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  • Last Night

    Hey Pastor John!

    I loved the feelings that I felt last night, so sweet to my soul!  Whew!  When Aunt Betty started testifying last night the feelings were so strong!  I looked at Greg and said, “Can you feel that?”  He said, “Yes!”  When Betty would take her hands and rub her stomach, neck, or arms, wow!  I didn’t even realize that my neck felt so much better.  My neck had been hurting pretty bad for about 2 weeks, so much that sometimes the pain medication didn’t even help. I woke up one morning and told Greg I must have lifted something or slept wrong that night.  I am so thankful for that.  I can not put into words what I am feeling.

    I loved the part about husbands and wives too. I have been reading the scriptures on husbands and wives, it’s been really sweet. Feeling so thankful!

    Donna C.

  • My Mom’s Testimony

    Hey!

    Tonight was so good, again.  I wanted to write about my mom’s testimony tonight and my experience.  The last three days, I was having another one of my headaches but they were pretty mild this time, not like the others, and yesterday in particular was a very good day.  Vince and I went for a walk last night and I mentioned to him, “If all my headaches were like this, that would be great.”  Yesterday was the third day, and I usually have to take medicine and deal with the pain and grogginess all day until it is gone.  I didn’t take any medicine yesterday, nor did I have the usual pain from the headache!

    A little earlier, I was in the store and I was going to pick up some ginger ale to help with the nausea because I usually feel like that one or two of the days.  When I was in the store, I thought about it and then I heard “You won’t need that this time.”  And I totally forgot about the ginger ale and finished up my shopping.

    My mom did not know I was having the headaches, and I did not know until tonight that she had that sweet experience with Jesus and prayed for us all.  When she told her testimony tonight, I looked at Vince and said, “That is why I felt so good!”  I’m so glad she told on Jesus.  And I am so thankful he touched me, and Natalie, and Tracey, and everyone else who felt it.  It feels good to feel good.

    Amy

     

     

  • Very Thankful

    Photo of the Day

    Bro John,

    A few people emailed me about the Photo of the Day, saying, “lovely” … “sweet” … “love this”.  My reply back was “Aww, that photo is sweet.  Look at what Jesus did!!”

    I just couldn’t think of another thing to say when I replied back. But later, I did think about the words to a song that is one of my most favorites, To God Be The Glory, by Fanny J. Crosby.

    To God be the glory, great things He has done; 
    So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, 
    Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, 
    And opened the life gate that all may go in.

    Refrain:
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the earth hear His voice! 
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the people rejoice! 
    O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
    And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

    O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, 
    To every believer the promise of God; 
    The vilest offender who truly believes, 
    That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

    Refrain:
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the earth hear His voice! 
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the people rejoice! 
    O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
    And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

    Great things He has taught us, great things He has done, 
    And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; 
    But purer, and higher, and greater will be
    Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

    Refrain:
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the earth hear His voice! 
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 
    Let the people rejoice! 
    O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, 
    And give Him the glory, great things He has done…

    AMEN and AMEN and many times AMEN!  To be so blessed by God is sometimes unspeakable.

    Sheila

     

     

     

  • The last three BLOGS

    Good evening John,
     
    Thanks for sharing the things tonight from the Oral Roberts booklet from 1947 that you are reading.  It really struck me how you said that you knew there would be things in his book that were not right, nor what we believe, but that you wanted to get the good out of what was in there, that could bless you.  And thanks for sharing those things.  Brother Roberts sure knew healing, and he sure had faith.  Those were good things the Lord showed him …. about authority of the healing man, and such.  It’s good when we can hear solid truth.
     
    But another thing that really hit me tonight was how blessed we are that God has given us so MUCH good writing and materials (through you and your father), AND, we don’t have to strain to get it!  We can take in things and not have to be concerned about “sorting through”.  It’s like getting a pizza with rotten mushrooms on it… you’d have to pick them out one by one, so you could eat the rest.   But it has not been so for us.  We can eat, and eat as much as we want, and we do not get sick, nor have to pick stuff off the top.  That’s big.
     
    The last three blogs have been especially strong: “Do Not Pray for These Problems” (January 22, 2015), “Leave Your Gift on the Altar” (January 21, 2015), and “What’s Done is Done” (January 20, 2015) – they were just so pure and clear.  Pastor John’s January 2015 Blogs

    Any child of God would get blessed by taking them in.  I really noticed that as I was reading them, how focused, and true, and healthy they were for our souls. Top quality.
     
    We have a lot to be thankful for in that regard.  Over the years our food has been clean and good.  I’m sure God has more to keep giving us, but for many, many years now, He has done His part to allow you to pass on food that is wholly edible – it has stood the test of time, things did not have to be “picked out”; and that is something to really appreciate.
     
    Gary

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

    Hi John,

     I agree with Brother Gary.  The last three blog page postings have been wonderful! What love and encouragement and instructions for us all to know and live by!  I love how simple this life really is.  “If our hearts condemn us not,” then we have open communication with God and his Son and one another. The “What’s Done is Done” blog helps us to let go of thing that we can’t change and turn from whatever we did to cause the thing to happen.  It encourages us to look to God to help us overcome the problem and to go to the one who was wronged to restore fellowship between us again.

    It encourages us to live in the love of God, where we will not do wrong, and let what we have done be enough and not add any more to it.   The “Leave Your Gift for God at the Altar” blog is so good!  You are telling us how to have a clean and free relationship with God and one another so that we will not be hindered in prayer or fellowship with God and his Son and one another.  Simple things we all can do!

    The “Do Not Pray for These Problems” blog is encouraging us to be real when we pray to God for help.  Are we wasting our time praying for things we can change ourselves by doing what is right?  Or are we praying for things that only God can change or fix?   Again, it all is showing us how to have a right relationship in everything we do, and be real with ourselves and one another as we walk along this way with God and his Son and one another.  I love this!!  What are we doing here if we do not want to live this way?  It is so real and easy to do if fellowship and righteousness is what we want.

    There are all kinds of spirits and earthly things to make this way of holiness seem so hard and unkind and cruel, but it’s all a lie.  God made the way so simple that anyone who wants it can live it and have peace in their lives!!!  Thank you, John, for helping us keep it simple all along the way.  We need the reminder.

    Thanks

    Stuart

     

     

     

  • “Five-fold Ministry”

    Pastor John,

    Can a minister have more than one office (referring to the five-fold ministry)?

    Also, is it right for a husband and wife to attend different churches?

    George

    ==========

    Hi George,

    Thank you for the questions.

    First, a man can function under as many anointings as God chooses to give him.  That is entirely up to God.  Beyond that, be careful not to limit God’s work to five offices.  The phrase “five-fold ministry” is non-biblical.  It is based on a place in scripture where Paul lists five offices, but Paul did not list in that place all the offices and anointings that God has to give.

    Secondly, it is always a bad sign when a husband and wife are divided.  But beyond that, “going to church” is a bad idea for anyone.  God is calling His people out of church religion altogether so that He can unite His children in the truth.

    I encourage you to seek God, to receive from Him the light we all must have.

    Your servant in Christ,
    Pastor John

  • Jesus in Psalms

    Hey John,

    In our OT study, using your materials, we have been reading Psalms.  Then  you read on the CD the part about “Jesus in the Psalms”. Before I heard you explain it I did not see how that Jesus was everywhere in Psalms.  

    Thanks for teaching us!!  It has been ten years since you came to Brother Gary’s home to do the OT study with us all. It is so good!!!  The OT is alive just like it was ten years ago!!

    I also loved the email message, “Give your love away”. (See the previous post 1/16/15, “Do you really love, or just think it?”)

    Hope your feeling ok today.  Love you.

    Jr.

     

  • Do you really love, or just think it?

    Most people judge themselves by what they think they are, within.  In the Final Judgment, God will judge us all by what we have done.  Whose judgment do you think will stand?

    You can flatter yourself by saying that you love people, but if you do not express love to those people in a way that makes them feel it, your “love” imaginary; it is worthless.  In fact, it isn’t even real.  Remember the words of this song; they are true:

    “A bell’s not a bell ’til you ring it.
    A song’s not a song ’til you sing it.
    Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay;
    Love isn’t love ’til you give it away.”

    Now, go give your love away!

    Pastor John

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

    Aw, this is so good. After reading the section you sent yesterday on “Love” from the Father and Son book, the Father had the greatest love of all because His expression of love for us was that He gave His Son. Wonder how we would feel about Him if He did nothing?

    You can say that you love people in your head, think out a whole conversation, even play out a whole scene and think you’ve accomplished your goal, but until you actually do something, nobody ever knows! The other person or people know nothing. They are just waiting or wondering how you feel, and can eventually conclude that you just don’t care. It really means a lot to feel loved. The least we can do is express to one another the love that has been given to us – in action.

    This is good.
    Amy B

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

    I love this, and Amy’s response too.  It’s almost like the whole generation is playing video games in their heads and “doing” things that they never actually do.   I was thinking the other day, if some young people would be held accountable to present a list at night before they go to bed of everything that was physically DONE for them versus everything they DID to help someone else, it would be an eye-opener for them.

    God help us be and to train our children to give GIVERS and not TAKERS in the real world.  It will make us very thankful and able to “see” those who are really contributing to our lives as well.

     te.

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

    Yes, this is so true John.
     
    It may be very interesting to compare the personal time young (and now old) people spend on “virtual” things  (facebook, computer whizbang stuff, video games, etc.)  vs. how much personal time is spent on REAL things – on real people…. work that actually accomplishes something real, that blesses, that betters other people’s lives in some real way.
     
    Not saying we can’t do any of these things, but where do we really stand in this growing “virtual” world, where we have been warned that “love will grow cold”?  What a challenge to us in this generation of ours.
     
    Gary

  • 2Thess. 2:7

    Dear Pastor John,

    Who is the one in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that needs to be taken out of the way, who holds back the revealing of the man of sin?

    Thank you for your answer!

    Zoli

    =======

    Hi, Brother Zoli.

    I have always understood that verse, as well as the one before it, as referring to the Spirit.  The Spirit is at present holding back the full force of mystery of iniquity, but when God withdraws His Spirit, that “man of sin” will be revealed and unleashed on the world.

    The spirit of antichrist will be given perfect expression through the Beast and the false prophet found in Revelation.  But that same spirit is at work now in the confused religious institution that men call “Christianity”, and those who are in it are being prepared by its false ways to receive the Beast and false prophet when they come.

    Thank you for the question.

    Pastor John

  • 1 Peter 3:20

    Pastor John,

    I’ve have been reviewing Greek prepositions by looking at various verses.  This one from 1 Peter 3:20 is interesting to me, particularly the last part where the preposition dia is used. I never quite understood that part of the verse as the King James Version translates it, “eight souls were saved by water”. It seems that it should read that “eight souls were saved from water.”

     “ἀπειθήσασίν ποτε, ὅτε ἀπεξεδέχετο ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμία ἐν ἡμέραις Νῶε, κατασκευαζομένης κιβωτοῦ, εἰς ἣν ὀλίγαι, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ὀκτὼ ψυχαί, διεσώθησαν δι’ ὕδατος·”

    “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. “(KJV)

    Some translations say “saved through water” or “brought safely through water”. 

    It looks like water is in the genitive case, so I guess that means dia could be translated either through or by. 

    How would you translate that part of the verse?  

    Thanks,

    Tom 

    ===========

    Hi Tom.

    “By” is the correct translation of dia in this verse.  The righteous were saved from having to live among the wicked by the massive amount of water God sent.  The Flood destroyed the wicked, along with the world.  The next time God saves the righteous, it will be by fire:

    2Peter 3:10-12 (KJV): “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

    This fire will destroy the wicked along with this world, and the righteous will thus be saved by fire from having to live in a wicked world.  Instead of this wicked world, God has prepared for His people a far better place:

    2Peter 3:13 (KJV): “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

    So, yes, Noah and his family were saved by water, just as God’s NT people will someday be saved by fire.

    Hope that helps.

    Pastor John

     

  • Church History and testimonies

    Pastor John,

    I always have questions that need to be asked. The biggest & most difficult question that has bugged me over the years concerning this message (that I believe is the Truth) is, what to do with all the so-called “great men of God” that we esteem so much within Christianity, such as John Wesley etc… We are literally standing on the shoulders of these guys, saying they are in Hell, basically??  I can’t see the New Birth any other way, but Church History plus everything, including testimonies of changed lives, bug me!! But Church History is pointing it’s finger at us saying “cult” & a lot of other choice words!!

    I just wanna always be REASONABLE as Pastor John taught in the New Birth series!! I just have a lot of questions.  Can u please help me with this?  

    John

    ==========

    Hi John,

    Those are thoughtful questions.  I am glad you asked them.

    We honor all who served Jesus before our time, regardless of how well they understood the doctrine – as long as they had the Spirit and really did belong to Christ.  From what I have read, John Wesley (whom you mentioned) is in that number of truly born again men, but only God, of course, is the final Judge of that.

    Peter exhorted the saints to honor all men (1Pet. 2:17).  At the same time, we are warned throughout the Bible not to be “respecters of persons”.  That is, we are not to honor anyone so highly that they can influence us to deny the truth of Christ.

    So, whatever good anyone in history has done, he has done nothing comparable to the good that Christ accomplished for us when he offered himself without blemish to God for our sins.  We are to honor the sweet Lamb of God above all men, whoever they are and however great may be their earthly reputation.  All men altogether are less than nothing compared to Jesus Christ.

    After the young man Saul of Tarsus met Christ on the road to Damascus and the truth was revealed to him, he lost his previous high regard for the reputations of men. He reverenced Jesus and the truth that Jesus revealed to him so completely that, to Saul (Paul), even Jesus’ own disciples were nothing in comparison.

     Galatians 2:1-2,6 KJV

    [1] Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem . . . . [2] And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. [6] But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me; God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.”

    Paul was respectful of others, and he loved people, but his devotion to Christ and the true gospel was supreme, and Paul never compromised the truth to appease people, even the best of them.

    As for the testimonies of changed lives from people who have not yet received the holy Ghost baptism (= have not yet been born again), we can rejoice at the grace of God given to them.  At the same time, we know that one’s life must change in order to receive the new birth.  Christian ministers pervert the gospel of Christ when they tell those whose lives have been touched and changed by Jesus that they are born again.  Jesus touched and changed Paul’s life on the road to Damascus, but he was not born again and his sins were not washed away until later, when a servant of Jesus laid hands on him and he was baptized with the holy Ghost!

    Acts 22:12-16 KJV

    [12] And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, [13] Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. [14] And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. [15] For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. [16] And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

    I hope that helps you with your dilemma, John.  We can respect others for whatever good they may have done, without becoming “respecter of persons” and denying the truth of Christ.

    Your servant in Christ,

    Pastor John

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