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  • God’s Children

    Pastor John,

    Earlier today I saw this post on Instagram and it really struck me. I started thinking of where God has brought me from.  For years I was sitting at a table, sick and starving for truth and didn’t even know it.  I had so many questions.  My heart yearned for answers.  I desired the joy and peace I read about in the Bible.

    Then, Jesus brought me here, opened my ears, my eyes and my heart to the truth.  Now, my belly is full, my heart rejoices and my life is filled with peace.  I am so thankful for His mercy on my life.  I am so thankful for the good nourishing food we’re given and for the appetite Jesus has put in us.

    The other night I fell asleep talking to Jesus, thanking him for my life.  In the early morning hours, I woke and was praying for God’s children everywhere. There was such a sweetness in the feelings for His children. God really loves them!  I’ve never had a prayer quite like that before.

    I fell back asleep and later when I woke up all I could think about is us and what Jesus has given us.  We have a smorgasbord for God’s children, if they would only eat.

    Michelle

    As has been said, “God has removed you from a table where you used to sit…. In order to save you from a host who was serving you poison.”

  • A Clear Conscience, Paul and Job

    Pastor John,

    The Spirit-filled believer’s clear conscience toward God is a must.  Real faith in God lives in having a clear conscience.  Yet, the apostle Paul (1Cor. 4:4) said the following: “I am conscious of nothing against myself; however, by that, I am not justified.  The Lord is the one who judges me.”

    A clear conscience in the Lord is everything, yet, in many ways, it is nothing.  Both statements are true.  I believe our study of the Lord’s judgments in the book of Job has helped me to understand this.

    Just as Job was a perfect man according to every standard established by God on earth – yet that was nothing in the sight of God – so is a clear conscience toward God, if we understand Paul rightly: a clear conscience is required, but it in no way justifies us. 

    The lesson of Job to us has been that our glorying is in Jesus, not in our deeds.  It is not in our righteousness. Nor is it even in our perfect response to the Father and His Son.

    Our being is in Jesus.  Our mercy is in Jesus.  It is because Jesus accepts our deeds that we live, not because they themselves are anything to Him who created it all.  He has granted us life through these mercies.  They do not carry us to him or make us worthy.

    Our clear conscience is not our glory.  Our glory is in Him who will accept it.

    The revelation we have recently experienced in learning so much more about God through the book of Job is making the Father and Son so much greater in everything – and it makes man so much smaller.  It makes His every mercy to us so big.

    Thank you,

    Jerry

    ==========

    Amen, Jerry.

    It is as I have often said, Jesus’ perfect sacrifice did not accomplish redemption for us; his Father’s acceptance of that perfect sacrifice did.  Jesus had to be perfect, and he was, but the Father alone decided it was sufficient.  His acceptance of Jesus is what “sealed the deal”.  And, thank God, He has made us acceptable in His sight, through Jesus.

    Ephesians 1:1, 7.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of His grace.”

    Pastor John 

  • The Saying of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

    Pastor John,

    You sent us this quote from Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor.: “To have good repute amidst such a world as this is an empty thing.”

    How does this fit with what has been said in the past: “If you want to know how God feels about you, find out how your boss feels about you.”  I don’t remember word for word, but you once said something like that.

    Steve

    ==========

    Good question, Steve.

    It’s a case of applying that saying to the right time and place.  There are many seemingly contradictory statements in the Bible that are both true, such as these by Jesus:

    Matthew 5:16.  “Let your light shine like that before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

    Matthew 6:1. “Beware not to do your alms before men, to be seen by them; otherwise, you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

    It is a matter of the heart.  And we need the Spirit to let us know when to do what.  I took that saying from the emperor to mean not to chase after the favor of men, for it is vain.

    The question is, Why are we doing whatever it is that we are doing?  Is it to please God, or to please people?

    Paul exhorted the saints to do whatever they do, “as unto the Lord”, that is, not just to be seen and praised by men.  He made this point several times.

    Ephesians 6:5–7. “Servants, submit to your human masters with fear and trembling, with sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ gladly doing the will of God, rendering service with good will, as to the Lord, and not to men.”

    Colossians 3:22–24.  “Servants, obey your earthly masters in all things, not with eye-service, like men-pleasers, but with heartfelt sincerity, fearing God, and whatever you do, work at it whole-heartedly, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of an inheritance, for you are working as servants of the Master, Christ.”

    And Paul said that if we live that way, we would please both God and the people around us (Rom. 14:17–18).  So, while the primary goal is always to please God.  If we do that, as a rule, we will also please our bosses in this world.  That is not always the case, unfortunately, because some bosses are not good people, but the ones who are reasonable will be pleased with you if you do your job with your whole heart, “as unto the Lord”.

    Hope that clears things up for you.

    Pastor John

  • Jesus!

    Hey Pastor John,

    I love the feelings I’ve had since our reading of Job.  It has done something in my heart.  When I read the Bible, I see more of Jesus; when I look out my window and see the trees and the birds and the sun shining, I see more of Jesus.  More than ever before, he is becoming everything to me; he is the answer for everything.

    Jimmy T. has provoked me, and I’ve started reading the Jerusalem Council book* again.  Even in this, I see more Jesus and his greatness.  This is a quote from Paul that just sums up what’s been magnified in my heart since Job: “He is the one whom the prophet, said God would make ‘most blessed, forever’, for God has exalted Jesus above all things, and placed all power in his hand.  Nothing can be added to him, and nothing can be taken away.  Jesus has all power to save forever those who come to God by him, and nothing but Jesus can save at all.  He needs nothing, and all that we need is in him.  He is uniquely our Savior, and from that truth springs all else that I know and teach.”

    Whew…amen!

    Michelle

    *https://www.goingtojesus.com/gtj_books.html?tname=the-jerusalem-council

  • Who Has the Spirit?

    Hi pastor John,

    I have a question.   How would you know if a person who has Holy Ghost and the person who doesn’t have? 

    Thank you.

    Leika

    ==========

    Hi Leika.

    That is THE question of the ages.  Every wise follower of Jesus asks it.

    Jesus told Nicodemus that when a person is born of the Spirit, the Spirit always produces a sound:

    John 3:8.  “The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s going.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

    When the Spirit was first given, the people who received it spoke in tongues; that was there sound the Spirit produced:

    Acts 2:2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting

    1. And there appeared to them divided tongues like fire, and it sat upon each one of them,
    2. and they were all filled with holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit moved them to speak.

    Afterward in Acts, whenever people received the Spirit and the sound of the Spirit is mentioned, the sound was speaking in tongues (Acts 10; 19). But when men began to teach that there was no sound, that one could receive the Spirit without the sound that Jesus said would always be there, the apostles had to defend the truth, the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).  To make sure that God’s children were not taken in by the new doctrine of false teachers who taught men that they could receive the Spirit of God without the sound being there, John wrote this:

    1John 4:

    1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
    2. By this, the Spirit of God is known: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ when he has come into a person is of God,
    3. and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ when he has come into a person is not of God.  And this is that of the anti-Christ which you have heard is coming, and now, already, it is in the world.

    In spite of what Jesus said and the apostles taught, the doctrine that people could be born of God without the sound of the Spirit was so attractive to sinners that it won the day, and thus, the seed of Christianity was sown.

    Unfortunately, many who truly do receive the Spirit do not follow it, and their behavior demeans the wonderful work that God once wrought in their heart.  They will have blood on their hands in the Final Judgment.  These are the “foolish virgins” of which Jesus spoke.  Those children of God look like and act like the world.  On the other hand, some people without the Spirit behave themselves so well that they may look like and act like believers.  But in an Assembly of saints, they cannot worship in the Spirit with God’s children; nor can they sense in their everyday life what God is feeling and thinking.

    In such cases, the Spirit inside of you, the Spirit that made a sound when it came in, has to let you know who has the Spirit and who does not, and it always will.  Many times, we feel a connection with someone we meet, although nothing has been said.  Then we find out they received the Spirit in the past.  That holy connection is sweet.

    If you read my recent booklet, The Sound of the Spirit,* you will see that the sound made by the Spirit may not always be in a clear language, but it will always be there.

    I hope that answers your very good question.

    The saints here greet you in the love of Christ.

    Pastor John

    *  Going to Jesus.com – The Sound of the Spirit at Spirit Baptism

  • Comment on “Only God Can Save” YouTube Reel

    I’ve watched a couple of his videos now and I’m very confused. Is he saying if you don’t have Jesus in your heart then a baptism is worthless? Or there’s no point in communion if you don’t have Jesus? Because God tells us to do these things in the Bible Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” Acts 2:41: “Those who received his word were baptized” Titus 3:5: “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God”.

    YouTube Subscriber

    ==========

    Hello,

    The issue is in what baptism is and what communion is. The baptism of the holy Ghost, which Jesus gives to those who repent and believe on his name, is the means by which we are “born again” into the kingdom of God. Water baptism was given only to the Jews, to introduce Israel to the Messiah, who, when he accomplished his mission on earth, would make the baptism of the holy Ghost available. That is why Paul would say that there is now only “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5), which is the baptism of the Spirit.

    Communion with God is just that, communion, or communication, with God. And it is done through the holy Ghost that a person has after they have been baptized with it (as mentioned above). Communion was never intended to be symbolized through a ritual of eating bread and wine. Jesus made it possible to have the real thing! There is no need to symbolize something that we can have for real.

    Hope this helps. For more information, please visit us at http://www.goingtojesus.com. God bless. 

     

  • “How has Satan deceived the whole world?”

    I’m not following? What is a lie?

    YouTube Subscriber
    ==========

    The lie is that Christianity represents Jesus. It does not. Christianity began with the emperor Constantine, not with Christ. We are born into the body of Christ by the baptism of the holy Ghost. Christianity and all of its thousands of divisive sects, may be joined. The body of Christ cannot be joined.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnIGFsQNpFE&lc=UgxrMvzSiSdpyoQKU414AaABAg

  • Sunday’s Meeting. John 14:12

    Pastor John,

    You said something Sunday I have never before heard (taken in). I’m paraphrasing a bit:

    “Paul was preaching to people who had the holy Ghost (the mind of Christ). They could understand what Paul was saying.” 

    You also pointed out that Jesus told the disciples, “I have things to tell you that you cannot yet bear.” 

    Jesus said that because the disciples did not have the mind of Christ to understand Him.

    Jesus had absolutely no one on earth who had the mind of Christ to understand him or who could really receive him and what he was doing.

    It made me think of John 14:12 (KJV pasted at the bottom)

    No wonder Jesus said he would go away but his disciples would do even greater things than him. 

    Jesus was constrained (no doubt in his love for Israel) by everyone’s inability to understand him or even bear what He had to say/do without being derailed. 

    He had to hold back.

    I never considered that verse from John to possibly be pointing to that fact. 

    Wow!

    ________

    John 14:12:

    (King James Version)

    12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

    ________

    We might could continue that last sentence from v14 with “…because I go unto my Father so that He can pour out our glorious kind of life onto you human beings so they can receive what you are about to do!”

    Jesus knew he could never do all the good on earth that his faithful followers would do once the sacrifice was completed in heaven and the Spirit of God was poured out on men. 

    What an interesting thought.

    Jerry

  • The Ditch

    Hi Pastor John,

    I had a sweet experience with Jesus yesterday, and I wanted to share it. 

    I had been mowing some of the leaves that have fallen and saw some garbage in the ditch.  I stopped the mower and got off to pick up the garbage.  There were two glass whiskey bottles and two beer cans lying near each other, and as I bent down to pick them up, I felt frustrated. 

    I began to tell Jesus how much it bothered me that some people just threw their alcohol bottles in the ditch as they drove or walked by.  Actually, I told him that those people get on my nerves, and I didn’t want to have to pick up after their bad habits.  When I said that, Jesus started talking to me.  Jesus asked me which condition would I rather be in, the condition of the poor soul carrying around that bottle or the condition of being clean and sober, and cleaning up the ditch? I know what condition I was in before Jesus came into the ditch and carried me out.  It changed me as soon as he said that.  I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness for what condition I am in.

    I have been picking up garbage out of that ditch for five years now, and I don’t think I will ever feel the same about it.  I thought about it all day, and the same overwhelming thankfulness hits me.  Jesus cleans up ditches all the time! 

    When Jesus talks to you it changes things.  I love how true that is! 

    Beth D.

    pearl12_3

  • Job Wanted a Recreated Heart

    Wow! I started this email early this morning. These were my thoughts when I woke up and this is what y’all are saying right now in the meeting! I love it! red heart

    I went back and read this email I wrote to you when we were further back in Job:

    “Ever have a thought, and then been scared you had it?  I read that and thought, Job would have said he wanted a heart like mine, recreated by Jesus. A new heart!”

    I know how much God loved Job, so it’s scary to even have that thought.  But Job couldn’t have had a recreated heart because Jesus had to die for us to have a heart like God’s.

    Beth D.

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