I am so thankful for Justin TV! I was at home sick on Sunday, but able to listen to the wonderful testimonies because God has given us this technology to share these stories of God. Each and every testimony felt like a sweet balm being applied to my soul! It stirred sweet memories of what Jesus has done in my own life. That is why our testimonies are so good to share – - they stir up what God has done for each of us.

What I really love about Jesus is that before we even knew him, he knew us and where we would be. I love that Jesus was storing up sweet memories (and testimonies) before I even received the holy Ghost. It is as if he “hid” them in the holy Ghost until I could give him the glory that only he is worthy of.

One of the testimonies I know he “hid” early in my life was the healing of my eye when I was just a small child. Listening to Bro. Jim G. tell about little Daniel’s eye on Sunday touched my heart deeply because I experienced that very same thing as a child. But, the Lord “kept” that testimony until after I received the holy Ghost. The reason I say he “kept” it is because I never once spoke of it during my childhood or adult life until after I received his Spirit – - and then I remembered the things of the Lord. Mmmmm, I love how this feels!

I could not have told that experience before I received the holy Ghost. Only the Spirit knows how to honor Jesus; so Jesus “kept” it until he could get all the glory for his wonderful works. Then, after I received the holy Ghost at 42 years old, it was as if I could smell the sawdust and see the wooden chairs set up in that big tent where my grandmother and aunt took me that night to be healed. I was about 5 or 6 years old at the time, and I had a cyst (about the size of a garden pea) come up on my eye. My mother worked for a doctor (surgeon) and had taken me to see him to get it checked. He told her that I would have to have it cut out and that it would scar me for life. My grandmother heard that diagnosis and said she knew of a healing preacher in town and she wanted to take me.

I remember going down front to where the preacher was. He was up on a stage and I stood below. He kneeled down and looked at me in such a warm, loving way that I did not feel afraid. He asked if I believed in Jesus and if I believed Jesus could heal me. With all the child-like faith I knew at the time, I softly replied, “Yes sir”. He then pinned an anointed cloth on me, laid hands on me and prayed for me, and then sent me home with instructions to keep believing and thanking Jesus for my healing.

My grandmother brought me home that night and my mother and I did as the preacher said. I wore the little anointed cloth and we prayed and thanked Jesus each night. Not too many days later, I woke up and the cyst was gone! My mother and I found the hard mass in the bed. It had rolled out during the night! I have never had a scar to this day! Praise God!! He is good!!

That preacher, I found out later, was Bro. Creech who knew your father during the days of the healing tent meetings. Who knew that some 40 years later, I would be living and loving the truth that George Clark loved. Jesus knew.

I thank Jesus for his blessings, not only with testimonies and songs since receiving the holy Ghost (what an abundance he has given!), but with testimonies brought to our memories from when he knew us even before we knew him. He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line.

As I have heard you say before, Bro. John, if God’s people could just get together and tell what Jesus has done in their lives there would be no division. I know this weekend touched many hearts – - it sure did mine. I pray we keep stirring up the gift of God and thereby provoke God’s children to live together happily in one accord!

Sandy

Troy
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Brother Troy,
To understand the truth of the gospel is a very great blessing for anyone. But for us to have fellowship in the truth with God’s children, such as yourself and your family, somehow makes understanding the truth seem even better. I believe that the truth of the gospel is intended by God to be enjoyed by His people, together. May God hasten the day when all His children hear the truth preached, instead of the vain doctrines of men.

Pastor John

This hit me like a ton of bricks.

I read it… and re-read it. . . and I am stunned. My mouth is open. . .

This is a huge RELIEF to me, Pastor John. This is a concept that is so profound in its simplicity. It is something that I have never put into practice, because IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME.. . . but instead, I kept beating myself up, daily, weekly, month after month, for not being able to retain that “feeling” of joy or happiness or peace that the holy Ghost brings, and wondering WHY I couldn’t stay steady.

And you’ve wondered about me, I’m sure. How’s Brad doing? Is he steady and balanced in the Spirit everyday? Is he being pummeled by the spirits of the world and not staying full of the Spirit? If I had known this one little concept that Preacher Clark spoke. . If I had known this YEARS ago, I would have saved myself a lot of sleepless nights and worrisome days, blaming myself for not feeling the same everyday, and being disappointed in God for not keeping me pumped up.

But, explaining it this way, as “daily manna” to be consumed each day anew, . . . I can do this. I can take one day at a time, have communion with Jesus (which I usually do anyway), build myself up with fellowship more often, and open the floodgates for God’s love to flow in. One day at a time. Every day. Continuously.

This is the most profound Pearl I’ve ever read. I needed this. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Brad

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I have loved all of the testimonies about God hearing us. I wanted to share my testimony about what he did for me in a work situation here recently.

When we decided that I needed to quit my job at Apex and work somewhere where I was more available to my children, that was a big decision for our family in so many ways. Financially, it was going to take our income and shrink it drastically and we were going to have to cut back on many areas in our budget, but it felt like such a right decision for us that we just needed to have faith that God would provide if we made this decision. I remember praying while in this transition prior to even starting at a nearby preschool, “God, I know you are in charge of our financial situation and that you are going to take care us.”

Well, I started up working at this preschool close to my house, and few pay periods passed, and my employer wasn’t paying me for my hours worked. It was always something. If she wasn’t handling paychecks right then, she wasn’t paying me on payday at all. It was so scary. We had never really been in a situation where we had to face the possibility of not being able to pay our bills at the end of the month. Another pay period passed, and again, she did not issue my paycheck correctly.

Jeremy and I talked after the second instance and resolved that if she didn’t pay me by Wednesday, I was going to tell her I was resigning. Well, she ended up not paying me again, and I quit. I was so afraid to quit because I had absolutely nothing to go to, but knew it was the right decision. I had no back up, and there were still bills that needed to be paid!! When I got off work that day, I went to Jerm’s parents house, printed off my resume, and left to go to as many places as I could to see if anyone was hiring. I kept praying that God would provide, and I kept reassuring myself, saying, “God I know you will take care of us, I know you will.”

The very first place I went to was called Promised Land Child Care :0). They basically hired me on the spot, paid me more than my previous employer, paid every week (So I didn’t have to play catch up so to speak), and the owner told me Sophie could come with me for free (which is big because child care centers typically do not do that).

All of 20 minutes passed, and I went back to Dad and mom’s house with a new job to start the next week.

I was never expecting even in my wildest dreams to have an assured job the same day I quit my previous one. Looking for jobs usually takes time and is a process… “But God”!! We didn’t miss a bill throughout this whole ordeal, and we wanted for nothing. God is so good. I feel like he gave me the first job to teach me a lesson, and then had the second job just waiting for me after that lesson had been learned.

It was so sweet that I just cried in Promised Lands parking lot. I felt so thankful and it touched me so deeply that throughout the whole ordeal at the first preschool, God had me in mind and that after it all, I could see where he was taking care of me all along the way.

I wanted to share that little piece of what God has been doing for me. It has been too good!! I love my new job and I love my boss. She is a straight-forward, no funny business kind of person. I think I have a new-found appreciation and respect for that sort of employer now, and it really puts the desire in my heart to be that kind of employee.

Wonderful meeting today!!! I feel so clean from all of the wonderful testimonies )

Brittany Mellick

I’ve noticed lately what people kept saying in the meeting tonight: that people do notice how we live. You guys talk about how people notice how you interact as a group in public, and how your kids behave. (We very much noticed the kids when we first visited!) People also notice us as a couple out in public: how we talk to each other and how we talk to them. One woman was surprised at our age when she needed to see our IDs because in her experience at work, young couples in general aren’t as “decent” as we seemed to her, for lack of a better term. I’ve also noticed when dealing with company representatives on the phone lately that simply saying “Thanks, you’ve been very helpful” seems to really make a person’s day. The little things are a big deal!

The other day, we were buying groceries and the young cashier (probably a teenager) had a similar effect on me. He was very genuinely helpful and talking with us — not that formal, scripted kind of nice you typically get. I couldn’t help but wonder what was motivating him to act that way. It reminds me of the woman who saw me trying to fit my groceries on my bike one day in Houston when I had underestimated how much I’d bought. She loaded me, my bike and my groceries into her vehicle and, after a few moments, finally admitted why she’d done it. She said, “I want God to bless me!” I think He did.

Brittanie

Billy’s email to the president of the company was a smashing success – not because it changed anything, but because he was acting as the salt of the earth regardless of the results. Still, in the future, when planning further advertisements, the company president will remember Billy’s comment, and Billy’s good influence will be with him. To be this kind of conscience for those who do not know the voice of God is a principal reason all of us are on earth.

When Jesus was on trial for his life, Jesus told Pontius Pilate something like, “For this reason I have come, to testify of the truth.” The world does not understand, and so easily forgets, what truth is; so, sometimes, we know “the truth, the way, and the life” must give those around us a gentle reminder.

Thanks, Billy.
Pastor John

PS I have deleted specific names. It is what Billy did that is the point.
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Hi John:

Mr. xxx is the president of our company. Here is an email that I sent to him. I didn’t respond back, because he is “happy”. I sold over 1.5 million dollars in one year when working inside sales, before I came to this company, and I didn’t have to lower my standard to do it. I could argue my point back and forth, but it really wouldn’t matter. It’s all downhill without God.

Billy M

From: Bill M
Subject: Quaterly Video

Hi, Mr. xxx:

Thank you for keeping us informed with the “Quarterly Meetings”; it is very nice to know what is going on with the Company and the market place. The new product looks very exciting, but I am concerned about the marketing picture. In the power point presentation of the meeting, at the end of the presentation, you are speaking about the new product, but there is a picture of a dog relieving himself on the lawn, in the bottom right corner. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial and professional if the picture had a child playing in a sandbox, or . . .a rabbit . . .maybe a dog chewing on a play-toy, instead. We all due respect and honor, we are too good of a company for that kind of marketing picture.

I know you are very busy, thank you, for your time.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Bill M
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Bill,

I want to tell you that your email has made me happy for several reasons:
1) I’m happy that you’ve taken the time to review the Quarterly Meeting

2) I’m happy that you took the time to contact me about your concerns

3) I’m happy that you’ve had the reaction that you did to the ad.

At the risk of being overly smug on point #3, your reaction is exactly the reaction that we were looking for. Xxx is a different type of [product] and needs to be sold differently. We are looking to capture people’s attention with a somewhat provocative message. The xxx industry is full of feel-good images; we are looking to do something different and break through the clutter that is out there. You can love the ad or hate the ad – I really don’t care as long as you notice the ad. The choice of the dog depicts an act that is completely natural; is not illegal or immoral; but is different from what one usually sees – and is therefore memorable.

Thanks again for your note. I hope that you understand where we are going with this.

Thanks also for all that you do every day with [our company]. [What you do] is a huge part of our value proposition and our specialists are often the only person from [our company] that a homeowner ever meets. The impression that you make and the service that you provide are the personification of our company.

Regards,

M S

Amy and I were having a discussion recently just about things in life that have been happening – some stressful things with work and about kids. And why things are the way they are and happening the way they are happening. A scene from the story of Joseph flashed to mind about the famine. So I read the story of Joseph today. At the beginning of the famine I’m sure Jacob and his sons prayed to God for relief. “Lord why are you holding back the rain? The crops are dead in the field and the cattle are dying and we are without food. Lord please send the rain and help the crops grow so we don’t starve.” They only saw the present difficult circumstances. But they didn’t know the greater plan God had for them all. That’s how it often is when we are going through a trial. We feel the effects of the hurt and disappointment of whats happening now but don’t or can’t know what God is really doing. Jacob would never have had the thought, while in the middle of a famine and worried over losing Benjamin, that his long lost son would be alive as a ruler in Egypt, that his entire family would move there and live in the most fertile area of the country and be well taken care of. God has blessings to give that are beyond comprehension. There are some very good examples in the story of Joseph. Its one of my favorite stories in the Bible.

Richard

comments = Hello Pastor John. I don’t even remember how I found this web page… Just hungry and so disappointed with christianity.. I have been out of the church for 12 years now .. first being a catholic then giving my heart to Jesus in a penticostal church… when I was older… So I’m a recovering church addict… and been in the wilderness ever since.. I have been going to a small group gathering here in Ontario but It still feels like religion to me… M Question is how will I know if I’m in the will of God … I don’t want to be deceived … I have the baptism of speaking in tongues… but rarely use it.. I need a fresh fill…. thanks for hearing me I know the Lord hears me…

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Hi Nancy.

We are all in the wilderness because we have come out of Egypt (the flesh) and none of us here on earth have yet reach the Promised Land yet (home with Jesus).

Small group meetings can be just as churchy as anything within Christianity. Stay away from the spirit of church religion, regardless of where you find it. It is deadly; it will quench the Spirit of God within you. Since you say that you have not used the holy ghost within you very much, it sounds as if some quenching has already happened to you, to some extent. But Jesus loves you and is reaching out to you now, to rescue his child! Pray in the holy ghost, the apostle tells us, and you will “build yourself up in your most holy faith.” Yes, you do need a fresh filling, and you can have it RIGHT NOW!

Maybe you would like to visit our prayer meetings on line, to see how mush peace and joy and rest there is when a home prayer meeting is as it should be, a family in Christ loving and edifying one another without ceremony or form. If you would like to do that (we will be meeting this Sunday morning at 10:00 EST), let me know, and someone from here will contact you and tell you how to get on board.

God bless you, and the saints who are there with you.

Pastor John

I was at work on this past Friday and I was approached by a coworker, Who asked me if I remembered picking a certain order that they were missing 18 parts for. I told him I could not recall the order,.I started to talk to Jesus about helping me find these missing parts because I could be in trouble for misplacing them. My coworker gave me some locations to go check to see if the parts left over in these locations matched what the computer showed, and all the locations I picked from were correct. So I knew I had picked the parts right we just could not find them.

So I really started praying Jesus if you don’t show me were these parts are, I will never find them it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. So just when I was getting the feeling I was not going to find my missing parts, I was walking at the end of the aisles, were the parts are stocked. I heard Jesus say look up and when I did there at the end of the aisle up in the racks, was a small tote that looked like it had parts in it. Then Jesus said those are your parts and sure enough it was my missing parts. So I asked another coworker who was passing by on a cherry picker if he would help me get the tote down, and when he said yes there are multiple parts in this tote, He brought the parts down.After he handed me the parts, I was so excited with out even thinking, I told him “Oh my goodness you know, I would have never found these parts if Jesus had not told me where they were.” Then I said “JESUS IS REAL!” in a very up tone voice. All my coworker could say was “oh yeah?”

Well after I took the parts back to the order they belong to. All I could do was speak in tongues and say thank you Jesus for talking to me and showing me were to look for my missing parts. Just wanted to share this experience we serve an audible God, 8D

Tony
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I am thanking God with you, Tony. That is our audible Jesus, doing it again!

Pastor John