Pastor John,

I found the video of the Asbury revival interesting.  The things this man said about a vision he had in 2001 stood out.  In the video, this man, Dutch Sheets, talks about a vision he had in September 2001 right after 9/11 while speaking at a conference.  Recently, on 1/25/23, he was interviewed and retold that experience/vision he had in 2001.  Two weeks later, on 2/8/23, the Asbury event started. 

In the vision from 2001 Dutch Sheets saw a revival of young people that “wanted more of him, and they really didn’t want religion, they didn’t want our forms, they didn’t want somebody to preach at them.  They wanted to know about Jesus. They wanted a relationship with him, but didn’t want religious form.  They wanted something different.”

As a result of what he was seeing in the vision he began to say, “How are we going to steward this?…. How do we teach them without trying to put them in a form and in a mold that they know nothing about and don’t want?  How do we teach them relationship without religion? … “This is going to be incredibly difficult to steward.”  Then he said, “We are going to need to be ready to take them into His presence and allow holy Spirit to teach them and allow holy Spirit to shape them, to show them what he wants and who he is.” 

That man told of a vision he had over 20 years ago.  I don’t know if it has anything to do with what is happening now, but either way, those tentacles of Christianity (as Gary called them) are always waiting to strangle out anything that Jesus does.  Jesus help them!

Here is the video: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c6MoYSDjEkw

Amy French

https://youtu.be/gBSMMSIQDm8

I love this!  As I listened to it, I thought about you being on trial and a court of law playing this. There is not one thing wrong in this. It is not against anyone, it is just for God! The spirits that find something wrong in this are not for God. They are against God.

I can hear your words ringing in my heart “I can’t find one thing wrong with the truth.”

Me either! 

A heart for God will love this!

Beth

Hi John.

Last night, when Darren and the folks were singing his song, “What do you want from Jesus?”*…. At some point in the song I heard Anna singing a harmony.  It was very low in her voice, it sounded like a male voice, and it had some sort of “angelic” quality to it, at least that’s what my ear was hearing.

I hadn’t been looking at them while they were singing, but when I heard Anna’s voice I had to look over to see if it was her or not.  The feeling that came was, “this is anointed”… it touched me.  

Every time I heard Anna singing her harmony in “what do you want from Jesus”, something would come to mind like: “to never (carelessly) hurt another person”, or, “to have a perfect and honest heart”, etc.  I hadn’t thought about it beforehand, each of the thoughts and desires just came spontaneously, like I was ad-libbing, and I felt like Jesus was really listening and would work to accomplish those desires.  It was a special experience, just wanted to tell about that while I’m thinking on it this morning.

And thank you for your message on the father and son. It’s good to be reminded that the Son is “it”, and how blessed we are to live in a time when we can understand Him.

Gary

* Seven Pillars Music.com – Gospel Music CD Gallery

Hi.

I’m really enjoying these new thoughts on the Spirit.  I was sitting here thinking about this morning’s meeting, and Jesus brought to mind how I received the spirit as a small child. I was about 6.5 years old, and a group of us kids were “playing meeting”.  One of us would be the preacher, one a singer, shouter, testifier, etc.  Well, this particular time, it became real to me and the grown-ups got involved.

I didn’t speak in tongues, but kinda stammered and made a “wooing” sound.  I remember feeling like I had received the holy Ghost, and I have always considered that my spiritual birthday, but I also remembered feeling unsure because I didn’t speak in tongues. 

A year later, almost to the day, Rebekah E. went to be prayed for, and that’s the day she received the Spirit, and that day was the first time my utterances began sounding like tongues.  I never really felt like I had a big holy Ghost testimony; I was just a small kid and didn’t have a big deliverance from sin, but thinking about it today, I thought, “Well hey! That was big!”  As a small child I had a testimony that makes what we are learning about the Spirit ring even more true!  That has touched me this morning!

Ashley

Hi Pastor John,

Jenny’s testimony about tithes and offerings reminded me about my experience in Christianity.  The church that I was going to always begged for tithes and offerings.  Every service had a tithe and offering opportunity for them to practically beg for more money.  I remember when I was single, on many occasions, giving my whole paychecks to the church.  I’m pretty sure the reason for me doing that was because I was not living right.  And I was just figuring my offering and tithes would cover my ungodly living somehow.  How ignorant I was at that time! Now that I know the truth, it was so wrong for the pastor to even accept that much money!  In the military, whenever you re-enlist, there’s usually a monetary bonus of several thousands of dollars.  I remember actually signing over my entire bonus check and they never blinked an eye!

Christianity definitely made merchandise of me and constantly took something from me. Whether it was my time, labor, or my finances. I was all used up and pretty much for their benefit.  This reminds me of Allison’s testimony, of how she describes Christianity as takers.  Take, take, take is all they do and nothing is given in return. No substance of any value that benefits the soul.

I agree wholeheartedly with Jenny’s sentiment towards you as my pastor!  It is so comforting to know that when I render my tithes and offerings, it is given with full confidence, because of the fellowship; connection and communion with you.  It’s a relationship where it’s a mutual understanding of rendering and receiving.  I’m being fed the pure bread, as a partaker, by you as my pastor, and that’s priceless! I love the perfect government of God! It comes with authority and submission. 

You’re quite the opposite of those Christian ministers, in that you don’t receive just anything.  In fact, you graciously released a portion of my tithe and offering, so I can be free from my debt to my mother.  I’m so grateful that you are NOT an oppressor and you have set me free!  That burden has been lifted and hopefully my mother will accept money from me this time.  Thank you for feeding me the truth and taking care of me spiritually as my pastor!

Love, In Christ,

David

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Hi Pastor John,

I know I texted you about this, but I wanted to write more about tithes. I am so thankful to have a godly pastor to whom I may render my tithes and offerings* without hesitation; no worry about whether my pastor is living up to his anointing. 

When I think back to my years in Christianity early on somehow, I felt like there should be a standard of rendering tithes and offerings, but it was not customary to give the full 10% tithes, or offerings.  Instead, I would give a little bit when they passed around the plate. I’m not sure how I ought to feel, but I’m actually glad I didn’t render my full tithe over all those years.

Nearing the end of being in Christianity, just before I learned the truth I began to go to a Pentecostal church, and I was feeling more serious about Jesus.  I was always serious, but somehow, I felt MORE serious.  I began to increase my tithes.  By this time, I knew the standard was 10% of your increase.  I still wasn’t giving that because I still had doubts about it.  But I was giving a lot more.  And of course, they were asking for more and more.

Not long after going to this church, I learned the truth, and thus knowing Christianity was a lie, I felt indignant about the tithes I had given; I almost asked for my tithes back, but I decided it was water under the bridge and I didn’t ask for it back.

About a year after I left Christianity, I found out that the pastor had an affair and messed up the whole church there.  That made me so angry.  And I was so glad I was no longer in that church, and not rendering my tithes to a man living in disgrace.

Remembering these things makes me so glad for an anointed man of God living a godly life.  I am thankful for the privilege of rendering my tithes and offerings with peace of mind.

Thank you.

Love, Jenny

* Going to Jesus.com – Tithes and Offerings: The Right Relationship Between a Pastor and His Congregation

I wanted to share something I felt yesterday as I watched the meeting from home.

I was hurting so bad in my body as the meeting started that I was not able to lift my head, and I could just listen to all of the sweet voices telling about our Jesus and what he has done.  When Bob told of the tree pinning his leg and being all alone and needing help, then speaking in tongues and feeling the calm peace come on him, tears rolled down my eyes.  I felt pinned down by the pain I was feeling, and Bob’s testimony felt like a gentle whisper from Jesus.  I had an ice pack on my head, but I could feel heat under that ice pack.  I thought Jesus was taking that awful pain, but that’s not what happened.  As I lay there with tears streaming down my face and waiting to see if Jesus took my pain, I realized how separate my body and my spirit felt.  My body hurt so badly but I had the sweetest feeling in my spirit. I do not believe I have ever felt the separation like that.  It felt so good to lie there and feel such sweetness in my spirit that the pain didn’t compare.  I don’t know if words can really tell how separated the two were. 

(Jesus did lift the pain last night and Jerry and I are both some better today.)

I am still tearing up this morning, as I think on Bob’s testimony, and of Leah, telling of the Spirit crying out to Jesus for her when she couldn’t after her terrible wreck.

The tenderness of those testimonies telling of Jesus and what he has done, and can do, are stirring in my heart this morning.  I wonder if the disciples and the ones Jesus healed felt this love and tenderness as they told of what Jesus did.  What tears the blind man, and the lepers must have shed as they told of Jesus touching them!  How could there not be tears?

I feel humbled and overwhelmed with love from Jesus, to get to be together and tell of his mercy and his goodness. 

Love you, Pastor John! 

Beth

Pastor John,

Sitting here thinking on the terrible things Paul went through in obedience to God; stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and he would not renounce Jesus and continued to preach him everywhere God carried him.

I realized that as things in this world worsen, and they surely are getting worse, that the prayer of God’s saints isn’t that God would spare us from the things that may befall the faithful, but that we have enough experience with Jesus, as Saul (Paul) of Tarsus did on the road to Damascus, so that no matter what we do go through, we will not deny the Savior who bought us.

I think that must start here, now, while there is peace to still be found on the earth. Not trading Jesus and our conscience with him now, for things that seem to present an easier path.

Today’s meeting was wonderful!
Jerry