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  • Old Testament Bible Study

    Good morning, Pastor John.

    I have been thinking about our Bible study* and what we learned and did not learn.  The whys, if you will.  “Why didn’t Abram trust God enough to tell the truth about Sarai”  “Why didn’t Lot just leave the evil place he was living?” etc.  While pondering these things, the question came to me, “Why don’t you?”  We seem to always look at others and wonder why those people don’t do right and trust God more, and we miss our own log in our own eye.  Then the thought came, “It’s a good example for us that even though these great men and women were not perfect, God still loved them because their hearts were in the right place.  If they always had done the right thing there would be no examples of God’s mercy for us to have hope, so that even a lowly being like me could have hope.”  What a great God we have!

    I have slowed my pace on my Bible study.  I was trying to finish, and it was revealed to me that it’s the journey to strive for, not the completion.  Going too fast, I was missing important lessons.  Study a bit and reflect on it, and let God work is my goal now.  There’s a lesson in nearly every sentence if you take your time to see it.  The book could have been very huge.  I think that God chose these particular words in the Bible for a reason, and each one carries weight for us. 

    What a glorious day for learning the lessons from God!

    Thank you for your years of service to God.

    Mark

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

  • Matthew Being a Tax Collector

    Pastor John, 

    I am just curious about something.  What would have been the perks for Matthew to be a tax collector?  It must have been hard for him to have everyone hate him.  I would think he was not forced by Rome to do it; otherwise, the Jews would not have hated him, but would have just blamed Rome.  I am getting that from them saying Jesus sat with tax collectors and sinners.  So there must have been something that drew him to be a tax collector.  I feel like I know a lot more about Paul than I do Matthew.

    It made me think that Matthew might have been somewhat prepared for the persecution after Jesus touched him because he was familiar with being hated. Or not. 

    Beth D.

    ==========

    Hi, Beth.

    Matthew could have been drawn to being a tax collector in order to have a steady income.  WE don’t know.  If so, there were many in Israel who was like him in that regard.  The devoutly nationalistic Jews would have looked down on Matthew for “working with the enemy”, and Jesus had such a Jew as a disciple.  Simon the Canaanite, it appears, belonged to a group whose goal was to drive the hated Romans out of the holy land (hence, “the Canaanite”).  That Jesus was able to have a tax collector and a Canaanite as disciples at the same time says a lot about their hearts and his power.

    You are right in saying that we know far less about Matthew than about Paul.  There is nothing we can do about that.  But hopefully, Jesus will let us meet Matthew one day and find out what history was.

    Pastor John

  • A Lesson from Jesus about the Tongue

    Hi Pastor John,

    I wanted to share something that I feel like Jesus showed me this morning while working on for the class for the kids (and parents) where we will be talking about the power of our words and taming the tongue. 

    As we were pulling in the driveway last night after the meeting, our neighbors next door were pulling out of their driveway. One of the girls said, “I wonder where they are going at 9:00 at night?”  The other answered, “Maybe they are going to get some dinner.”  Then someone said, “It’s too late for dinner; maybe they are going to have ice cream.”  The conversation went on with a few more “Maybe they’s”, and then it was over. 

    That conversation in the car seemed innocent at the time, and I didn’t think too much about it until this morning while working on the class.  I feel like Jesus opened my eyes and showed me that it was something.  I remembered the conversation in the car last night, and with it, the thought came loud and clear, “That’s the way rumors get started.” 

    I was able to see that with every “maybe they”, the girls inserted their own thoughts and opinions about something they saw without having any other information on the matter.  Oh goodness!  How many times have I done that?  I’m sure it happens more than I even realize.  Most of the time, those conversations amount to nothing and prove to be pointless.  The discussion in the car last night amounted to nothing, but it could turn into something if it were to be repeated, starting a rumor as to why our neighbors go out late at night.

    I can see more clearly how speaking without all the information, or even if I do have facts about something, if spoken at the wrong time or to the wrong person, it can cause me or others big problems.  And I feel like seeing it in my kids has put a BIG WARNING sign out!!  I wish I could have seen the conversation as I see it now, so that I could have cut it off.  But I love that Jesus has let me see it now, and I can do something about it, going forward.  What a wonderful opportunity and a loving Jesus for allowing me to see it!

    The class we are doing “for the kids” on the power of our words and taming the tongue is a class for us grown-ups, too, maybe even more so wink

    Love,

    Amy F

  • Genesis 4 – Cain’s Fear

    Hi Pastor John, 

    During our Old Testament class* we are taking with Mark, Brad and Allison, Mark asked, “where did the other people come from?” Today, Michelle and I were listening to one of the CD’s, God is punishing Cain to be cut off.  Our question is where did the other people come from that caused Cain to be afraid?  Up to this point all we know are the descendants from Adam, no one else. 

    Thank you,

    Kevin

    ==========

    Hi, Kevin.

    You all are doing a good thing, going through the online Old Testament class.

    As you continue through the Old Testament, and the New, for that matter, you will find that there are stories that leave off a critical time element, so that the events seem out of sync, if not impossible.  I suspect that is the case here.  The story you mentioned makes it seem as if Adam only had two children, Cain and Abel, at the time Cain murdered Abel.  But those two sons were both grown at the time (just how old they were, we cannot say), and I assume that Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters during the previous years.  Apparently, Adam’s sons and daughters married one another.  As Adam’s family expanded, there would have been quite a few children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, etc., and they could not all have lived in the same area.

    Adam would have had a multitude of children over his lifetime: “And the days of Adam after he fathered Seth were eight hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters.  And all of the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died” (Gen. 5:4–5).  And after earth’s population increased sufficiently, God forbade marriages of close kin.  Before then, however, very close kin could marry.  Abraham and Sarah were half-brother and sister, and God was OK with that in their time, but in the law (centuries later), God plainly forbade such marriages (Lev. 18:9, 11).

    There are many unanswered, and unanswerable, questions about the earliest days of earth (Genesis 1–11), and we wonder about such things, but we have to stay focused on what is revealed.  Moses told Israel: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but things that are revealed belong to us and to our children”.

    That’s the best I can do with your question because the Bible does not deal with that issue.  It’s one of those “secret things that belong to God”.  So, I just say “OK”, and move on to learn those things God has revealed.

    Thanks for the question.  A lot of people have wondered about that, including me.

    Pastor John

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

  • Leviticus 23:27, 32 – “Afflict Your Soul”

    Pastor John,

    What does afflict your souls mean in these verses?

    Leviticus 23:27. “Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day for Atonements; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

    Leviticus 23:32. It shall be a sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. From the ninth day of the month at evening, from twilight to twilight, you shall observe your sabbath.”

    Beth D.

    ==========

    Hi Beth,

    That phrase “afflict your souls” means to fast and pray, and to do no work, that is, treat the day as a Sabbath, as God said in Leviticus 19:29 and Numbers 29:7.

    Thanks for the question.

    Pastor John

  • Well Written

    Pastor John,

    I have always loved something well written.  Not necessarily in an intellectual sense but in a thought-provoking, can the writer take me with them sense.

    I heard the tract Jezreel* yesterday and as I heard the Mizpeh Conference by Preacher Clark, I thought of how well written it is. How well written the tracts are.  I have always thought Uncle Joe wrote well also.

    I was talking to Jesus this morning about the bible/OT and how much I love the shadow of him in it. No one can write like God!

    When I was a little girl, I loved to read and my favorite books were adventure books that I got to  choose on my own . The reader could choose which ending to read. I always loved that because then the story did not end as quickly, there was more to the story!

    Not only did God write a story within a story but He knew that hearts would be created with His spirit and that when they read His story, He would talk to them and give them new thoughts and feelings over and over again. Who but God can write a book that you can never finish reading!

    There are always feelings and thoughts available! A story, not every reader will see or feel but the ones He chooses will! And the ones He chooses can go to a place in the story with God at different times.

    It’s poetic and beautiful and has love, adventure, mystery, etc.! God gave us everything!

    I sincerely love how God writes. I pray I get to tell Him that one day in person. I have a running list of all the things He is so wonderful about that I daydream about getting to tell Him!

    Beth Durham

    * Going to Jesus.com Tracts – Jezreel

  • Colossians 2:16-17

    John,

    Since in Colossians 2:17 “are” is used, is Paul saying the law had not passed away at that time, or is he just communicating it will always be a shadow?

    1. Therefore, do not allow anyone to condemn you in matters of eating or drinking, or in regard to a feast, or a new moon, or a Sabbath,
    2. which are a shadow of things to come, but the reality is of Christ.

    Wendell

    ========== 

    Hi, Wendell.

    I am glad you are thinking about what you are reading.  The law probably had not yet passed at the time Paul wrote that letter.  It is the same for other works of Paul.  For instance, the book of Hebrews (which I believe Paul wrote) is filled with present tense verbs when the writer speaks of the law, especially the activities of the priests under the law.

    At the same time, the law will always be the shadow of Christ that God intended.  That is what makes study of the law, indeed, the whole Old Testament, so beneficial for believers today.

    Thanks for the question.

    Pastor John 

  • Colossians 1:23

    Pastor John,

    How can Paul say the hope of the Gospel has been preached to very creature ?  I understand creation speaks to the heart that there is a Creator and that being has provided for all by the natural elements (rain, sun, food, life, animals, plants, trees) testifies that the creator cares.

    Colossians 1:23.  … provided that you continue in the faith, established, and stable, and unmoved from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a minister. 

    Wendell

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

    Hi, Wendell.

    Paul only meant that the gospel had been preached to every race, both Jew and Gentile.

    If we take what Paul said literally, we may start acting as crazy as “Saint” Francis of Assisi.  He took Paul literally and went around preaching to animals.  This is from the internet:

    “Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and environment, could be viewed as the original Earth Day advocate. … Francis cared for the poor and sick, he preached sermons to animals and praised all creatures as brothers and sisters under God.”

    Don’t do that.  Stay sensible and just confess Christ to the humans that you meet.

    Hope that helps.

    Pastor John

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

    Pastor John,

    Decades ago, I was given permission to fish on property owned by the Catholic church. As a caveat, I was instructed by the priest to pray for each fish that I caught.

    I showed no disrespect, but I thought the requirement sounded funny. We eat fish. It seemed strange to pray for a fish that I was going to eat. I could just not eat the fish if it needed saving from me. The man’s request seemed to put fish on a plane that God did not create for a fish.

    After seeing Wendell’s email today and your reply, I realized that many people today would probably find virtue in what the priest required of me. At the very least, they would make room for his personal belief system.

    But there is no virtue in a personal belief system when it comes to God; it is just being self-willed. Anything done in the name of God that isn’t from God makes us our own God just without saying so.

    Jerry

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

    John,

    Your response was not what I was thinking about. Let me say it this way. 

    I was thinking creation preaches that there was a Creator, but I can’t see where all have had the gospel he preached. 

    For that to happen doesn’t a preacher need to be sent?

    Wendell

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

    Hi Wendell.

    I suppose we have to say that God sent His creation, don’t we?  “The heavens declare the glory of God.”

    Pastor John

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

    Pastor John,

    Your conversation with Wendell sparked some thoughts.  The gospel is the sweet message of the revelation of Jesus, the son of God who was hidden from the foundation of the world.  And Jesus was only revealed once he came to earth, died, ascended, and sent back the holy Ghost.  But the heavens were declaring the glory of God since creation, even while the Son was hidden.  What changed with the heavens from declaring God’s glory to preaching the gospel of Jesus? 

    And yet if it’s not the heavens that preached the gospel to every creature, how could Paul say the gospel had been preached to every creature when he, or others during his day, had not traveled to every part of the world yet to preach the message of Jesus? 

    Richard F.

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

    Hi Richard.

    Nothing changed with the heavens at all.  The only thing that changed was man’s understanding of what the heavens were declaring.  It is exactly like the law and the prophets.  The law and the prophets were declaring nothing but God’s glory, as far as Israel knew, until the Son was revealed.  Then men began to understand that the heavens were declaring the glory of both the Father and His Son.  And as David said, there is no place on earth where that message has not been heard:

    Psalm 19:

    1. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament displays the work of His hands.
    2. Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night declares understanding.
    3. There is neither speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
    4. Their line goes out over all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

    Pastor John

  • Man’s Muzzle

    Pastor John,

    I was thinking about how restraint of the flesh as a form of worship to God is unacceptable. Jesus’s work is a work of the heart, and only living in that heart that Jesus creates is acceptable.

    If you want sin, living without it means nothing in this new covenant.  There is a better offer on the table – a heart that doesn’t want sin.

    Nothing but what Jesus does is acceptable to God, and that is a work of the heart.

    Jerry

    ========

    Hi, Jerry.

    All the religions of men are muzzles on the beastly nature of man. The law of Moses was the best muzzle for men because it was given to men by God, but still, it did not change man’s beastly nature.

    Thank God for this covenant, this “new and living way” of life!

    Pastor John

  • Billy’s New Childhood Story

    God Touches My Appendix

    From: 1972

    Billy Mellick

    It was about midday during the summer of 1972.  It was during a work week where dad and mom were not at home because they were at their jobs, and I was old enough to stay home by myself.  I can’t remember where my brother and sister were, maybe outside playing or at a neighbor’s house.  Since I was the oldest, I watched my younger siblings while dad and mom provided us a living.  I guess I was around 13 or so.

    Suddenly, while I was in the house, I began to feel a sharp pain in my right side.  It was so severe that I had to lie down on the bottom bunk of my brother’s and my bunkbeds.  The pains would come and go, but the last one came and would not go away but kept getting worse.  The excruciating throb in my side doubled me over until my head touched my knees.  I was in a cold sweat by now and in tears.

    As I lay there, I remembered the faith of my mother.  She believed in the healing power of Jesus.  I had had experiences with Jesus healing my feet after my mother had prayed for them when I was in the 2nd grade, and at ten years old, I had another experience with Jesus when He showed me where, on a dreary rainy day, I had lost the ten dollars I had that was to feed the thirteen people who were living in the same house.  I found the ten dollars, and we had lunch.  As I pondered those experiences, I started crying out to God in my heart and then very softly, verbally.  I couldn’t get up to get help, nor was there anyone around to cry out to other than Jesus.  I remembered praying, “Jesus, I have no one to help me . . . will you help me?”  The pain was unbearable as I was calling out on His name. 

    I really don’t remember how long I was on the bunkbed feeling the pain, with my head doubled over touching my knees, but again just as sudden, I felt a warmth touching my head and a calmness in my little mind (as I do now writing about it) that slowly flowed down my body until I felt it around my front right side.  When that warm and peaceful feeling stopped at my side, I heard the word, “appendix”.   I had never heard that word, at least I don’t remember if I did, and I certainly didn’t know what it was or what it meant.  I remember feeling that kind of feeling when Jesus healed my feet.  I spoke softly again, “I know who are, and I know what you can do – will you please touch me again?”  The pain immediately subsided!  My body straightened out on the bed, numb from the peace it felt.  I rolled over and stood up on the floor without any pain in my side or belly at all.  I don’t remember much what happened that day, only that I went outside to play.  But I do remember the joy that I felt that Jesus heard me once again, and I thanked Him for hearing a young boy pray. 

    My dad and mother, I learned, had had their appendixes removed, and when Judy and I had our son Josh, at eight years old his appendix ruptured.  It was only prayer by God’s people and a touch by Jesus that prevented us from losing our child.  It is now 2021.  I am 61 years old, soon to be 62 and I have never had another flare-up from my appendix.  Jesus really touched and helped me.

    I recently saw an old video on YouTube of an Oral Roberts healing service.  He was teaching that healing is the “children’s (of God) bread”.  He went on preaching that there is one thing that God cannot refuse, and that is when you ask Him, “Help me!”  He will help you, but Brother Roberts went on to say that Jesus wants you to turn your heart towards Him, repent, live right, do right, turn your life around.

    My Pastor, Brother John D. Clark, Sr. said many times over the years, “God has used Brother Oral Roberts in the twentieth century to turn more people’s hearts towards God than any other man since the Apostle Paul.”

    Jesus is still here!  All we must pray and ask is, “Lord, help me.”

    God, help us all!

    Billy Mellick 

    More Chilhood Stories…

    childrens-stories.pdf (goingtojesus.com)

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