Dear Bro. John,

I loved Jenny’s email, “Time to go to work (1)”.  As I read it, I could not help but think of the verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

All our “times” really belong to Jesus.  How sweet to hear his voice directing us through these times in our life.  How wonderful to know just how much he cares for us.  And every time we hear his voice, it not only blesses the one hearing from Jesus, but all those who hear the sweet testimony of him such as Jenny shared with us today.  I loved it.  There is nothing like hearing from him.

And just as a testimony of Jesus should do, Jenny’s experience made my heart yearn to hear him speak more, too.  So sweet!  Thanks for sending this.
Just makes me want to get still, away from all the static of the world, and listen for him.

Sandy

Hey Pastor John,

I want to tell about something sweet that Jesus said to me going in to work the other morning. I was feeling sad about several things – I felt like things were getting on top of me and I had a good cry in the car on the way to work. As I started to walk into work I was just about to start thinking I need to stop crying (but I had not yet had the thought), and Jesus spoke, so gently and said to the effect of, “Now it’s time to dry your eyes and go on in to work”. I wish I could explain how sweet it was to hear him tell me that.

I keep telling him I want to hear him speak more, and I want to listen, and obey always – in the small things and in the big things. I want him to be pleased with me.

Just wanted to tell before things get busy with my folks!

Goodnight!

Jenny

John,

I was just reading over the notes that I took this morning. There were so many good things said! I love that when I hear you say that the Lord has given you something, I want to lean in closer and listen carefully. Jesus has put that in my heart, and I’m so thankful for that.

I love what you said about God knew the whole thing from the beginning! He knows it all. We don’t even know what we’ll do this afternoon, but he knows everything. You said, “Fear is not in the Sabbath. Trust God. He has designed it and rest in Him. Let your heart not be troubled.” God has really changed that in me and continues to! There are so many things that need to get worked out in my future, but I really can’t worry. It seems so big that I HAVE to give it to Him. That goes along with the testimony I had the other day. Jesus, I need you as my CPA, my mortgage broker, my financial advisor, my mediator… 🙂

Another part I loved was what you said about “feeling the law.” Now that it’s written on our hearts, we have to go by our feelings, or our moral compass that Token was talking about. I’m so thankful for my feelings.

It was so encouraging to feel how big God is. Even if you don’t understand it, you can thank Him for it. Earl said, “God is setting up something up for a wonderful testimony!”

I also loved what you said about finding yourself in the truth. If you’re content and happy and have “found yourself,” what could pull you away? I’m so thankful that I am still here!

As I sit here looking at my pages of notes, I’m thinking about how rich we are! Thank you, Jesus!

Carrie

Hi Pastor John,

I loved tonight – reading the Acts 15 council conversation.  You could really see how Paul’s gospel would have been seen as such a deviation from the right gospel. I think it’s amazing how the scripture brings it out.  But what really struck me tonight was how by itself, Paul’s gospel (seemingly) could not be believed and supported alone.  It seems like an understanding of the Old Testament and Moses Law would have been crucial to Paul’s gospel. How could they understand the essence of the law and of what Paul was saying without that understanding?

We, at this time in history, have the benefit of having been exposed to Paul’s doctrine and just believed it without the same hindrances as they had. But sitting in the council tonight, I could see how unusual and what a deviation it was. Like others have said, it’s hard to be hard on those men, that didn’t believe it.

I love the Old Testament and I’m so glad you teach it.

Jenny

Hi Pastor John,

I had a sweet experience today, and I love it. I was driving to an appointment and I had put on a meeting CD – the Mrs. Robinson CD. As I was driving into the parking lot the CD was up to the Mrs. Robinson song and it felt good – I was singing along to it and just enjoying it – enjoying the laughter and happiness of it all, and I thinking how sweet Jesus is to have given that song to Gwen. Jesus is so tender and caring!

Very soon I began to just go with what I was feeling and began pouring out my heart, crying and speaking in tongues! I found a parking spot and just kept praising God in my car – and I was looking around to see if anyone was around – no one was there but it made me think of Beth and how she often says she feels when this happens and she is in her car!! 

Anyway, I loved having that sweet, sweet time praising Jesus. As I walked into my appointment I stopped and said to Jesus, “Thank you. And more please” (in time).

I just wanted to share. These are the best experiences on earth and it can’t go untold.

Jenny

Hi John,

I loved Darren’s song and Gary’s new old songs 🙂 And I loved the reading in Colossians tonight.  You can see and feel how much Paul was laboring to keep the Gentiles from falling into the trap of believing what Jesus did for us was not enough. My, my!  The pressure that they must have felt after Paul left them, and wolves came in and devoured them! It will happen today if we do not value what the Son has done and believe that he is all we need.

Stuart

Pastor John,

The Pearl for today (below) reminded me of something that the Spirit taught me.

I am certain what Jesus showed me then has saved me at some point(s) thereafter.
I want to share what God taught me:

Perfection in Christ is the end of “hurt feelings and being offended” because walking in the Spirit is to walk in a state of knowing that you, as the individual, are nothing…and Christ is everything. And If you are nothing, then there is nothing to hurt or offend.
You will go about doing the Father’s will, regardless of how people react or how anyone treats you, period.

But you will pray for those who intentionally or unintentionally cause you harm, for fear of your Father’s retribution against them, because we are something to Him. If we become hurt or offended at another’s words or deeds, we need to get into the Spirit of Christ.

The Spirit minds the things of God, not of men. And is happy in doing so.

Jerry

Pastor John,

I LOVE this!!  I definitely think it should be added to the conversation!  (It makes me start thinking about other conversations that could be acted out, like Jesus and Nicodemus, for example). Somehow, seeing and hearing these scenes being played out, really brings the story to life!  I can just imagine that Peter’s companions would have felt exactly the way you wrote them.

I don’t know what it is about this Acts reading that has been so special, but it has opened my eyes to truths that I thought I already knew.  I now have a clearer understanding of the two gospels, and I feel I know and appreciate Paul so much better.

One of the biggest take-aways from the Acts reading was listening to those brothers in the conversation who made very compelling arguments for their side.  They believed, without a shadow of a doubt, that what they were saying was right!  It became so clear, as I watched those men debating the truth, that unless God touched their hearts, they could never understand what Paul was saying.

Then, it makes you think about the miracle God has worked in our hearts to believe the truth!   To believe (and understand) what Paul was teaching all those years ago is so big!  As I sat there listening to the Acts reading last Sunday, I began to get a glimpse of what Jesus has done in my own heart!  He touched my heart and let me believe and understand the truth!  When I start to really take in how much love is in that, it feels overwhelming!  I just sat there with tears welling up thinking about it!

I love what Lou has always said because it’s so true, “I can’t believe I believe this, y’all!”  Any of those brothers sitting at the table who understood and believed Paul could have said the same thing!  (Hey! Maybe you should add Lou’s line to the conversation:).

Lee Ann

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From Pastor John:

I am thinking about adding this to the Acts conversation, if I can find a good place for it.  How does it sound?

Peter’s Companion #1:
I met Peter in Joppa when He came and healed Dorcas, and I was one who went with him to Cornelius’ house.  To go there with him was not easy to decide to do, and we would not have gone at all, but for Peter’s vision.
Peter’s Companion #2:  None of us could understand why God would send anyone to Gentiles.  The last thing we expected was for Messiah to baptize them with the Spirit just because they believed Peter when he told them that through Jesus, God would wash away their sins!

Peter’s Companion #1:
Truthfully, we can’t even say that it was “the last thing we expected” because we did not expect it at all.
PC#2:  Yes!  God receiving Gentiles?  It was unthinkable, impossible.
PC#1: We were all dumbfounded.
PC#2: I don’t think I slept for two days.  I would lie in bed and ask, over and over, “What was that?  What had we just witnessed?”
PC#1: “What had God done?”
PC#2: Yes.  That was it.  We knew it was the work of God, but what did it mean?
PC#1: The only thing I was sure of was that Solomon was proved wrong.  For he said, “There is no new thing under the sun.”  But for God to grant Gentiles – Gentiles! – remission of sins was a new thing!
All: Amen!, etc.
Saul: Men and brothers, you know that God promised in Isaiah, “Behold, I do a new thing.”  Now, as you yourselves can see, He has done it.  However, this new thing is not fully explained by Peter’s Gospel, but by mine.

Good morning Pastor John,

I know several have had testimonies about feeling the spirit in the car, well I wanted to share my experience this morning.  I put in a meeting CD and Gary started singing “Our God is Great and Mighty” and all of a sudden the spirit fell!  It was so good!  I was driving down the highway with one hand on the wheel and one hand in the air praising God!!  My head was bobbing, my left foot was tapping and I was speaking in tongues!  Whew…I still feel it!  How sweet it is to have the holy Ghost and feel it down deep in your soul!! Very, very thankful for the holy Ghost and for the truth!!

Michelle H.

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Amen!  But please be careful!  On earth, there is not yet a law against driving under the influence of the holy Ghost, but I fell sure that it would be frowned upon.

Pastor John