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When did the Jews get sold to the Greeks? (see below)
“You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border.”
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That probably happened in an open market, such as the world-renowned market in Tyre, just north of Israel. But the Greeks would not have been the only ones to buy Jews who had been captured in war, kidnapped, or in some other way become the property of others.
Pastor John
Hi John,
This morning I was reading Psalm 24 and became curious about verses 7 & 9. What is the meaning of “lift up your heads, oh ye gates” and “everlasting doors”? I know that judgment by the elders of Israel often occurred at the gates of the city. Do the everlasting gates and everlasting doors refer to the judges of Israel?
Psa 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Thanks,
Tom
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Hi Tom.
I usually read those verse as references to the saints, but I haven’t spent much time pondering over the issue. The gates I think of as God’s judges among the saints, and the everlasting doors as the eyes of His people, lifted up to heaven.
On the other hand, if you remember, we learned in Revelation that even the furniture in heaven spoke. This makes it seems that there is life in everything that is in God’s presence; so, why couldn’t the Psalmist be moved by the Spirit to speak to some eternal gates and doors?
Whatever those verses refer to, rejoice that you can lift up your eyes and hands to heaven, and that there is Someone there who loves you.
jdc
Hey Pastor John,
I went for my one year checkup on my ear. WOW a year already!!! Dr. —– said that everything looked great and does not look that disease has came back. yay! He said I have one of my bones that are a little exposed but we are not going to worry about it right now, since it has not caused me any problems.
They also did my one year hearing test and my hearing is still the same as the last time. Looks perfect! He said it is better than his! 🙂
He said he will see me in one year, unless I need him. We will do scans again at that time.
As we were leaving I thanked him for taking such good care of me, and I gave him a copy of Bro Billy’s book. He was very excited about reading the book! I hope that he reads it and gets touched from it.
Jesus could not have given me any better of a surgeon. He was definitely hand picked for the job! Very thankful for that! I am very happy for a good and healthy report!
Mary
Pastor John
I’m so excited right now I just don’t know what to do with myself. I have been reading the GCC book. It has really done something to me. It has stirred up feelings that I had no idea where in me. Ever since I began reading I keep thinking, “Oh, Lord, I wish I had that kind of faith.” I would read these stories and I could feel something, like stepping up to door and then taking a couple of steps back. I would feel a bit disappointed in myself because I sort of felt like I believed in my head but not in my heart. So, the past several nights I really felt this strong desire for more faith. I been feeling an aching in my chest because I want to have the faith so that that door can open and I can just let it all in. I know that God can do anything but I want to know it in my heart, down deep. I just want to open my mind and heart to God to what ever! Whatever He wants, however He wants. I can’t explain it. The feelings are consuming at times. I keep wondering, “Lord what can I do to increase my faith? Lord help me to increase my faith.”
Well, tonight I was reading, my eyes were following the words and then like a ton of bricks all these thoughts just came to me:
1. It usually takes about $50 to fill my tank of gas, and it will usually last around 5 days or so. Well, last week, I was on empty and went to fill my tank and it only took $36 to fill it and it has lasted 8 days!!!
2. I wrote you and told you about how I had to go to our storage (for work) to find some papers. Honestly, it could have taken forever to find those papers. I asked Jesus, “Please help me find those papers.” I was going to look in an area to the right but I felt like someone said “look in the middle row box on the bottom.” I did, and there were all the papers I needed.
3. Last night, I was talking to Jesus as I was drifting to sleep. These things with T—- have been tough. He has been refusing to sign the papers. But last night, I asked Jesus, “Please help him to realize his errors and repent and find his way back to You. And Jesus, please let T—- sign the papers.” It has been a very tough situation. And then I felt like “check your email”. So I got up and looked at my email, and there was an email from T—-. He said the papers have been signed and on their way to my attorney’s office.
All these things just flooded my thoughts and I just started praising God. These things, Pastor John, these experiences are increasing my faith. I just started speaking in tongues, laughing and praising the Lord. It’s like another light bulb went off in my head. I just love it when the light bulb goes off! I just wanted to share. I feel so good right now I think I could run a marathon. God is sooo good to me, and I’m so so very grateful that I have a wonderful, kind Master that knows the desires of my heart! I can’t wait to see what Jesus will do next. I just keep praying Lord let me have the eyes to see it, the ears to hear it and a heart to take it all in!
Love all of ya’ll and miss ya’ll very much!!!
Michelle
Bro. John,
Why do the two following verses seem to contradict each other?
John 17:6 (before Pentecost): “Yours they were and you gave them to me.”
Romans 8:9 (after Pentecost): “Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
We know they must not contradict each other, but what did Jesus mean in John 17?
Jack and Beverly
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Jesus meant that God was the One dealing with the Israelites, not the Son. It was the Father who made a covenant with Abraham; It was the Father whose back made Moses’s face to shine; it was the Father that Ezekiel saw in the vision by the Chebar River in Babylon. But not, in this New Covenant, as Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but by me.”
My father explained it to us like this: If a manufacturing plant changes owners, the workers in the plant (the OT Jews) do not have to submit to the new owner in order to be employees of the plant; they are already employees. But they have to submit to the new owner if they want to remain employees of the plant. The Jews were God’s covenant people, but when the Father revealed His Son and turned everything over to him, the Jews had to submit to the Son (= be baptized with the holy ghost) in order to remain the covenant people of God.
Pastor John
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We think we understand what you’re saying, but one thing remains unclear. The main question we had was, why does it seem that Jesus said in John 17 that the Jews were already his if they didn’t have the spirit yet? Or was he just saying that they were *going* to be?
Jack and Beverly
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The Old Testament Israelites were God’s people without having the Spirit. Nobody had to have the Spirit to belong to God in the OT. They only had to belong to the circumcised nation. Circumcision was the OT “sign of the covenant”, and it was given to the Israelite nation (beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). Speaking in tongues, or “stammering lips” is the NT sign of God’s covenant. So, Paul was simply referring to the NT way of belonging to God: the baptism of the holy ghost (with the evidence of speaking in tongues).
Pastor John
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We understand that circumcision was the sign of belonging to God under the old covenant, and that having the spirit is the sign now. We also understand that it was the Father, not the Son, dealing with Israel in the old testament. Maybe we can rephrase the question.
The Son, in John 17, said that the Father had given His people to him. Yet we thought that God didn’t give His people to Christ until after He accepted Christ’s sacrifice, after he was crucified and ascended. Paul’s definition of a person belonging to Christ (i.e., having the spirit of Christ) seems to contradict the idea that God had already given His people to Christ in John 17.
Maybe our question is better rephrased as: At what point did God give His people to His Son? From what Jesus said, our assumption about it being at Pentecost is wrong, and it was at some point before John 17. Was it when he began teaching, or when John the baptist started baptizing perhaps?
Jack and Beverly
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OK. Thanks for making the question clear. I apologize for being so slow to catch on.
First of all, that the disciples were born again and became God’s first New Testament children on the day of Pentecost is not an “assumption”; it is a revelation. And that is what Paul was teaching in Romans 8:9.
Secondly, God giving to His Son the ones who believed in him before Pentecost does not force the conclusion that the disciples were the New Testament people of God while Jesus was here, walking among them. That was impossible, “for Jesus was not yet glorified.” Do you not know that God could have given His Son anything at any time, or in this case, could give His Son anybody at any time, without that person being born again? That’s where Jesus was coming from in John 17:6.
Thirdly, in case John 17:6 still gives you problems, let me point out that Jesus occasionally spoke of the future as if it was already present, as in John 16:11, 17:24, and 20:21-22.
You’re thinking too hard and too much. Take a break. Logic cannot lead us into the knowledge and kingdom of God.
Pastor John
Hi Pastor John
I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading GCC book, your fathers biography. It has really touched my heart and soul hearing the wonderful stories of God. I also listened to one of your father’s cd. It was so good. I remember I was sitting at a red light and your father said something and I thought, “I don’t understand that. And then he explained what he just said! It was perfect that I even said aloud, “Thank you. I understand now.” I thank God when He lets me understand something. He doesn’t have to, but He does! It is no small thing when He turns on His light bulb in your head and heart.
Also, this morning I had to go to our storage (for work) to get some papers for tax purposes for our CPA. Our storage is really a mess. I started looking through stuff and was getting a little frustrated. I thought, “This is going to take all day.” So, I said Jesus, “Please help me find these papers.” It was amazing. I picked up a box and moved it. Then I started to go through a bunch of boxes to the right when something said, “Look in the box in the middle on the floor.” So I did, and there they were – all of them! Every piece of paper that I needed!!! I know that was Jesus helping me. What could have been an all-day thing only took me about 10 minutes. Jesus is so sweet. He has truly been my hope……my hope in everything.
Michelle
Hi John. Suzi here.
These are some sweet and welcome, unexpected moments from the Lord that I want to share.
Part 1.
I have so often enjoyed the colors that God has created in nature and that He has created through man-made products. The opportunity to see color with my eyes and to be touched by the beauty of nature has given me comfort and awe through the years.
Last week, I was noticing the colors of nature as I looked outside my windows. I was seeing pretty colors in the furnishings of my house, too. I said, “God, I could kiss you for these beautiful colors!” Right after that an inaudible voice said, “Did you hear what you just said? Kiss God?! You are not worthy to do that!” I gently responded right back, speaking as a small child would in all simplicity, “The Spirit said that through me, so it’s alright!” And I was happy, tenderly happy, with such a lovely, innocent thought that the Spirit had whispered to me, “Kiss God.” Later I remembered, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.”
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Wonderful, Suzi! And I predict that you will get to kiss your heavenly Father someday.
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Part 2.
A couple of days ago, Tom and I were getting ready to go the hospital for his outpatient procedure. The texts and emails to Tom had been sweet and encouraging. As I was getting things together, I felt thankful feelings, and began to sing out loud:
“I’ve got so much to thank him for,
So much to praise him for,
You see, he’s been so good to me.
And when I think of what he’s done,
And where he’s brought me from,
I’ve got so much to thank him for.“
I was walking through the house singing this, and said, “Tom, I felt a gentle nudge from the Spirit to sing this little song.” I wanted to explain to him how very gentle the feeling was, and I said, “It felt like this.” I blew gently on his cheek. “It was like a feather on my cheek, so gentle.” He said, “That’s Jesus kissing you back.” At that, I felt a lovely holy ghost ‘chill’ up and down my arms, continuing for a few moments. We were both rejoicing with tears in our eyes at this sweet moment from the Lord. It was comforting to share that touch together right before the medical procedure.
(2nd verse: “When I look around and see the good things he’s done for me,
I know I’m not worthy of them all.
But his blessings he freely gives, I owe my life to him,
I’ve got so much to thank him for.”)
Suzi
Hey Pastor John,
I have been reading in your Solomon’s Wisdom book. In the book, it says, “The secret to obtaining wisdom is in knowing how to seek it. Only those who understand how to seek wisdom will ever find it.” So, my question is how do you seek wisdom?
Donna C
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Hi Sister Donna!
We seek wisdom the right way by asking for it from those who really have it, beginning with Jesus, and then from those whom he has taught the knowledge of God. Solomon said, “Wisdom is hidden deep in the heart of man, but someone with understanding will draw it out.” It takes wisdom to gain wisdom.
Pastor John
Pastor John,
I am reading the biography you wrote of your father. I just read the story about about your father and the young woman named Maude. My heart can barely contain the sorrow and the pure love of God that drove your father. Thank you for sharing these stories! I can’t seem to stop reading! Hearing the stories of these old saints makes me want to re-examine my life. I feel so puny right now.
Michelle
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I understand, Michelle. It can be very humbling to read their stories, to see both their triumphs and their failures. May God help us to walk in the light and be faithful until the end, as they did.
Pastor John
http://goingtojesus.com/site/php/thoughts.php?tname=tfe01-13
Good morning, Pastor John!
I really enjoyed reading the TFE this morning, When You Are Ready, Part One. God has cursed this world with time, since the fall of Adam, but with that curse he made a way out: time. As Ecclesiastes stated, there is a time and purpose for everything under heaven. God has appointed His people time to get ready, before He calls us home. That is just mercy from God. The good news is, He is the one who gets us ready; we just have to submit to the power of God, as Brother Gary’s poem suggests.
By the time we meet Jesus, all of the dross, spots, and wrinkles will be gone and Jesus will present us to the Father at the time appointed. That is encouraging news! When I looked around the room on Justin TV, and saw the names watching it, I had the feeling that we are in this pot together. We have so many riches, we can’t even count them all, but it’s fun trying. I love my life, and the people that God put around me; they are my safety! My prayer is, “God, give me faith to submit to your power”.
Love always,
Billy
