Pastor John,

We are blessed to have a place (that “place” is us!) to take our testimonies and our experiences with Jesus to.

While preparing for work this morning, the Spirit let me know that having a place to tell your testimony and having a place to tell what you have heard or experienced from God is a wonderful blessing!  I don’t think there are many people or groups out there, who would embrace the experiences that Jesus continues to give us….pure doctrine, wisdom, truth and judgment, music, hearing from God, being led by the Spirit, correction, and on and on.

It made me consider, what if we had no one to tell our testimony to, no one who loved it with us, no one to tell, “what Jesus said this morning”, and no one to encourage us in our right thoughts from God?

We are washed by passing out those experiences that Jesus gives to us.  And we are blessed to be allowed to do it.  It cleanses us and gives us strength.   We need to pass those experiences on as much as we need the experience itself.  What a privilege it is to be a part of the body of Christ that wants to hear, and that understands what God is saying and doing in each of our lives, everyday.

That was a good reminder for me this morning. 

We are a valuable group of people, to God and to one another.

Jerry

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Hi Jerry.

Thanks for this.  I especially was touched by this thought: “We need to pass those experiences on as much as we need the experience itself.”  That is so very true!

Any group of saints that God puts together is a holy blessing for the individual members of that body, and for the body of Christ world-wide.  I am so thankful for the body of saints that God has created here, for you and me, and for all of us!

Pastor John

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I love this (Jerry’s email). I’m so thankful for us, too.

There were times when I would listen to people testify and I would think, “I want to speak up. I want something to say.” As I’ve gone through these past two years, Jesus has given me testimonies! Ones to tell to the body and other ones to tuck away in my heart. How valuable are those experiences! It really does make you thankful for the harder times when you draw closer to Jesus.

I love having that place (us – a “who” not a “what”) like Jerry said, where people understand you. As this world becomes crazier, we have such an oasis. It is not something to be taken for granted.

Carrie

Hi Pastor John,

I have been listening to the tracts that we have recorded for the Going To Jesus website.  Listening to Vince’s recording of “Politics and Believers” has the same ring to it as coming out of Christianity.  The Israelites were no more entangled in the affairs of Egypt, or its government; no more task masters, no more labor of burdens for Pharaoh’s desires; no more citizens or even a country to belong to.  They were God’s sole responsibility to lead then to Canaan’s land, govern them, feed them, and be their buckler and shield. But mainly He was a God of rest.  The Government that Israel was governed with was easy and restful (as long as Israel obeyed God).

For us, or anyone, to fully come out of Christianity is to put your whole trust in God to lead, clothe, govern you (with God’s man), and to have rest in your soul from the entanglements of earthly governments and their desires, and to worship the true God in spirit and truth, not looking back to your previous residence. God knew what was going to make the Israelites happy and free, and it is no different today.  God knows what will make us happy and free, and give us rest.

I feel so very thankful this morning.

Billy

Hi Pastor John,

I was thinking about a man I know, he is serving Jesus under many burdens, such as not being free to acknowledge his own birthday, or the birthday wishes of others. He cannot accept a card at any time, wishing him well during a holiday, or enjoy a pumpkin in the fall or a sparkling decorated tree in December. While I was considering this, and the contrasting liberty that the saints of God that I know have, Jesus interrupted my thoughts, with something different. Here it is:

There is a reaction, generally, when we as individuals tell people that we are not a part of the religion of Christianity.    Folk immediately seem to put their guard up.  Their first apparent thought, based on accusations I have heard them make, is that WE (the individual) have “lifted ourselves” above the accepted standard of life in Christ….  There are many ways that those feelings are vocalized, such as: “You have exalted yourself” or “You think you are better…” or “You think you know better…”, and “You think you are the only one…”,  and so on. 

But the truth is just the opposite. 

None of us that are serving Jesus outside the walls of Christianity chose to do so.  We didn’t know how to make that choice.  We didn’t know there WAS a choice.  None of us lifted ourselves above religion as men know it – because WE didn’t know it!  Actually, we would have, and we once did, choose one of the many variations of Christian religion, just like just about every person does who gets hungry for God. There is no other choice in this world … as far as men know.

We can’t choose something that we cannot see, nor can we choose something that we did not know existed.

We are where we are because Jesus lifted us out of what is seen, and placed us into what is not seen…. out of the known and into the unknown.  All we did was not jump ship when the ship was lifted completely out of the water!  We had nothing to do with that miracle; that was the Lord’s work.  And we remain as ignorant of what lies ahead as we were when this journey of holiness began.  

What we do know is, when we obey Jesus, he moves us further away from where we started, and closer to where our hearts long to be.  We can feel it!  But only He knows the way there.

How do we make sincere people understand that, so they aren’t put off by the idea of rejecting the religious system of Christianity as a whole?  I don’t know.  A lot of love I guess.

Jerry

Hi Pastor John! 

I am so happy!  I am just happy.  I love hearing from Jesus and learning how to be more like him.

Last week, as I was getting ready for work one morning, Jesus whispered something to my heart.  Jesus whispered, “It is good to be under your husband and to take instruction from him.  It is good to be a good wife.”  I thought about it all day.  The feelings I had were thankfulness and an eagerness to be a good wife to Jerry, for Jesus.  I thought about Jesus changing my heart and making me able to even want to be under my husband.

The following night, Jerry sat down with me and told me that I needed to change something I had been doing.  Jerry told me that it was hurting my spirit, and it was going to cause trouble in my walk with Jesus.  I knew Jerry was right.  Jesus had already pricked my heart about it.  How sweet it was of Jesus to prepare my heart!  I feel so thankful to have a husband that can help me and keep me on track.  That is a gift from Jesus.  I am also thankful that Jesus gave me a heart that is thankful for that correction.  That came from Jesus.  I was never able to take instruction or correction from anyone.  I had a rebellious heart my whole life. 

Sometimes, I can see the things that Jesus is changing in me, and I feel so overwhelmed with his love!

I am just happy, and I am so thankful.  I never had a thankful heart; that came from Jesus, too!

Beth

Pastor John,

This is what I heard from the Spirit this morning:

When you are speaking to someone, “why” are you saying the things that you are saying? What are you hoping to accomplish with your words? Are you accomplishing or provoking righteousness with your talk, or is it something that someone will have to get over, to get back to the power and liberty and glory of God? If it is the latter, we would do well to abstain from speaking.

This morning, brother John, something happened to me at work, that was unpleasant. It was substantial enough that I considered telling my wife, but then I realized it would accomplish nothing at all, and would certainly provoke a feeling in her that she would have to get over, to get happy again. For what good?

Years ago, I heard the Spirit ask this question: If you are not bringing out the best in God’s people, than what are you bringing out of them?

It is a serious question. Jesus takes it serious. We have a duty, one to another, to provoke one another to righteousness. It is easy to do, the joy of the Lord accomplishes it in abundance.

Just some thoughts.

Thanks.

Jerry

Wow, brother John, I love this.

That means we are known to the world by the judgment that WE  execute.

Whether we be loved or whether we be hated, we will be defined, to this world, by our judgment of sin. 

Jerry

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God’s Judgments

“The LORD is known by the judgment which He executes.”

Psalm 9:16

If the LORD is known by the judgment He executes, then if He never judges, He is never known.  Or if He executes judgment and we do not see that He is doing so, then we do not know Him.

We are blessed that God judges, for He reveals Himself to us in His judgments.  Pray to be able to see and perceive it, when God executes His judgments.  Otherwise, you will never come to know Him.

Hi Pastor John,

I wanted to write to tell you how much I enjoyed the meeting today. From the moment I walked in the door the feelings were so good!  The message you gave to the young people was so good.  I hope they really take that in, I hope we really take that in.  

I also wanted to thank you, for the care and instruction that you have given to me. When you said, “Let me mold you”, I felt like I could have just melted. What a great feeling!  I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much love!  Thank you!

Michelle

Hey John,

To have these feeling tonight as you spoke about thankful and Happy!! The love of the truth!! The rock that the truth is for us!!  Pride!! Not to Forget to get down on your knees to pray!! What a meal tonight. I feel like a have been washed!!

So good !!

Thank you John!!

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I love what you said this morning and this evening: God is in 1st place and there is no 2nd place. When you said that this morning, as you were turning back towards us from the fireplace, faith hit my heart and I kept hearing in my heart throughout the day: “Knowing and loving this will keep you above the shadows of this world.”  And to hear you preaching and testifying about it tonight was just wonderful!

Gnite❤

Bess

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Pastor John,

Last night was so good and so encouraging.  I woke up this morning still feeling it. 

As I was driving into work this morning, it was damp and cloudy but I looked up and saw the light from the sun beaming through the clouds.  I was overcome with feelings of thankfulness of being filled with Gods life! What a wonderful feeling.  I felt like this human body could not contain the joy and sheer delight of being one of His!!

Thank you Pastor John for the encouragement!   We are so blessed!

Michelle H

Pastor John,

I saw a sign today, a large billboard advertising a local church and claiming that this church was the birthplace of a local County, and also of a local University.  I then considered the significance of us, the body of Christ, knowing that we are not the church, and that the church is not the body of Christ.

What that billboard is really saying is, “Praise the church”, “You need the church”, “You need to be a part of the church, and to revere and submit to those who hold a place of authority within it”.  Men rule over God’s children in that place, with no authority from God to do so.  My, what a resemblance to Satan’s fatal mistake, in his desire to, “be like the Most High”.

I cannot recall ever hearing a healthy member of the body of Christ calling lost souls to the body. There is no earthly door for which a man can enter into Christ’s body.  Jesus is that door, and all that the body of Christ can and should do, is point to Him.

Thank you, Jesus, that we are free from that heresy!   Thank you that we know you are not there!  That is huge. 

It made me consider what it means to, “be made merchandise of”.  Merchandise is the inventory with which a business entices someone to do business.

What merchandise just our little group would make for the church if God condemned us to such a fate.

Our liberty and peace, knowledge, music, freedom and power, paraded in front of lost souls – only to draw them into lifeless darkness that offers none of these things.

It takes my breath, considering it.

We are so kept by God!  These thoughts make me love people very much.  I am so thankful for that today.

Jerry