Pastor John.

I wanted to listen to some music on songsofrest.com and as I went through the songs this one stood out to me and I listened to it.  The words are so good right now considering what is happening, and what we translated in Ezekiel 16 this morning.  I typed them out. I want to always be thankful for whatever Jesus does for me, or for any one of us.

Damien

Honor the Gift of God
by Darren Prater

Through the years we’ve seen God’s people turn and walk away. It is never easy, no that is not Jesus’ way. They may give a reason but that reason it is not. They wouldn’t rest and take the time to start and honor the gift of God.

Through the years we’ve had God’s people come and they would stay. They’re here because they wouldn’t have it any other way. They have loved the people, they have loved what they’ve been taught. They are here because they chose to start nd honor the gift of God.

Jesus gave his life so men could truly be made free by the spirit that his father gave to you and me. It is like no other gift that you could ever get and I pray that we will not forget to honor the gift of God.

Time and time again we chose to open up our store. We have stirred that gift and he has given so much more.  Leading us into that place that we have often sought.  Always praying for those who forgot to honor the gift of God

Pastor John, 

This very large round of rifle ammunition exploded in my face yesterday (picture attached of good rifle round, beside the exploded round that got me). It threw burning gun powder and shards of brass so hard that it cut my face all over and my arm until they bled, it burned deep into my face. There is little visible damage now, since the many holes were miniscule in size. But it would have taken both of my eyes out I believe, as the damage had encircled the safety glasses I was wearing- the safety glasses that I was not going to be wearing, had Jesus not impressed upon me to go get them.

I believe he saved my eyesight yesterday. Picture is attached. I look forward to telling what He did for me. I will see you tomorrow- literally. I can’t begin to be thankful enough for that.

Jerry

At this morning’s meeting you spoke about being in meetings where people were praising God—without the truth—and it made you feel tired.  There was no “meat” to eat.

That’s the way I felt when I texted you from a meeting in L.A., if you recall, where the praise and worship songs were amplified too loud and never-ending. . . .so I had to just go out for a walk to clear my spirit.  All that endless noise wore me out.  The holy Spirit was not in that place; or if it was, it was overwhelmed by the noise of people trying too hardto praise God, with no truth behind it.

And you added, “Sometimes God  puts you in a place like that, just to see what you feel, and what you will do…”

I went outside!  Took a walk.  Had some peace with God, because inside that building was a racket!

Noise is okay—if there’s truth with it—but I couldn’t feel it in there, and I got tired, too!

It’s sad when God’s people are persuaded to go along with such a routine, where the praise feels “forced” by a band, in the flesh, instead of being led by the holy Ghost.

Brad

Brother John,

Beth and I were talking at length today about following the Spirit, and about what it means to recognize the pace or the “rhythm”, so to speak, of where His Spirit is amongst us right now, where it is leading and what it is doing at any given time. We compared those feelings of the rhythm of God’s Spirit, to the timing of an orchestra. And when we are in time and sense that spiritual rhythm, we too contribute to the 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 timing of the Lord, instead of 1-2-3-6.

That “6” is like being “off key” in the Spirit world, and occurs when we do not sense what time it is.

Beth and I left tonight and both of us felt like we had just witnessed you saving us all from getting spiritually “off key” and talking our blessing away. 

There was a blessing that we were experiencing tonight, and Beth and I both felt like the timing of that was being changed. You kept us from losing what God had just done for us.

You know, you told us in Louisville long ago, “The truth isn’t the truth unless it’s what God is doing RIGHT NOW.”

Even what was God fails to be God now, if it’s not where He is, and what He is, right now. That truth means everything; It is life in this new covenant. Otherwise, we just become partakers of another form, another ceremony.

A testimony is alive.

Beth and I both felt like pleading with Jesus when we left tonight to help us to not become complacent with God’s touches and blessings; not to get used to them to the point where we can move past them quickly and on to the next thing.

We just wanted to be quiet and leave the meeting and thank God for what He had just done for us.

And we are also happy to be entirely wrong 🙂 We will repent and feel the right way, if Jesus just tells us we’ve missed it.

We love you, and we thank you.

Jerry and Beth 

I was not going to bug you with the question, but I have to bug you with the answer!  It is just too good.

I was texting with Natalie this morning, and I was left just feeling like mush on the inside. So I said, “Lord, I can’t believe the word mush is not in the Bible. Especially since that is how the spirit makes us feel so often.”

I decided to double check and googled it. Couldn’t find mush anywhere. 

The spirit said, “Look up mush in Hebrew.”

Brother John,

I’ve been thinking a lot today about what you said at last night’s meeting right before prayer time – “If you could see your need and see how eager He is to meet it, you’d hasten to him, hasten to him, nothing stops you.”

That felt like a strong invitation for us to come, without hesitation, without thinking, to freely come, to gladly come and thankful for the opportunity to move. We all need God. 

The song, “I Am Resolved” is one of my favorite old hymns. The last verse, especially, is so good. 

I am resolved, and who will go with me? Come, friends, without delay, Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit, We’ll walk the heavenly way. I will hasten to Him, Hasten so glad and free, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.” 

Loved the feelings in the meeting last night. 

Sheila

Pastor John, 

I loved the meeting last night. I loved the feelings. Sister Kathy’s testifying about being free to praise Jesus sang to my heart. The feelings were so strong while we were singing, and I kept thinking I just want to let go and feel it. I don’t want to worry about being too happy or clapping too much or singing badly, I just want to be free to feel every bit of it.

When I got up this morning and thought about Jesus so tenderly taking care of Margo and her son and the tenderness he has shown Sister Debbie through surgery and afterward, I felt so sweet. I began to thank Jesus for his sweetness, and it reminded me of when I asked him to make me sweet inside. Jesus is answering that prayer, and I can say that, because I know it’s not me. I did not sweeten me up. You know it’s like Jesus is making lemonade. First he squeezes all the bitterness out and he gives you the holy ghost (drowns you) then begins to add the sweetener, and after he beats on you a while, stirring it all up until the sweetness consumes the other, then you are ready. All stirred up and sweet and ready for a thirsty soul.

Boy I want to be Free Lemonade Pastor John. I really want to be free enough for Jesus to pour me out to someone thirsty for this sweet life.

Beth

Pastor John, 

Sometimes, while I am falling asleep late at night, and consciousness seems to be leaving me, or during other times when I am starting to slowly awaken out of a deep sleep , on those mornings when my alarm is disabled, I will feel a real sense of my frailty as a human being come over me, and it will cause me to feel, to a much greater depth, my utter dependence on God. It is as if, during those times while half-asleep and with a mind that is clear and nearly shut down, an understanding of who I really am is given to me.  An understanding that when I shut my eyes, I may never open them again, unless the Lord wakes me up once more. Sometimes, during these times between consciousness and sleep, I can hear my heartbeat as I lie there, and I will realize that I am hearing the rhythm of a clock, my clock, and it is most certainly winding down my life.  And then there are other times when the weight of another day’s work and the aches and pains of a body that is wearing out can be felt, and it will remind me that all of this is just for a very short season, and that I am indeed going to die.  And though hardly awake during any of these events, I can feel them each and every time drive me to my knees in my soul, and cause me to cry out for God’s help and mercy on me.

Yesterday, I arrived home from work in the afternoon with just enough time available to take a 40 minute nap before going to the tract room.  I was really exhausted, as I had not slept much during the nights that preceded.  So, I made quick work of getting to my pillow, and I fell asleep immediately.  I then felt myself coming out of that sleep, after what I perceived then to have been a short nap.  As I was coming to, I felt an awesome fear of the Lord upon me, as if He were close by and I was ever so small, exposed and helpless in His presence.  The feeling of His nearness frightened me, as I felt what I can only describe now as the feeling of “eternity” with Him.  I felt true judgment and the feeling of forever, in his presence.  Then, in my heart and without uttering an earthly sound, I cried out “God I am praising you!!” and in fear of Him, I threw myself prostrate to the floor.  I then heard Him speak and He said, “I don’t want your praise, I want your obedience and your work.”  And at the same moment that God spoke those words to me, another voice from somewhere unseen spoke to me as well, and though the messages were spoken simultaneously, I understood them both, equally, as if I had given nothing but my full attention to each, and I heard, “Praise isn’t for God; it is for you.”  And with those words came this understanding: God allows us to feel the power of His Spirit crying out praises to Him through our earthly vessels, for our benefit, not His.

I then got up and went and did my work at the tract room. 

Jerry

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Thanks, Jerry.

Part of what you said reminds me of what the Lord told my father once, after he had been healed.  As he rode home from the doctor’s office, my father started praising God, and Jesus said, “Shut up!  I want your praises to be in how you live from now on!”

My father shut up, and after that experience, he set his mind as never before to doing the work God had given him to do.  Kind of that way you said you did!

As for your last point, God is so good, to give us work to do, or to give us the spirit of praise and worship, and then give us strength to accomplish those things – and then pat us on the head and say, “Good job!”  You just cannot beat God for goodness and mercy.

Thanks again.

Pastor John