Good morning! 

I really loved the things said last night!  I was melting in the love and mercy I felt that God has!  When you said, “His mercies are new every morning…the blood of Christ will erase everything every single day” (or something similar), my heart was struck at how good He is and how patient!  And as I was thinking about it going to bed, the photo of the day and pearl came in, “Trust God and throw yourself on His mercy!” … and I was in the photo of the day feeling that at the same time.  God really does have perfect timing if you can see it!  I want to always stay there, it feels good! 

Also, last Sunday right after the meeting (which was so good, too), little Avery ran up to Rob and when she got to his legs, she just stood there with her arms spread open knowing he’d pick her up.   She didn’t look up at him and ask to be picked up, she didn’t stand off and look at him to see if it was ok to run up to him… she ran up and expected it because she knew he loved her and obviously he had done it before.  I looked at that for a minute before walking away and thought, “Jesus, we can do that with you!”  It was a sweet feeling picturing me/us that way with Jesus.  Secure, loved, helpless, knowing he’s there and will pick us up if we run to him. 

Sweet feelings this morning.  I’m loving what Jesus let’s me feel lately. 

Leah

 

Pastor John,

The first section of the new Seven Pillars book (”One Body”) is one of the greatest explanations of things I’ve heard you write.  It was as much a summary of the history and current condition of the body of Christ as it was an explanation of the body of Christ itself.  All in 10 pages.

The fact that Paul referred to the Seven Pillars as “The Unifying Bond of Peace” (Ephemera. 4:3) deserves to be shouted from the rooftops.  It should be a motto on t-shirts!  It is the healing salve for God’s broken children.

Jerry

* Seven Pillars 1-2.pages

Good morning PJ, 

I am up reading 1Kings 8 this morning. It struck my heart to read the words  Solomon prayed to God.

Solomon prayed for Jehovah to hear prayers when Israel comes to the church he built for Him.  Solomon ask God that after God shut up the heavens and stops the rain because of sin, that He would forgive.  Solomon prayed for any prayer, any supplication by any man or by all His people, be heard when they come and spread out their hands towards that church Solomon built for God and even calls it their resting place from Jehovah.

I don’t think I ever felt such a deep feeling of sadness that hearts are still trying to find God there.  Hearts are still going to churches in the hope that God will heal and forgive and send rest.  They are blindly searching for God, feeling their way in the darkness, and we were, too.  And it puts me on my face to thank Jesus this morning for coming and taking us by our hands and leading us to where our Father really is.  Where we can really have rest: in the Spirit.

I know Jesus can come get them, too, and there is a deeper prayer in my heart now for Jesus to do that. 

1Kings 8

   38. “…any prayer, any supplication by any man or by all your people Israel when they acknowledge, each man, the affliction of his heart, and he spreads out his hands toward this church,

   39. then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and  act, and give to man according to all his ways, for you know his heart (for you, you alone, know the heart of all the sons of Adam),

. . . .

   56. “Blessed is Jehovah, who has given His people Israel a resting place, according to all that He said.  Not one word has fallen of all His good word which He spoke by the hand of His servant Moses.”

Beth D.

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Pastor John,

Listening to the chat few days ago, you said, “if anything divides and ruins it (what Jesus has given us), it will be good ideas.”  My!  That is so true!  We all have them, but good isn’t God.  It makes me ask Jesus to save me from myself.  I have always thought that just one touch from God can save God’s children from being liars.  One healing from God will teach you to never claim a healing when He hasn’t sent one, because you know He really can!  And you know the difference!  That applies to preserving the truth and the unity God has revealed.  Having experiences from God, just one word from God and the power it brings, will teach God’s children to be quiet until He sends another word.  Experiences from Jesus will save us from ourselves – if we’ll seek them and become them.

Jerry

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Good morning,

It’s early here in Flagstaff and I have been thoroughly enjoying listening to yesterday’s reading!  As I was listening to and reading along, I had these thoughts stirring inside of me and began writing them down.  I wanted to share just a little of what I wrote:

The human heart cannot define God!  It sounds just plain silly when a sophisticated man without the Spirit of God, (who calls himself a pastor) stands up and tries to tell us who God is.  I’ve heard men try to do it!  It’s confusion.  It’s a bunch of flowery words that make no sense.  They may sound good to a philosopher or poet, but not to a heart that is filled the real thing!  God only defines Himself to us through His Spirit.  We can never know who God is without the Spirit of God telling us who God is! 

So thankful for this: 

“No one really knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone really know the Father except the Son, AND he to whom the Son may choose to reveal Him” (Mt. 11:27b).

Oh Jesus!  Thank you for revealing yourself to us!  You chose us and you didn’t have to, but you did! (I would never have thought I could be one of the chosen.)  Please Lord, help me to take advantage of every opportunity to get to know you better!!  That’s how I will say thank you for choosing me!  Amen! 

Paul said it:

“Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God!”

The depth of those riches can never be known unless we dig in and search for our Creator!  But here’s the good news!!  If you have the holy Ghost, then those riches are available to YOU!  I want to experience the depth of those riches.  I can feel the Spirit’s accessibility to have the kind of wisdom and knowledge that Paul is describing, and I want it!!  Oh Jesus!  Thank you for giving me the “want-to!”  I know that’s coming from you!

I just love what I am feeling!  Been so sweet here with Margarite  and Arnold. They have been so kind to Ben and me . We are heading over to see the Grand Canyon today, and I will be taking these precious feelings with me! 

Lee Ann

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John,

 One morning last week I was reading through the book of Acts.  When I got to chapter 16 where Paul and Silas were thrown in jail, I had a thought that I hope I can convey here.

Acts 16:

16. And it happened that as we were going to prayer, a certain slave girl met us who had the spirit of Python and who brought her masters great profit by fortune telling.
17. This girl, following after Paul and us, kept crying out, saying, “These men are servants of the most high God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!”
18. This she kept doing for many days. But Paul grew very annoyed, and he turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very moment.
19. But her masters, seeing that their hope for profit was gone, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the rulers in the Agora.

…

23. And when they had laid many blows on them, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to keep them securely,

After reading the above verses I asked myself, I wonder what happened to the slave girl once the evil spirit was cast out of her.

The Bible does not tell us what happened to her or give her name.  One thing we know for sure is that she became useless to her masters.

19. But her masters, seeing that their hope for profit was gone, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the rulers in the Agora.  

Her masters became very angry because the slave girl could no longer participate nor benefit them in their evil deeds.

I started thinking about how some of us could have been involved with others in wrongdoings prior to receiving the holy Ghost, perhaps with friends, family members, acquaintances, etc.  We then become miserable and cry out to Jesus for help.  If we repent, Jesus fills us with his spirit, giving us a new nature, and as a result, we become useless to the ones we were once mixed up with.  They may become angry and even threatening, just as the slave girl’s masters did because we no longer benefit them by our sinfulness.

This can happen with children of God after receiving the holy Ghost. They may become involved with wrong business practices or other ungodly affairs.  Later, they may get under conviction, repent and stop participating in evil.  Those they were involved with may become angry or threatening as well.

Good news!  Once we become useless to the world, we can begin to be useful in the Kingdom of God.  But as we all know, we can’t have it both ways.

 In January 1970, at the age of 19, I joined the US Army Reserves.  It was a six year commitment, but it was one of the best alternatives to keep me out of the Vietnam War.  My unit could still have been mobilized to Vietnam, but I reasoned that the risk was better than being drafted.  Our mission was to set up mobile fueling stations in the field, supplying gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.

 During my six-year enlistment, I became proficient at my job and was promoted to buck sergeant.  When my sixth year ended in January 1976, I enlisted for another year.  I may have been good at my job, but I also gained a reputation that I am too ashamed to even think about, let alone talk about it here.  I wasn’t the worldliest person among my fellow reservists, but I was a grave sinner nevertheless.

 My platoon sergeant was a Korean War veteran.  He expressed how pleased he was at the way I handled myself and my job.  I, and certainly others, were useful to him.

 Sometime around September of 1976 I received the baptism of the holy Ghost, becoming a new creature in Christ.  I was not the same person.  I no longer “fit in” with my comrades.  I became useless in a worldly sense. (I still performed my duties, but not with the worldly zeal and old nature I once had.) 

 I still had to fulfill my commitment and serve out my time.  It was not easy for me the next four months at our monthly drills.  I was not the old person that my buddies were used to.  My platoon sergeant, who was once pleased with me, was disappointed that I did not accept another promotion on the condition that I enlist for another year.  I was finally discharged in January 1977.

I thank Jesus for rescuing me from myself.  Instead of my sinfulness benefiting other sinners, I want my godliness to benefit my family in Christ, as I am benefited by them.

May we all remain useful for His honor and glory!

Tom

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Good Morning Pastor John!

I loved Lee Ann’s journey entry she shared. (https://pastorjohnshouse.com/mailbag/15747/my-journal/)

Learning to live in the ordinary has been a big theme around our house.  I have recently been trying to become more organized in my day and help my family efficiently make use of time in the evenings.  Last night was one of those ordinary nights around the house.  After housework, Allison and I turned on the YouTube and listening to your father’s testimony play in the background while coloring.  The Spirit had really impressed on me how much she is listening lately.  How even just having something playing in the background while doing tasks is still feeding her little heart.  Before bed, Alex and I decided to start Hebrews.  When I closed my Bible app, I realized something.  We had gotten all of our house to-do’s done, was able to have quality time together, and was still getting to bed early.  By keeping our minds on Jesus, even if it’s listening to our music, made all of us more efficient.  I’m convinced Jesus has a totally different clock than our 24 hours in a day.  I love how easy Jesus makes life feel.  It’s in the little things.  It feels good to lay your head on your pillow and know you did exactly what Jesus had for you that day.  Some would call us boring, but I call it simple living.  Tomorrow, Jesus may have something else in store.  An experience or lesson.  But by taking care of today, our hearts are ready when it comes.

Margo

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Hi Pastor John,

I’m reading the emails and catching up on the Malachi sermon (Malachi 1:1-11 (Part 1 v.1-6)).

I think some of this was already said, but…

It really hit me in this sermon how much Jesus loved his disciplines.  To have people who sincerely loved and followed him as much as they could under the law of Moses.  They truly had no idea what he was saying about…anything…the way we can with the Spirit.  And he kept telling them that there was going to be more.  They couldn’t comprehend that; they believed him, but they couldn’t have a connection with God without the Spirit like Jesus had.  Jesus knew this and loved them so much for believing in God through him.  What sincerity they had!  Because they believed Jesus, they were rewarded at Pentecost. To have the opportunity to believe in Jesus without the Spirit and follow him, what a testimony, which could have only occurred once in this earth’s existence.  God did something very special for Jesus’ followers.  The law couldn’t give the reward of knowledge and understanding like the Spirit does.  What a reward they received on the day of Pentecost!  Everything Jesus said and the knowledge therein was revealed.  In that moment, they had the anointing that Jesus had passed on for them to use before, but actively with them forever.  It’s like before Jesus sacrifice was accepted, they had gotten a trial run with him, then God gave them the family sized portion, haha. That is so sweet to me!

Then, to think about how many people cannot receive what God is saying now, but they believe God and have the Spirit.  He is really patiently waiting for us to catch up if we’re not getting it. He is so persistent with his mercy for us to understand.  This type of patience to wait for us to receive His knowledge is most certainly not of the flesh, but only of God.  May we have this kind of patience for each other to grow in the knowledge of God like He does for us.  And, may we be able to have enough of the anointing to consume (and apply!) the knowledge.

Wendy

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