Morning,

The reading last night was very good.  One thing in particular that stood out to me, and I don’t think I have heard you ever put it quite like this, was at the beginning of chapter 6 when the seven seals are opened.  You started off telling us that until the Lamb (Jesus) opened these seals, they were unknown to anyone but God, and that if the Lamb had not overcome the world, they would not have happened at all.  These seals tell of things that are going to happen only because the Lamb overcame.  His victory created them for us and made a new future for us.  The seals are descriptions of the death and damnation that Jesus will save us from.  That is very good! God would have destroyed everything, including us, if Jesus wouldn’t have gone through what he did and overcome the world.  Like you said last night, when we receive the holy Ghost, we get a new past AND a new future – all because of Jesus.

Also, I loved seeing daddy fall down in the Spirit just like the elders did in chapters 4 and 5 that we had just read about.  I love when we get an example of what Jesus is talking about.

Thanks!

Amy

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The meeting was just a wonderful golden oasis of health and wealth last night. It felt so good to drink of living water.  It was a refreshing to my soul.

Donna

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John,

I would like to echo Michelle’s and Kay’s comments about last night’s Revelation reading. I especially liked what you said about the Lamb being able to open the book. Now, we are able to escape the terrible wrath that is to come. 

I was also reminded of a time when I was in the third grade at a Catholic school. A nun was reading from the book of Joel one day during a religion class.  

I remember the fear that I felt when she read about the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood. I believe that Jesus was preparing me for a time later in my young adult life when I ran across a book describing these same events. A godly fear was instilled in me that started my search for the truth. 

One more thought about last night. While you were playing and singing “The Meeting in the Air”, I began to notice something different in the sound of Darren’s guitar. When he was picking out the notes between verses there was something extra special going on. It is hard to describe, but it sounded heavenly, as if an anointing had taken over the sound.  

On the way home from the meeting, I mentioned it to Suzi. She agreed that there was an anointing on Darren as he played those notes. It sounded glorious! 

We truly are a blessed people. 

Tom

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Hey!  Good morning! I LOVED the Revelation reading last night! Feelings I get when we read descriptions about Jesus are beyond words! And watching what He does with Bro. Earl is wonderful/beautiful and beyond words too!

Thank you!

Kay

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Pastor John,

Tonight was so good!  When you were reading in Revelation, I would close my eyes and try to imagine the holy scenes that took place in front of John.  It’s just too much for this human mind to take in but the feelings made my heart overflow!   Whatever we must endure here will be worth it to bow before the Master and rejoice together forever!

I love these feelings Pastor John!  We are so blessed!

Michelle

Dear John,

Yes! Amen! Thank you for sending this out to remind us to be diligent.

We have been reading together the Preacher Clark stories, the Bible and some other books, and watching videos of healing.  It never fails that those wonderful stories/testimonies of faith stir up memories of the good things God has done for us in our own lives.  It leaves a sweet feeling of knowing Jesus is there with us, reminding us that to walk by the Spirit day by day is THE way of escape from this world. The old saints of God knew it and were diligent to live close to Jesus, and I am grateful our family loves their testimonies of how Jesus protected sent correction, and provided for them.

When Jesus answered a prayer for us this past Monday evening and another on Tuesday, and Tim, Jonathan and I were praising God for the answer, I thanked Him over and over for our family being knit together in the love of the truth. It is how I have always wanted to live, even before I knew it was what I wanted.

Bess

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The Sweet Influence of the Gospel*

         Much of the irrational, hateful behavior and judgment we see in our time is a direct result of society holding back from this generation the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus.  The sweet influence of the gospel is so great that even if a person does not become a believer, if he has been taught the gospel story, his spirit is influenced for the better by it.

         This is a plea for you fathers, and you mothers, to take advantage of the precious time you have with your children still in your home, and teach them about Jesus.  Read the Bible with them.  If you want them to be reasonable in their dealings with others, if you want them to be happier and more stable persons in this life, God has given you the tools and the opportunity to help make it happen.

         THE MEETINGS OF THE SAINTS ARE NOT ENOUGH!  The meetings are not the answer.  The greatest help the young will receive is in the quiet of their home, with you.         

         Love your children with the kind of love which does the most good.  Love them with the love you received from God as He patiently taught you many stories about His Son.

*Pastor John’s House Blog: February 11, 2017

This is so good bro John. To understand this message, one must understand who is in the body of Christ, and then, who is not.

In other words, to understand or discern the “anti-Christ” (instead of Christ) spirit, one must first know the actual “Christ” spirit; the Spirit that the father poured out on believers, on the day of Pentecost.

Everything else hinges on that initial understanding.

Jerry

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John, and the “Instead-of-Christ” Movement*

         In John’s first epistle, he warned that an “anti-Christ” movement had become very strong (2:18; 4:3), but to perceive his meaning, we must understand that in first century Greek, anti did not mean “against” as it does today; rather, it meant “instead of ”.  For example, Jesus said, “What father among you, when a son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or also a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of [anti] a fish, will he?” (Lk.11:11).  So, what John meant by “anti-Christ” is “instead of Christ”, not “against Christ”.

         This agrees with Paul’s description of false teachers who, he said, considered themselves to be apostles of Christ (2Cor. 11:13).  Those men did not present themselves as enemies of Christ, nor did they speak evil of him.  If they had done so, no believers would have followed them.  What those men did was to proclaim – in Jesus’ name – a gospel different from the true one, and by doing that, they persuaded God’s people of a way of worship different from the right way.  And by doing that, they were, in fact, teaching a Jesus that was different from the real Jesus, and a spirit that was different from the real Spirit of God, just as Paul said (2Cor. 11:4; cp. Gal. 1:6–7).  They were not opposed to the name, “Jesus”, or to the word, “God”; they just offered a different Christ than the true one.

         John called such men “deceivers”, adding that they had “gone out [from the faithful saints] into the world” (2Jn. 1:7).  It is important to note that John did not say that the deceivers had come in from the world.  Sinners of the world would not come into the Assemblies of God to proclaim any kind of gospel at all.  These “instead-of-Christ” ministers were believers who “went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out that they might be exposed” (1Jn. 2:19).  John’s point was that those men did not stay among “us”; that is, the believing Jews.  James referred to brothers who had gone out from the Assembly in Jerusalem to teach believing Gentiles not to trust in Christ alone, but to trust also in the law: “We have heard that certain men among us, to whom we gave no charge, went out from here and troubled you with words, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law. . . .” (Acts 15:24).  These were some of the men who, as John said, “went out from us,” but “were not of us.”

         Finally, it should be noted that the word “anti-Christ” does not appear in the book of Revelation.  And it does not appear in that book of prophecy because Revelation concerns the future, and the “instead-of-Christ” movement was already going strong in John’s day.  John had no need to prophesy of a future enemy of God named “the Anti-Christ”, for he said, “even now, many have become anti-Christs” (1Jn. 2:18).

         You need not look for the anti-Christ to come in the future.  As my father, “Preacher Clark”, once said, “The anti-Christ has been here so long, God’s people have forgotten about him.”

*Pastor John’s House Blog: February 9, 2107

Pastor John,

I don’t know how you have walked around feeling these feelings from God for years and not look like a complete nut. I feel gloriously blissful!

Beth

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It’s not easy, Beth.  Just do like Jesus, and try to act normal.

Pastor John

Hi Pastor John!

I just want to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the feelings in the meeting this morning!!!  Every time I saw someone getting blessed my heart would burst with love! Oh my and to see our young kids being blessed – more than a mama can take!!  So thankful for this life and what Jesus has abundantly given to us.

Love ❤️

Amy F.

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Pastor John,

My cup is running over!  The love of God has filled my heart and touched my soul so deeply!  This weekend was so wonderful!  Watching Jim and Diane, Joel, the children being touched, Vince (not) rolling, Beth dancing around being free!  I just could hardly contain myself!  

I kept thinking how blessed we are and how thankful I am to be here and to be a part of this precious family!

What a sweet, sweet life!

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Bro John,

This morning’s meeting was absolutely over the top in every way! I don’t think I have ever felt so much joy & happiness in a meeting in my whole life. To God be the Glory for visiting us this morning in such a mighty way. It just makes my heart so full of thankfulness. 

Sheila 

Pastor John,

I love what you said tonight about “the missing piece.”  When we share what God has done, it knits us together and breaks down the barriers.  It’s loving the God in whoever is giving the testimony.  Something about that feels so good.  It feels like there is healing in that somehow.

I loved hearing everyone’s testimonies tonight.  What a family!

See you this weekend!

Carrie

Pastor John, 

This BLOG you wrote is really sweet and reminds me of a sweet touch the Lord gave me recently while I was at work…  I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden a song just came to my mind, and as I remembered the words, the spirit fell all over me.  It was so good!

This was the song (I thought about trying to learn it so I could sing it.).

“It is no secret what God can do
What He does for others, He’ll do for you
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do.”

Lyn 🙂

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 Jesus Upholds and Raises All

“The LORD upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down.”

Psalm 145:14

If something has tripped you up in your walk with the Lord, look to Jesus!  He will forgive and uphold you!  And if you have been discouraged by any of the multitude of earthly trials we may face, Look up!  Jesus is well able – and eager – to make you feel encouraged again.

The only people who fall and don’t get up, or who are discouraged and stay that way, are people who do not want to try again and will not let Jesus help them.  Jesus does his part for all who want him to do it for them.

The Psalmist went on to say this: “The LORD is nigh to all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him.  He also will hear their cry, and will save them.  The LORD preserves all them that love Him” (Ps. 145:18–20b).

Hey Pastor John,

Today was a such a busy day.  I felt like I was pulled in a million directions.  I was driving home, feeling tired and completely exhausted.  Then I started listening to a cd and I heard your song of praise, “J-E-S-U-S”.  I started whispering “JESUS” as the song went on….by the time I reached Graham I had a smile on my face, in my heart and my body didn’t feel exhausted anymore!  JESUS…what a wonderful name!!  What a picker upper!!!  

Michelle H.