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  • The Spirit

    Pastor John,

    I went to a little birthday party this past weekend with Eden. There was a little girl in her class, and I found out in passing that her grandfather is the Assembly of God pastor where Eden goes to school. He and his wife showed up later at this party. I was introduced to him. He seemed like a nice man. We were small talking about the school and the wonderful things they are doing there.  It was really just small talk.

    He then asked me where we attended church. I told him we attend a home prayer meeting full of folks that have the spirit. I ask him if they believed in the New Birth experience with the evidence of speaking in tongues. He hung his head sideways and started talking very low. His response was they believed in it, but in an orderly fashion. I asked him, “How do you put the Spirit in order? It’s what puts us in order!” He really didn’t want to talk to me much after that comment.

    I know we talk about Christianity and how it works, a lot, but to see it first-hand … there are so many feelings involved! I left there, and driving home I was thanking God for the truth, thanking God for you, John, and all you have taught us!! We have been taught so well!! It’s amazing to me!!

    Love,

    Jammie

    PEARL

  • Romans 8:28 

    Pastor John,

    As I was reading the Baptism and Communion section of the Iron Kingdom book, and I had the sweetest thought.  I was thanking Jesus for your intellect and all your hard work, putting all this together.  It hit me, what a blessing it really is for all of us and for any heart Jesus touches.  I was thinking about how I don’t have that kind of brain.  Then I thought of your heart for God.  When I did, I remembered you telling about God putting it in your heart years ago to search out scriptures and seek Him for answers.

    God put that in you to do this work.  God put that in you for all of us.  That’s your testimony but it’s our testimony too.  All things work together for our good.

    I just loved it too much not to enjoy it with you.  What a loving God we have, and what a sweet, sweet life we share!  I love that we share that testimony.  Woven together! 

    I am enjoying reading everything you have been working on, and I am LOVING the feelings! red heart

    Beth D.

  • Modern Religion and Timelines 

    Evening,

    I hope you and yours are well. 

    I had an interesting thought that came from an observation I had in listening and watching conservative news shows and commentaries recently. 

    The observation is that I hear even people who say they are religious (thus believe in a god who created in some way, shape or form) say when referencing the beginning of time, or a human trait that’s been passed down from long ago, that it occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago.  And some even say millions of years ago.  This made me wonder, regardless of what they say they are, are they truly believers in a higher power, one who can create from nothing and one who did so not as long ago as they believe?  How can one be a Christian, a believer, or Jew and not believe the entire story of God? 

    This puzzles me.  I’ve heard this several times recently, which makes me wonder how truly they really believe in God.  God’s truth is not a partial truth.  His reality must be ours; not the other way around.  I do not understand how people can openly stand for God, but not believe his timeline too.  I know people often pick and choose what part of the Bible to believe in, but this evolutionary creation and salvation story is a new one for me.  If we extrapolate this, it’s as if they believe God created the earth millions of years ago with a Big Bang, then evolution took place, and then God created humans.  This doesn’t make any sense to me. 

    Am I missing something? What are your thoughts or observations regarding this?

    Much obliged,
    Jonathan S.

    ============

    Hi Jonathan.

    The demon of evolution has been around a long time now, and it has infiltrated just about every aspect of modern culture, including biblical studies.  Most of the “experts” in any field are full of it.

    What is missing among people is an experience with the power of God.  I remember the first time the power of God overshadowed me; it was like a warm quilt of joy and great power.  That experience with God’s power created understanding in me that nothing else can do.  I believed before, but I knew then that the story of the Flood, for instance, was no exaggeration or myth.  God did not break a sweat destroying the world with a flood and remaking it.  God did not work hard to created this universe; in fact, He held Himself back to stretch it out over six days.  There is NOTHING that compares with the power of God; the strongest things on this planet are just a vapor to Him.  We can believe all that, but nothing can make us to know it but an experience with the power of God.

    An experience with the power of God will save us from the influence of man’s great theories, such as evolution.  God’s power alone exposes such things as foolishness to our hearts.  Pray for experiences, Jonathan.  As Darren Prater’s song says, “There’s got to be an experience!”  Experience with the holy Ghost trumps everything –– our ideas, our preferences, our doctrines, and whatever else is of earth.  May God have mercy on our souls and give us all experiences!  That is, in fact, our only hope of ever coming to know Him and seeing His face.

    Thank you for writing.  You can see the demon of evolution at work even in the minds of those who claim to believe in God, and you know that what that demon says through them is contrary to the truth.  Pray for experiences which will establish you forever in what you are feeling and seeing.

    Pastor John

  • Iron Kingdom Responses – Baptism and Communion

    Pastor John,

    I had to stop as I was reading the Baptism section in the Iron Kingdom book to write how this makes me feel.  I am overwhelmed with a prayer for my Catholic family members to know the truth.

    I had a Catholic baptism as an infant.  That was supposed to seal the deal that I would go to Heaven when I died. It did not.  When I woke up from the coma in 2010, God was in that room and He clearly let me know that He was done playing with me and I was going to Hell if things did not change.  That is as clear to me now as it was on that day.

    After that experience, I was baptized in a tank in front of the whole Christian church.  I wanted so much for it to be real and I wanted to come out of that tank different, better, and clean.  I did not.  I came out heartbroken because it was not real.  I remember the hurt I felt, that it was just another lie.

    Then when Jesus sent Jerry and you with the truth and I had a flicker of hope again that God was real, Jesus baptized me.  Oh, I want them to know His baptism.  It is not a ceremony but a real experience that really washes sin away – every day, not for just a moment.  I desperately wanted to be clean, but I could not make myself or my life clean.  Only Jesus did that.

    I feel like what your father said, that “getting the holy Ghost is your first day of school”, went in deeper.  I want them to know it’s not a moment, but a life with a true, clean life with God. I want them to know.

    Beth D.

  • Us!

    Hey Pastor John,

    This morning I woke up thinking about what a wonderful holiday weekend we had together.  Jesus has done a wonderful thing joining us together.  All weekend I just kept looking around at all of my brothers and sisters and the joy we all felt together!  I feel like Jesus just filled us up!  Then sitting in our Roman history class I was overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jesus has given you and you are passing to us!”  Look what Jesus has done!  It truly is overwhelming.  It made me think of something you said during the Old Testament class:*

    “When God does what He did with me and made His mind that I was going to be where I am, then when He makes up your mind that you’re going to be where I am, there’s a bond there that nothing can break but death!  Nothing but death!’

    My heart is saying I do! I do!

    Love you,
    Michelle

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

  • Iron Kingdom responses – Baptism and Communion

    Some people have read two new sections of the in-progress Iron Kingdom book, one section on Baptism and another on Communion.  I am pleased with the responses I got because they tell me that the folk who read those sections really got something out of them!

    There is no point in doing anything if God’s children don’t benefit from it!

    I am passing their replies along to you so that you can know that you can read and be blessed by these things, too.  You CAN!  And if you want a copy, let me know and I will send them to you.

    Pastor John

    On the Baptism Section

    HI, Pastor John,

    We think this section on Baptism is great!  It is easy to read and understand. We were surprised and amazed how close Robert Barclay’s teachings were to those of Paul’s regarding baptism. The sections that described all the different/strange doctrines that men came up with was very good, like you said, it was like they were in competition to get an entry into the contest for their idea of baptism. So thankful God does not require the 40 steps to receive baptism as listed in The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus! We really liked the sentence on page 90 which stated “for Christ sent the Spirit from heaven to enter into people, not into things. Concerning page 92, Justin #1 who shared Paul’s understanding of the different nature of the two testaments, etc.   This paragraph is great!

    Thank you for all your hard work and time in putting this together.  It is wonderful and we are so thankful that God brought us out of Christianity and has allowed us to understand and believe this truth that you are working so hard to get out to others.

    Randell and Doris

    ============

    Hi, Pastor John;

    This section on Baptism is very clear. I am thankful that you brought some sanity into the reading by using Barclay as an example, as well as your comments to bring the reader back to reality of, “by one Spirit . . .” It was so sad to me that Thelca baptised herself just before she was killed; confused and deceived. Where are they now? Where are these apostate leaders, now, who taught the many forms of baptisms and rituals? Satan has deceived the whole world; he has fooled men by the means of Christianity that he is, “like the most high God’. The same deception he used in the garden of Eden; Their eyes were opened to not be God but, “you shall be as Gods”.  This slander has gone on for centuries and still must be revealed to hearts by the Spirit. I feel the Iron Kingdom book will help those who truly are honest with themselves and want Truth. The slander, lies, & deception of the work of God through Jesus, I’m afraid, will continue to go on until Rev: 18, when Babylon has fallen. Until then, we need truth such as this to remind us how pure and precious of what Jesus gave to us is. It is an honor to know these things and to understand the simplicity of the Gospel.  Like the song says, “Where will I be when that last trumpet sounds?” 

    Thank you!!

    Billy M.

    ===========

    Thank you, John

    As I was reading this section on baptism all I could think about was how thankful I am for the truth. When men “try to serve God” all they invent is mass confusion and more confusion for anyone with the desire that God puts in their heart to seek him. Anything that can be done in the flesh is wrong, thank you for teaching us and showing us how to live in the spirit!! 

    Stuart 

    ============

    John,

    I think this section on baptism is good.  As others have already said, it reads smoothly and easy to understand. I particularly paid attention to the section called “Adding Sugar to the Water. 

    Just yesterday morning I was thinking about why would Catholic Christians baptize infants? Unlike many Protestants who are water baptized, infants have no choice in the matter. Therefore, the water must contain some special “power to sanctify”. 

    I am so grateful that Jesus has opened our eyes to the truth. 

    Thank you for all your work. 

    Tom 

    ============

    Wow John, your hard work has certainly paid off!  This section is excellent, and really puts together well the strange ideas that men have taken in, without truth, concerning baptism.

    The overall thought I had after reading it, was simply one of thankfulness concerning all the confusion we have been spared.  May God get this work into the hands of people who want truth, somehow.

    We have so much to be thankful for to have been taught good things, and not be a part of the problem concerning baptism.  

    Thanks again for your labor John.

    Gary

    ============

    Whew! What a sloggy swamp that is! Your writing really shows and makes the reader feel the clear difference between Paul’s doctrine and the confusing and superstitious doctrine of the apostates. I can’t say that this section was all clear to me- because I struggled through the swampy parts! But I loved the life and simplicity and relief I felt when you told the simple truth of the gospel. Thank you, thank you, for loving, teaching, and putting into words so clearly the simplicity of Christ. 

    Thank you!

    Donna N

    ============

    This line in Darren’s song, “It’s Another One”, comes to mind when reading this:  “Men will say that you must be baptized in water, but that won’t satisfy your soul!   That’s not my way!  It’s another one!”

    I love when you contrast their “theological goobledygook” with the simple truth.  It’s like a breath of fresh air sprinkled throughout the confusion of all the rest.

    As outrageous as these invented ideas about baptism are, they felt very familiar to how I grew up in the Lutheran church where ritual and ceremony was the thing.  The instead of…!  Only the truth brought relief to my searching heart, and I pray someone is going to read this and feel that same relief.  

    I think it all flowed very well.

    Thank you for the many hours of hard work you have put into this.  I can’t even begin to imagine how you are trudging through this swamp of confusion, but it’s been very eye opening and necessary and worthwhile.

    Lee Ann

    ============

    After reading these pages I feel so thankful (again) to have been able to respond to Jesus’s call to come out of the divisions of Christianity! These pages really give good examples of how through the years self-appointed men have laid out their own foundation of doctrines to be followed by the Church, declaring them to be true, and how through their own self-appointed authority, they gave their consent to deny the Truth Paul taught by the Spirit. They paved the way for subsequent Christian sects to choose whichever rituals appealed to their brand of Christianity, no matter how contradictory they were to Paul’s teachings or to each other’s. The authority these men believed they had over God’s people to keep them under subjection to their doctrines really comes through in your writing. Those invisible chains (lies) of their traditions and ceremonies bind up the hearts of God’s people, but the one Baptism Paul preached always points to Jesus who sets his people free. 

    I love coming across quotes from Paul, Barnabas #1 and Justin #1 when they say what the Spirit is saying to believers. It is like finding safe and solid ground to stand on in the middle of that Christian confusion. The Truth brings relief and frees up the heart of anyone who longs for a real relationship with Jesus. The simplicity of Christ preached by Paul is healing and beautiful.

    Thank  you for sending this out,

     Bess 

    ============

    On the Communion Section

    Hi,

    When reading through this section on Communion we found ourselves say “that is crazy how could anyone believe that”, then we remembered that we did believe and took part in the Eucharist for many years until God’s mercy opened our eyes to the truth of communion in the Spirit.  Whew, now we can look back and only ask “how could we have believed those lies”.

    Thank you for your hard work and labor of love in writing this book.

    Randell and Doris

     ============

    Just like the section on Baptism, it’s something to see, especially through centuries of examples, how foolish this is. But, anything we still do not know about God is just as dark. The difference is what we did with the Truth after it was revealed. Thank the Lord for whomever he has used to reveal Truth.

    Taste and see that the LORD is good. 

    Billy 

    ============

    I really like the way you prepared the reader’s thinking with the spiritual thoughts and truths at the beginning, then proceeding with the confusing carnal minded thoughts. 

    Keeping the reader’s mind on spiritual thoughts all along the way through the mucky confusion of the intellectual misguided leaders of Christianity,  GO MAN GO!

     PS. Just a thought, it would have been nice if you could have added what your daddy said to the young lady in the meeting about the bread and wine and water Jesus said about it! red heart

    Jimmy T

    ============

    John,

    This section on communion is very good. I found it easy to read and understand for the most part. 

    Thanks for all your work. 

    Tom 

    ============

    Suzi here. Your work & the writings on Baptism & Communion remind me of how grateful I am that Jesus chose to show me the way out of church religion, and showed me the truth. As time goes on, I realize how that is a miracle that my life was spared of church confusion. I’m ever grateful to you for all your work for us. 

    ============

    This is a real education in Christianity. 

    I had the similar  thought as Jimmy after reading what Jesus told disciples flesh has no profit the words I speak are spirit and life the flesh profits nothing.

    Just Thinking>>>

    Do I know  Christianity was never of God?  I think so, but I have learned that is not the same as knowing.  It does bring back memory of getting caught up in the spirit, seeing a Christian Church and thinking it was no different than a Moslem Mosque.

    Thanks For All The hard Work

    Wendell

    ============

    Everything you are sending is almost unbelievable!  I say “almost” because there are such similarities in these chapters with what I grew up practicing in the Lutheran Church!   Unfortunately, the guys at the Lutheran Church must have read some of these wacky scholars and liked their ideas enough to put them into practice.

    The section titled “Cyril” with his instructions on the proper way to take the Eucharist made me laugh out loud!  Then, I had the thought that I could be burned alive at the stakes for making fun of such a somber subject!  I’m still smiling, just thinking about it.  I can just hear you now, “You can’t make this stuff up!”  Honestly, much of this chapter struck me as funny.  

    My favorite section was the entire last half of page 106, that begins, 

    “Wherever there is ceremony, there has always been, and will always be, strife.”

    Those last two paragraphs on p 106 are truth!   I whole-heartedly agree with everyone else who has responded that they feel thankful to be out of all that confusion!  It’s Jesus loving us to show us the truth about these things, and to give us a heart to believe it!

    Lee Ann

    ============

    It is astonishing to read about these ceremonies that Churchmen have come up with through the centuries in the name of Jesus! What control they have held over people by labeling those who disagreed with their ceremonies as heretics when men dared hold on to what Jesus had taught them. I am so thankful for these godly men who held fast to the truth they received from Jesus, and that Jesus has let you find them so we can be encouraged by them! He still has his 7000 hidden! It is really humbling to think of what these men suffered as they held onto the gospel Jesus revealed to Paul. And it makes me grateful we live in a time (at least for now) where we can worship in Spirit and truth without fear of retribution from those in power in the church. We know things will change.

    Thank you for all the work you are putting into The Iron Kingdom. Maybe down the road some sincere folks will come across your writings and hear that echo in their hearts about the truth and be encouraged to hold on to what they have received from Jesus.

    Bess

  • Deuteronomy 17

    Hi Pastor John,

    Just one more thing before I go to bed.  Tonight I was listening to our OT cds.  You read: Deuteronomy 17:

    14.When you come into the land that Jehovah your God is giving you and have possessed it and settled in it, then you will say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me.’

    15.You must set over you a king whom Jehovah your God will choose; you will set one from among your brothers as king over you. You may not appoint over you a foreigner, one who is not your brother.

    Here it is again, God is telling the people what they are going to do, hundreds of years before.  You said, He loved them so much he was telling them they were going to sin against Him but do it this way, do it like this so you don’t go too far.  Oh Pastor John, that broke my heart. God really loves His people.  The mercy He was showing them, knowing how they were going to sin against Him.  

    I’m amazed how going through the Old Testament has really helped me see how good God really is.  You can see through is curses and his blessings, everything was for the good of His people.  He loved them so much.

    Thank you for teaching this, Pastor John.  I feel so blessed to have the chance to learn these things.  It has touched me deeply.  I look forward to each lesson!

    Michelle

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

  • Lessons from Deuteronomy 14

    Pastor John,

    I was listening to an Old Testament cd tonight from your class*.  This is so good I had to share:

    Lessons from Deuteronomy 14

    “God has blessings for us that we can only obtain if we obey Him.  There are blessings that you want but you can’t have unless you honor God.  No matter how much any of us has missed God in the past, there is still a best that we can have if we obey God!  We can say to Jesus, from this point, I never have to do wrong again!  There is something out there that you want that you can have if we start now.  God, nobody but you!  Not my way, but your way!  It takes courage and the love of God.  That’s how you love people, you obey God!

    There is healing, there is health, there is spiritual strength, there is understanding- it’s all just waiting out there for whoever will take the path to get to it!  And it won’t be denied anybody who takes that path!  Everybody who takes the path of obedience to God, diligent obedience to His commandments, gets those blessings!  And nobody can stop you because it’s God!  It’s God waiting there to take you in His arms and give you the best for the rest of your life, if you take that path!  It’s a simple path, you just obey God!  Put into practice the word of God that comes to you without respect of persons and without fear of people.  If you can overcome those who know what you like for breakfast, those who know your shoe size, you can overcome the world.  Jesus did!”

    Whew, this is so good I can just feel it stirring in my soul!   I want that, Pastor John!  I want those blessings for us!

    Mmmmm, this is wonderful!

    Thank you, Pastor John!

    Michelle

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

  • Wonderful Feelings

    Hey Pastor John,

    I had to tell you about all these wonderful things I have been feeling.

    First, Jesus has been giving me some sweet testimonies, helping me find things, sending me things I need and letting me know he’s here taking care of me!  The encouragement that Jesus has let me feel, it is overwhelming. Between what he has been doing for me and listening to the OT cd’s* and hearing the wonderful testimonies from Tim and Bess, Sandy, Jimmy…I feel like I am overflowing!  There’s been so much! The other day I was taking a shower and I was talking to Jesus and had the thought, if you stop looking at your circumstances you’ll start seeing Jesus!  I know this is true!  This is my gold nugget in my pocket!

    Then, last night we watched this documentary on Israel.  It was very interesting.  There were scenes right after the holocaust when they opened the prison doors and told the Jewish people they were free.  The people were just wandering around, not knowing what to do or where to go.  They no longer had homes and most had no idea if their families were even alive.  As it went on it showed the history of the Jewish people until they were given their land in Palestine. Those people really went through some horrible things and still are.  But as I was watching I kept thinking about Jesus and what the people were screaming in Matthew 27:25 “And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’”  It was sad and heartbreaking, but to know it was God really did something to me.  I could feel the fear of God in my heart, but also faith rose up – faith in God’s curses and his blessings.  Everything that God has said was going to happen has happened.  He is in charge of it all.  I could see God’s hand in every bit of it, whether it was a “good” thing for the Jewish people or a “bad” thing, it was all God!  Just taking all that in last night I went to bed feeling like Jesus had touched my heart with a little more faith and with that faith came rest.  That sweet rest from Jesus.  It felt good.

    All day I’ve felt like my cup is running over!  I want to hold on to these wonderful feelings.

    Michelle

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

  • Iron Kingdom, Chapter 1

    Pastor John,

    I finished reading the Iron Kingdom chapter 1.  I love it!  It gets better every time I read it!

    I was one of the people who thought I would have a hard time reading and understanding it.  There are many parts quoting the theologians that do go over my head, but what I love the most is what I feel when I read it.  When I’m reading I can feel the confusion and frustration, especially the section “The Swamp”.  But I love that you always circle back to the truth, and with it you can feel the relief.  I pray that there is a child of God out there that reads this and feels the relief that only the truth brings. 

    So many times while reading, I had to stop and thank Jesus for what we have been given, to understand the abomination that Christianity really is.  We have so many testimonies among us of hearing that still small voice and feeling afraid, thinking we were crazy or questioning what we were hearing because it goes against what is taught as the norm in this world.  What relief to know that we are hearing from our Father!  

    I love this: “The Faith of Christ changes men; men do not change it.  Nor can it ever perish, for it is in the spirit, which is life itself! Amen!  Spirit is life!”

    Thank you, Pastor John, for teaching us, encouraging us and loving the truth!  What you pass on to us is so valuable, it is our life!

    Michelle

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