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  • Question #1 from Pastor Johns House – Fwd: Spirit Baptism

    Good evening Pastor John.  

    I hope all is well. I was reading through some of your book “Speaking in Tongues at Spirit Baptism” and was trying to understand the conclusion of the book. Is it that true believers in Jesus will speak in tongues or that only true believers in Jesus will speak in tongues?  

    As you can see, one word made the difference in that question. So, what I’m basically asking is that those who are actually Christians will speak in tongues? Or that in order for you to actually be a Christian, you must speak in tongues? 

    Thanks so much and God bless.  

    Dominic.

    =======

    Thank you, Dominic, for writing. I am glad that you took the time to read my book, and I am happy to answer your questions.

    “Only” is the correct answer.  I am sorry if I did not make that plain enough in the book. 

    Dominic, only God knows the heart, as the Bible says, and everything I see in the Bible indicates that only God knows when a heart has truly repented.  And He has not left His precious children to guess who has repented and been washed by the Spirit and who has not.  He has given what Paul called the “sign for unbelievers”, to wit, speaking in tongues, or “stammering lips”.

    That the baptism of the holy Ghost is the new birth is not even an issue among reasonable students of the Bible. And I am fully persuaded, as I tried to explain in my book, that the Spirit’s sound is heard every time it happens, just as Jesus told Nicodemus.

    Finally, it is important to note that being a “Christian” has nothing to do with anything in the kingdom of God.  To be what is now called a Christian means nothing to God. Only what is of the Spirit, which Jesus purchased for us with his blood, counts with God.  Church religion is of the devil, not Christ, and it is a great blessing to know that, so that we might obey the heavenly voice crying out to all who belong to God, “Come out of her, my people!”

    Coming out of that religion is the only way God’s children will ever be made one as the Father and Son are one. The religious system called Christianity is the very thing that divides God’s children. We must escape its clutches if we are ever to be truly free.  I invite you to join us on the journey.

    Thank you again for writing.  I hope you will stay in touch.  It matters to Jesus, and to me, what you think and how you feel about these important matters.

    God bless you as you continue to pursue the knowledge of God.

    Your servant in Christ Jesus the Lord,

    Pastor John

  • God Is Right!

    I’ve been reading in Joshua this morning.  I do not remember knowing that Joshua fought for the Lord, clearing the land of enemies, until he was old, long after crossing into Canaan.  And I’m not sure if it’s the smoke of that burnt-up old upbringing in Christianity or just the flesh that made me say “Really? even after they crossed over…until he was old?” 

    I had similar thoughts reading and thinking about all the killing in the book of Joshua.  It feels very good to know to say, “God, you’re right.  I want your heart,” and repent of my own thoughts, and go on.  There really is great comfort in just having that on the inside: “God is right.”

    I talked to a dear relative yesterday.  It was pleasant enough a conversation, but reading this in Joshua reminded me of how there is still a separating darkness between God’s children and the world, still that dividing veil: “And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them” (Josh. 24:7a).

    Beth D.

  • The Truth, Healing & Last Night

    Good morning John.

    I hope you are feeling OK today, and your throat made it through all that  you gave us last night. I think that Lee Ann has a writing gift.* She always says the best things, that I wished I could say. That is her part and gift, but I do have to say that she seems to always say much of what I feel, especially about valuing you.

    This morning after you sent the link on Jack Coe, I spent some of today watching some old videos of him, and some AA Allen, and Benny Hinn, etc., also some more modern people who preach healing and such. These healing videos stir something good.  I appreciate men who have power and believe God.  But when it’s over, I always seem to have a yearning for more “something” – something that will go with it. Something that will feed, and stir growth and spiritual life beyond the healing part.  I guess it’s a longing for “meat” that should follow.  They have their wonderful part, but there is another part.

    So after I watched these evangelists, I went back and listened to your message from last night.  And I have to agree with your father when he said that being with a few in the truth was better than all his healing campaigns.  “This” was better than “that”.   The end of your message about the bread and the blood, and the holy Ghost and Jesus, and Him being life, etc. etc., it was all there. It’s the missing part!  It’s not the “full” gospel without that part. I’m so thankful we get to feel and hear it.

    Anyway, I agree with Lee Ann… when watching your message again I prayed to God that the value of you is fully known and appreciated in my heart.  At one point in your message you said something about not living long enough to see those things…. I had a bit of a hurt hit me… “no, you can’t go!”.  I guess one day that will be the case, but I don’t want to think about those things. I want to eat off of you for a good while to come!  I hope that’s the case.

    Thank you for giving your body to this body. 

    Gary

    *See post titled “Thank You” 9/19/2021.

  • Question regarding 1Cor. 5:21

    Good morning, 

    I was reading the “Random Thought” for 9-19, and wanted to see if you would something clear for me.  You wrote, “The kind of righteousness that Jesus brought to light and made available to those who trust in him was unknown to mankind before he paid the price for us not only to have it in us, but to become the righteousness of God in this world.  One of the most astonishing verses in all the Bible has to be that which Paul wrote to the saints in ancient Corinth (2Cor. 5:21): “Him who knew no sin, God made sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

    “Him who knew no sin [Jesus] God made sin for us…”

    God made Jesus sin?  What does that mean, and when did it happen?  When He put him in a fleshly body?  When He had Jesus hung on a tree to die as a sinner would?  Or when God made sin? 

    “…so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

    Beth D 

    ===========

    Hi Beth.

    In the Old Testament, sins were transferred to the sacrificial animal by the laying on of hands just before the animal was slain (e.g., Lev. 4:15).  And since the Old Testament was the pattern that Jesus fulfilled, we may safely assume that God put the sins of the world upon Jesus when Jesus was about to die.  It is in only that sense that Jesus “became sin for us”.

    In the same way, we “become the righteousness of God” when the holy Ghost fills us, bringing into our hearts God’s righteousness, and peace, and joy (cf. Rom. 14:17).

    Don’t let Paul’s language confuse you.  He is just talking about Jesus taking on the sins of the world and about us taking on the righteousness of God.  That’s all.

    Thank you for the very good question.

    Pastor John

     

     

     

  • Thank You!

    Good morning, John,

    Thank you for last night.  I can’t imagine how much strength it takes to prepare and present what Jesus has for us (especially when you haven’t felt well).  You have done it so well, and for so many years now, and I am saying from the bottom of my heart, “Thank you”.  And thank you, Jesus, for giving us your best. 

    I was so overwhelmed with feeling the love of God last night.  I wanted to speak, and I couldn’t open my mouth.  All I could do was feel it, and let it overwhelm me.  

    I felt so thankful for good, pure food, and for having a heart that loved it and wanted to eat it!  The more I ate, the stronger I felt it.  The first song you sang, “I Want To Love Him More”,  perfectly expressed my feelings because it is so true!  

    Then, when you sang “I Remember Dark Calvary”, I was thinking as you were singing the words that I possessed the very thing Jesus suffered and died for stirred up inside me, moving me!  Jesus’ very life inside me!  And I thought, “This is how you remember Calvary.  It is not a thinking thing.  It is stirring up the gift of God.  It is letting His life that he suffered and died to give us be alive and move us”!  And then you told us that very thing after you finished singing.

    At the end when we were sitting around and it was quiet, I thought, “Have I valued what just happened here?  Have I valued what you’ve done, Jesus?  Did I take it in as fully as I could?”

    These are precious times when we can be together.  We are not promised another meeting.  I know it takes so much from you physically when we get together, and you will not always be able to do that (can hardly even stand to type those words).

    I felt the gravity of that last night when we were sitting there at the end.  And I was hoping I valued you enough.  That I valued fellowship enough.  That I valued feeling the Spirit enough.  That I valued what Jesus was offering us enough.  

    Love,

    Lee Ann

  • Let Obedience Be Our Prayer

    Pastor John,

    I was in the shower, praying, brother John.  Out of my mouth came, “Let obedience be our prayer.”  I felt the Spirit say “YES!”

    So good – and right!

    Jerry

    ========

    Thanks, Jerry.

    That reminds me of the time my father started praising the Lord after Oral Roberts prayed for him, and the doctor could not find the cancer that he had earlier told him was there.  The Lord told him, “Shut up!  I want your praise to be in your behavior from now on.”

    God is serious about praising Him with our lives.  That way, the praise of our lips will be acceptable to Him.

    Pastor John

  • Satan’s Circumcision

    I was listening to the most recent morning conversation again, and it feels so good.  That old holiness, clean and good!  As I listened to y’all talk about Jesus and the holy Ghost getting cut out/left out, I felt the biggest “Amen!” inside!  I was telling Jesus “That is so right, Lord!  That is exactly what Christians do.  They cut you out, and what you did for us.”

    Then the thought came, “That is Satan’s circumcision.”  Cutting out Jesus and what he has for us.  Made me think about Satan digging in God’s garbage can, rummaging through the things He has discarded, and even having his own circumcision.

    Also, it touched me how just the sound of your voices is so good to my soul when I hear them.

    Beth D.

  • Sarah H. – Knowing

    After the meeting Saturday night when you were talking about feeling the feelings of God and just knowing something about a certain situation, the Lord brought to mind something that happened years ago not long after I got the holy Ghost.

    My mama and daddy were visiting with us in New Bern one weekend.  Mama’s shoulder started hurting really, really bad. She had bad bouts of bursitis sometimes and it was just intensifying with no relief. She was in the bedroom, and I just “knew” she was in there naming and claiming her healing, but she was in a lot of pain. An anger rose up in me and I went in the bedroom and told her to “come on, we’re going to the ER.”

    She got up and went with me. They gave her a cortisone shot, and in a short period of time, she was feeling better.  They stayed and enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Isn’t that good?  God is good!

    Sarah

    =========

    Yes, Sarah. That is very good. I am glad you believed God so you could help your mother. Jesus is always right.

    Pastor John

  • Why Not Capitalize “holy”?

    I read your article* about evidence, ie, speaking in tongues, to receive salvation.  I’m very curious to know why you didn’t capitalize Holy.  you say “holy Spirit”.  that is not biblical.  all thru King James translation & others Holy is capitalized.  start w John 14:26.  Jesus spoke those words “the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost”??

    Michael

    ==========

    Hello Michael.

    Thank you for your good question.

    In the original documents of the New Testament, there were no small Greek letters at all.  Every letter was capital.  Small Greek letters were introduced in the 8th and 9th centuries, and from that point on, it was the writer’s choice, to use or not to use capital letters with some words.  In the Greek New Testament that has come down to us, names of people and places are capital, along with the beginning of sentences, but not much else.  Even the words, “God”, “Son of God”, and “Spirit” are not capitalized in the Greek text.  Most modern writers, including myself, capitalize those words out of respect for God and His Son, as well as for God’s Spirit.

    We do not capitalize such adjectives as “holy” because there is no need to do so.  Simply capitalizing “Spirit” lets the Reader know that God’s Spirit is being talked about.  We don’t capitalize the word “holy” when speaking of our “holy God” or the “holy Son of God”, and there is no good reason to capitalize “holy” when speaking of the “holy Spirit”.

    I hope that clears up that matter for you.  It is a small matter, though, compared to the message in my article, that the baptism of the holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, is the new birth.  Did you have any thoughts about that?

    Thank you again for writing.  I look forward to hearing from you again sometime.

    Pastor John

    * Ye Must Be Born Again – Going to Jesus.com ;

    The New Birth – Going to Jesus.com ;

    Going to Jesus.com – Speaking in Tongues at Spirit Baptism

  • “Cancer Is Just a Word.”

    Brother John,

    The sincere joy and trust in Jesus that Carrie showed Saturday night was beautiful.  She was so right when she said that cancer is just a word.  Cancer is a word the world manufactured to describe an experience that isn’t working for their good—if they don’t love God.  In the kingdom of God, if you love God, cancer is just another one of those “All Things”* that works together for good to those who love Him.  That is not a bumper sticker to make folks feel better; it is a promise from the apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 8.  And he knew Jesus, and Jesus knew him.

    When you know you are loved by the one true God, cancer really is no different than receiving a blessing.  It is all just events that God created to get His saints home to Him.

    I know that cancer isn’t a good experience.  I can’t imagine it – in my flesh.  But I know in the Spirit, the Spirit Carrie is giving herself to, it is all the same; “just another one of those All Things” from God to get us home.

    God bless her and keep her in that perfect place.  So sweet.

    Jerry

    * Going to Jesus.com – Suffering and the Saints

    (The book Suffering and the Saints was originally titled, All Things.)

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