http://pastorjohnshouse.blogspot.com/2009_12_08_archive.html

Hi Pastor John,

I have been thinking about the blog you did on 12/08/09 Part One: Restrained Wrath.  I got to thinking about why it is that way.  We all know that it is simply because God chose it to be that way.  This is from Deut. 32:9-10:  “For the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.  He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”

We are the apple of his eye.  When I say that, I feel humbled because I did not choose to be the apple of his eye; he choose me, and all of us, to be the apple of his eye.  David prayed (Ps. 17:8), “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.”

That is my prayer as well, to stay the apple of his eye and not to become an irritation that he has to deal with and maybe even get rid of.

As the Lord said, (Zech. 2:8) “After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you, for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.”  God’s people are very precious in his sight, and it matters to God how we are treated by other people and how we ourselves treat one another.

I pray that we all realize what God has done for each one of us.  He took us out of a wasteland and put us into a land flowing with milk and honey, and made us the apple of his eye.  How valuable is that to our hearts?  Only as much as we keep his commandments and follow his spirit when he leads us.

God help us to take it all in.
Stuart

Pastor John,
 
Today I was thinking of something I read recently.  I posted it a few wks. ago on my facebook.  I feel that Jesus wanted me to do that.

I was reading in your “Thoughts For Today”, October 15th.  I love it.  Here are some quotes from that TFT:
 
“Friendship with the world is enmity against God.”

“Then to make themselves friends with worldly men, God’s children must become worldly because worldly men cannot make themselves righteous.”

“When children of God and sinners mingle, it is always the righteous who must compromise if there is to be friendship.” (That was a really good one!)

“Nobody can have it both ways, and if you think you do, you’re just fooling yourself.”

“This does not mean at all that we cannot be good neighbors or that we can never speak of mundane matters to those around us. But there is a line in our efforts to show ourselves friendly that the Spirit of God will forbid us to cross, and we must take heed to that gentle, loving voice.  It is our SAFETY.”
 
I love that Thought for Today.  I just picked out my favorite lines, but it is so good to read it all!!!!!!

It kinds of reminds me when I was a little girl my mother said to me, “Show me your friends and I will show you what you are.”  That stuck with me while I was growing up. 
 
I loved that thought for the day.  There your father was, on his death bed in April, 1989, and God was still working through him to speak to you. I LOVE it.
 
M-m-m-m-m-m, this is so good.  Thank you, Jesus.
 
Diane

John:

It’s late Saturday night and I find myself reflecting over the events of the weekend.  I felt like Jesus had a great desire to touch as many as would be touched, and I’m so glad that many were.  How sad I felt for anyone not there, especially for those who could have been there but  chose to be elsewhere.  That made me hurt, thinking of how it must have made Jesus feel.  It was like he was offering a very personal gift of himself and that it was discounted by some as less important than other things.

Saturday night’ s meeting was wonderful to me because so many were receiving his love and being touched, especially the younger ones.  How that must have made Jesus feel!

I want Jesus to know that I appreciate the mercy, patience, and love he has shown me more than ever.  I am so thankful for the wonderful people Jesus has put in my life and who love him.  Can I ever appreciate enough the countless things Jesus has done for me and the rest of us wherein I find myself rejoicing in what he did in the meeting here tonight?
 
Robert A. Payne

Hi pastor John,

Last night I was pondering on what you said on skype about how that Christianity portrays Satan as being in charge of hell, like he is the one who is over it.  I thought, “That is the last place he wanted to be in charge of.”  He would have desired more to be over Paradise and all the people that were there because he desired to be like the most high (Isa. 14). Satan likes order and being right, as you said.  He is the accuser of the brothers, and, as we are learning, his accusations were right, according to the law and all appearances of what seemed right at the time. But envy was found in his heart, and that envy darkened his heart to think he was doing what was pleasing to God.  But God was just using him for his purpose to get done what he wanted done for his Son and all that would come after him.

I could imagine the anger satan felt when the son came back to heaven, and satan found out who the Son of god was.  My!

I have noticed in anyone who has envy, that they also have a time of great anger when they don’t get their way.  “Woe to inhabitants of the earth of the earth and of the sea!  for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.”

John, I love what we have been learning about the father and the Son and the knowledge that God is sending down to us to help us to know him as he is.  I love God’s life.

Stuart
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Amen, Stuart!  What a fool Satan turned out to be, and how wise God proved to be!  Our God is great!

Pastor John

John,

I had some thoughts on the devil sinning from the beginning (1Jn. 3:8) and Satan being perfect from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him (Ezek. 28).   Looks like two different beings.   When I was looking up some Scriptures, I did notice that the devil isn’t mentioned until the New Testament like you said.   Just wonder when his beginning was.   And he was never perfect in his ways if he sinned from the beginning.

Sarah

ps.   one thought sure does lead to another..
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Yes, it surely does.  But this thought is not where the gold is.
I have met people who teach that the devil is a separate being from Satan, but that is not the case.  John tells us plainly that the devil is Satan in Revelation 12:9.

But keep thinking on these things!  Every gold prospector in history has dug where the gold was not before he discovered where it was.

jdc

How about this?  😎  I was looking up scriptures on “The Son of God” and found this one.

1John 3:8
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

So, Token and I did some research and looked up the word “manifested” in the Oxford English Dictionary and it said – to reveal itself as existing or operative . . . . Token says “in service”  😎

How many things are we going to find now that the Lord has opened our eyes to the truth about the Father and the Son, as we go through the Bible, that have been there the whole time and we didn’t know what they meant or at least the extent of it?  It’s exciting to think about them…reminds me of this scripture, which is my favorite:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Phillipians 4:8

These things are altogether lovely to me!  😎
Amy

In the tract room last night I was given a copy of the Tithes & Offerings teaching CDs. Boy is it good! Listening to the CD put a feeling of a deeper trust in me toward you. At one point it brought tears to my eyes and does now as I think about it. By you accepting my tithes, it means you have fellowship with me–with me! I just wanted to say thank you for taking my tithes. I love being a part of this work and I am so glad Jesus loved me enough to surround me with people that love him (and me).

Amanda F. French, RNC-OB, MSN

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Hi Amanda.

Tithes and Offerings are merely one expression of the fellowship and government that God creates among His people.  The doctrine concerning tithing is often used an a tool of oppression by ministers who are teaching people who may not have any fellowship with him at all in the Christ.  Without the love of God, every right things is abused.  Unless the feeling of God’s love was there from you to me, I would not accept your tithes, and without feeling God’s love from me to you, you should not render them.

Pastor John

PS  The Tithes and Offering CD is available now.  Hopefully, the book will be out soon.

Note: The Tithes and Offerings book is now available at:

http://www.goingtojesus.com/text/books/tithesandofferings.pdf