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Pastor John
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Hi John,
What do you mean by “Even the Son came to know God by the Spirit”? Are you referring to when Jesus received the Spirit at his baptism?
Patty
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Hi Patty!
Yes. Since God is a spirit (John 4), the only way for anyone to know him is in spirit. If Jesus had not received the Spirit, he would not have been able to come to know God as he did. All knowledge of God comes through His Spirit.
Pastor John
Pastor John,
I had to write this. I have been feasting off of it tonight. I read a thought for the day/notes that Rebecca Clark wrote. Jenny Holstein posted it on Facebook. It stirred the Spirit up. Here are my thoughts.
Why would Jesus deliver us from sin if He expects us to live in sin? That thought led to another. I know God does not expect us to live a life of sin, even sin in restraint, sinful thoughts and feelings not being acted on. I know because I lived that life, and Jesus did not leave me in sin when He came to me. Jesus changed my sinful heart and mind, my thoughts and my actions. My testimony proves Jesus is not ok with sin. Otherwise He would have just left me in sin.
Whew! I know I have known this, but this just feels so big! Oh, how wonderful to have a testimony! Look what my testimony proves. No one can tell me God is ok with sin. I just feel hungry and excited and full, all at the same time. Ha! It seems so simple and obvious, but Jesus just made it real…more real..to me tonight. Another veil lifted. A clearer picture. I am gonna stop because I could just go on an on, and I know you already know all of this.
God is GOOD!
Beth
Ps….thankful for Rebekah’s notes
Pastor John,
We were reading the law that was given to Moses, and when we got to this verse about a man being killed, in Exodus 21. I felt like a sledgehammer hit me in the chest, and I heard these words, “There, is your ‘accident.’”
The verse is this (13:) “And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.”
I know the world thinks that it has “accidents”, whereby a person, by chance, kills another human being by sheer misfortune. But God said, in Exodus, that He has delivered that man up to die and has placed him in your way to accomplish it. Which means every day that a person lives, is given to them by God, until God takes it away. The experience scared me and left me feeling sober. I looked up some other translations and most that I found, did not confess the truth that I heard. Here are two of them:
N.I.V. “However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate.”
NET Bible “But if he does not do it with premeditation, but it happens by accident, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”
But God didn’t “let” it happen, nor was it an “accident”. God did it! God killed a man, and we know He is righteous in doing so. Pastor John, there sure are a lot of “accidents” on the news every day.
The verse and its meaning are clearly understood, but the experience with Jesus was alive and new to me, I appreciate you letting me share it.
Jerry
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Hi Jerry,
Here is how we translated that verse from Exodus 21:13. “But if a man lies not in wait, and God delivers him into his hand, I will appoint you a place to which he may flee.”
The world, and especially the self-righteous disdain the thought of fearing God, and sometimes criticize those who declare it as Neanderthal in their thinking. But if that is true, then Jesus was a Neanderthal, too. So, we are in good company. Jesus said (Luke 12:4-5), “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
The fear of God is good, and the love of God casts out every kind of fear but that one. May God grant us plenty of it!
Pastor John
Pastor John,
I was really blessed by the service tonight!! One of my favorite scriptures is Jesus bidding the Little Children to come to Him. We must all become like Little Children depending upon our Father for everything. Jesus takes us by the hand & leads by his Spirit to our Heavenly Father. But it’s when we become like teenagers & decide we don’t need his guidance anymore that hurts our spiritual growth or walk. I did enjoy service very much, enjoyed the testimonies & Darren singing very much!!
John C.
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Hi John,
Good testimonies tonight! What wonderful things God has done for us! It was sweet watching Song dance in the Spirit 🙂 I loved Song’s testimony. God just is, and he does it all. How valuable is the truth! It keeps you from the things of the flesh if we follow his spirit. Wow, John, God scourges every one who wants to get close to him. God, helps us take it! I loved what you said about the fear of God; it can’t be taught by men, not his real fear.
Thank you, John.
Stuart
Hi John,
I have been listening to the Matthew tape, and had some questions about Satan and his knowledge. When did Satan know that Jesus was indeed God’s Son. When Satan and Jesus were in the desert for the 40 days, at that time Satan thought Jesus was a son of God, and he was, too?
Love learning the truth!
Patty
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Hi Patty!
Everybody in heaven knew that Jesus was a son of God, including Satan. The angels spoke of Jesus as a son of God the night the baby Jesus was born (Luke 2). So, Satan knew that Jesus was a son of God, but he thought he was an even greater son of God than Jesus was. “The Son of God” was also a phrase of very great esteem which the Jews used in reference to their longed-for Messiah, and those who believed on Jesus would have, and did, call him that (Mt. 16). At the same time, I don’t believe that Satan understands, even to this minute, what Jesus being THE Son of God truly means. And though the Jewish people used that title in reference to the Messiah, they did not understand what God’s Messiah would do or what kind of person he would really be. So, “the Son of God” remained a mystery to them, too, except for the Jews who received the holy Ghost and by it, began to understand the things of the kingdom of God.
Good questions! Thank you.
Pastor John
Speaking in Tongues at Spirit Baptism
Bro John,
Several years ago, in the morning, while getting ready for work, I heard the Spirit of God start preaching in my inner man. It wasn’t audible in the room, but was very loud and clear to me. This is what I heard:
What was it that convinced the Jews that the Gentiles had been grafted in to Christ?
It would have been an impossibility, in the minds of even faithful Jews. Jesus called us Gentiles dogs (Mt. 15) and continually sent His disciples only to the house of Israel. Those Israelites – all Israelites! – KNEW that we Gentiles did not belong to God, and we didn’t.
With that understanding, if Gentiles had suddenly started claiming to belong to Jehovah (the God of only the Jews), they would have been laughed at, at the very least, and possibly worse might have befallen them. The Jews knew that the notion of a Gentile belonging to God was altogether absurd.
No Gentile, or “dog”, as Jesus clearly stated, would have ever persuaded a devout Jew that he was in covenant with God by simply claiming that he “got saved” or that he “accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior”. Who would have believed such heresy? When God grafted Gentiles into His New Testament family, into His Son, He had to send a convincing witness from heaven to the Jews that such a thing had taken place. Otherwise, what Jew on Earth would believe such a thing? He had to send a sure “testimony”, a “sign” from Himself that no one could refuse, an irrefutable sign that His children, the Jews, could not refuse.
Peter was sent to Cornelius’ house to preach the Gospel of Christ. We read in Acts 10:44, “While Peter yet spake these words, the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (Jews) who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
Something happened that astonished those Jews; something happened that caused Peter to confess in verse 47 that THE GENTILE, TOO, HAD AS WELL RECIEVED THE HOLY GHOST. Something occurred there which proved that the impossible was possible! Because what happened WAS impossible and would have been altogether unbelievable. Something made those Jews believe what was impossible for them to believe!
The scriptures tell us that “tongues are a sign for unbelievers”. Who could have been in a state of unbelief more than those faithful Jews with Peter on that day, at that moment? But God sent them a sign, an irrefutable sign that their God had been there, so that they would not stumble in their faith at the mercy poured out on us poor Gentiles.
God poured the sign out on them (the Jews) first, at the day of Pentecost, when they staggered under the power of God, in Acts 2. And then, after the Jews had a good measure and were quite full, He then did the impossible in the sight of the Jews. He touched us Gentiles and sent us that same sign, in love, to help us all to believe and understand. Oh God, how we need the type of conversion today that would convince and astonish even an unbelieving Jew. God taught me that in my kitchen, bro. John. I can tell that truth; it is my testimony.
Jerry
Pastor John,
If the woman with the blood disease, in Mathew chapter 9, had said within herself, “If I could only see Him, I shall be whole”, Instead of, “If I may but touch His garment…” would she have been made whole when she saw Him?
If the answer is yes, what does that mean for us? Are we setting the bar, within our own hearts, as to where we can meet God, release our faith and receive? If so, can we pray to move that bar, or remove it?
Thank you,
Jerry
Mathew 9: 20-22
And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.”
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Hi Jerry,
That’s an interesting question, but one that I don’t believe anyone but God could answer.
Pastor John
Pastor John,
In today’s Pearl, your father said, “Don’t allow yourself to even feel right toward God until He does what He says He’ll do. Tell Him about it!” You cannot say that without intimate experience with God. Right? You don’t speak that way about God or anyone, unless you know them … and know their behavior.
If and when God doesn’t do what I think He might ought to, I say in my heart, “God, you know best,” and that is the best response that I have had. If I am feeling weak in spirit, I might pout or get disheartened first. But your father says, to paraphrase, “You knock on God’s door and tell Him that He owes you one.”
Who says that?! Preacher Clark spoke of Him as One He knew well.
I wouldn’t stand at God’s door waiting…because I have no experience. I wouldn’t know what I was waiting on. I don’t know Him, just of Him and even at that… only in fragments. Your father appears to have known God well enough to expect Him to do what He says and then to respectfully ask God for it if He didn’t feel that He delivered. He didn’t make an excuse for not receiving His blessing. It goes right along with “Heal us or tell us why not, God!”
I find this incredible and very encouraging. Your father respected, feared and loved God, I am certain. But He also believed Him! And knew from experience that He was good for His word. Wow. Saying we need that kind of experience in our life is telling it short, I imagine. Incredible.
I’m printing and framing this one. I want the reminder to believe God … and to know that a person can know God in a way greater than I do. Thank you for this.
Jerry
Good evening Pastor John,
A conversation with sister Natalie today reminded me of a lesson that Jesus taught me years ago.
I used to pray “hard” when my feelings weren’t in line with the Spirit of God, instead of with more heart (as Sandy so perfectly described it: “hard praying versus heart praying”).
I would pray under a self imposed strain, trying to push through to God, to get realigned. Pushing in prayer made me feel more out of alignment and I would then respond by trying harder. Then the Spirit told me something that would forever help me to consider my prayer life. That was this: “God will never meet you in the flesh, if He did, you would never leave it.”
I learned after that, that when I was out of alignment with Jesus’ Spirit, I needed to let go completely and just float to the surface. It was in complete submission that the refreshing and realignment came.
Good night pastor John.
