Pastor John,

Well, I finished the George C. Clark book. I LOVED the very last part (Abraham).

Until now, I have read two biographies that had a very deep impact on me, and literally changed my life. This was the third one, no doubt about it.

Jesus, thank you, that you gave George C. Clark as a gift to the ecclesia! Keep teaching us and changing us through his inheritance, through the spirit he left us with.

God, give us grace to be conformed more and more to the image of your Son by the power of your Spirit.

Zoli

Good evening John,

I’m sitting here in my office working on the computer, and I started smiling, thinking of how thankful I am for God’s wonderful truths, and something you said in the meeting today. I can’t get it out of my mind, how good it felt to even understand you! 

In the meeting you were talking about Peter, and you said that he had “denied he ever knew Jesus.”  But that God forgave him, because it was true. 

One thing I loved about that was realizing that I understood what you were saying!  Without the knowledge of the truth (when a person is born again), that statement can’t even be understood.  Without the holy Ghost baptism, Peter really didn’t know Jesus.  Without the baptism of the holy Ghost, NOBODY really knows Jesus.  He was, and is, a mystery to those who are “none of his.”  And even though Peter denied he knew Jesus and wept bitterly because of it…. in reality, he told the truth – and so Jesus forgave him. That was just so sweet to me. 

The new birth is like a brilliant many-faceted diamond – there are always new angles on it, new information, new ways to see it, new truths to understand in it, new ways to see it and look at it.

This was one of them for me – it came from “above”, and I loved it.  I’m still smiling.

Gary 

Hi John,

Wow, what a sweet meeting this morning, and wonderful testimonies!  I love feeling the joy of the Lord like we felt this morning with each other – it is priceless.

I had a thought this morning when Brother Tom was testifying about the cross, and how it was a bloody mess with Jesus on that cross, just like it was with the Old Testament animal sacrifices.  Whatever part Satan played in Jesus’ sacrifice for the sins of the world – the torture, crucifixion and death of Jesus – ENDED at the cross.  And since Satan is the head of the abomination of Christianity, the cross would just naturally be Satan’s main focus.  He would be proud of the part he had, and make it seem like that was the most important event (he would probably see it as something he and God did together).

It just gave me a better understanding of why the cross is so important to Christianity – because it was so important to Satan!  He downplays what happened AFTER Jesus died – Jesus’ resurrection, his ascension, his offering of his body as a sacrifice, God’s accepting of that sacrifice, and the witness of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost – because Satan had nothing to do with it.  I love it when God helps you to see things more clearly like that!

Vince

Good morning Pastor John,

I loved the meeting last night. I have been thinking on what it means to be “dug in”.  So I’ve been reading my bible, emails, anything around.  Then I had a thought about a drug addict.  I had seen a show were drug addicts talked about chasing their first high, how they never could get that first high again.  Which led me to think of getting touched Thanksgiving, and how that when Jesus gets that close to you and touches you how you want that feeling again.  When you talked about Uncle Joe last night and how he wanted that feeling back [of closeness to God] when he was sick, man, that touched me, because I want that feeling where nothing else matters except that touch from Jesus.  Unlike drugs, we can get that high again and higher!

Well, have a good day.

Greg C.

A Jehovah Witness once told me that they are not Christians.  I disagreed.

Billy H.

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You were right.​  What we claim to be – or not to be – does not determine what we are.

Pastor John

Hey Brother John,

I want to thank you and Jesus for the message you gave us last night (March 4, 2015).  After that, I had some thoughts that I felt in the Spirit were not right in the sight of God.  But at the time, I didn’t really know what thoughts I should have been having.  Last night, I found out what was right.  I am just so thankful that you are my Pastor, and you keep me on the right path, and that Jesus is still conforming me to his image.  Its very humbling to be loved like that.  Hopefully,  I can grow to the point that I won’t have to be reminded of how a righteous man thinks and feels, but be full enough of the love of God that loving His children rightly will just simply be who I am.

Billy H.

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Hey,

I am helping Amy proofread some of the ​edits for ​Father and Son book.  This is from Chapter 1, and it had the same sweet feeling of love with it that your message ​Wednesday night had.  Both times it brought tears to my eyes.

HIS OWN THOUGHTS IN HEAVEN

The verses below, from Hebrews 2, reveal thoughts, words, and deeds that belonged to the Son before he came to earth.  They show that the Word who was with God in the beginning was a thinking, feeling, speaking being who loved both his Father and us and who desired to heal the breach between us and the Father which our sins had caused, regardless of what it cost him personally.  The author, quoting Old Testament scriptures, tells us that the Son, while still in heaven, thought on us with great affection and spoke of us to the Father:

Hebrews 2

11. The One [the Father] who sanctifies and they who are sanctified [the Son and those who believe in him] are all of One, for which cause he [the Son] is not ashamed to call them brothers,  saying [in Psalm 22:22], “I [the Son] will declare your [the Father’s] name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation will I sing you praise!”

 13b. And again [in Isaiah 8:18], “Behold, I and the children which God gave to me!” 

Also, I was listening to Aunty Betty & Uncle Earl’s cd, “A Simple Life” ,yesterday.  The song Aunt Betty sings, “A Thousand Tongues” goes along with this message.

“And though I speak a thousand tongues,

To praise your name each day,

Without your love in my heart,

They’re only words to say,

To you Jesus, To you Jesus.

For you to accept them,

I must be true.

For you to accept me,

I must be true.”

The Father and the Son both really loved us more than themselves.  I pray to really be that way, too.

Chris

From Brad, Thursday morning, in response to last Wednesday night’s (March 4, 2015) meeting …

So, how am I today?  ;^)

Pastor John, 

Whatever I’ve been going through, Jesus is IN IT.   He is working little miracles …making me recognize my flaws, my faults, my weaknesses, revealing my own heart to me, exposing whatever needs to be rooted out. .  . perfecting me through my suffering.  

As I wrote to you recently, there is an urgency on my heart to dig in, and it is not a burdensome, obligatory feeling, but an enthusiastic, liberating feeling.  It’s from God.

The past couple of meetings have given such enormous humility, healing and holiness to us all.  Thank you for delivering such profound messages from the Lord.

If we can extend that love of God in our hearts for every child of God who is essentially “us”, we will be doing a great and valuable work.

I am anxious to know who I can help today!  Who can I bless?  Who can I encourage?  Who’s burden can I carry?  Who can I love, as I love myself?  . . . and as I love Jesus.

Brad

Hey!

I have just finished listening to our reading of chapter 10 of the Father and Son book!  Now, I have gone through all the chapters we read at thanksgiving.  My, my!  It is absolutely wonderful.  I love the feelings I felt at the end, and all the way through.  I just felt the spirit all over me and through me at the end.  This is absolutely wonderful John.  I am so looking forward to making this available for God’s people.  It is truly a treasure for the people wanting to know the true and living God.  They never would have dreamed He would be so good.

I could say so much more, but the feelings are better “felt than telt” 🙂

Amy B.

Hey John,

I’ve been reading 2 Chronicles & Kings in our Old Testament class.  I wrote the names of all the kings on 3 by 5 cards and looked at your papers about them.  I was looking for the good in them.  John, God sent the prophets to the northern kingdom even though they clung to “the sin of Jeroboam” the whole time.  I felt like crying!  What mercy God has for His people!

Thanks for all the work you have done with these Old Testament classes.  I would be lost with all these kings without your HELP.

Jr.