Pastor John,

I do not have anything to add to the “Jesus Is a Cult Leader!” email, but I found it interesting to look up the definition of a cult.  I do not think I have ever done that.

Summarizer:

A cult is a relatively small group led by a charismatic and self-appointed leader who excessively controls its members, requiring unwavering devotion to a set of beliefs and practices that are considered deviant outside the norms of society.3 Cult leaders have psychosis or narcissistic personalities that drive them to preach a message and convince others to follow.0 They have a belief system that has the answers to all of life’s questions and offers a special solution to be gained only by following the leader’s rules.1 A cult leader and his followers are bound together by shared beliefs, practices, and rituals that are considered deviant by the mainstream belief systems of a society.

Beth D.

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I have gotten a number of suggestions for the “Jesus Is a Cult Leader!” email, and I will be sending those out later today, hopefully.

Beth, every false religious leader tries to be what Jesus really was: the way, the truth, and the life.  And every true man of God IS like him, as Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  And this especially has always struck me, from Paul: “The things you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things put into practice, and the God of peace will be with you.”  What would those who did not believe Paul say about that?  Probably something like, “He thinks everybody has to live the way he does!”

jdc

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It leaves me so thankful that Jesus let me feel him and learn about who he really is.  When you see what a mess of confusion is out there, the truth becomes more pure and clean.  It feels like that every time.  The more I see how muddy the  water they are drinking is, the sweeter and purer ours is in my heart.  I feel so grateful.

Beth

Wow. 

LOVED your teaching today.  It didn’t matter that I’ve heard some points before; it was still riveting!!  You emphasized it with so much passion!!

Thank you for the CLARITY about Christianity—without hatefulness towards Christians. !

Brad

 

 

Hi Pastor John,

I wanted to tell about the previous weekend when we sang, “Where Are You Building?*” Shew!  It felt so good in my soul singing that song, and I chewed on it all that week.  I was reminded of it today when I was handed the CDs; I was reminded of the words, “If you’re building on the rock, it will stand forever” – those words rang through my heart.  It had brought me to tears in the meeting, and I wanted to blurt out through my tears to everyone, “WE ARE BUILDING ON THE ROCK!!”

During the meeting those words reminded me of when I was a girl and I would go to Friday night youth group – it was the highlight of my week: candy, games, as well as songs and stories about Jesus!!  One of the songs we sang was about building on the sand and building on the rock.  Singing that song as a young girl, I knew I wanted to spend my life building on the rock!!  I have fond memories of those times, and I can truly say that now: we are building on the rock!  I love it!  I love the truth!!  And I’m so thankful to be with all of us building on the Rock.

Love, Jenny

*  youtube John Clark, where are you building – Bing video

John,

Good Morning.

Regarding your comment: “The word ‘church’ is used in the New Testament books 114 times (KJV).  It should not be there at all.”

I took my concordance out and counted.  There are 114 uses of the word “church” in the King James Bible from the Greek word: ekklesia.  And once, “church” is used (in Acts 19:37), but that comes from a different Greek word, which would make the count 115.  It seems that the translators were compelled to translate both words incorrectly?

I remember you talking about this years ago and how important this is, because it trains a person to misunderstand what is actually being communicated in the Scriptures.

It is incredible that such a blatant mistranslation is never mentioned by anyone I have met in Christianity, and when I have mentioned it in conversations, I would get, for lack of a better way to describe it, a deer in headlights look, or just no interest at all.

Thanks For All The Hard Work,

Wendell

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Hi Wendell.

In Acts 19:37, the Greek word there means “temple-robbers”, and so, in that case, “church” is an acceptable translation, for a temple (or mosque, etc.) is a church.

Yes, Christian translators do seem compelled by their faith to mistranslate ekklesia as “church”, and it is astonishing how many people accept that translation without questioning why.  But then, as in all things, if God does not open our eyes to His truth, we have no choice but to remain blind.  Let’s keep praying that God will deliver His precious people from church religion, and make us all one in His Son!

Pastor John

From Allison:

What jumped off the page for me was that the definition of a cult always includes the phrase “deviant outside the norms of society” and what we see throughout history is that when the “norms of society” become deviant, the “cult” actually becomes the thing to be!

Good morning Pastor John, 

I have been diligently seeking God and listening for His Word recently.  When I turn on a tv program just to veg-out I find myself unhappy with anything on so I end up on YouTube watching the Mathew study.  I finally finished God Had a Son before Mary Did book*.  What a blessing!  I feel like I need to read it again many times, like Brother Jimmy and The Jerusalem Council book**.  But there are so many more that I need to read.  While reading your book, Suffering and the Saints book*** for my Old Testament  study class**** this weekend, I kept thinking, I know I have read this a couple of times before but it seems so much richer now!  The Spirit said, “It’s because you know the people and stories that the Bible is speaking about.”  How true and how BIG a blessing it is to have a grasp of the stories and lessons contained in the Old Testament!  All those years of hearing that the Old Testament is not for our time were a lie to enable us to better be controlled by the spirit of Christianity.  Without that knowledge, I was able to believe what they taught. 

As I read about Josiah learning of God’s word, I was thinking about how these things actually happened to me!  “You shall betrothed a wife, and another man shall lie with her.  You shall build a house, and you shall not dwell in it.  You shall plant a vineyard [mine was actually blackberries] and shall not gather the grapes thereof.  The LORD shall smite you” –– mine was heart surgery, bleeding bowels, etc.  But He actually did these things to me.  As I realized this, I started thanking God that He didn’t leave me in my own filth.  Everything I thought I had lost was a big blessing.  I would have stayed in that place if He had given me what I thought I wanted!  I even started singing “Hallelujah” over and over until I felt His Spirit running up and down my body.  I am so grateful for the Old Testament study online and for the saints who are letting me participate with them in their Old Testament class!  And thank you for faithfully conveying the Word of God to us!  I want to want what God wants me to have!

Your servant,

Mark W. 

     *  Going to Jesus.com – God Had A Son Before Mary Did

    **  Going to Jesus.com – The Jerusalem Council

   ***  Going to Jesus.com – Suffering and the Saints

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

https://youtu.be/Ls4NqZzfydY

This is so good!

I watched this, and it made me want every hungry heart to hear it.  And the ones that aren’t hungry too; maybe it will stir something up in them! 

I thought about how Jesus let me watch him fill Jerry’s mama with His spirit.  We were not praying for him to do that, we didn’t need to.  All I said was, “Pastor John would tell you if you are not satisfied; just keep going.”  And then Jesus came through that room and left us knowing that her heart wanted more!  Jesus gave her a receipt!

I can’t wait to meet Peter and talk about how amazing it is to see Jesus fill somebody up!  I am still in awe! 

Beth D.

I’ve really been touched reading and translating recently, and wanted to share some of the things that have really touched me.

I’ve been translating in Jeremiah 39 and 40, and I’ve seen the time after Judah has been carried into captivity and Nebuchadnezzar put Gedaliah ben-Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of the remnant of Judah.  It seems that Jeremiah, now an older man, found some sort of refuge with Gedaliah for a time after he was given the option to stay in Israel by Nebuchadnezzar.  But before long, Gedaliah was assassinated by one of the captains of Israel’s remaining armies in the land.  He had a warning from the other captains that Ishmael was sent to kill him, but he wouldn’t hear it.  Jeremiah’s life was thrown into tumult again.  This made me hurt so bad for Jeremiah and Judah as a whole.  It could have been such a good peaceful time in the land.

As we’re working our way towards the end of the Old Testament course*, we’re reading now in the Suffering and the Saints book**, in the Fall of Judah section.  I fully recommend reading at least this section of the book.

I’ve just been sitting here crying, reading as Josiah and Jeremiah work so hard to purge Judah after 50+ years of sin and wickedness.  Then Hilkiah the High Priest found a book and gave it to Shaphan.  He brought it to Josiah, and gave it to him after all the “important” stuff was out of the way.  That scene, with Josiah sitting there listening as that book was read, and what he must have been feeling… wow.

But also, it struck me that Gedaliah’s grandfather and father (Shaphan and Ahikam) had been with Josiah at the time the book of the Law was found and read.  Jeremiah had a long history with Gedaliah’s whole family throughout Josiah’s reign and the captivity of Judah, just to see him killed by fellow Israelites.

Just feeling very sober.  When I see Jeremiah’s life towards the end, and where Judah was, and then read where he started with Josiah, it just breaks my heart for him.

Like John David’s audio clip he sent out earlier this week, Jesus, help us love and value goodness, and peace, and the people in our lives!  It doesn’t have to be this way for long.  Things can change so quickly.

Aaron

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

**  Going to Jesus.com – Suffering and the Saints

Morning!

I have been proofing the Sound of the Spirit book to prepare it for the printer, when I was reading yesterday, I came across this paragraph and it really struck me.  Here is the paragraph:     

As long as there is hope for unbelievers, there will be a need for the Spirit’s sound at Spirit baptism.  It is only when “that which is perfect is come” and the Final Judgment on mankind has been made that the Spirit’s sound will cease (cf. 1Cor. 13:8–10).  No one at that time will need a witness from God to let him know who is a believer, for believers will be the only ones left standing.  But as yet, there remains a need for God to help the thirsty to find the waters of life.

And here is 1Corinthians 13:8

8. Love never fails. But whether there be prophecies, they will come to an end; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will pass away.
9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,
10. but when that which is perfect comes, that which is in part shall be done away.

I love it when things like this happen. I have read this and known it but it just clicked with me yesterday that our tongues will cease and there will be no need for it because we all will speaking the same language, maybe a new language, or no language.  But at that point, there will be no need for that sound or tongue because we will all be believers.  What a neat thought.

Jesus really meant what he said when he said these things will come to an end, as we know it.  Love that!

Amy B.

I loved when you talked about God’s mercy and how it changed David.  It was God’s tender mercy that I fell in love with and that carried me here. And now I carry it in my heart for others.  I read this in Psalms this morning and was just in awe because David did not know what he was really saying, but all these years later, I know.  We know!  All these years later, and we are living examples of what David poured out to God that day. 

Psalm 51

13. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and crushed heart, O God, you will not despise.

God’s mercy changes everything! 

Beth D.