John,

As I read this book, God Had a Son Before Mary Did, I am marveling at the understanding God has given you on this and the ability to make it so understandable.  I can’t really describe the feelings I am having about this book.  When I read this, I wish all of God’s children could see and understand it.  You have made it so good and so simple, yet I know it is because God is letting me see and understand it in a deeper way than I have ever understood it before.  God had a Son before Mary did.  I love the way you have laid it out step by simple step.  I agree with Leeann, this is the best book yet.  It has such wonderful feelings with it.

Thank you John for all the hard work you do for us.  Like you and others have said, “This is too good for just us”.

Love,

Sarah

 P.S. I’m so thankful to be a part of this work.

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 Uncle Joe was the first person I remember saying that. I have never forgotten it.

 jdc

Several weeks ago when you delivered the message on “sometimes evil wins” I was delivered from some very wrong ideas. The experience itself was very subtle, but the results have been overwhelming. I am still in awe over the how wonderful I feel inside. I can’t even really begin to put it into words. The best way I can describe it is ……… I feel like God has put me in order. I can see clearly now (the rain is gone) who I am and in turn who you are. What a special gift from God it is to have you encourage me when I need it the most, pray for me and speak words that only Jesus could know, correct and guide me, and tell me the truth.

Thank you, Pastor John for everything you do.

 Love,

 ~Amy F.

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It’s a pleasure when the light is received, the way you take it in. I am glad you can “see clearly now”.

There’s an old joke about a judge who slammed his gavel down and demanded “Order!” And then the goofy defendant says, “I’ll take a Hamburger all the way, and fries.” In reality (that is, in the Spirit), that may not be far from the way it is in the Lord. When we get in his order, we will ask, seek, and knock, until we receive. Jesus said for us to do that!

Darren’s song says, “What do you want from Jesus?”

Jesus says, “Order!”

I hope you are richly blessed when your prayer is answered.

Pastor John

Pastor John:

Did you know about this?  Yuck!  [Excerpt of news report below.]

TE

Openly gay bishop to deliver first inauguration event invocation

(CNN) — The first openly gay priest ordained by a major Christian denomination will deliver the invocation at the kickoff inauguration event Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial.

The Rev. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire, has accepted an invitation issued by the Obama team prior to the announcement of the Rev. Rick Warren’s selection to deliver the invocation at the president-elect’s swearing-in, Politico reported Monday.

Robinson had been a critic of Warren’s role, calling his inclusion in the event “really, really unfortunate” because of the California minister’s support for California’s Prop. 8, which barred same-sex marriage.

“It’s about this particular venue and the role that he has in praying for all of America, and I’m just not sure he’d pray to God the same way I would,” Robinson [said] last month.

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Hey TE:

Yes, this is awful.  How bad it feels!

Every young person around the world who watches that inauguration event will no doubt see the AmericaIsrael, “ media glorify that perverse man’s character.  Being elected President has put Barack Obama in a position to influence young people for good, but with this choice, he will be using it to do much evil.  What is God going to do to this country?  His silence does not imply His consent.  he told the sinners of I held my peace, and you thought I was altogether such a one as you” (Ps. 50:21).  How many people mistake God’s patience with God’s approval!

Years ago, a comedian got a lot of laughs when he commented on the number of sodomites out west.  He said, “If God doesn’t destroy California, he’ll owe Sodom an apology.”  It’s not just California now, and when God finishes his work of judgment (whenever He chooses to do it), He will owe no apologies.

How we need this to happen:  “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

Who among our young people is on the Lord’s side?

jdc

Hey Pastor John,

While at school, I have recently noticed a new idea that people have come up with (or at least this idea is new to me).  It’s basically that you just have to find what religion (or lack there of) is right for you.

This just feels completely wrong to me every time i hear this idea expressed. I just feel like saying, NO! thats wrong, you need to follow Jesus (and even if I did, I would immediately be silenced by a teacher or adult leader and no one would agree with me). There are just so many wrong ideas about religion and about God out here and in the world, it just saddens me.

But in other news, Jesus has been showing me the opposite of what these teachings are. That he came to set us free from all the finding and thinking about doctrines and to let us learn from him. I hate that everyone else just can’t understand that simple truth. Sandy’s song “What I believe in” (I think thats the name) seems more true and more of a right answer to me than ever before.

Love,

 Jacob H

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Hi Jacob:

You’re right to suspect that that idea is not new.  I heard that when I first started in the Lord.  When I wrote one of my professors and told him about the change Jesus had made in me, she wrote me back, saying, “We all have to find our own way to God.”  When my father read that, he said, “Jesus came to keep us from having to find our own way to God.”  That cleared things up for me pretty quickly.

We just have to let people try to find their own way, though, until God calls them.  And Jesus said that when anyone really hears from his Father, that person will come to him, every time.  So, just pray that God will have mercy on the confused people around you.  When God calls them, they will know where to go for relief.

Pastor John

Hey John,

I want to write to you about my experience in proof-reading the first ten chapters of the book you’re finishing up, God Had a Son Before Mary Did. Actually, the experience began after reading only the first four or five pages. I read those first few pages and had to put the book down so I could take in what I was reading. I thought about the greatness of God as the Creator of the universe. The Father created his Son and then allowed his Son to create everything else. I thought about the slide show that Elijah put together back in the summer showing those amazing pictures of the universe. I thought, “Wow! What a great God!” Then, I thought about who Jesus is and what I know about his character. His humility, his compassion, his generosity just to name a few things.

Then, an overwhelming realization hit me. The Spirit that is in this great Creator with all of his wonderful qualities is the same Spirit that is inside of me! I am sharing the same spirit with the Father and his Son! It was almost more than I could take in. I kept thinking about the wonderful qualities that make up my heavenly Father, and then to think about having his Spirit was so very sweet to me. I found myself lying there in the dark with a tear running down my cheek feeling completely overtaken by the love of God. I thought, “Oh Lord, everyone needs to feel this!”

A few days later, when I picked the book up to finish reading, it was as if you had put into words the feelings I was having. I would read a few pages and then put the book down so that I could soak it in. Reading the book and the feelings it stirred up in me gave me a greater appreciation for the precious life that God has so freely given me.

Finally, I thought I would just sit down and list some of the Character Qualities of my Father: These are just some of the qualities that cause me to want to be like my Father.

1. Humble
2. selfless
3. holy
4. compassionate
5. very generous
6. honest
7. straightforward
8. caring
9. righteous
10. loyal
11. wise
12. just
13. trustworthy
14. unchanging
15. obedient (Jesus always obeyed his Father, as well as the Law)
16, unpretentious
17. merciful
18. tender-hearted
19. happy
20. delightful
21. forgiving
22. whole-hearted
23. hard working
24. laid back (he knows when to stop working and consider the lilies and he never pushes to have his way)
25. full of life (he IS life!)
26. strong
27. reasonable
28. kind
29. good sense of humor
30. dependable
31. protective
32. discerning
33. unmoved by circumstances
34. faithful
35. perfect judgment
36. condemns evil
37. gentle
38. bold
39. single-minded
40. patient
41. considerate
42. long suffering
43. grateful
44. unafraid (with the exception of fearing his Father)
45. loves people
46. counselor
47. friend
48. teacher
49. terrifying
50. austere

When I look at this list, I wonder why I would want to hang on to anything in my old nature. I understand what Paul meant when he said in our flesh dwells no good thing. In Jesus is everything I want to be!

Lee Ann

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That’s a wonderful testimony, LeeAnn, and so true!
I wonder if anyone could think of a quality of our heavenly Father that you did not mention?

jdc

Pastor John,

We have a cd in the car of older songs that you all sang one night when Sister Grandmama came over one time. It’s been in our car for a long time, and we’ve listened to it many times. Last night on the way home from visiting Greg for Christmas, the words to this song were so clear and they went down in me so deeply. I don’t think I’d ever really heard the words before. Aunt Betty was singing it.

“The hand of the Lord, has the strength to move mountains, forge rivers and valleys, and make oceans run dry. But the very same Lord, holds the sparrow that’s fallen. What a blessing to know, that wherever I go, His hand’s holding mine.”

I was sitting there riding in the dark, with tears all down my face. Haskell was driving and he didn’t know I was crying. He unexpectedly reached over and took my hand and said, “I think you’re sweet.” I kissed his hand and cried and cried. It was very touching to me. I’m thankful for that and I wanted to share it with you.

Love,

Cris

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What a great testimony! Music is a mysterious gift from heaven that does things we cannot anticipate. Sounds as if the music was making Brother Haskell feel something, too, and shared it with you. How sweet, and yes, holy! Words cannot express how thankful I am for the gifted musicians Jesus had sent to bless us, and all his people everywhere!

Pastor John

Bro. John:

I had the most tender dream last night.  I woke up just weeping for the love of God that has been given to us, and for the ones who have yet to find it.

In the dream, some visitors had come into our gathering.  There were three of them.  All that one of them (a man) wanted to talk about was the devil.  He went on and on how the devil did this and the devil did that.  It was not in any malicious way, but just how he was.  When you heard about it, you said, “I can’t have that here.  I just can’t have it.”  Some of us went over to this man, and one of our sisters tenderly hugged him and said to him, “All you have to do is love God.”  When she said that to him, he just started weeping like a broken little child, and saying, “I don’t know how to do that.”

When I woke up, I thought, we don’t know how blessed we are just to be able to love God.  It is not in our flesh to do it.  Loving God is a gift from Him.  For the man in the dream, it seemed as hard to love God as it was easy for him to talk about the devil.  It had become a natural thing for him.  God has to change our hearts, Bro. John.  I don’t know if we really realize how much we need God to change the habits of this flesh.  It had become a habit for that man to talk about the devil.  He didn’t even know that loving God would take that away.

Sandy

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Amen, Sandy!  God help us to spread the experience of the love of God to others – to everyone!  His love casts out the fear of the devil.  More importantly, it takes our attention off that loser and turns it to the only One who is worthy of devotion: our mighty and wonderful God!

jdc