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  • Shutting Up My Pastor

    Pastor John,

    I am a 71 year old believer, called by God to preach the word.  The current church or group of people I am with stress the importance of speaking in tongues as evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit (Ghost ).  Having been in Baptist churches for many of my years, I have accepted speaking in tongues as a GIFT from God and that not all get that gift.  I have not gotten the gift of speaking in tongues but would like to just to shut my current pastor up.  I understand that it will come when God is ready, well I am ready so how do I speak in tongues?

    ​Mitch D.

    ​==========

    Hi Mitch,

    It sounds to me that you are the one who needs to shut up, not your pastor.  Try humbling yourself and being quiet long enough to read this so that you might learn the truth of the gospel:

    http://goingtojesus.com/tongues-at-spirit-baptism.html

    Your servant,

    Pastor John

  • Dressing up Death

    Hi Pastor John.

    Jesus taught me something today. I was driving down the road thinking about different careers. I thought about morticians and those who handle funerals. Jesus showed me a little old lady with white hair, full makeup with heavily painted cheeks, and blue dress shoes on.  The thought that Jesus gave me was that even when the flesh knows someone is dead, it tries to make it appear alive. The whole world walks through life spiritually dead, but even in death, the flesh will hold on to the appearance of being alive, paying to embalm a body so that it stay in life-like condition, and trusting in ceremonies until the very end.  It was a very sober feeling. 

    I listened to a CD today with you speaking about Uncle Joe and his cancer testimony.  You said Uncle Joe would say that he wished he could get back to that place with God.  Uncle Joe didn’t want the cancer (being in the fire) but he wanted to be ALONE WITH GOD.  Hearing that made me think of you and what your going through right now.  You are on our hearts here.

    Beth

    ===========

    Hi Beth,

    Thank you.  Things are going well.

    Yes, even when the body is dead, the flesh is still lying to us.  May God help us not to believe the flesh but to “walk after the Spirit” and really live.

    The Son of God spoke through David to his young son Solomon in Proverbs 8 and said, “All they who hate me love death.”  That is the condition of this whole world.  It loves death because it hates the Son of God.

    Thankfully, David was also moved by the Spirit to tell us how to love life:

     Psalm 34

    1. Come, you children, hearken unto me.  I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
    2. What man is he who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
    3. Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile.
    4. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

    Let’s do that, Beth!  Let’s love life together, and spend eternity with Jesus and those who are like him.

    Pastor John

     

  • Genesis 6

    Pastor John,

    Started reading over your Bible translation & it is Absolutely Outstanding!  What is your belief on “the sons of God & daughters of men” found in Genesis 6? I have never heard you mention it.

    John C.

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

    Hi John.

    Since Jesus said that angels do not marry, the sons of God mentioned in Genesis 6 as marrying “the daughters of men” must refer to humans.  Perhaps “the sons of God” in this case refers to a righteous line from Adam through Seth.

    Luke called Adam “the son of God”, in his genealogy.  So, humans can be considered God’s sons, just because God is “Father” of what He creates.

    Thank you for the question.

  • “The Abomination of Desolation”

    Pastor John,

    If you could, sometime explain briefly “The Abomination of Desolation”.  I use to think it was what Paul was referring to when I believed the Futuristic view of prophecy!  But then I concluded it happened in AD 70 based on the area of Judea being included in the prophecy.  But I heard you say that the Abomination is “the Antichrist in the hearts of believers” like Paul taught.

    Not that big of a deal.  I’m just interested.

    John C.

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

    Hi John

    “The abomination of desolation” refers to the spirit of antichrist, which God’s people receive into their hearts when they are persuaded that they were born again before they received the baptism of the holy Ghost.  It is the spirit of Satan, which makes the soul desolate of the wisdom and goodness of God, replacing those holy things with the darkness of vain tradition.

    Hope that helps.

    Pasto John

  • Shadowing

    Morning Pastor John!

    I have been up reading in Galatians this morning. I read chapter 4:22-23 and I am just in awe. I love that God shows us the symbols or foreshadowing of Jesus, such as Adam and Eve hiding from God after sinning against Him because they were naked and ashamed being like our flesh hiding from God, and the tabernacle representing heaven, the purification of wives, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, etc. I am really just in love with how good God is. He lays it all out so we can understand it when He touches us, telling us a story that only He can tell.

    Today is the first time I really took in that Abraham had two sons, one by a bondmaid and one by a freewoman of promise. That is like God having His children of His spirit and those who are of the flesh. It almost sounds silly to write because it is so obvious and simple but I really never took it in like I did today. When you take in all the ways God shows us the truth and teaches us about His heart and His desires, it is just so good!  I really love that he teaches us this way because it is like drawing out a picture for us. It makes it exciting to realize you may read a verse and God may paint you a picture of understanding, when you are not even trying to learn anything.  Ha!  I love this.

    I  am in awe that this whole story, this whole life, is being revealed to me…to us. It’s like opening a book and realizing it has hidden messages that others can’t see, written in between the script. Kinda like reading invisible ink!

    I just had to share these feelings. I feel like the veil over my eyes is getting thinner and thinner. I can see but, oh, I want a clearer picture!  I am so excited to live in NC and soak up what God has taught you and the body.

    Beth

  • Exodus 28:38

    Pastor John,

    I noticed this while translating Exodus 28:  “bear the iniquity of the holy things that the children of Israel shall consecrate of all their holy gifts.”  Jesus does a lot for us.

    (Ex. 28:38) “And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the children of Israel shall consecrate of all their holy gifts and it will be upon his forehead always for their acceptance before Jehovah.”

    djc

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

    Yes, Damien.

    I have pondered over the mystery of Jesus’ taking on himself our sins, as well as the mystery of him taking on our illnesses.  The latter was fulfilled when Jesus healed the people, as Matthew 8:17 says, which is amazing to me.  What was going on, spiritually, when Jesus took our sicknesses on himself?

    The best we can do is just stand in awe, and be thankful.  It is beyond us.

    Pastor John

     

  • My Pearl

    http://goingtojesus.com/site/php/marriage.html

    This is my Pearl of the Day from George C. Clark: “To Suffer Alone with God is better than to be joined to an Unclean spirit.” – From the “Marriage & Divorce” tract.

    John C.

  • Not Quarreling

    John,

    I was pondering off and on today about your comments Saturday night.

    It came to mind an incident you told me about years ago and wonder if this is maybe a small example of what you are saying.

    There was a situation in which brother Hunnings came to a woman’s house, and she wanted to argue about  the saved doctrine, and his response was something like, “Aw hush.  Go fix me something to eat. I’m hungry.”  You told me he appealed to her servant’s nature.

    Is this at least in the ball park of what you were saying?

    B Wendell

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

    Yes, Wendell.  In fact, I actually used that story myself recently to illustrate what I meant Saturday night.

    Pastor John

  • “God Did That.”

    Pastor John:

    Judy and I were in your basement, just briefly, last evening, but you said something that really opened my ears and heart.  Please correct me if I didn’t quote this right, “God, doesn’t partake of human life.  He sent His Son to do that.  God gives Life.”

    I’ve been meditating on that all night. I’m starting to read again in the Father and Son Book in the chapter, “God’s Kind Of Life”.  So far I haven’t read anything quite like you quoted last night, but it’s all over the pages.

    I had a dream last night.  You were walking, completely healed from your surgery and were singing, rejoicing, and even running.  You pointed to the birds singing and said, “God did that!”  You pointed to the sky and said, “God did that!”  You ran across a bridge in the woods and said, “God did that!” You pointed to the flowers and said, “God did that!”, and so on.  Everything you came across you said, “God did that!”  You were so filled of joy.

    But what touched me in the dream is when you saw a person being whipped by Jesus – and was humbling himself to the chastisement so he could be a partaker of God’s life, you spoke again with joy, “God did that!” You knew what the end result would be once the chastisement was over.

    We are the only creatures ever created that have an opportunity to receive God’s life and be a partaker in His Righteousness. But, it’s like you said Saturday, we are going to cut on.  Still, when that chastening comes, we can say humbly and with fear, “God did that.”

    Thank you for teaching us!!

    Billy

  • “Is the Bible the Word of God?”

    Pastor John,

    I read your book, “Is the Bible the Word of God” the other night while in the crane again!!  I could not stop laughing, and I am still laughing about the “Word of God” being surgically implanted in someone’s mouth!!  Also the “Word of God” running with the sneakers on!!  I wanna print that off and put it on my locker at work!!

    John C.

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