Bro. John:

Every now and then, you will run into someone who reminds you of just how blessed you (we) are to be in the Truth with ALL the blessings of God.

I had to stop by the grocery store tonight to pick up a few things.  I was walking down the aisle and I heard someone call my name.  When I turned around, it was one of my old neighbors from the townhouses in Graham.  We talked for a few minutes, and she asked about some of the ones we both know that used to live there.  I told her they were all doing fine and happy.  Then, she asked me if we all still went to home meetings at the same place, I told her yes, we did.  Then, very unexpectedly, she asked, “Do you still have the same pastor?”  I replied, “Yes, absolutely!”  I could tell she didn’t know what to say next, so we parted ways and continued shopping.  For me, I went shopping for groceries, and left filled with food from Jesus!

When I got home, I sat and pondered her question.  It was a strange question for me, but not for her, Bro. John.  She is a “good” Christian and that is all they know – pastors who stay for a while and then leave or are fired by some Board of Directors. 

I am so thankful that God reminds us of how blessed we are to have an anointed man of God who will not leave his flock.  I never want to take that for granted.  It’s almost hard for me to put into words how I felt when I got home and her question was still ringing in my ears, “Do you still have the same pastor?”  She does not have the holy Ghost and goes to a denomination.  But my thoughts went to God’s people in these denominations who expect the same thing – a revolving door pastor!  What a sad thing for them not to know they will be cared for beyond a few years or maybe even a few months if the Board decides the pastor must go.  I love when you tell us, “No one hired me, and no one can fire me!”  What comfort to our hearts to know we are in the hands of a man sent to us by God! 

Well, I just needed to share my thankfulness for God reminding me today how blessed we are for our Gift of an anointed pastor who can’t be hired or fired.  I love what Jesus has done for each one of us and for giving us a pastor and teacher that we may not perish for lack of knowledge of God. 

One of ewe thankful sheep,

Sandy  🙂

Hey Pastor John,

I just finished one of my Old Testament CDs, we are just finishing Judges*. It’s so frustrating and heartbreaking to read this.  God would set up a judge, the people did well and served God, the judge dies, and then the people would do evil again.  God would punish his people, they would repent and he would send them another judge. Repeat. Over and over.

The story of Jephthah’s daughter really broke my heart.  How he made an oath to God to offer to God whatever came to greet him when he returned home (he thought it would be an animal), but instead his daughter ran out.  He killed and offered his daughter to God.  He did not know that God would never want him to do that.  He was trying to please God and honor his oath, but suffered greatly.  All because God’s men were not doing their job of teaching the people the truth.

There are so many stories like that during this time.  There were so many people who really wanted to serve God and live a righteous life, but just didn’t know how.  God’s men were not doing their job and a lot of people suffered because of it.

It’s just left me thanking God for what He has taught you and for what you have passed to us.  To be given the truth and to be fed the knowledge of how to please God and how to worship Him acceptably.  To know God’s precious Son and the love they have for each other and for us.  What is that worth?  Everything!  It made me think of how much pain, frustration and confusion Jesus has really saved us from.

Really puts a prayer in my heart: please, Jesus, keep us open and humble enough to receive whatever you teach us next.  I know it will be for our good.

Love you!
Michelle

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

Hey Pastor John,

This morning I came across your sermon on a “Pampered Generation”, and I decided to listen to it again.  The message was wonderful and had so many good things in it.  Even though it was about trials and disappointments, it was an encouraging message!  As I listened to it, I took notes on the things which stood out to me, and I thought you, and others may want to see them!

Samuel 

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Notes:

– A pampered generation defines “good” by what they want.  Jesus wants us to become a wise generation that defines “good” as what God wants. 

– The wise attack trouble or disappointment with faith in God. 

– Hard trials can cause you to lose sight of the love and care God has for you.  Someone going through a trial often begins to believe that God isn’t taking care of them, but they only feel that way because the flesh’s lusts or desires are not being fulfilled. 

– While in the middle of a trial, you are often going to feel like God has forsaken you.  God has not forsaken you, and when you feel that way, He will help you because He is close by!

– Jesus had times of loneliness on earth that made him want to just go away and rest.  But he understood that God had designed his trials, and He knew that the only way to get away from his troubles was to run straight to God. 

– Be like Jesus: when your trial comes, run straight to God!

– If a boxer doesn’t want to be hit hard, he gets close to his opponent.  Jesus wants you to do the same thing! He wants you to attack your trials with faith, and push in close to God!

– “If you can’t get out of it, get into it!“

– Joseph begged his brothers not to sell him slavery, but he was sold anyway.  Because he couldn’t get out of it, he got into it!  He became the best prisoner he could be!  Later, he found himself begging his brothers again, but this time, begging his brothers to not be ashamed or afraid because, even though they had meant to sell him away for evil, God used it for good!

– God used something Joseph didn’t want as a necessary part in giving Joseph the wonderful life God had planned for him!

– When something comes from God’s hand, even if you hate it, and your flesh doesn’t want it, it is good!  One day you’ll be thanking God for it!

– Guard your tongue when you are hurt, angry, or disappointed.  God has interrupted your life of ease and pleasure and is listening for your response.  If you become angry, God may just take you up on what you say. 

– God always does His part. 

– An encouraging verse: Hebrews 12:11- “Now, no discipline, for just that moment, seems joyous, but grievous; however, it afterwards yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it.”

– When God starts cutting on you, it’s because he is pleased with you!  God doesn’t think the way we do; we have everything backwards!

– What we go through is never too much for our faith.  It may feel like too much, but God designs our trials specifically for us.

– If there is something in your path that seems like too much, James says to rejoice!!  God knows you can overcome it!

– So, reach down inside of yourself and attack that problem with what faith you have!  Because what faith you have is enough!

– Know this:

– If God loves you, he is going to scourge you.  You will be doing right, and he will pull the rug out from under you to give you something better!

– The best way to demonstrate your love and faith in God is to treatwith love and gentlenesd those who God uses to scourge you. 

– God has never and will never deal with us according to our sins on this earth.  None of us have suffered as we deserve.  He disciplines us so that we can get what we need, and that’s a good thing!

– To the young people: You need to understand that you are a pampered generation, and those things which make life easy will never teach you the knowledge of God.  God has decided that having anything you want at any time will not teach you His knowledge. 

– Why strike back at someone who has hurt you after all the goodness that God has shown you?  Why not treat them with gentleness? 

– Make up your mind before any big trouble comes to be like Joshua and Caleb and o see your trials and disappointments as opportunities to show God that you are still trusting him!

– If you do that, you’ll be safe from what David called the great transgression, and your mouth and temper will be subdued. 

– Where you are going to spend eternity depends on how you respond to disappointment.  Things aren’t always going to go your way; prepare your heart.

– Get mean with righteousness!  Whatever happens, God means it for good, and so, attack your trial with faith!

– “What are you going to do when God doesn’t do something you like?  What are you going to do when I (Pastor John) say something you don’t like? Those things are going to come your way.  Are you ready?  Is your mind made up?  God is going to try you, but that’s a good thing!”

– Every trial you face can bring you closer to God if you have faith!  Don’t forget that God loves you, and Jesus cares.  God doesn’t go by your feelings; He goes by His own feelings for you. 

Greetings Pastor John.

I thought I had sent this a couple of weeks ago, but I just found it in my drafts box.  I still want to thank God, so I am sending it now.

I want to thank God for all He’s done for me recently.   The signal messages were only a part of my experiences. 

I have been wanting to work less hours for a while, but every time I got close someone would quit, huge loads of freight would show up, or we had to rearrange the store and on and on. Because of my hernia, I had to stop working.  During my absence, the home office has insisted (they thought it was their idea) that I go part time.  My initial instinct was to get mad.  “How dare they take advantage of me when I was injured?”  But I kept my peace and prayed.  Jesus showed me I was getting what I needed without having to upset my boss.  She wants me to work more and go back to being a manager.  So now I will be able to work a more reasonable amount of hours.  

The morning of my surgery I was not nearly as anxious as normal.  While they prepared me for surgery, they checked my blood pressure.   The nurse made a funny face and asked if I had taken my bp meds, which per instructions I had not.   So, I asked her how high it was.  My blood pressure normally goes thru the roof whenever a Dr. is around.   That morning it was 95/55.  I was amazed, but I was at peace.  I was focused on helping the nurses prepare me and praising God.  When I woke up my BP was again low.  I did not have any bleeding issues, no infections, and limited pain.  My healing has gone well.  The hardest part has been restraining myself from doing too much.  

During recovery, I don’t know how to explain it; there was no spiritual conversation.  It was just an imparting of knowledge.   I knew Jesus had given me the answers to some questions, not by telling, but by giving me knowledge.  I would just know the truth about an issue or people.  My mind was just changed, and I felt and knew it was right.  There was no voice, it was just knowledge that was suddenly there!

There were more but I was interrupted while writing and now I don’t remember them, but I do know it was Jesus.

Love,

Mark

Good Morning Pastor John,

After work yesterday I got still and listened to your message to [a brother] thirty years ago now.  It was such a loving message to him, and I’m so sorry that he did not take heed to your instructions.  After I listen to that, I watched the Welsh Revival documentary.  It was really good to see all the young people being stirred at that time.  And to watch the influence of the holy Ghost throughout those communities was really something!

Afterward I was sitting here thinking about everything that has been said lately, and one thing that stood out to me was something I noticed said in our meeting, in your message to that brother, and on the Welch Revival of 1904* documentary, that is, “the cloud is getting ready to move.”

Every time the cloud would move, God’s people moved, and the really exciting part is that every time they moved, they got closer to Canaan‘s Land!  I have been feeling excited for what Jesus has in store, but my heart sure does hurt for all the ones who are going to be left behind.

I’m thankful to know we serve a true and living God who talks to His people!  I’m even more thankful to have been given ears to hear Him calling.  It’s all His choice.

Michelle

*See post “The Welsh Revival of 1904”, August 24, 2022

Dear Bro John.

I was so touched by the song “Here is Love, Vast as the Ocean” that you and Donna sent out on Signal that I was provoked to research the Welsh Revival of 1904 and the young man, Evan Roberts, who was led by the Spirit to preach his message.  Oh my, what an outpouring of the Spirit in that country!  Evan Roberts was just a young man of 26 years old, but as he said, he was awakened every night for 3 months in the middle of the night communing with the Lord for instructions to carry out the message of the Lord.  I am weak just thinking of how that must have been for this young man.  Reminds me of Preacher Clark and how the Lord dealt with him at his young age.

If you have time, it is well worth watching the below link for the story of this young man and the outpouring of the Spirit on thousands of lives in Wales.  Yes, they use the word “saved” and “Christian” but what are words when Jesus is looking at hearts.  This outpouring changed the hearts and lives of thousands.  Soon afterwards, the Revival at Azusa Street happened in Los Angeles, CA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfsDQ2QH0ZY&t=1540s

Thank you for the song.  I love it.

Sandy  🙂

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Yes, that is a good documentary.  A few years ago, Jason and Token visited the site of that revival and had some interesting stories to tell about it.

God, pour out your Spirit on us and this lost generation!

Pastor John

This was so good and so sobering.  I am copying these notes from my notebook because they are too good for just me.  This Matthew** study was dated August, 2020, when we were still in the middle of the pandemic.  You told us Jesus had stopped the whole world to get our attention.  

Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus leading up to his birth.  These are some highlights of what you told us:

Matthew and Luke are the only two gospels that have the genealogy leading up to Jesus’ birth.  You said you understand how some people would read this genealogy and be bored, but the way you prevent that is to know the people involved.  We know them, for the most part.  We know their stories and their failures and their successes, and there’s a feeling that comes with knowing them.  And because of that, the genealogy in Matthew has feelings in it.

There are discrepancies about the exact number of generations from Abraham to Jesus.  And the number of generations from one to another in Matthew doesn’t match with Luke’s record, so it becomes confusing, trying to figure all of that out.  You said that’s why Paul told Timothy not to pay attention to myths and “endless genealogies that give rise to disputes” rather than to the order of God which is by faith.  All we can do with these discrepancies is argue about it, and Paul told Titus to avoid arguing about genealogies and the Law, etc., because they’re “worthless and vain”.  There’s no value in it, and here’s why:  

All those geologies are of Jesus’ flesh.  They are not the genealogy of the Son of God.  The Son of God is no longer of the flesh because He’s been glorified!  That’s who we know now.  That’s who is sitting at the right hand of the Father.  We don’t even know Jesus after the flesh anymore.  Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature!  Old things are gone!  Everything is new!

Your past is harder for you to get over than it is for God to get over.

Get over your old self!  That thing is dead!  Sister Natalie once said, “They can dig up that old girl, but they can’t make her live!”

You can be happy if you’re really you in Christ!  You can feel sorry for that fool that used to be alive on earth.  You don’t even know yourself in the flesh anymore when you’re walking the Spirit.  

This is the point.  And it’s Jesus’ point for us:

You were born into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ.  How many people hold things against you from when you were born the first time?  Your failures.  Your ignorance; darkness.  Nobody in the kingdom of God with any wisdom holds anything against you that you’ve ever done in your life before you were born again.  It’s over with!  You’ve got to get over yourself.  You’re not a product of that union anymore.  You’re a new creature!  

We’re kept by the power of God!  Your new body is waiting for you as your inheritance.  It’s incorruptible, pure, and permanent.  It’s an eternal home.  

However, the deceitfulness of riches can reduce your awareness of how desperate you are for God’s saving power every day.  Pastor John gives an example of working construction in the Henderson Country Club area many years ago.  While working at a rich man’s house, the man walked outside, and Pastor John almost fell backwards because he’d never seen that look of confidence and peace in a human who wasn’t full of the holy Ghost.  

*This slow down on earth [the Corona virus shut-down] can sucker you into losing your zeal for holiness.  You must understand that you’re not doing well in God’s sight just because you’re doing okay on earth.

You can be lulled into a false sense of confidence if the power of God isn’t in your life!  When is the last time you felt the power of God?  That’s the only thing that matters!

Pastor John says he loved Bother Jerry’s testimony about God saving his eyesight at the shooting range.  Jerry didn’t think he needed safety glasses, but while he was thinking that, his feet were walking back to the car to get them.  That was the power of God saving Jerry!  It wasn’t his brain thinking he needed to go to his car.

We have to have enough of the power of God living in our souls to save us from what we think!  

If you don’t have that power living in your souls, if you’re not feeling it, you are not being saved, even if you received the holy Ghost some years ago.  That’s a testimony against you, not for you, and if it’s not alive right now!  He’s a right-now God!  And if, right now, He’s not in you living and breathing and talking and guiding, you’re godless!  And it’s worse for you to be without that than it is for a sinner to be without it, because you have the Spirit right there inside you, and are not using it.  

When was the last time some of you spoke in tongues?  When did the Spirit speak through you the last time?  When was the last time you felt the quickening power of God that’s going to raise you from the dead?  If it’s been a while, you’re in trouble!

Here’s the word of God for some of us in 1Corinthians 4:18:  “Now some are puffed up, as though I (Jesus) were not coming to you.  Jesus is coming!  Some fences are going to be torn down.  There will be nothing to sit on anymore.” 

The kingdom of God is not in word; not in talk.  It’s power!  It’s feeling!  It’s experience!  That’s the salvation of the Lord!  It’s your experience with the holy Ghost.  Your testimony!

When’s the last time you testified to anybody?  You overcome the world through your testimony, and the blood of the Lamb (that’s the holy Ghost).

The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy.  I come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly!  He doesn’t want you to just “have the holy Ghost”.  He wants you to have it abundantly!  That’s when he’s saving you!

Some people who have been taught the truth have gotten so dead that they talk about getting the holy Ghost the way Baptists talk about getting saved.  It’s just a dead phrase that means nothing to God, and really means nothing to their souls.

Having the holy Ghost is a bad thing if you don’t use it.  And Jesus is determined that we’re going to use it.  He is about to take some fences down.  And I don’t know what else he can do to warn you, but what he has done!  He’s stopped the whole world to get your attention!  You’re going to do the will of God.

In Ephesians chapter 5, it says do not be drunk on wine – or we could say on television, on movies, on sports!  Entertainment is a huge thing.  But be filled with the Spirit!  And if you’re filled with the Spirit, this is the kind of life you’re going to be living:

• You’re going to be speaking to yourself in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  You will have those things going in your head and feeling them, if you’re filled with the Spirit. 
• You’ll be giving thanks always for all things to our God and Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
• And submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.  That’s where the fellowship is – each esteeming the other as better than himself.

That’s how you live if you’re filled with the Spirit, and that’s the road of salvation because that way is going to go on forever.  That’s the road that is never going to stop for those walking in the Spirit.  A billion, billion light years from now, that’s how you’ll be living if you’re walking the Spirit.  You’ll be singing songs in your heart.  Looking at others and loving them.  More interested in hearing their story than telling yours.  Willing to do good.  More blessed because you love to give more than to receive.  That’s how life in the Spirit is.

And that’s the message of the genealogy of Matthew.  It just doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.  Be filled with the Spirit!

The Lord gave Darren a song.  Darren’s song is a gift from God to us.  God is a poet!  It’s a stern warning and encouragement, but it’s in poetry and song.  

Not going to be a “maybe” left among us.  God is not going to allow it.

God is wonderful!

God help us humble ourselves to Him and be blessed!  That’s His point!  He’s not a bully!

He’s crying out to us in this song telling us “Your fence is going to be torn down”. He’s saying,

Give in and be happy!

Give in and do things my way.

Give in and believe me!

Give in and forget that old stuff!

Loved what Josiah told Kaleigh when she was worried about something from the past, “There’s a difference between regret and condemnation”

You’ll never be happy about the sins you committed.  And God will remind you all along the way, “Don’t forget where you came from.”  But when He reminds you, it’s not to condemn you.  It’s to keep you low enough to be thankful and happy.

Be content to be happy.  Be content with what He created you to be.  You’ll regret anything wrong you did it the past, but don’t stay there in your mind and punish yourself and beat yourself up!  That’s your heavenly Daddy’s business, and He’s already taken care of that.  Every time you’re reminded about something evil you’ve done in the past, look up and thank God because that person is not alive anymore!

So, that memory can be a good thing!  Do good!  That’s what God reminds us for.  There’s an old charismatic-day song called Remind Me, O Lord,  “Draw back the curtain of memory now.  Show me where you brought me from, and where I could have been.” 

So, when God brings up anything old like that, it’s not to beat you up for being that way.  If He wanted to do that, He wouldn’t have given you the holy Ghost to start with!  It’s just to remind you.  And you may not be doing anything wrong that needed a reminding.  It may be like that Ol’ guy who was driving in the mountains in a horse and wagon, and everything was going fine and the horse was doing his business, but he hauled off and whacked that horse real good.  The guy riding with him asked him why he did that.  The old man said, “There’s a curve coming up, and I wanted make sure he was paying attention.”  God may see a curve coming up, and wants to make sure you’re paying attention.  Just thank Him for it and pay attention.  Just thank Him and be extra on guard. That’s all it’s for.  

If you need a rewashing, He’s got plenty of wash!  The Son of God has an endless supply of blood that can cover many multitude of sins!  It could cover the whole world if the whole world would repent!  

Darren sings, “You Better Get Off That Fence, Cause the Fence is Coming Down”

Thank you for this,

Lee Ann

*Follow link below for the Gospel of Matthew study: 

https://www.goingtojesus.com/gtj_translation.html?tname=matthew

Ben and I watched the Introduction to Matthew* today, and it was soul stirring.

I have recently been re-watching the Matthew series, but I decided to start back over because I was hearing so many good things that needed to be written down!

The very first Pearl I learned was that these pearls can’t be just words written in my notebook. They can’t be just some good knowledge in my head.  I can be talked out of knowledge that’s in my head.  You told us, “The knowledge of God is to feel the truth.  You must feel the glory of it!  If it’s in your bones; in your soul, who’s going to talk you out of being you?!”  What I wrote in this notebook today must be who I am!  I’m so thankful for being able to feel what you were preaching on this first video.  It was so good (again)!

Lee Ann

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYC8mBDBKi4