read) your introduction to the Iron Kingdom last night. This is amazing work and we are all being blessed by your courage and conviction beyond words. There was discussion about how it flowed. For me, someone new in the truth, it was very easy to follow and understand. It clearly gave me a better understanding of Christianity and where it originated. I was so encouraged and can’t wait for the next chapters!

Thank you again for taking the time to visit our home yesterday. It was a very special day with all of you and reminded me of the truly wonderful feelings fellowship brings. Getting closer to Jesus and being filled with the Spirit is my salvation. When I told Michelle on one of our first dates I wanted “that” …. the feelings I had yesterday was exactly what I was referring too.

Kevin

Pastor John,

I am teaching class today (online), taking a quick break to eat, and I just read Kay’s testimony.

It reminded me of when I was praying for brother Earl, pleading to Jesus about his heart issues.  In earnest, I had said, “God help him!”  And in a voice so gentle, and quieter than a whisper I heard, “I am.”  It was so soft, so faint, but it was unmistakable, and it settled everything inside of me.  I knew God had it under complete control – whatever happened.  I’ve never felt such relief.

Kay’s testimony also made me realize what it can mean for God to heal us – He can heal us in so many ways.  Our physical bodies, but everything else too.

We need healing from being human if we are to be in His presence.

Jerry

Hey John,

I love reading about The Iron Kingdom. I love seeing how this history fits together, starting with Daniel, and is built upon/by unseen influences and  choices made by people through the centuries. And I love seeing how God  reveals his hidden son through Paul’s gospel!

Our family read this Introduction again this evening and it is so good! Thank you very much for your labor of love.

Bess

Hey!

I really love this pearl.  I was thinking about this today and thought “this is a wonderful question” and so encouraging.  You can look back in your life and see where your heart is and has been. If you have ended up in good godly places throughout your life, your heart has been in the right place, even if you have missed God!  Where did you end up? That sure does take the burden off of you wondering and focusing on how much you have missed God onto where your heart has been throughout your walk with God.  If you have ended up happy and still learning about Him and His Son, seems like you know the answer! I love that. A good check! 

Amy B.

Pastor John, thank you for your in-depth study* on the pronoun, “it”, for the Spirit of God. Maybe other non-trinitarians knew the specifics of the “it” truth, but I think most do not. And the masses of Christianity are in complete darkness on it. I am happy to know that the Spirit pronouns are not “he”, “his”, “him”. What a relief! This is a prayer answered.

In your write-up on that issue, you were graciously hesitant to accuse scripture translators. I tend to see a sinister plot in this by our old enemy from the Dark Ages. The Church of Rome is tenacious in its efforts to regain every power it once had, not excluding the power of persecution. The Trinity is their most foundational dogma. It would be another two centuries after the Arian conflict that they gained the power to punish criminals and heretics, but the Trinity god was at the bottom of every abomination that ascended from Nicea’s bottomless pit. I am a Seventh day Adventist, and we are seeing a revival of non-trinitarianism in our denomination. We were non-trinitarian at our start in 1844 until Ellen White died. After her passing, almost immediately moves were made to make the denomination Trinitarian. Now that is our official stance. But, the Lord is waking up Adventists. I’m thrilled to see it.

I see your concern that the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, has been tampered with. But the truth will prevail. Jesus will make sure of it. We live in a multi-dimensional deception today. Deception and corruption are attacking Protestantism today. The Bible certainly is under attack. Thank you for your contribution to the sword of the Lord. If we suffer with Him, we will reign with Him. Godspeed.

David Burdick

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

Thank you, David, for writing.  I am only presenting the evidence that is there.  It is astonishing to me that more people are not pointing it out.  Please stay in touch.  I believe that it would please God for us, and many others, to surrender our hearts together to His dear Son and be made one, as He and His Son are one.

To prove that there is no doctrine of the “Holy Trinity” in the Bible is easy, really.  But what are we to teach instead of that doctrine?  I think you would enjoy my online book “God Had a Son before Mary Did” at goingtojesus.com.

Take care and God bless.  Please feel free to contact me personally with any comments or questions.

Your servant in Christ,

Jdc, sr

*Pastor John’s Abbreviated

Pneuma(πνεῦμα) Study

Did New Testament Writers Think that
God’s Spirit (God’s Πνεῦμα) Was a Person?

https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_books.html?tname=pneumastudy

Hi Pastor John,

I inspected some vans for an Assembly of God location yesterday.  I was told a pastor would meet me outside with the keys. After arriving there, a young unkempt kid came out to bring me the keys.  He was polite but felt very worldly.  I left there thinking about his appearance and what that says to the hearts that may come to him seeking after Jesus.  I know God judges the heart but God also proves His work. God bears fruit.  I thought back to the things Jesus so gently cleaned up when he first began to make me ready to know him and his Father.  Language, clothing, brashness, habits, Jesus started there.  I spent two years in Jesus’ arms while he washed the dirt of this world off of me.  Two years getting cleaned up to be in a condition to receive the holy Ghost.  I came to Jesus asking for proof in 2010.  I didn’t even know what I was saying but Jesus did. I needed him to be real and was terrified he was not.  Since then, over and over again, Jesus shows me how real he is. He doesn’t have to but he does.  Jesus bears fruit.

The other morning, sitting out in the hospital parking lot expecting that morning that our lives would be changing, I began to pray and ask Jesus to help me go through whatever he was about to do.  I asked him to let me make him happy and to do this like my elders have.

I left that Assembly of God place thinking about all of this and about you and the body and all the proof Jesus has surrounded me with.   I know the cleanliness and standard held by an anointed man of God. I can see and feel God on him.  I know the testimonies, experiences, and feelings of hearts touched by Jesus.  I know I could never have the heart to pray to submit to a trial. That was never me.  I have always fallen apart at any trauma.  Jesus bears fruit.

Thinking on all of this makes me feel like I am wrapped up in Jesus’ arms, like in the beginning, and he keeps letting me see how real he is.  I am surrounded by how real he is, here with all of His fruit.  I wish there was a better human word than valuable or treasure.  I would use it to say how I feel about this.

Beth D.

 

 

 

Hi Pastor John,

While working on my presentation this evening for work, I realized that my flesh is still trying to make a deal.

The United States is in dire straits right now, and on a political (ideological) razor’s edge with this upcoming election. The results of this presidential election will (or at least they appear to) serve to either hold back for a little longer the destruction of this republic (what remains) that is the United States of America or usher in its destruction. But I do not vote in the election because I trust that Jesus will place in power who He will, according to what is good in His sight.

So instead of voting, I found myself again hoping tonight that Trump wins the upcoming November election.  I realize that there is no difference.  If I want my way about this thing, I have already voted – in my heart – instead of trusting Jesus.  Not voting is a choice I make.  It means not taking a side or picking up a cause with this world, other than Jesus’ cause.  It doesn’t mean putting on a muzzle while secretly hoping to get my way.

Jesus promised to destroy the earth; it has to happen before God’s children go home.  Do I want to be perfected while this world crumbles around me, as God promised it would, so that I can be saved with the faithful?  Or do I want to restrain my flesh from pulling a lever, while secretly hoping this wicked world will be preserved a little longer so I can prosper as a US citizen?

If this country falls apart in my lifetime, it is for my good if I love God, and I am called according to his purpose.  If taxes go up, jobs become scarce, and war abounds (or if none of that happens), it is for my good if I love God and I am called according to his purpose.  He promised.  That is real.

My job is to love God, not to hope for election results.  I needed the reminder from the Lord so I could correct my sail about this thing.

Jerry D.