Good morning.

I am reading in 1Kings this morning about Jeroboam making those two golden calves for Israel to worship. Barbara mentioned at a meeting recently how it stood out to her, how the end result of all that is Christianity.

It is standing out to me this morning too.  “Any way but God’s way.”

It is something to read this and put it together with the fact that every bit of Christianity is a lie. It was never of Jesus at all.  What a mess!

God had sent Rehoboam the right answer through the old, established men that had been with his father, but his heart followed the advice it wanted.  And so, God gave him and Israel what they wanted.  That is terrifying.  Leaves me praying for Jesus to give me a pure heart, pure and pliable in His hands.  If going through things burns out anything that would keep me from God, then it is worth it to go through trials.

I don’t want anything in my heart like that!

And golden calves, figuratively, are here AGAIN!  Surely, those people, and modern believers, remember what happened the last time someone made a golden calf.  The taste has left their tongues.

Beth D.

Good Morning John,

In reading my Old Testament* assignment in Kings 15:14, I had a thought–not sure if it’s right but just going to ask: Asa’s heart was perfect with God all his days yet there were still high places, which God had forbidden.   I thought of you, John. You are doing the work Jesus gave you to do with a perfect heart, yet there are still high places (churches), because as was recently said, Jesus has not yet anointed you or anyone to take down those high places.

Asa did what God told him to do with a perfect heart, but maybe he wasn’t anointed to take down those high places mentioned?

Thank you,

Bess

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That is right, Bess.  That verse struck me, too, when I was young in the Lord.  I even preached a sermon about it in the old farmhouse.  And it gave me a different, more godly attitude toward some mighty men of God, such as Oral Roberts.  The Lord was showing me that men can have perfect hearts, yet God’s people can be so addicted to a wrong thing that God leads those men to leave them alone in that area.

God said that Asa’s heart was perfect with Him.  And God said that the hated high places of worship were not destroyed by Asa.  Put the two together, and what other conclusion can we reach but that God’s people can develop traditions that God hates, and become so attached to them that God will not force them to abandon them?

That’s how it looks to me.  I know that God hates church-based religion, and I know that God’s people are devoted to it.  And I think that He expects us to love His people as He does, that is, to have nothing to do with their addiction, but also hold nothing against them.

Thank you for asking.  It is an important lesson for us to learn who have been taught the truth by Jesus.

Pastor John

*  Old Testament Course (Pt. 1) – Going to Jesus.com

Pastor John,

I enjoyed the section from Chapter 3 of the Iron Kingdom book that you sent us.

It seems that one of the ways wicked men go about changing or “rewriting” history to their advantage is to rewrite or redefine the language that is currently in use. 

Apostate believers redefined the language of the original gospel to support doctrines and theologies that could never stand on their own, and they do it to maintain power.  However, innocent believers participate in and lend them the power that stems from having a sincere heart in Jesus, out of complete ignorance.  The wicked go on to treat these sincere hearts in Christ as merchandise, or as fuel — the fuel needed to run the unholy machine called Christianity.  In an effort to keep those honest-hearted believers and their God-given zeal and sincerity within the walls of the Christian religious system, Christian leaders will bestow upon these babes in Christ lofty titles or positions that new converts will struggle to abandon.

It is abuse!  The spirit reigning over Christianity does whatever it takes to entice (and keep) the power that God gives to obedient believers inside the walls of the institution that disobedience to God built!  And just as the spirits of this age are targeting the world’s youth, the spirit of Christianity is hunting the young in Christ, those who are full of zeal and sincerity but lack knowledge and discernment.

Thanks be to Jesus for truth, and for God’s call to the hearts of believers who CANNOT be satisfied inside that imposter—and who ultimately find their way out!

What an opportunity it is from God to be a light representing Christ on the outside of Christianity!  It is a calling on the life of spirit-filled believers to live a holy life “in spirit and in truth” while having no affiliation with the heresy that is the religious system of Christianity.  It is an opportunity to demonstrate that Christ in us is sufficient for all things!  And there is no earthly material or procedure that can add to that.

It may seem scary to some to leave the thing that should be above suspicion- the Christian religious system.  But life in spirit and truth, without sin,  IN JESUS awaits outside, and it is full of LIFE that you can FEEL, without any of the form that you cannot!

Pastor John, it is as you have said so many times when responding to the oft-repeated question, “Where do you go once you leave Christianity?”

Your response: “If you have obeyed the Spirit of God speaking to your heart and come out, you are there!”

Amen!!

And I LOVE reading and understanding that Rome never fell.  Christianity toppled (absorbed) Rome.  She is alive and well today all over the world – but wearing a new hat.  All roads STILL lead to Rome.  Whew!

Thank you for your work.

Jerry

Good morning, John.

I read what you sent out this morning on the Iron Kingdom book, chapter 3, I love it.  I don’t know how anyone could read this section and not understand the difference between carnal worship and worshipping in the spirit.  God’s people don’t know what Christianity really is: a carnal pagan religion enforced by carnal, pagan men!

No one even asks!  I love how you state that there is not one carnal ritual preformed in the New Testament. Anyone worshipping the Father and the Son today is only done in the spirit! Thank you for all your work on putting these things together, God’s people need to know these things. The spell of Christianity needs to be broken off of spirit-filled believers in Christ.

Christianity is a lie, “fake”, and worthless.  It is division itself that keeps God’s children apart.

Thanks

Stuart

After reading the section last night of the Iron Kingdom, chapter 3, I had these feelings about the ceremonies that are Christianity.  If you’ve never felt the power of God, if you’ve never heard from God, then the ceremonies become like some kind of gimmick, a substitution for the real thing, a distraction from the reality that there is nothing there.  “Instead of seeking the real thing, let’s perform this ceremony that looks holy and makes you feel like you’ve done something.”  But it’s all nothing.

Ceremonies provide a smoke screen to hide the nothing that is really there.  As we were reading all of the quotes with the big words last night, I realized that even the words those scholars use to justify those ceremonies are confusing and are used to cover up the nothing.  It’s just a lot of big words about nothing!  They leave you scratching your head and wondering what you just read, and feeling like “Surely I’m just not smart enough to understand what this brilliant scholar is writing.”  But is all nothing.

But every time you interjected an explanation or any words of reason, it’s such a relief from those blathering scholars who go on and on pontificating in such a lofty way about nothing.  It’s a reminder of how good and simple the Truth is!

This book is pulling back the curtain and exposing the nothingness of Christianity.  I don’t know how you have managed to wade through those thousands of pages of yuck, but it feels like it has to be done.  It’s an opportunity to pass on the truth Jesus has shown you.  But what a tremendous job it has been!  Whew!

Lee Ann

John,

I just finished reading your notes on Job. Let me just say how much I enjoyed reading them. Obviously, one may get things from the notes that are not as easily processed when read in a group. Several times, I found myself stopping and thinking about what I had just read. I really enjoy reading your commentary after the Scriptures.

These notes would make a great book.  I am not suggesting that you spend your time writing another book, so I will just keep copies of your notes to refer back to.

Thanks for all that you do.

Tom

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I thought the same thing as Tom. 1) I love the notes you send after the meeting so I can stop and center in on your points. 2). I think they would make a good book just by putting them together, kind of like you did on Malachi.

Gary

I have all the notes on Matthew, too, but who has the time to format it all?

“Not I, said the duck.”

🙂

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Even Michelangelo had helpers. Quack quack.

Gary

Good Morning Pastor John!

I just want to drop you a line and let you know how I feel this morning.  Thankful!  I have not been able to stop thanking God and Jesus.  I don’t know why, but it feels different.   I feel the thankfulness like never before.  I better understand Sister Willie now with a mouth full of thankful.   I have been thanking God and Jesus for all things, even the things that I have been through that at one time brought unhappiness.   I thank Him in all things.

My job has been going well.  I was having a hard time finding my way around.  Last week after being lost for the third time in a morning, as I was exiting the shop I started talking to Jesus and asked Him to guide me.  I took a little different route and ended up where I wanted to go quickly.   Ever since, I have been getting around much better.   I continually thank Him for His guidance while at work and everything has gotten easier.   He is still showing me things I need to do.

[Name omitted] has been listening to the Job teachings and she is amazed.  Me too.  The devil has been her biggest fear for years, and she has text me about how you’re teaching about him she actually believes and seems to understand.  If Jesus puts it on your heart to pray for her, please do.  Only Jesus would be able to change her life-long perception of anything that quickly.

Thank you for all you do!

Love,
Mark

Pastor John,

I love learning more of who Job was and understanding what kind of hearts were involved.  I left last night in awe of what Job was going through and his heart about it.  I am grateful to feel all of this.

Tonight, as I read the emails coming through from others about Job, all I could think of was his heart. Job wanted God more than anything else.  I can see why God could use a heart like that.  I can see why God chose Job.  Oh, how God must love him.  I do.  This put a love in my heart for Job–a love for his heart.

We just started Kings in the Old Testament class* and I put on a CD today and heard you saying this: “You’re going to ask for advice throughout your life until you get the advice you want.  You’re going to seek for the kind of life you want to live until you find it.  If you don’t want to live right and you seek for a kind of life that makes you feel right (in spite of your sin), but you find a place where people are living right, it’s not going to satisfy you.  You are going to go right past God’s answer to get what you want.  It takes a wise person to ask a right question at the right time, and the right time is before you make up your mind what you want.”

It’s a matter of the heart.  You are going to end up with what your heart really wants. 

Beth D.

*  Old Testament Course (Pt. 1) – Going to Jesus.com

Good morning, John,

Last night was so good.  Jesus has given you a real understanding of Job’s heart, and his righteous friends’ hearts, and you are passing that understanding on to us.  But more importantly, I feel we are learning God’s heart and the importance of waiting on Him before we pass judgment on anyone, including ourselves.

One thing you emphasized last night was that we can not know anything about ourselves or others, and why we may be going through something, unless God lets us know.   That is a simple truth, but it’s such an important lesson:  Don’t make any kind of judgment unless you hear from God.  We don’t know any situation unless the holy Ghost reveals it.  You taught us that part of Job’s patience was that he was determined not to make any judgment or assumption about why he had been so afflicted until he heard from God!   Job’s friends thought that they knew why God was afflicting Job, but without hearing from God, they were only adding to his affliction, and making him feel worse.

Second important lesson from last night: “Knowing God’s voice is knowing God”.   We learned the reason Job knew the difference between what his friends were telling him and what God had revealed to him was because he knew his Shepherd’s voice, and that was not the same voice he heard speaking through his friends.  Even though the things his friends told him were said with the best intentions, and were mostly true, Job knew they were not from God.   He knew the difference between his friends’ good thoughts, and what the Lord had revealed to him from heaven.

Knowing God’s voice is what saved Job, and it will save us!  I am thankful just to know that God is still speaking to us, just as he spoke to Job.  When you are teaching us wonderful lessons like you did last night, I am thankful that I recognize my shepherd’s voice coming through those teachings, and my heart can take in those wonderful lessons.

I am thankful for having a true minister that is teaching us how to know God’s voice, and for the pureness and cleanness of the good food we’ve been given.  No bones to pick through!  Last night’s lessons have left a clean feeling in my heart this morning.

Lee Ann