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  • Touch during Meeting

    Hi John,

    Was so glad to hear the good report from Lou.

    I’d like to praise God for last night’s feelings too, and a touch I received.

    For three weeks I had been having throat issues again, where I could not swallow due to extreme dryness and a lump in my throat, especially at night – below my sinuses, and above my esophagus.  It was like a wad of solid phlegm would not move out of there, no matter how hard or many times I swallowed.

    It had grown worse for the past two weeks, finally, yesterday morning it was so bad that I made an appointment with the ENT doctor (the morning of the meeting), which they set for Jan 19(the earliest they could get me in unless a cancellation came up)…. I wanted to make sure it was nothing real serious, since it felt like an “object” was in my throat.

    During the meeting ( I felt the Spirit on me several times, and my throat was actually OK during the meeting – so much so, that I noticed my throat wasn’t so bad as it had been earlier in the day.  When I got home from the meeting I told Song that I felt God had touched me sometime during the testimonies and your preaching… she had been praying for me for a good while now, so she was happy for me.  Last night I slept without waking from throat troubles, as I had for many days before.  And today, I felt NO lump in the throat at all, and just a very mild dryness (and as I type this at 7:30 this evening, I can’t say that I feel any discomfort or noticeable unusual dryness at all.)

    Praise the Lord for a touch!  I really needed one, and I’m thankful to get His relief.  The power of God is wonderful, and I love how Jesus touches us, over and over …. He is never lacking anything we need.  I wanted to tell on Jesus… Praise the Lord, my throat is feeling much better today than it has for many weeks now, and I believe relief came during last night’s meeting.

    Gary

  • Parking at Work Testimony

    Hi Pastor John,

    I wanted to write out my testimony for everyone about my parking at work because I felt I left out some details in the meeting on Wednesday.

    First, here is the background information: so at my work these are my parking options: the closest parking garage is 2 minute walk to work, but costs $85 a month, or $8 a day to park. I could park remotely but that is 21 minute bus ride. I don’t like either of those options. However, since my building is close to the edge of the hospital campus I discovered a street where I can park on the street for free. It’s an 8 minute walk to work and I find that really good. Only thing is, at night in winter it’s dark and unsafe. During daylight savings I parked there and I felt it is safe, but not in the dark.

    After day light savings ended I began wondering what I am going to do. I knew I couldn’t park on the street, but I did not want to pay the $85 a month while I am trying to save money, and I didn’t fancy the long bus ride in addition to the drive to work until I could start parking on the street again.

    Then one day as I was nearing work I knew I would be late if I didn’t park in the garage close to my work. So I resolved to park there and just pay the $8. As I was driving down into the parking deck I had the feeling that Jesus was going to do something about it. I imagined maybe someone would give me a pass for that day, or something. I noted the feeling I had and continued on my day.

    That day I looked after a very sweet old man and it was his last treatment that day; he had an all day treatment and he was there with his daughter. At the end of his treatment we were saying our goodbye’s when his daughter offered me their parking pass!! She said, “I don’t know if you could use this or not, it only has a few passes left on it.” I was surprised, and said, “Oh yes, I could use it. That means so much, thank you very much”. It turned out that pass had 13 or 14 more passes on it!! Wow! That was Jesus! I love that! I love that I had that feeling as I was parking in the morning, and then later on it happened.

    After I had used the pass a few times I began wondering about whether I was breaking any rules regarding gifts – I know there are restrictions on patients giving nurses gifts, but I didn’t know if this situation breached any rules. I had my evaluation with my boss around then, so I brought it up with her. I didn’t think she would be concerned; and she wasn’t concerned when I told her. I ended up discussing my parking situation with her, and she handed me a whole new 30 day parking pass!! I couldn’t believe it! I was surprised again, and very thankful. I know my boss gave that pass to me, but that was Jesus caring for me. Wow! That second pass will get me through almost to daylight savings. Then I will only have to take the long bus just a few times before daylight savings starts again.

    Then last Wednesday evening I was getting ready to drive out of the parking garage and head for the meeting. I began to think about the meeting and wondered if I would have the chance to tell my testimony about the parking passes. As I was nearing the boom gate/barrier/arm thing, I had the thought, “it would be great if the boom gate just opened”. It was a fleeting thought, and I had no real thought that it would happen. Instead I began to get my remote parking pass ready to give it a try, but I was fully thinking it would not work at all: that remote pass is not approved for that parking garage, but I decided to give it a try anyway. I had just barely got my arm barely through my car window when to my surprise, the boom gate opened!! I was so surprised – it just opened! The little screen said, “Thank you. Please exit.” I was like, “Wow, okay!” I was so surprised because I had not scanned any pass at all, and the one I had in my hand was not approved for that parking garage! I knew that was Jesus, too; I knew he was giving me a reason to tell my testimony that night!!

    Anyway, I just love all of this! I love Jesus caring for me, and most of all I love that I’d had the thought and feeling that morning that Jesus was going to do something, and that day, something did happen. It’s wonderful!

    Jenny 🙂

     

     

  • Jerry and Tom’s Comments

    Pastor John,

    I must watch the Wednesday night meeting that I missed because I like the comments from Tom and Jerry about the message. (See post 12/29/2016: The Message Last Night.)

    It’s a very appropriate and timely message for me because for a considerable amount of time I felt some pressure and anxiety about being too judgmental toward others who don’t know the truth; Christians who either have or don’t have the Holy Ghost, yet they’ve been touched by God’s mercy in spite of the fact that they don’t know the things that we know. I just want to be humble and meek, and courteous when I talk to people—either sinners or believers—I don’t want to put up any obstacles to the love of God in me for them. I’ve grown weary of losing friends and acquaintances and being misunderstood and rejected when I share the light. Sometimes people just can’t take a lot of the truth. Sometimes it’s not necessary to tell them, because they’ve experienced the love of God in a different way.

    And if I try to point out that they’re wrong about salvation or wrong about the Trinity or about the gifts of the Spirit it just gets into a scriptural debate and argument and you don’t persuade any souls to Christ that way.

    It’s better to be good than it is to be right, as you’ve said John, and I just want to feel free to love people and let them see the goodness in me, from God.
    Brad

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

    Thanks for this, Brad.

    Please note that I prefaced my remarks Wednesday night by saying that what I saw that day helped me see more clearly how well my father and the older saints with him had taught us.  We were taught to love God’s people, regardless of what they believe or even how they are living.

    My question to God earlier that day concerned why the “get saved” doctrine seems to be acceptable to Him, at least to the extent that He has used mightily some men who teach that false doctrine.  What came to me as an answer made me see that we are to follow God’s example, and to love and honor those men and all God’s children.  Now, that is what my father had always done and taught us to do.  But something about it seemed new, or went deeper in our hearts.

    The bottom line is that I will not be treating God’s people whom I meet any differently; I have always honored and loved them.  But I certainly do understand better now why it is right to do so.

    Pastor John

  • The Book of Life

    Hi John,

    I was reading in Luke this morning regarding the time Jesus sent 70 disciples out to preach the gospel. Upon their return they were rejoicing that they had authority over demons, etc. Jesus told them not to rejoice because the demons were subject to them but rather they should rejoice because their names were written in heaven. This event took place before Pentecost.

    I began looking for similar scriptures that made reference to one’s name written in heaven. Hebrews 12:23 mentions the Great Assembly, the first born written in heaven. This is the only one I could find.

    The book of Revelation mentions the Book of Life several times which I assume is different than what Jesus was referring to regarding names being written in heaven.

    My question is this. I always assumed that one’s name is written in the Book of Life when one is born again, but I cannot find a scripture reference to support this assumption. Is this correct?

    As far as one’s name written in heaven, it sounds like one’s name is written in heaven before they are born again. True?

    Thanks,

    Tom

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

    Hi, Tom!

    First, the Book of Life is what Jesus (and the author of Hebrews) was talking about when he mentioned names written in heaven.

    Secondly, no new names have been written in that Book since the foundation of the world.  If your name is in there, you will be called into the kingdom of God.  If not, you will not be called.

    So, yes, your name must have been written in the Book of Life before the world was created, or you will never be born again.  If it is in there, it has been there since before the world was created, and you will, at some point in your life, feel God’s call to come.

    Pastor John

  • The Message Last Night

    John,

    I loved what you said last night regarding Oral Roberts and others who had an anointing to perform miracles but yet teach doctrine contrary to the truth.  In essence, I believe what you said was that God is not bothered by what these men are teaching to the point of preventing His anointing and power to work through these men.  Jesus is seeking sincere hearts, and he is ready to forgive anyone who repents. 

    I may not have stated your exact words, but I felt a sense of liberty from what you said. I have been guilty in the past of trying to reason with those for example, who believe they are saved. I have learned that it is much better to avoid these kinds of conversations and focus on what Jesus has done in their lives. 

    As I was reading my Bible this morning, I ran across these scriptures which seem to speak to what you were saying last night. 

    Luke 9:

    49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth
    not with us.

    50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”

    Mark 9:

    38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad
     him, because he followeth not us.

    39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

    40 For he that is not against us is on our part.”

    Thank you for the message last night. 

    Tom

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

    Pastor John, 

    That was a very good email from Tom, describing the love of God shown to us last night. 

    The scriptures from Luke and Mark, that Tom shared in his email are right-on with the new liberty that we were just offered in last night’s meeting.

    That liberty is more freedom in the Spirit!  Freedom to live, without apology to anyone!  Freedom to love with our cups running over for other people, without pausing to take a “flesh break” to add the disclaimer: “they don’t know the truth, but…..”  It is freedom to just love, period, whenever God has loved someone! Again God has shown us that we are free! 

    Last night’s message let me understand this: In whomever Jesus dwells, to any measure, it is so by the Father’s doing.  And it is holy, and its value is immeasurable…. in every person.

    Pastor John, I feel like we were just given permission to “eat up” every little bit of Jesus, wherever He may be found. That includes loving others that God has touched, without fear, while receiving every good and right thing that they have received from God as well.  We can trust Jesus completely to keep us all the while. The real boundaries of all of our comings and goings are in His Spirit, within us. We don’t need any self-imposed limitations; we may impede His work.

    “We can trust Jesus”.  That was the other part of the message last night. We can trust him…while we live! Yes, in everything that we do.  No fear, no excuses, no disclaimers – just normal life in Jesus.

    I am instantly made better by this.  It removes walls from around my heart that God did not put up.  Those walls are there, and they extinguish life and fellowship instead of promoting it.

    Maybe this love that we have been shown can compel others to abandon their chains too. If anything can do that, surely the love of God is it.

    Thank you for last night.

    Jerry

     

  • Praying to Angels?

    Hi John,

    There’s no doubt the angels are around us and sometimes appear in situations to help us, but what do you think about people who claim to be Christians and yet he they pray to angels and they see angels as helping them in their life on a daily basis, rather than God or Jesus?

    It seems peculiar to me when I was talking to a woman and she told me about how she had lost something and then she suddenly found it she will leave her angels were watching over her well that’s all well and good but why do people particularly those who bring raised Catholic tend to disbelieve and have faith in God and Jesus and they talk more about angels?  It’s as if they’re ashamed of Jesus, and they probably are, afraid to confess his name and his power and his sovereignty so they attribute little miracles in their day to angels….instead of giving glory to God– for those angels!

    Brad
    ==========

    Hi Brad.

    Catholics who pray to angels are just being good Christians.  Catholicism is the original Christianity, and with their traditions, ceremonies, and wealth, they are in the best position to show the world what real Christianity is.

    Let’s be thankful that God has called us out of it, and walk humbly before Him in His ways.

    Pastor John

  • The Worst Anger

    Pastor John, 

    I was thinking this morning about something that the Lord showed me many years ago. That was this: The most fierce anger that a person will ever feel, is anger that was once pain. 

    No one wants to hurt, and in this world it is a common occurrence for a person, once they have been hurt and experienced no reconciliation, to allow that pain to transform itself into anger. It seems that anger is more bearable for a person than a hurting heart. 

    But that is not the way for the saints of God. When we are hurt, and there is no immediate reconciliation, we must leave that wound open, bear the pain and take it in humility to Jesus, knowing that He is the “lifter up of mine head”, and that His joy is greater than any pain that we humans can administer to one another.

    We are not permitted to defend ourselves, and that includes allowing anger and bitterness to serve as the salve that binds up a painful wound inflicted on our heart by another. 

    Such anger and bitterness is no cure at all, it is a cancer and it consumes the soul.

    Jerry 

    ============ 

    Thank you for that, Jerry.  I have seen that happen.  Let’s pray for those whose pain has turned into anger (or even hatred, which can also happen), that they will take their pain to Jesus and let him heal their hurt.  He will do it if they (1) are willing to feel the pain again, and (2) this time, be willing to forgive the one(s) who hurt them.

    Pastor John

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

    John,

    Jerry’s thoughts about anger made me think of something that happened not long ago. 

    You recently mentioned receiving a call from a backslidden brother wanting you to ask a sister in the Lord to compromise the truth “just one time” in order to satisfy a relationship that doesn’t even exist anyway.  When I heard about the way he went about this, I felt anger towards him.  It also brought up angry feelings from the past by the way he has manipulated, and deceived, and hurt many people.  I started praying about how I was feeling.  These scriptures came to mind from Psalm 139:  

    1.  Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
    2. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
    3. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
    4. I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

    I asked the Lord to show me what it means to hate with a perfect hatred because I don’t want any ungodly anger or bitterness towards anyone, no matter what they have done. What came to mind is this. God is “angry with the wicked everyday”, but he is not bitter.  Jesus is ready to forgive any true repentant heart. A bitter person on the other hand does not forget or forgive, and sometimes seeks revenge. Bitterness can cause strife among the brethren. 

    These thoughts gave me peace because I knew if Jesus stands ready to forgive, so can I. After all, he forgave me of my sinful life.  Do you have any thoughts on what David meant by hating with perfect hatred or my thoughts about bitterness?  I welcome any instruction on this matter. 

    Thank you,

    Tom

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

    Hi Tom. 

    Perfect hatred and perfect love are two sides of the same coin.  Perfect hatred of the ways of man is perfect love of God.  When we love God perfectly, we are hating the ways of our flesh perfectly, just like Jesus.

    Perfect love and perfect hatred are holy things.  God feels them both, as do all those who are like Him.  Perfect hatred of the wicked is simply choosing to live your life without them being in control of it.  It is choosing to please God rather than man.  The brother you mentioned wanted me to talk to a sister in Christ and to persuade her to hate Jesus with perfect hatred and choose his way instead.  I couldn’t do that, though I did pass on his request to her.  She chose to love God perfectly and continue to follow Jesus, as I knew she would.

    Thanks for the question, Tom.

    In perfect love,

    Pastor John

     

  • Rev. A. A. Allen – Woman with Short Leg Healed

    Wow this is really something.  And I love the thankful reactions of her and her husband. 

    Vince

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

    Amen, Vince.

    These kind of videos can increase our faith instead of deadening our faith, the way worldly videos do.

    Jdc

    Vince was right, this really is something. And, like Vince, I loved the thankful reactions of the lady and her husband also. The power of God is real. The next video that came up was called “A A Allen Monkey Boy”. At about 2:17 He says: “Listen to me friend. This isn’t form, ceremony and ritual, this is the power of God, that looses men and women and sets them free. This is more than joining a church. This is more than water baptism. It improves (?) that. This is more than a profession. This is a confession. This is old time victory. This is old time joy. This is the power of God in the lives of His people.”  I loved that!

    Darren

     

  • Liberty

    Pastor John, 

    Tonight, you emphasized the importance, the value, the absolute necessity of a pure heart and a clear conscience before God.  You said, “That is Paul’s Gospel!”

    That sentence rocked me.  I think I paused and caught my breath. That statement felt so big to me, so encompassing and so full of truth; It shook me.  I felt like a door had just swung open in our midst, to a more perfect understanding of Jesus. I couldn’t leave that place for a while.

    The thought that I had next was, “That pure heart and clear conscience is the ‘liberty’ that the apostle Paul was speaking of.” Liberty from everything except that purity and clear conscience.  Liberated to pursue it, without giving mind to anything else.  And liberty to stay there, blameless before God.

    Paul knew that every other way, except that way of liberty, was of such little significance and consequence that he was at liberty, at will, to put those things on or cast them off as needed. They meant nothing – whether for Paul or against him.  And for that reason he was free to use them : 1 Corinthians 9:20 

    And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law.

    Paul was at complete liberty to use every earthly tool for the furthering of the Gospel, for God’s people.

    I can appreciate what your father, Preacher Clark, said to brother Murray, many years ago.  When brother Murray wrote your father and explained to him that the people he was worshipping with in Florida were deeply troubled about brother Murray never being water baptized.  Brother Murray had received the baptism that counts in Heaven, and was living full of that holy Ghost, but those Oneness people could hardly bear the fact that brother Murray had never been baptized in water. When Preacher Clark saw the Uncle Joe was getting a wrong attitude toward them, because of the arguments they all kept having, he told him, “Just go ahead and get water baptized, to give them some relief.”

    Just like the apostle Paul, your father was demonstrating his freedom in Christ, His liberty from everything but Christ.  He knew water baptism amounted to nothing, and it had no place in Preacher Clark’s heart, either  to hurt or to help a soul, so he was free to use it.  With that, Preacher Clark advised brother Murray to use that same godly liberty to relieve those other people’s burden.  What spiritual wisdom and maturity! 

    God is not afraid of nor superstitious about Christianity.  And He loves folk that are tangled up in it.  I sure can too.

    Jerry

  • Thankful

    I just want to say that I am very thankful to be feeling much better today! Yesterday I was over that virus I had, but still had to use an inhaler every 6 hours. Last night after reading through the tract (Life More Abundantly) with everyone, and hearing LeeAnn’s and Jim’s testimonies, I came home to find that I did not need the inhaler at all last night. And I could even sing a little last night when I came home. Instead of my breathing and voice getting worse at night, last night it got better. I am so thankful to Jesus. I am thankful for the fellowship in the light. There is healing in that.

    Donna

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