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  • Saved before Baptized with the Spirit?

    Pastor John,

    I’ve been truly blessed by the music and teaching from the Spirit is the Witness* fellowship.

    I do have a question about the Holy Spirit’s working in a believer.  I knew I was saved at the age of 8 because the Spirit bore witness with my spirit that I was saved and heaven was my home.   However, the Baptist Church did not know about the Baptism or of being filled with the Holy Spirit. All they knew was salvation.  When I was 22 I entered into, I believe the third heaven where I was singing in the spirit in beautiful, perfect, pure heavenly languages at a Kathern Koleman meeting.  Wow, that was back in 1972. Singing and praying in the Spirit is still in me, although to be honest I have backslidden at times.  I said all this to say this, When I was saved at 8 would you agree that I was baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and then at the age of 22 I was baptized by Jesus in the Holy Spirit.  Whether we agree or not theologically, I know from your YouTube videos that you know God is real and that you worship Him in Spirit and truth.  John, I truly thank Jesus and you and the other members of the Spirit is the Witness fellowship.  I’m from New Jersey, but if I ever get down your way I would love to join you in worshiping Jesus our Savior and Lord.

    Sincerely in Christ

    Richard

    =========

    Hi Brother Richard,

    Thank you for writing.  I apologize for the delay, but I just now received your good letter.  It would, of course, be an honor to have you visit sometime.  We love to hear from and meet our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we would do our best to make you feel at home – because you would be!  We are only at home in this world when we are with each other.

    As for your experiences, I would describe them this way.  We all know that something must happen to a person before he receives the baptism of the Spirit.  That is undeniable.  But what is it?  There are many wonderful and real experiences that one may have with the Lord both before and after receiving his baptism from heaven, but which of those sweet experiences is the experience of new birth?

    Jesus’ disciples had many incredible experiences with the Lord while he was here, and yet, he described them as only being in the womb of what Paul would later call “the body of Christ”.  He said to them, “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour is come, but when the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of joy that a man is born into the world.  And so, you now have sorrow, too, but I’ll see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn. 16:21–22).  That joy came on the day of Pentecost, when they came out of the womb and were finally born of God.  The day they received the baptism of the Spirit is the day they were born again.

    As John said in a couple of his epistles, I would rather speak face to face about these things.  Pen and ink are unable to communicate feelings as does personal conversation.  Until we can do that, please read my very short booklet, After Jesus Died, which you will find here:

    https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_books.html?tname=afterjesusdied

    That will show you, beyond any question, that the disciples were not born again until the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

    Again, I wish we could talk face to face.  But until that happens, if God wills it, I will be praying that God continues to richly bless you and yours.  From all of us here, greetings and love in Christ,

     Pastor John

    *  https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSpiritistheWitness

  • Discerning Spirits

    Hey Pastor John,

    The testimonies today reminded me of an experience I had as young person in my 20’s. I had just started in a new department at work.  All of the sudden sitting at my desk, I would start having thoughts come out of nowhere. It was to the point it was becoming a battle and troubled me daily. I knew I didn’t think that way or say those things I was hearing. I didn’t understand why this was happening. A few weeks later a gentleman a few cubicles down either got fired or quit. The thoughts never came back. It wasn’t me! It was that spirit the man was under sitting at his desk. That was a huge lesson for me as a young person.

    It also reminded me of a situation with Jonathan years ago. He developed a fear of the dark all the sudden. It happened several nights in a row of him coming in my room terrified. Jesus immediately let me feel it was a spirit bothering him. I told Jonathan he could talk back to those spirits himself and tell them to leave. His reaction confirmed it had been talking to him. I told that spirit to leave my child alone and it needed to leave my house. It wasn’t welcome. He hasn’t had a single issue with that thing coming back around all these years later.

    Today made me think of the story you have told before. The old saint walking by the well with the baby, and a spirit talking to her. That story has been a shining example to me throughout life. Not every thought is from Jesus and we really need discernment and to know who we are. Knowing what’s from Jesus is our protection walking through this life: to know what to discard and what to keep. I am so thankful for that experience at a young age and as a mom. Experiences like that have helped me in adult life and even as a mother teaching my children what’s God and what’s not.

    Have a good rest of the day!
    Margo

  • Gentleness

    A few days ago I read Psalm 18 with Ellie and something really touched me.  As I read through the first 30 or so verses, it talks about God being a shield, girding up for war, abasing enemies and God giving strength and mercy, David says “Your gentleness makes me great”. Makes me tear up as I’m writing thinking about all my life, even through the hard times, corrections, it’s been God’s gentleness that has pulled me out and made me higher.  And it makes me want to be more like that with my children, and others. 

    Anyways I just wanted to share, still loving that this morning.

    Ashley

  • Proverbs 27:8–10

    Proverbs 27:8. Like a bird departing from her nest is a man departing from his place.

    1. Oil and incense gladden the heart, and the sweetness of one’s friend springs from hearty counsel.
    2. Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not enter your kinsman’s house in the day of your calamity; a neighbor nearby is better than a distant kinsman.

    I was listening to the Proverbs recording, and you all were discussing these verses, and I had a thought.  Not sure it is right so thought I would ask you. 

    Is that saying that if you get out of your place, don’t turn to those fleshly connections or worldly family and become a reproach to Jesus?  Don’t get hurt or bitter and turn to them?  It’s better to talk to a stranger than to be a reproach?

    Beth D.

    ==========

    Hi Beth.

    Your thoughts are right and good, but I do not see that Solomon is saying that to his son in those verses.

    First of all, I don’t see a connection between verses 8 and 10.  Secondly, in verse 10, Solomon is dealing with relationships, advising his son (in the middle of that verse) not to burden a kinsman when trouble comes; otherwise, he may drive that kinsman away.

    A number of Solomon’s proverbs are puzzling, and without help from Jesus, we cannot rightly or fully explain them.  God’s thoughts certainly are not our thoughts, as Isaiah said.  So, I just rejoice in the proverbs that I can understand and wait on God for the rest.

    Thank you for writing, Beth.

    Pastor John

  • Your Integrity

    Pastor John,

    I thoroughly enjoyed this morning’s Proverbs reading and our various conversations before and afterwards, even though I got stuck on that unusual word, “natron”.  Ha.

    I went home and reviewed some of the Jerusalem Council YouTube video, and then picked up the book* again, read the Forward on page xi, and was compelled to pray and praise God…for your integrity.

    I’ve always been a devoted admirer of your writing, but when you write straight from your heart-of-hearts as you do in your declaration in the Forward of the book, it really touches me.  It’s a staggeringly honest and zealous statement, yet with humility and simplicity.

    It certainly sets the stage for what the reader is about to encounter, although I would wager that many Christians would be challenged in their understanding of it.  I am giving a copy to a man whom I’ve met who claims to be a [part-time] preacher, hoping it might provoke him to seek a deeper understanding. His heart seems to be honest and teachable, but one never knows, until the truth exposes someone’s condition.   I always hope, even though I’ve been continually disappointed.

    It saddens me so often when the valuable things you have taught us don’t affect someone’s heart in a positive way.  But, that is all up to Jesus.

    I am grateful to have played the role of Hillel to discover what it felt like to be so stubborn and sincerely locked into a belief that he couldn’t relinquish. Only God can open a chamber of the heart to let in the wisdom of the Truth.

    THANK YOU, again, for being such an obedient servant of God, and remaining faithful for our benefit. Your integrity brings tears to my eyes, and I LOVE you for it.

    Now, get back into the kitchen.  It was a good breakfast, and we’re hungry for lunch!

    Brad

    =========

    Hi Brad!

    I am so thankful for the blessings Jesus has given us, Brad.  What a wonderful group of saints he has made us a part of!  Often, I have heard him say in my heart, “Walk worthy….”  May God help us all to do that!  We have a lot to walk worthy of.

    Jesus deserves all our devotion, and that devotion belongs not only to him and the Father, but to one another as well.  Jesus said, “By this, all men will know that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”   We walk worthy of him when we love one another with the love of God, fervently and without dissimulation, as the apostles said.

    Thank you for doing the part of Hillel in the reading of The Jerusalem Council.  Several people remarked how well you did it.  I wish that all God’s children everywhere would read it, and that we were one with them all, in Christ.

    Pastor John

    * Going to Jesus.com – The Jerusalem Council

  • Perverse

    Good morning, John,

    I want to share some thoughts I was having as I woke up this morning.

    I was thinking of a tv show Arnold and I watched last night.  I said to myself, why does every tv show you watch have to have a homosexual scene.  My thoughts were, because they want the young people to think it’s normal and right. My next thought was, it’s not right, it’s perverse.  

    I knew I’d used the right word but I wasn’t sure what the word meant, so I looked it up.  Here is what it said: “turned away from what is good and right, corrupt, improper, incorrect.   Obstinate in opposing what is right, reasonable or acceptable.”

    I love it when the Spirit gives me good thoughts to start my day.

    Margaret

    =========

    Hi Margaret,

    The target of movie producers, advertisers, and educators around the world is young people.  God help this generation of souls that are being perverted by them!

    Pastor John

  • Our Suffering

    We have been reading in 1Samuel and 2Samuel for the Old Testament course.*  I did not remember how much David went through, or how much raiding he and his men did.  David did have a lot of blood on his hands, being the warrior he was!

    As I read through this, I have been trying to picture what daily life for him and his men in those years, as well as the Israelites, would have been like.  What a silly Christian thought it is, to believe that God will not put you through things.

    It just strikes me how dangerous that thought can be for God’s people.  If David had thought like that, surely he would have given up on seeking after God, long before he met Bathsheba. I haven’t got to that part yet, but Jerry and I were talking about how David must have felt after going through everything he did with God, and then to have sinned so greatly.  Hard to imagine the feelings he must have felt.

    Anyway just thinking out loud….with you! smiley face2

    Beth D.

    * https://goingtojesus.com/gtj_otcourse-1010.html

  • Loved by God

    This is really something to take in.  This is us.  It didn’t have to be.  Verse 19 got me! I could have been condemned.  I could have loved sin.

    Beth

    John 3:

    16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that every one who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

    17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
    18. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe has been condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the unique Son of God.
    19. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
    20. For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.
    21. But he who does the truth comes to the light so that his deeds may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.

  • Elijah

    Pastor John,

    Did Elijah suffer from depression?
    Matthew

    ========
    Hi Matthew.

    I would not call it depression.  No.  He was thoroughly frustrated with God’s people, and angry, no doubt.  The day after proving to Israel on Mount Carmel that Jehovah is God, the queen (Jezebel) wanted him dead.  He escaped her, left Israel, traveled way down south to Mount Sinai, and basically quit.  God accepted his resignation, but told him to go first and anoint Elisha to take his place.  Then God carried him away in a chariot of fire, and Israel saw him no more.

    Hope that helps.
    Pastor John

  • “What Is This Thing that Separates God’s People?” 

    https://youtu.be/M7Or025B0iI

    This is so good! I listen to this and think, “What is wrong with this? Name one thing wrong with this! It’s so clean and pure!” 

    If a heart is really wanting something from God, something real, that heart is going to love this! 

    And if not, what is that heart hanging onto? 

    The truth welcomes truth! And a lie welcomed lies! 

    I’m so thankful Jesus made me love this! red heart

    Beth

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