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  • Mark 3:22-26

    Pastor John,

    We read from the Gospel of Mark this evening , and in there, I noticed the use of the names “Beelzebub”, “prince of demons”, and “Satan”,  and it stood out to me (Mark 3:22-26).

    (Originally, it stood out because in this scene it appeared that Jesus and the scribes were in agreement that Satan was evil. That just seemed to be a “given”, based on their dialogue.   I understood it to be that they were all in agreement that Beelzebub, the prince of demons, and Satan were all the same being.  So, I was going to ask you if the scribes having the knowledge of Satan being evil was possible , since Satan had not yet been revealed as evil.  But, as I put the email together, I noticed something new…new to me….and my question has changed)

    In this scene, the scribes are speaking evil of Jesus for doing good.  The scribes in Verse 22 had accused Jesus of working under the influence of, and also being possessed by, an evil creature that they called “Beelzebub” and the “prince of demons”.

    What the scribes did not do, is call that evil being Satan.  Only Jesus, in the next verse, went on to call this same creature Satan, when He said, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”

    My Question: Did the scribes know they were actually speaking of the Bible character Satan (the one that those scribes would have known from Chronicles, Job, Zechariah and Psalms), when they spoke of this evil being called Beelzebub and the prince of demons in V22 ?

    I am thinking, “no”, since Satan had not yet been revealed as evil.  Right?

    ===========

    That is right.  Nobody but Jesus knew Satan was evil because the Son was not yet revealed.

    ===========

    If any or all of what I have said is correct, would they (the scribes) have understood in the next verse (verse 23) that Jesus had just identified, perhaps for the very first time, that “the prince of demons” they had just referred to, was Satan from the scriptures, the same Satan that was God’s servant in the Old Testament scriptures.  Would they have understood what He just said to them, would they have cared?

    Thank you.

    Jerry

    ===========

    The scribes and other elders of Israel did not understand Jesus.  For that matter, not even Jesus’ disciples understood him.  Besides, even if the scribes had understood what Jesus was saying about Satan, they would not have trusted his judgment of that powerful heavenly creature.  The wicked nature of Satan’s character was a revelation to mankind, part of the revelation of the Son.  But nobody comprehended that revelation until after Pentecost, when humans received God’s kind of life, the only kind of life that enables humans to understand the things of God.

    Thanks for the question, Jerry.

    Pastor John

     

  • Old Meeting CD

    Brother John,

    What an honor to be listening to these ​Old Meeting ​CDs​! ​ The simplicity of the Gospel and feeling the power of God from these older saints stirs up faith.​ ​ As I was saying on the front porch last evening​ after hearing one of them​, ​e​ven though we ​have ​had some wonderful experiences over the years with God’s power, I felt like a 2nd grader at times l​i​stening to these wonderful testimonies. ​ ​Without the power of God wor​k​ing in our lives, ev​e​ry price we’ve paid is in vain​! We must have it working in our lives now​!​

    Thank you!!!!

    Billy​ M.

    ===========

    We have made copies of one of Preacher Clark’s great sermons from late 1971, and made notes to go along with the CD, to help the listeners understanding the words better. The CDs and Notes will be available tonight at our Wednesday night meeting for all who want them, and I would love to get the message with the Notes posted on the Pioneer Tract Society web page. It is a soul-stirring message about 55 minutes long. We need the wisdom and faith that comes through Preacher Clark’s message!

    ​Pastor John

  • Old Meeting CD

    Brother, John,

    What an honor to be listening to these ​Old Meeting ​CDs​! ​ The simplicity of the Gospel and feeling the power of God from these older saints stirs up faith.​ ​ As I was saying on the front porch last evening​ after hearing one of them​, ​e​ven though we ​have ​had some wonderful experiences over the years with God’s power, I felt like a 2nd grader at times l​i​stening to these wonderful testimonies. ​ ​Without the power of God wor​k​ing in our lives, ev​e​ry price we’ve paid is in vain​! We must have it working in our lives now​!​

    Thank you!!!!

    ​Billy​ M

    ===========

    We have made copies of one of Preacher Clark’s great sermons from late 1971, and made notes to go along with the CD, to help the listeners understanding the words better. The CDs and Notes will be available tonight at our Wednesday night meeting for all who want them, and I would love to get the message with the Notes posted on the Pioneer Tract Society web page. It is a soul-stirring message about 55 minutes long. We need the wisdom and faith that comes through Preacher Clark’s message!

    ​Pastor John

  • Meeting 07/29/15

    Hi John,

    Wow, that was good tonight about the Son asking his Father (John 17) to restore his glory that he had with his Father before he created the heavens and earth!  That was good!! Wow!  I love how he gives us new thoughts, and encourages us not to be afraid to think the next thought from Him.  We need His manna from heaven and His water, pure and clean. 

    I loved Earl’s testimony.  He was happy then, and he still is now.  The Spirit has keeping power all along the way.  I loved what you said: “Jesus does not leave any gaps!  When he fills you, you are full!!  He just adds to your joy and lets someone else feel it if they want it.

    Thanks John.

    Stuart

  • “Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth”

    Good Morning John,

    I went to bed last night thinking about the chapters we read in Matthew, I woke up early thinks about chapter 22:13,14: “Then the king said to his ministers, ‘Bind his feet and hands, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness.’ In that place, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth! 14. Many are called, but few are chosen.”

    In the early 90’s, the Lord gave me a dream about this place.  In my dream, I was walking in the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  Everything was clean, fresh, and clear.  The colors were so vibrant and pure that there was no end to them; they were almost transparent.  The whites were the purest whites I have ever seen.  There was transparent gold on the streets I was walking on, just as clean and pure as the whites I seen.

    The buildings where pure white, one right after another along the streets of gold I was walking down.  As I got to the end of the street I was walking on, I came to a gate that led outside of that beautiful city, still walking on the pure gold road.  It was still as wonderful outside the city as it was inside the city.

    As I walked along the road, I glanced to my left and I noticed a big, golden dome in the beautiful green grass alongside the road. As I looked at the dome, almost instantly a fear and terror flooded my whole body like I have never felt before.  It was a crippling, overpowering fear that consumed every fiber of my body, and I had no choice or say in when it came or when it could leave.  As I was in this state, the Spirit spoke to me and said, “You don’t want to come to this place…. Nobody wants to be in this place.”   

    I could feel everyone in that place tearing and scratching and clawing to find some relief that would never come.  It was awful!!  “Weeping and gnashing of teeth!”  This is a real place, just as real as we are alive on this planet, and many a soul will end up here forever and ever!!!

    May God keep each and every one of us from this God-forsaken place!  He has given us what we need to make it and live with him forever.  Let’s take the high road.  It is so much easier.

    Stuart

  • Meeting 07/19/15

    Hi John,

    What wonderful songs in the meeting today!!! We are full of power if we are full of his spirit!!  I love seeing you full of power and strength in his presence, John.  It feels like it is me 🙂 – us!!!  I enjoyed Billy H’s testimony about how God touched him.  I love how you feel about doctrine.  All we want is what God wants.  That is so simple and easy.  It leaves us free to follow what every God wants.  We will not get stuck on a doctrine because we are not looking for one.   We just love his ways and follow them. God touch us all and heal our bodies!

    Stuart

  • Be Anxious for Nothing

    Hey Pastor John,

    I woke up this morning with, “be anxious for nothing” on my mind. It kept rolling over and over. Then I looked on FB and read the Pioneer Trac​t​ ​Broadcaster Tom had posted, Making a Deal. It really struck me about the promises of God. A deal is a deal. Walking humbly with God and obeying Him and the promises that come with that. Then, “Be anxious for nothing”, kept rolling in my mind again so I looked that up:

    Philippians 4​ ​(New King James Version​)​

    “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

    ​I feel like Jesus is letting me see the “spirit of being anxious” and how it has ​move​d​ me and hinder​​ ​me. Part of being righteous is asking Him, obeying what He says​,​ and then resting in it. Don’t be anxious, ​but trust in what He’s ​saying, ​and ​rest in Him. ​Only then can ​we have the peace that will guard ​our heart​s​ and mind​s​.

    I have entered into a covenant with God. I want to honor that and believe the promises He has given to me. Anything that interferes with that​,​ I pray God will remove from me.

    After reading, “Making a Deal”, I also felt the fear of God. I began to pray for the backslidden children of God. I hope that while there is still mercy, His children w​ill run back to Him while there is time.

    God is so good to us. My desire is to live so that I can enjoy and experience all His promises until it’s time to go home.

    ​Michelle​

  • Powerful Service!

    Pastor John,

    Powerful service!!  I feel the power of God all over me!!  I don’t know why people don’t want that!  People wanna be Saved but they don’t wanna serve Jesus??  If they Get This, They Won’t Want Anymore of That!!  Whatever That Is.

    John C.

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

    Wow!  Wonderful testimonies tonight about what God has done! What pearls we have with each other!  Our lives are valuable to us and every one around us if we live were we are suppose to live.  We will overcome this world by our testimonies.  I love “the best chapter in Matthew” 🙂  It sure is – every one we read is the best.  Wonderful prayer tonight, John.  You could feel the soft gentle touch falling down on everyone. 

    Stuart

  • Matthew 11:12

    Pastor John,

    I like your translation of Matthew 11:12, especially the “being earnestly sought” – which is the 3rd definition for biazo. (The transliteration of the word found in the Greek text.)

    Is this verse basically saying that for many, the kingdom of heaven is being sought by some other means than what God has ordained (such as seeking the kingdom of heaven “forcibly” by the will of the flesh, ​or the use of ​ceremonies​, etc.)?​

    Your Translation:​

    “12. The kingdom of heaven is being earnestly sought, from the days of John the Baptizer until now, and the forceful are seizing upon it.”

    Vince

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

    ​Hi Vince,

    Matthew 11:12 is an extraordinarily difficult verse to understand and translate. I came to my translation partly based on the fact that John the Baptizer was ​not in the kingdom of God, even though he was ​the first to declare the kingdom of God to be “at hand”, or near. ​We know that John was not in the kingdom of God because ​nobody but Jesus was. The holy Ghost was not yet given (Jn. 7:39; Rom. 14:17); ​therefore, John could only pr​oclaim it​s nearness​.

    So, when Jesus said the​se​ words in Matthew 11:12, ​it seems unlikely that ​he ​was saying what the King James and other translations have: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”​ ​That translation ​might be seen as suggesting ​that John​ was ​in ​the kingdom of God ​with Jesus, ​and ​so, their cruel maltreatment by men meant the kingdom of God was suffering violence. ​ On the other hand, although John was not in the kingdom of God, ​I do see how that Jesus could say the kingdom was “suffering violence” if those proclaiming it (John and Jesus) were mistreated. But consider the alternative:

    If the gospel that John and Jesus preached had stirred up people to seek the kingdom of God as never before, and if some of those people were zealously (“forcefully”) pursuing it as never before, then Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:12 can be translated as we did.​ People were certainly stirred up as never before, and there was great spiritual warfare going on. So, I opted to translate that verse as reflecting that reality.​

    ​Of course, ​I remain open to a different way of looking at this verse. As I said, it is one of the most difficult verses ​in the Bible to understand and translate. But there is my reason for the translation we ended up with.

    Thank you for asking about it.

    Pastor John

  • Obedience Leads to Promotion

    Pastor John,

    I wanted to let you know that the M​a​​lachi book has really touched me. Two sections in particular, “God hates by refusing to correct…but whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every child whom He receives”. ​ That made me thankful for every time God didn’t let me get by. And the other was about God’s people not growing weary in well doing. When I finished reading the book​,​ all I could do was get on my face and cry out to God. I felt like​, “God,​ do I even know you?​”​ And I asked God to help me not be bitter against any one in my life.

    During some tough times at work​,​ I’d talk to God on my drive in and say​, “I don’t have to understand​;​ just help me to do good for somebody today.​”​ And He would help me​!​ ​ ​It’s been a painful lesson​,​ but one big thing I’ve learned is not to be so hard on people when they make a mistake. God let me make a few mistakes​,​ and I knew how I felt​,​ and it taught me to have more compassion when others do​,​ too.

    Fast forward to this week at work​,​ and when I least expected it​,​ something very encouraging happened, a promotion and a raise​!​ ​That made me feel thankful to Jesus for the painful lessons and for every time He has allowed me to help someone else.

    Sending you a big hug. ​ ​Keep us in your prayers.

    Love,

    Rebekah E.

    ​=============

    Wonderful testimony, Rebekah! And congratulations of the promotion! And remember what Psalm 75 says:

    “6. Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

    7. But God is the judge. He putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

    Pastor John​

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