Hi John,

Yesterday about lunch time I took a break from work and I opened my desk drawer and took out this letter. It was a Broadcaster, “Who Is Really the Greater (that is, the more blessed)?” As I was reading it, you were talking about a minister in Iowa that you had come in contact with. Something that caught my attention was that the people that brought that minister to the Lord belonged to a congregation taught by a man named Sowders, who you said you suspect that your father learned the truth about the Father and the Son from, but you never asked your father if that is where he got it from.

I thought that was interesting, since we are reading the Father and Son book that the Lord has given to you. After last night’s meeting and reading, I thought about how that minister from Iowa claimed to be an apostle and how that Broadcaster fit the meeting so well. Things are not always as they appear. I love what the Lord told you: “Don’t you ever surrender your liberty to any man!” I am so thankful for the order and authority that God has established among us. He has done a great thing among us. As long as we trust him and follow him, I don’t think He will let us be fooled by any wrong spirit. I have attached the Broadcaster.

Thank you John.

Stuart

Who Is Really the Greater (that is the more blessed)?

John David Clark, Sr. – July, 1999

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1)

A while back, I came in contact with a minister in Iowa who seemed to have something from God. (He has been dead now for several years.) I received some tapes from him and was so impressed that I even played parts of them in our meeting for everyone to hear. He was a very impressive speaker and knew the scriptures well. His voice resonated with authority as he spoke of things concerning the kingdom of God. In time, he and I began to correspond, and in the course of that correspondence, I learned that he was known as, and claimed to be, an apostle.

I learned also that those who brought him to the Lord had belonged to the congregation taught by a man named Sowders who lived in Louisville, Kentucky during the same time my father ministered there (mid to late 1930s). I asked my father if he had known a minister named Sowders while in Louisville, and he did vaguely recall being in a meeting with him. He said Mr. Sowders used to have meetings in which he would do nothing but answer questions that people in the congregation had. I suspect that my father learned the truth about the Father and the Son from this man, but I can’t say for certain about that because I never asked him. It is either that, or God revealed the same truth to them both. They certainly had the same understanding of the Father and the Son.

Anyway, the minister in Iowa whose parents had belonged to the Sowders group was Lloyd Goodwin. He ruled over a large congregation in Des Moines, Iowa, and apparently was held in great esteem by other congregations scattered through other states. In his letters, he complimented me regularly on my understanding of certain truths, especially what I am teaching concerning the doctrine of the Trinity and the true relationship of the Father and the Son. He invited me to come meet him at one of his meetings when he was in a state closer to North Carolina. But the Spirit would not allow me to do that, and in time I found out why.

As I continued to listen to his tapes, I began to hear things that were not true. His voice was the same; his tone of absolute confidence was the same; the sound of his message and the appearance of divine authority was the same. But where was the truth? I heard him speak of ceremonial baptisms as if he still was engaged in them. I heard him speak of someone already being saved. And when I wrote him to inquire further of his doctrine concerning these and other things, he would not give me straight answers. He merely continued to issue invitations to meet him at one of his meetings.

As I delved deeper into his ministry, it became clear that this man was elevated in his own mind and in the mind of others, and beyond all reason, to a status of great superiority over the rest of us. It made me wonder if it had affronted him for me to question his teachings at all. It was clear that I was expected to submit to him and to every word he uttered simply because of who he was. But who was he?

I have no problem believing that God could in our time make a man an apostle. An “apostle” is one that is sent out from God with wisdom and power, and God is fully capable of doing that in our day. In fact, it would thrill me and bless the body of Christ greatly if God would send us many apostles; we certainly need them. (God help us receive them if He does send them!) But there is something suspicious about a man who claims to be an apostle, yet he still is in bondage to Christian tradition and ceremony. John wrote, “He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God” (Jn. 3:34). This man was speaking things that I knew were not of God. So, who was he? John also recorded these words from Jesus: “He that is of God heareth God’s words” (Jn. 8:47). But this “mighty man of God” would not hear my words, which I knew were of God, concerning Christian ceremonies and false doctrine he taught. So, again, who was he?

I prefer to say that he was simply confused and to suggest nothing else about this man, now dead. But one thing I know: he was NOT an apostle sent from God to minister to the saints. And the Spirit absolutely refused to allow me to go to this man at his direction and at his convenience, as if he were my overseer in the Lord. You who know the truth understand this. We are never to act as though we are superior to others; at the same time, we must also never act as though we are submissive to “those who say they are apostles and are not.” An anointing from God is upon us. When the truth entered into our heart, WE were made a light, a standard by which the children of God are to behave and think. The holy ghost commanded me in no uncertain terms a few years ago, “Don’t you EVER surrender your liberty to any man!”

This man was not my elder, even if he did look and sound greater. But I had to learn that. No doubt, our merciful God had caused our paths to cross in order to bless us both. I know that if Brother Goodwin had been willing to hear me, God would have perfected his message, but he would have no part of it because . . . well, he was an apostle, and who was I?

In my final letter to Brother Goodwin, when I had finally overcome my fleshly admiration of his appearance of great righteousness and had come face to face with his exalted spirit and hardness of heart, I told him that he was not telling the truth to the people who trusted him. Then, would he not have to be classified as a “false apostle”, instead of a faithful one? The Bible says that if a man will not listen, it is foolish to try to teach him. It also says to depart from a man when you see that he is not telling the truth. So I did. I gave no more of my time or energy to that highly exalted man.

A few days ago, I received a phone call from a man in Des Moines, Iowa. He had already spoken by phone to Gary Savelli in San Francisco and to Jimmy Tolle in Louisville, Kentucky. He told me that since Brother Goodwin died, there has been a power struggle in the congregation there and that he and many others had left that group. As we talked, he seemed happy that we were teaching truth concerning certain important doctrines; at the same time, he seemed a little bitter toward those who now stood in Brother Goodwin’s place. I hope he stays in contact with us long enough to learn to overcome those feelings and be thankful instead that God has given him the opportunity to be set free from the spirit of that place.

As we spoke of the truths we had in common, I rejoiced in my spirit at the fellowship we had, the holy ghost at times speaking through me. But on the other end of the phone line, there seemed to be no fellowship with my joy. Later, when I was talking with Gary Savelli, he told me about his conversation with this man, and Brother Gary’s experience with him had been identical to mine! When Brother Gary rejoiced in the Spirit, it seemed to cut something off with the man who was calling. His spirit is bruised. What has he been taught?

I have had similar experiences, such as the one with the mother of Jimmy B., a man who once attended our prayer meetings. She is one of the sweetest children of God you will ever meet, but when we were visiting her and the Spirit fell, she could not rejoice with us. I sensed the reason, and when I asked Jimmy about it, he confirmed my suspicions. The slander she had heard about me and others who love the truth prevented her from being able to rejoice with us. She feared that she would be rejoicing with a demon instead of the real holy ghost. How sad! And how my heart ached for her! We loved her so much in the Lord, but she couldn’t see past the slander to believe what she herself was feeling in her own heart!

Remembering that, I wondered what had happened over the years to the spirit of that man from Iowa that he could not rejoice with us in spirit. It was sad as I pondered again the effect it has on the God’s children to sit for years under false teaching. And it humbled me again to realize just what it is that Jesus has done for us! Folks, we are blessed!

The greatest errors I have made in my walk of faith have not been the result of puffing myself up but of humbling myself to religious spirits, to spirits that claimed to be of God but were not, spirits that looked good but were not good. At times, I have been too willing to submit to someone, longed too much to have someone over me in the Lord, and been too ready to follow the counsel of others when Jesus would have shown me the way.

This is a lesson we must learn, or some “great man of God” is going to deceive us. No man, nor angel from heaven, is to be honored above the truth of God. Regardless of how good any minister looks or sounds, if he does not preach the truth, he is not sent from God. If he is still in bondage to Christian traditions and doctrines, then refuse to be impressed with him. Listen! You who love the truth and obey it are in a better place than he, no matter what he appears to be. We must learn this!

If you fall in love with the truth of God, no man will be able to deceive you, for you will not be impressed with numbers, with style, with degrees, or with a man’s reputation. You will be impressed only with what is really of God, and you will believe only those who truly are sent from God to speak His words! Love the truth, my brothers and sisters; that alone will provide assurance of safety from false apostles with their appearances of righteousness (2Thes. 2:10). Take it from me; you WILL be hurt if you fail to live by these words. You must not be impressed with “mighty men” who are still in darkness, nor be intimidated by them. Instead, they should be impressed with you because of the blessing you have from God! In fact, they are foolish if they are not impressed with you.

After my conversation with Brother Gary about the man from Iowa who called us, I realized that if I had not already learned this lesson, the man’s dullness to my joy on the phone would have bothered me. It would have been the same old thing; “Lord, did I do something wrong? Was that rejoicing not perfect?” Instead of that, I did the right thing; I pitied him, that he did not know the Spirit any better than he does.

I will honor all men, as Peter said to do. At the same time, I pity those people — even the greatest among them — who do not know the truth. I pity those considered to be princes among the saints if they do not know the truth. I pity the “great evangelists” of our time for their ignorance. There is no minister anywhere on television who is teaching the truth. I pity them all because they are ignorant and in bondage and they think they are not! I measure the greatness of all men by the standard of God’s truth. I know of nothing else that I can rely on. And I feel greatly blessed to have been taught it.

Good morning John,

I recently had a brief conversation on Facebook with my cousin, Steve, about comments he had made on a couple of my Facebook posts. The first one was on a photo album I posted as “My family” from our Photos of the Day. He commented, “Where are the rest of them?” to which I responded, “Good question, Steve, I would love to see them in these pictures with us.” The next one was on my post of the Father and Son music CD link, with the lyrics to Darren’s song, “What About Me?” To this he commented, “think your kids are saying the same thing?”

So, I sent Steve a private message asking him what he meant by that. He responded by telling me he couldn’t understand how someone could leave their family and those that love him, and that he’s frustrated by my Mom and how much she misses me. I responded again by letting him know that what he has been hearing is not true. He never replied, but instead unfriended me from his Facebook friends.

I emailed my Mom yesterday to let her know about this conversation and how I felt about it. Below is my email to her and the Facebook conversation with my cousin. I haven’t heard anything back from my Mom yet.
Vince

————————–

Mom,
I had a text conversation on Facebook recently with Steve that I found very troubling. I asked him about some strange comments he was making on my Facebook page regarding my kids, and I could hardly believe what I found out you were saying about me. In the same breath he mentioned me “leaving my family” and that he “gets frustrated because your Mom misses you too”.
I would like to know, why you are telling Steve, and probably whoever else you come in contact with, that I have “left my family”? That is a downright LIE, and you know it. This kind of talk, along with the many other rotten things that you have said and done toward me and my wife Amy in the last year, are the very reasons why you do not see me anymore.
After our conversation, Steve then did a very strange thing after this conversation. After accusing me of “leaving my family”, and then hearing the truth of the matter, he never even responded, but instead removed me as a friend on his Facebook account!
Here is the conversation:

Me:
Hi Steve,
I noticed your comments on a couple of my recent posts. Most recently: “think your kids are saying the same thing?”
What exactly did you mean by that?
Whatever you have been told about the situation between my kids and me, I don’t think it belongs in a public forum. Why would you not come to me directly if you have questions or comments like this? It sounds like you may be hearing some things that are simply not true, and I would be happy to respond to them.
Thanks,
Vince

Steve:
I just get confused, do not understand why one would leave their family and those that love him. Ive done kind of the same thing and go to AA for the last 11 years. i get frustrated cause your mom also misses you! ill stop being a goof and will be nice:) we all have to do what makes us ok with who we are. i sometimes forget that i hurt alot of people when doing this.

Me:
Where in the world did you get the idea that I left my family?! My ex-wife had me dumped in the street with little more than the shirt on my back, after having snuck behind my back to get the support of a psychotherapist to rob my children from me and turn them against me (a psychotherapist who, by the way, had never even met or spoken to me before she drafted an official court document stating that I should not be allowed around my children). Over the last 3 years, I have bent over backwards to try and get my kids to spend time with me – I have even gone so far as to offer to pay my son to spend time with me rather than spending hours upon hours with a psychotherapist. He refused the offer. Both of my kids have always had an open door to be with me – and I have encouraged them to – but they have utterly refused, saying they don’t want to have anything to do with me. So to say that I left them is ludicrous. They FORCED me out.As for my Mom, my wife Amy and I wanted nothing more than to have a good relationship with her – to help her and spend time with her – and this is still what we would like, if my Mom were to stop acting ugly toward us. But she has treated us – especially my new wife – very badly, and has said and done some really awful things toward us – not the least of which is, apparently, slandering me to ones like you, saying, falsely, that I “left my family”. And she has made no apologies for her behavior, neither has she stopped saying these kinds of things, even after I confronted her about it numerous times.
There is, of course, much more to the story, but I think you get the idea of what really has happened. If you have any questions or concerns in the future, I would appreciate it if you contacted me directly. This is all I have expected from anyone who has been hearing the lies that have been told about me.
Take care Steve,
Vince
=============

Welcome to the club, Vince. Until Jesus’ relatives were delivered from the influence of slander and their own opinions, they thought he was insane too (Mk. 3), and probably spoke much evil about him. We know that the ministers of Jesus’ time told people that he was demon-possessed, and said other cruel things to and about him (from Mark 3):

20. And the multitude came together again, so that they could not even eat bread.
21. And when [Jesus’] kinsmen heard of it, they came out to take him, for they were saying, “He’s lost his mind.”
22. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul” and “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus told us that for us to be slandered is one evidence that we are on the right track with God:

¶10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¶11. Blessed are you whenever people revile and persecute you, and say every evil thing against you falsely, for my sake.12. Rejoice, and be glad! Your reward is great in heaven, for that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As you know, certain family members of mine have done the same sort of things to me (and to this precious body of believers with me), as you have had done to you. They have spread awful lies about me in public that have damaged my reputation and hurt many innocent children of God, dear saints whom they do not know. But, Vince, always remember that being persecuted is just part of the process of growing in grace. As Paul said, “If we suffer with him, we will reign with him.”

My father taught me (and, I assume, the rest his children) that if we persecute someone, that person is farther along in Christ than we are; the lesson being, we should not persecute anyone if we hope to grow in Christ. We do not want to be the kind of people who strike back when harmed, or ever to speak evil of others, especially in a public forum. Paul pointed out to the saints in Corinth that it is a great evil for any child of God to go to the world with a complaint against another child of God. That is a sin which brings dishonor to the precious name of Jesus. As for my mother, she taught me (and, I assume, the rest of her children) that it is wrong for a child of God to go to the world and speak evil of another one of God’s children. “God’s children should keep their criticisms to themselves and settle their conflicts among themselves,” she told me when I was young in the Lord. Thankfully, Jesus has helped me remember that wise counsel.

You, and I, and others in Christ who have suffered abuse at the hands of others, can gladly and humbly endure the pain of being misunderstood and slandered, and pray sincerely for the ones who are guilty, so long as we keep in mind what Paul (who also was abused and slandered) wrote: “I deem the present sufferings unworthy of comparison with the glory which will be revealed in us.” Let’s live in that hope!

Your real Father (God) and your real mother (the body of Christ) love you, Vince, and speak very highly of you all the time.

Pastor John

Pastor John’s House Teaching Materials and Music Store

 

Hi Pastor John,

After watching the pomp, form, rites, and ceremonies of the new Pope being set in his kingdom, I had a thought that all Satan wants is to be seen. Satan”s kingdom is a kingdom to be heard and seen but without any power to get a person ready to meet God in peace. All of his daughters in Christianity perform the same way as their father does. I believe that Uncle Joe once said that the Christians who don’t have much money can’t be as wrong as the Catholics, no matter how hard they try. And you said after that, “It takes a lot of money to be a good Christian (because it takes a lot of money to be good at any ceremonial religion).” I was so sad watching the multitudes in Rome pouring their hearts out to a man that cannot save them. I can only imagine what Satan was thinking. Satan’s kingdom is only a kingdom of the exterior (flesh) but God’s Kingdom is always like Darren’s song says, “A Matter Of The Heart”.

I was so fragile when you first came into my life that only God, through you, knew how to reach the inner most chambers of my heart and perform a spiritual surgery that rescued my life. The surgery in 2009 on my kidney saved only my flesh, and valuable lessons were learned, but the surgery of Christ in 2001 saved my soul.

Reading these chapters from the Father and the Son book have been so wonderful. I remember that you came to KY sometime after that blessed weekend at the beach to read the same chapter to us that you began reading last night. I believe it was a Thursday night, on October 8th; I had just had my surgery the Friday before on October 2nd. Richard came to KY, too, and wanted to hear, and especially to feel, what this chapter had to say, and be touched like Rob (and others) were touched by the power of God at the beach. It was such a blessing to see Richard on Justin TV last night, listening to maybe some of the same words (maybe a little different) as he did on that night. Look at the life God has given him (us), because he (us) wanted the holy things of God!

I could go on but what such sweet feelings and peace I felt reading along. It is an honor to hear such words.

Billy.

Hi John,

Amy and I were talking tonight about some of the events surrounding the whole charade with today’s election of the Catholic pope, and I kept having this question: How is it that Christians can speak of the pope as being the “vicar of Christ”, when the Bible plainly teaches that it is the holy Spirit that is Christ’s vicar here on earth? As we were talking about this, Amy mentioned seeing a little girl on the TV news who was asked, “Who do you think the Pope is?”, to which she responded, “He’s the holy Spirit, in person.” As soon as I heard this, I felt like the Spirit impressed on me exactly what that means: the Pope is the visual representative of Christianity’s “third person of the Trinity” – that is, Satan. So then, it follows that the Pope is associated with being the vicar of Christ – Christianity’s “holy spirit” (to those who believe God’s Spirit is a person). How a conclave of Catholic bishops can be “led by the holy spirit” (as they say) to decide on a new pope somehow means that God puts anything up for a vote, is beyond me, however!

Wow, Satan really has taken for himself a “throne” in the hearts of over a billion people (1.2 billion Catholics are on earth today, reports say), and you could see it happening today as people crowded around to catch a glimpse of and worship Christ’s new “vicar”. All I could think of tonight after we talked about these things were the words to Darren’s song: “What About Me?” I am very thankful tonight that God has allowed us to see these things for what they are, and to be “lifted up above the shadows” tonight by the real holy Spirit of God. It felt really good. Praise God for His vicar! 🙂

Vince

Hey there,

I wanted to tell you about an experience I had today. I was watching tv after lunch and there was a special news break stating that a new Pope had been elected. I thought I would watch this because I have never watched what happens when they elect a Pope. So, I watched. I listened as the commentator broke down and cried in the background as they announced who the new Pope would be. I also watched the crowd’s anticipation and emotions. One commentator said, as he looked out over the crowd, that there were many groups from many nations holding the flags of their country for this “universal religion”. Then, the Pope came out and addressed everyone. He “appeared” very humble and asked prayer for himself from the people. When he asked them to pray, the whole crowd (hundreds of thousands or more) became very quiet and prayed. I heard statements like “If he governs as well as he spoke today, we are in for a treat”; “He is simple. He cooks for himself, and walks among the poor. He doesn’t live in luxury as he could. He is just like Jesus”; “This is a call to bring people back to the church and clear our past scandals”, etc.

As I watched the events of the day, it was so pitiful. I heard one interview with a little girl about 7 or so, who had the biggest smile on her face when they asked her who the Pope was. Her answer, “It’s the holy Spirit in person.” Then, I watched as they prepared for the Pope to come out with fabrics, curtains, lights, guards, and then robed him with fancy garments, and all the people (thousands) hanging on to every word and cheering and crying. I just couldn’t watch anymore. I got up and walked into the kitchen. I said, “I’m sorry Jesus.” When I said that, the Spirit fell on me and went all through my body! Questions started flowing out of my mouth, the first one being, “Who is the King of glory?” Then others: “Who has authority and power and dominion?” “Who is the Lord?” and, “Who is going to rule a thousand years?” and there were others. Every answer – JESUS! I threw my hands up and began praising the Son. It felt so good. Then, I went and did laundry. That was great! And so very very simple.

I have prayed today for the people I saw worshipping this man, and I have prayed for us too, that we can stand the spiritual battles ahead. This is God’s plan. And no matter what is to come, with the feelings that Jesus gives, we will be victorious in the end! And, we can “shake the dust off our feet” and move forward.

Good morning John!

I just want to share one little thing. . .

I am so happy for some of the ways that Jesus has opened my eyes and my heart.

On Facebook, there’s an acquaintance of mine who has a friend (female) who is a sister in the Lord, but has become very religious, attending a seminary to be a preacher/evangelist. She is in her early thirties, I think. I’ve watched her videos, and one of the things she spoke about was Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.

I thought, “Wow! I thank God (and my pastor), for showing me the truth about that incident: Saul was NOT converted on the road to Damascus, but was merely convicted…. and later converted and baptized by Ananias on Straight Street! He didn’t receive holy Spirit until that anointed man came to Paul and laid hands on him.”

The truth makes all the difference in the world. It reveals the errors of Christianity. It allows us to see clearly and deeply, the wisdom of God; and helps us to recognize misinformation and misinterpretation, while distinguishing the truth.

Just a small thing, perhaps, but it makes me happy! I value the understanding that the Lord has shown, and that which He continues to reveal.

Brad

http://www.goingtojesus.com/site/php/thoughts.php?tname=tfm03-06

Hey, Pastor John:

I was really touched this week by the Thought for the Morning named “Reconciled“, and the responses from Rob and Amy B. Now, we are coming upon the time where everyone is celebrating the Christian holiday, Easter and Christ’s resurrection, but most, if not all denominations (divisions), are trying to be reconciled to God by their own power, which is nothing more than the flesh, without the power of the holy Ghost.

After reading the TFM and the responses, I looked at the pictures of us and marveled at ihow God has brought us together by His power; it is no small thing.

Since my early childhood, once I could do basic addition, I thought I was an accident and merely a product of lust and not really wanted by my parents. I knew they loved me, but in the back of my mind, I felt that I was a burden. But on a Friday night while you were visiting us in Louisville in the late 90’s, we were sitting around a patio table outside on the porch and we saw Paul and Jammie walk up the street on a Summer’s evening. when you started talking about predestination and the relationship between God and us. I started feeling so wonderful, and for the first time in my life I understood that I was no accident and that I was with God before the worlds were created and handpicked to be on this earth at this moment in time. (Whew, the song just started playing in the background from Songs of Rest by Donna, “This Is Where I Always Wanted To Be.” My!)

I remember in the meeting that night how light and free I felt, and rejoicing that I was created to be here — it is my best chance to be reconciled back to God — back to where I came from.

I was driving and looking at the road in front of me and had a thought, “Jesus, you’re going to reconcile us all the way to the Glassy Sea — all we have to do is stay on the road that you put us on, and live.” It really touched me reading that TFM and it brought back some wonderful feelings.

Love always,
Billy

PS: Thank you!

Hey Pastor John!

I’m typing some of Uncle Joe’s messages and really love it. There is such sweet feelings and much comfort in the what Uncle Joe wrote. Most of these were written in 1962. How great is that! He was having these feelings before I was even born. They were good then and even better now! Alot of comfort in these that pass the test of time. Still standing!
This today really touched me:
There is not a thing that we should be disturbed about when we have our confidence in God.
Amen!
Michelle