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  • A Waterfall

    Hi John.

    I had a quick dream last night.

    I saw a waterfall, pure as any water that I have even seen.  I followed it up to its beginning and it was so high it vanished out of my sight.  I then followed it down to where it was flowing and I looked and it was your recliner and you were sitting in it and preaching and teaching us the way you did this past Wednesday night.  The water was just saturating you and overflowing and spraying the entire room.  It was amazing.

    I do pray and hope for your recovery.  We love you Pastor John

    Billy M

  • Meeting tonight

    Hi John,

    I heard a tape with Preacher Clark preaching on it and he was saying what you were saying tonight: “Don’t sit there and say, ‘I am this way’ or ‘I am that way’, and ask God to help, but don’t do anything about it.”  He said, “Change it!  Don’t do it anymore!  If you don’t like the way it is, change it!  Do what you can.  You don’t want to steal any more?  Quit steeling!!!”

    I know some things take the Spirit to deliver us from, but if we are real, we will stop what we can and keep ourselves ready for him to help us. He will do his part, as you were saying.  We want to make sure we are doing our part.  You just be happy that your name is written in the book of life 🙂 I love that!!!

    Thanks

    Stuart

  • Sweet Thoughts

    Pastor John,

    I woke up this morning thinking about how as we get older we remember things from our childhood that really stand out. When I was in the 4th grade at Aycock School, I had a best friend named Teresa. She took piano lessons from our principal’s wife, Mrs. Newell. They lived in the teacherage right next to the school. So one day I walked over to Mrs. Newell’s little music room with Teresa to watch her during her music lesson. I sat down on the piano bench beside her and listened to her play “My Hope Is Built” and watching her little hands was so pretty. When she got to the chorus, “On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand”, the way she played those few little notes, making that sound was so pretty. Something about that touched me in some little way. 

    I remember going home and telling Mama and Daddy that I wanted to take piano lessons and I wanted a piano. Mama said, “Sheila, nobody in our family plays piano” and I said, “I don’t care I want to play and I want a piano.” So they bought me an old piano from an old man named Mr. Collins. It sounded like a honky tonk piano and that is what we called it many times. It was a high back piano that he had cut down and added a pretty mirror across the top. Mrs. Newell was my piano teacher for about 6 years and oh, my, those piano recitals were the beginnings of my nervous stomach. Mama made my fancy dress and Mrs. Newell wanted those piano pieces (as she called them) perfect. We had to play solos and duets, sometimes 2 pianos, with 4  people, 2 on each stool. But the music was outstanding. 

    All through the years when I would have any kind of problem, that piano was a companion and comfort to me, kinda like a friend, during my good times and bad times, happy times and sad times. Mostly, I played hymns and felt tears come into my eyes so often, even before I received the holy Ghost. Some times I would whisper to the Lord, you were so sweet to let me have little feelings at 10 years old when I first heard Teresa play “My Hope Is Built”. That is such a dear memory to me. 

    I just found my old Cokesbury Worship Hymnal and looked up that song. But also, I looked in the front of the book and saw a couple of sayings that I had written down. So I took a picture of it for you to see. The one about sorrow reminded me of my times spent with Preacher Clark in the nursing home right before he died. I would read to him from the Bible and we didn’t talk much but when I left, walking down the hallway, I was thinking, Preacher Clark you are still teaching me without saying any words. 

    Sheila

    (Click or tap on photo to enlarge)

     

    unnamed 3

  • 1Jn. 4:2-3

    New Birth Series

     

    Dear Pastor John,

    I’ve just finished reading the part called “The Spirit of Antichrist” from your New Birth Series and I am in shock. Pretty much from the beginning of my Christian life I felt that something is not right about the doctrine I received about Holy Spirit baptism. Reading the Bible I saw that if it’s a real thing it must be much more important than what it is taught to be. 3 years ago I received the Holy Spirit myself and it changed my life and my view about God and walking with Him. Then the teachings of David Pawson’s helped me realize that the Holy Spirit baptism is the seal of the Lord, it is being born of the Spirit, though I never dared to openly tell it to anyone because I knew that even my charismatic friends wouldn’t accept it. But I start to see now that it must be said openly, it must be preached. I feel that this truth is setting me free. And I start to understand so many things that have happened in my last 13 yeas since I first put my faith in Jesus. I can see now why I never had peace about the thought that we receive the Spirit twice. 

    I have a question though about your interpretation of 1 John 4:2-3. I was taught that John was saying these things because a Gnostic doctrine started to come into the church saying that Jesus didn’t have a human body, he was only a ghost or a phantom. So, they say, John here is referring to these teachings and saying that the Spirit of God does confess that Jesus was here on earth in a human body, and the spirit of antichrist is  not willing to confess it. What do you think about this interpretation? Does the original Greek text support your interpretation of these verses?

    Thank you for your answer! God bless you! Zoli,

    Hungary
    =============== 

    Hi, Brother Zoli,

    Yes, the Greek text supports what I am saying about the Spirit of antichrist.  The idea that John was talking about Gnostics is guesswork by scholars who do not know what else to think.  The few who taught such a thing would have presented no challenge to the faith of the saints and certainly would not have earned them the title “antichrist”, as though they were especially dangerous to the body.

    Please stay in touch.  I hope you always feel as welcome as you are to ask us anything that comes to mind about what we are teaching or doing.

    Pastor John

     

  • Hebrews 2:14

    Pastor John,

    I have a question about Hebrews 2:14.

    “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;…”

    Why does it state the devil has power over death?

    Beth

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

    Hi Beth.

    First of all, Satan having the power of death does not mean that he had the power to decide life or death for people.  God alone had that power, as He told Moses and Israel (Dt. 32:39 KJV), “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

    God turned all power over to the Son when the Son was revealed.  That is why Jesus said in Revelation1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

    Satan, being god of this world, had power over spiritually dead people in this world, to influence them to do his will, and he had power over dead things in this world, things used by spiritually dead people in their worship.  In the Old Testament, Satan was still in the kingdom of God, and he often exercised authority over those who were in covenant with God.  Those people were using dead earthly things to worship God, such as slaughtered animals, physical religious clothing, water, fire, earthly buildings, etc.  Satan’s power over dead earthly things meant that he had a right to be involved with those who used dead things to worship God.

    When Jesus came, he made a “new and living way” to worship God which included nothing dead.  This new covenant is a covenant of life, and Satan’s power over death is meaningless.  He cannot partake of life with us; he has no authority over God’s people who walk in the Spirit; he is cast out of the kingdom of God now, for “the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost.”

    Do not return to the use of dead things to worship God.  Satan is still the god of this dead world, but he has no power over us who walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

    I feel that there is more to this than I yet understand, but this answer will put you on the right path.

    Your servant,

    Pastor John

     

  • Mark 16:17-18

    Pastor John,

    I came to my room to read with the thought of reading in Luke but when I opened my bible I stopped at Mark 16:17-18.  I read the scriptures and then got my print out of your translation and read again.  

    I kept having a question come to mind.  If the bible says “these signs shall follow them that believe,” and we don’t see these happening among us, what does that mean?  Does this mean “all” of these signs, or occasionally 1 or 2 of them?  Or should these signs should be an occurrence that happens daily among believers?

    Michelle

    ===========

    Hi Michelle.

    Good question.

    Jesus is describing how it will be among those who truly believe in him.  Obviously, these things do not happen all the time among us or God’s people as a whole.  Jesus is just saying, “If you want to find those who truly belong to me, look for these signs.”

    Having said that, I hasten to add that when the body of Christ is healthy, these signs will be seen much more than they are seen today in the body of Christ.  God’s people at this time in history, as a whole, are plundered, divided, confused, and spiritually weak. We need a visitation from the Lord to restore order in his earthly family, and that order comes through the working of His mighty power in His people.

    Pray for God’s people everywhere.  We are sick.

    Pastor John

     

  • 1Corinthians 3:10-15

    Dear Pastor John,

    What is your take on 1 Corinthians 3:10-15? Paul seems to imply here that one who has been born again might live a life that is NOT about seeking and doing the perfect will of the Lord (building wood, hay and straw on the foundation), but still be saved (“the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved; even though only as one escaping through the flames”). So is it possible for one to live a life in which he/she keeps a saving faith in the Savior, but does not live for eternal things, but rather to store up earthly treasures? Isn’t that what this part of the Scripture seems to suggest? Thank you for your reply!

    Zoli Bak

    Dunaujvaros, Hungary

    ==========

    Dear friend,

    Thank you for the question.

    Paul is referring specifically to sincere believers who teach wrong things about Jesus and practice vain religious works, and yet they live morally upright lives.  In that case, they themselves may be judge worthy to be saved in the end, but they will receive no reward for all their religious work.  It will all have been in vain.

    May God grant us the grace to both live holy lives and minister the gospel acceptably!

    Your servant in Christ,

    Pastor John

     

  • 2014 in review

    The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

    Here’s an excerpt:

    A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 3,800 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people.

    Click here to see the complete report.

  • Really Free

    Pastor John,

    Today’s Pearl spoken by Preacher Clark long ago is right in line with what you spoke on during our last reading of Acts. Paul was free to observe or not observe feasts and holy days. And to say circumcision counts for nothing and you have fallen from grace to be circumcised and then turn around and circumcise Timothy.

    Are we free enough to be water baptized if that’s what the spirit is leading us to do in a certain situation or are we too superstitious and bound up that we could not do it? 

    “Peter, Don’t go to the Gentiles!”  But then, later, “Peter, go to a Gentile!”

    We really have to have a connection with God to feel what he wants us to do today. And not just what he said before in the past. Because it may be something different. 

    RichardPearl 12_30_14

     

     

     

  • “Lord at Birth”?

    My children and grandchildren sang a few Christmas carols after our Christmas Eve supper tonight.  As we sang the classic song, “Silent Night”, something in one of the verses caught my attention.  The end of the verse says, “Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”

    The prophet Malachi foretold of the Messiah’s coming by saying, “The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple.”  This happened when the Son of God, in the shape of a harmless dove, “suddenly” came from heaven and lit upon Jesus, Mary’s son.  Therefore, the Lord whom Israel sought was still in heaven when Jesus was born.

    Jesus was not Lord when he was born.  He was made Lord and Christ when the Lord and Christ from heaven came into him and the Son of God from heaven was blended with the son of Mary from Nazareth.

    Pastor John

     

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