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  • Jesus touched my hand!

    Hey Uncle John,

    I just wanted to thank you for praying for us who were online. A couple hours before the meeting I had cut my hand badly. I got a new dissection kit for one of my science labs and I was taking the cap off of my exacto knife and my hands slipped. It put about a centimeter deep cut into the palm of my hand. I don’t think my hand has ever hurt that bad. It was still hurting during the meeting, but when you prayed for us I felt all the pain go away instantly and I could move my hand again. I’m gonna need it for taking notes in classes. But I know Jesus did that for me. It makes me cry writing this. I was scared about it and considered going to the infirmary tomorrow morning, but not anymore! 🙂 Thank you Jesus! And thank you for praying for us. I sure did feel it.

    ~Abby

    Ps: I miss you all a lot. 🙁 Its a different world up here. Classes are going well though. 🙂

  • Father and Son dream last night

    Hey there!

     
    I dreamed about the Father and Son book last night.  In the dream, I was looking at the file and the first line of the paragraph I was reading said in bold:  
     
    Nobody can have communion with God alone.
     
    🙂  That just goes along with everything we have learned about the Father and the Son.  It’s about relationships: The Father and the Son, them with us, us with them, and us with others here on earth in the family of God – no one is left out.  As you have said, there are no loners in the kingdom of God, and nobody can just have a relationship “with God” alone.  You can’t just work it out between you and God.  It’s all in the family. 🙂  And, anyway, that kind of thinking leaves the Son out, and that will not go over very well with his Father!  I love the love of the Father and the Son and the relationship they share with us, no one is “left out”, not his Son and not his family.
     
    I am very thankful the thoughts of the Father and the Son are my life!

  • 2 Samuel 24

    I just finished reading 2 Samuel 24 with Naomi and it was about when David sinned by numbering the people and God had him chose a punishment and he chose sickness for 3 days. Gad tells David to build an offering on the threshing floor of Araunah and the plague will be stopped. When David goes to Araunah’s to make the sacrifice, he offers him the floor, all his equipment for wood and his 2 oxen for free. But David told him that he could not offer it to God unless he paid for it.

    It was so good, after learning about this recently in the Father and Son, to understand that David could not take all of that for free or the offering would not have been his offering. I was able to explain that and then add that is why God had to have a son. He could not take another man’s son and make an offering for sin. He had to have His own son.
    Thank you!

    te.
    =================

    “I am understanding; I have strength”
    That is what the Son of God said through David. When we understand what was really happening, it not only brings peace and joy, but it also gives us strength to overcome the spirits of this age that would have us doubt that God is good, as the serpent made Eve doubt it in the garden of Eden.

    It also makes telling those wonderful stories to our children much easier because they will certainly ask the questions when something is not clear!

    jdc

  • “Pearls of Wisdom” – September 3, 2012

     

    Social Fellowship

    What in the world does THIS mean? Yikes.

    ?

    Brad
    =================

    That statement from my father’s sermon long ago means what James said:
    “Friendship with the world is enmity against God.”
    Don’t get caught up in the things of this world, Brad. There are many of God’s people who have been “destroyed with peace”.

    Pastor John
    =================

    Ha, I love this one.

    Any “fellowship” which didn’t take Jesus to come and die for, and rise again for, and which one can have without the holy Ghost sent from heaven, amounts to “friendship”.

    It’s not “real” fellowship, and when we do have it, we’ve lost something from God.

    Thank God for the wisdom your father had…. you read it and say, “AMEN!” and it does something to lift you up.

    Gary

  • Think I answered my own question

    Hey John,

    Here lately I have been reading the story of David in both 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles together, and in 2 Samuel this morning I came across something while reading.  The last word “them” in the following verse, is that referring to the Father and Son?   In my Bible it has it italicized, so not sure what that means.  Tried looking in my Bible to see if it explains why certain words are italicized, but unable to find anything. 

    21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

    When you read the 22nd verse it looks like through David God throws the reader off by saying “neither is there any God beside thee” making the reader feel no one is with him (hiding Jesus).  That is why I got the feeling “them” in the previous verse is referring to the Father and Son.

    22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

    It is amazing how much we are seeing now when we read the Bible learning about the Father and Son.  Rather I am right or wrong about the above verses, it still reminds me of my testimony when I asked God why he lets us learn and see things like no one else and his response was, “Because you believe the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!” 

    Thanks!

    Cathy B 

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

    Hey John,

    Sorry I bothered you with last email.  I guess I got excited and didn’t think to read in Chronicles first.  Anyway, it looks like the “them” in David’s prayer in 2 Samuel was speaking of God’s miraculous works on earth not about the Father and Son.

    Cathy B.

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

     
    You didn’t bother me at all!  It was very good to hear from you.
     
    Yes, you figured it out, but at the same time, it is a blessing to see you thinking – really thinking – about what you are reading.  And if you do that, you are sure to come across some Old Testament verses that DO refer to the Father and the Son, verses that you have read at other times and not seen it.  So, keep it up!  And let me know about it!
     
    jdc

  • Lying to the Spirit

     

    http://www.goingtojesus.com/site/php/the-seven-pillars.html.

    Pastor John,

    Anna and I were reading the tract Seven Pillars this morning. Firstly I’m thankful John that you uphold your work like you do with fear and reverence for the truth.  When Paul said, “I have laid the foundation, but another builds on it. But let each one take care as to how he builds on it”, it feels that the work you are doing is holy work that builds on top of that of Paul’s with the care he said one should. 

    What struck Anna and I as interesting in that tract was when it referenced where Ananias and his wife lied to the holy Ghost.  We read the part of Acts where it tells the story.  How does one lie to the eternal life of God?  Moreover, what was Satan’s desired outcome when he led him to lie?  Is lying to the Spirit choosing to do wrong when the Spirit is leading you to do another, thus you’re a living lie to others who believe you, having been baptized with the Holy Ghost, are being led by the Spirit? 

    I found it very interesting that Peter sensed he was lying and more important that Satan was behind it. How aware were the Apostles of Satan’s doings and influence on believers?  

    Michael and Anna

    ===============
     
    Hi Michael.
    Here is the story from Acts 5

     

    [1] But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
    [2] And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
    [3] But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
    [4] Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
    [5] And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
    [6] And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
    [7] And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
    [8] And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
    [9] Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
    [10] Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
     
    By lying to the man of God who was filled with God’s life, Ananias and Sapphira were lying to God’s life, which is just another way of lying to God.
     
    As for Satan leading Ananias and Sapphira to lie, it would not have been the case that Satan was standing behind Ananias whispering in his ear, “Lie to the holy ghost!  Lie to the holy ghost!”  Peter’s question should be understood as being something like this: “How is it that you have become so much like Satan that you would come here before me and act like him?”  Until the Son was revealed, Satan stood before God in heaven many thousands of years with lies in his heart, and God never exposed him, but in this New Covenant, Peter was free to call a spade a spade, and to condemn evil whenever it came close to him, even if it presented itself as something good, as in this case with Ananias.  The apostles, filled with the Spirit of Christ, would have been as aware of evil as Christ was, for he was in them, revealing truth and giving them power to enforce truth in their area of control.
     
    When I was a teenager, I heard my father preach about this event in Acts 5 to a congregation in Louisville, KY.  When he read the scripture that described the liar falling down dead before the holy man of God, my father made a comment that I have never been able to forget.  he said, “It’s a good thing for some of us that the rest of us are not any closer to God than we are.”  Whew.  Think about that one.
     
    Pastor John

  • Led, not driven

    Pastor John,

    One thing I have learned since you became our pastor in 2001 is that you are not here to drive us but to lead us. Where we were, we had grown used to being driven and not led. When we no longer had someone driving us we didn’t know what to do or how to feel. Sometimes, after 2001, we would even wait to be driven, but we found that you are not made that way 🙂

    Thank you Jesus! The result of that was we got to grow and to know God for ourselves.

    I love being led!! I am Happier then I have ever been or knew I could be!!

    Jamie C.

  • Father and Son – Chapter 8

    Good morning!

    I just wanted to write to say how much I enjoyed chapter 8. Saturday night, Vince and I were not able to be with you all for the whole meeting and my parents had sent us the dvd from Wednesday nights meeting. So, we put that in and watched it. It was sooo good! I loved the testimonies, Doris and Abby’s were very touching. Then, we followed along with the first part of chapter 8. Very good feelings! Yesterday, after the meeting, we finished the 2nd half of chapter 8. I love this chapter, and believe it is my favorite, as all the chapters are my favorite when we are reading them 🙂

    I love the order of God, the government of God, relationships, the visible representatives, a who not a what, all of them. I was thinking. “who knows this?” If all of God’s children would just look for the visible representative and listen to hear if he is speaking as Jesus did and follow that, they would be saved from so much agony and hurt and confusion. They have to feel something is right about it when they hear truth. If they would just follow that, even if its against what everyone they know is saying and doing! I love what the Lord told you, “What difference does it make what men say about anything?” What is God saying? and what is He thinking about it? I wish everyone would ask that question. They would get an answer if they really want to know. I love one of the lines from Darren’s new song this weekend, it said something like “I will fulfill my promise: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Referring to the verses from Matthew 7… and the rest of that verse says:

    For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened.”

    That is a promise from God! And He means it.

    Also, I love the visible representative part. I love that we are lights and visible representatives now. Jesus has given us a big part in his family and He made it so simple for us. It’s so sweet to know how God set up everything from the beginning, in His perfect order. He planned this! And He is going to fulfill His plan. Just to recognize and know what Jesus is doing in our lives now is such a relief. To know that there is an order of God, and a visible representative here on earth, a government of God now, and later that will be in effect. To know that God’s government is not a dictation government, so unlike what people see today. It’s not of this world and people do not really know God or His order. It makes me sad and it makes me thankful. I could go on and on with thoughts I had from each section…. (I took lots of notes and had many smiley faces with hair!)

    I wish we knew if there were more visible representatives of Jesus out there, but I sure am thankful that I know one of them now! 🙂 Thanks John. I do believe this chapter is one of my favorites.

  • Last night

    Hi Pastor John
    I really loved reading chapter 8 last night. I’m so thankful Jesus put me here to partake of all this good food! Last night I kept thinking how good it was to hear these things. No where that I know of hears the truth. Every time we get together and read I feel like it’s cleaning more “stuff” out of me. I feel very blessed and very loved.
    For the past 2 weeks I keep getting these sinus headaches. They are intense and I feel alot of pressure behind my eyes. Last night while Bro Gary was singing his song I felt this warmth come down over my head. I felt like His hand rested on my head, this lasted for a little while. Then all the pain and pressure was gone! I couldn’t believe it. Last night I kept thinking wow it’s all gone. No more pain at all. I’m so thankful for how He has been helping me in my body. First my back (which has not hurt since you prayed for me) and now these headaches! It is so sweet and I feel it’s strengthening my faith!

  • Oxford Dictionary to Change Definition of Marriage

     

    Redefine marriage

    They can re-write the definition of marriage, but “what does it matter what men call ANYTHING?”

    Gary
    ================

    Thanks, Gary, for the newest update on how Western culture is doing since it rejected the gospel of Jesus. I wonder. What if somebody “falls in love” with their dog? Or their favorite toothpaste? Wonder what the Oxford dictionary will do then?

    jdc

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