The Name Jesus

The following post is in reference to Pastor John’s book titled: After Jesus Died.

Hi Pastor Clark,

Just wanted to say thank you for your information. I have a question tho. I noticed that you had the star of David on your envelope, but that you are not using Yahshua’s real Jewish (Hebrew) name that Yahovah gave to him. You are still calling him by his catholic given nick name Jesus. He is our Savior and only his real name has power in it. Pray in the name of Yahshua and you will be blessed. His given name by the Father means Yahovah’s Salvation. Jesus has no meaning because it is not his real name. Your information is good, but call our Savior by His true and God given name.

In Yahshua’s name, be blessed and Shalom,

Diane B.

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Thank you for your letter, Diane. It is a blessing to hear from you.

It is understandable why the pronunciation of some names change as they pass from one language to another. It would be difficult, for example, for us who speak English to pronounce many Chinese names and words. As for other names, however, I don’t know the reason for changing the pronunciation. For example, how in the world did the Jacobus of the Greek NT text become “James”? As far as I can tell, no one really knows. At the same time, the God of the Bible revealed Himself to be a God concerned more with the heart than of proper form, with character rather than education. God suggested as much when He foretold through Isaiah of the day when “all have been cut off who look for wickedness, who make a man a sinner because of a word” (Isa. 29:20b–21a).

There is no sin, Diane, in using the English name Jesus Christ, or the name Yēsū Jīdū if one is Chinese, or Hisus K’ristos if one is Armenian. I know many people whom God has washed from sin and baptized with His blessed holy Spirit as they called on the name of Jesus. Real sin is to refuse to repent and receive the baptism of the Spirit, and instead, just claim to belong to God without His seal of approval, the holy baptism which Jesus purchased for us with his blood.

The disciples were born again on the day of Pentecost, not before. That is the point of the little book you received, After Jesus Died, and that knowledge is critical to a right understanding of this wonderful new covenant God has established through the death and resurrection of His Son. I pray that you will think on that, pray about it, and receive your own Pentecost if you have not done so already, because until that happens, Diane, you are not born again, either, your sins are not washed away, and you are not yet a part of “the Israel of God”, as Paul called the body of Christ. “One is a Jew” you will remember Paul saying, “who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit” (Rom. 2:29).

May God bless you richly as you seek to know Him more perfectly. We are praying earnestly for you.

Your servant in Yeshua haMessiach

Pastor John

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The Lord Taught Me Something

Pastor John,

I was in the shower talking to the Lord, and he just taught me something.

“The one who is most worthy of God’s gift, is the one who is happiest (in the Lord) without it.”

What a good thought!

To have eaten all of the grass he has given so far, and be complete and lacking nothing because of it. Satisfied.

A good thought. A good life!

Jerry

Father & Son Book Excerpt – April 4, 2019

Pastor John,

After reading today’s Excerpt (below), I had to wonder (or I should say the excerpt carried me to the thought), “How could a person read and understand this (God’s meticulous requirements for old-covenant worship,) and then ever believe that they were free to go off and join a church or style of worship of their own choosing?

It reminded me of something.

I was thinking on the Lord a couple of weeks ago, and the Spirit spoke to me and said “Christianity depends on God not talking back.They have built an entire religious system based on him not answering.”

That helped me to better understand the testimonies of old spirit-filled saints who spoke of times when they were carried out of christian churches, unwillingly, for speaking in tongues. They were carried out of religious institutions that were built on, and maintained their existence by – not hearing from God.

Jerry

*Excerpt taken from the book: God Had a Son before Mary Did.

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16

Hi, Pastor John.

The other day, you sent me your translation of the following verses from Ecclesiastes 4:

13. Better to be a poor and wise youth than to be an old and foolish king who no longer knows to take advice.
14. For out of the house of prisoners he went out to become king, even though he was born poor within his kingdom.
15. I observed all the living who went walking about under the sun with that youth, the other one who rose up in his stead.
16. There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he was, and yet, those who come later will not rejoice in him because this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I keep thinking about these scriptures. We were poor without God, then God filled us with his Spirit and made us royalty, Princes and Princesses in the Kingdom of God. God is preparing us know how to rule with his Son on this earth. We were prisoners at one time, but like Darren’s song, now we have “No Chains” if we stay free in the Spirit. I pray (even more after reading this translation) that as I get older, I will always heed to advice and not be like the old and foolish king. God is the one who molds the clay.

Billy

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Hi, Billy.

The translators have not reviewed my translation yet, but the message from it seems clear, and is very sobering. May God help us be wise, and listen to wisdom when it speaks!

Pastor John

Trust in Jesus

Pastor John,

The past few days Jesus has been whispering to my heart, “Trust in me”. Several situations have come up and in each one, although different circumstances, his answer was the same, trust in me.

I’ve been reading about Paul in Acts and have loved how Paul trusted Jesus. Last night I was reading Acts 27 when Paul was being taken to Rome to go before Caesar.

Acts 27:22:25

22.Yet now I urge you to take courage, for not one of your lives will be lost, only the ship.
23.For this night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood by me.
24.And he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who sail with you.’
25.So, take heart, men! For I believe God, that it will happen just as it was told me.

I love this! Even though the storm was raging all around them, and everyone thought they were going to die, Paul took courage in what God had told him! He was with him! I love “an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve”. Yes! Sure feels good to stop and feel that!

Michelle

Sadducees and Pharisees

Pastor John,

I was reading in Acts 23 last night and after reading verse 8, it left me with a question.

What were the differences in beliefs between the Sadducees and the Jews regarding the resurrection (resurrection of the dead. Afterlife?) Who are the Sadducees?

Seems like such difference beliefs would make it very difficult to sit and judge together in the first place. Unless of course, it was never really about their belief or God but about power and pride?

Act 23:8. “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but Pharisees acknowledge them all.”

I have felt such love for Paul reading in Acts again. I also read this and it went in a little deeper that, Jesus is not worried about you being uncomfortable, to get His will done.

Jesus gave Paul the wisdom and words to stir up that room full of Sadducees and Pharisees, to the point of violence, just to get him to Rome.

10. “And when the dispute grew violent, the tribune, afraid lest Paul be torn apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and pull him out of their midst and take him back to headquarters.

11. The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, Paul. For as you have testified of things concerning me in Jerusalem, likewise you must also bear witness in Rome.’”

Beth Durham

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Hi Beth.

My impression of the Sadducees is that they were the more sophisticated, upper crust religious sect, like the Episcopalian or Catholics sects, while the Pharisees were the fundamentalist, Bible-thumping Baptist of their time.

They had major theological differences, yes, but they were very capable of working together to suppress and persecute the truth whenever God raised up men to speak it.

Nothing has changed.

Pastor John

Stop the Habit of Disobedience

Good morning Pastor John,

I hope you’re feeling better!

I wanted to tell you about an experience I had this morning. I have been feeling very heavy this week and I wasn’t sure what it was all about. Last night when I went to bed I just felt bad, I felt repentance and just kept asking Jesus to forgive me. I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly I was repenting for but I know that’s what I was feeling.

When I was driving into work this morning I was listening to you preach and you said, “Stop the habit of disobedience”. That just shot like an arrow in my heart. Jesus started talking to me and bringing to my mind “little” things that he had been directing me in but I dismissed them as nothing. The spirit is always talking, leading and directing our lives but the question he asked me is, are you listening?

I cried out to Jesus with my whole heart and said I’m sorry please forgive me. I want to move when he says move and I want to stand still when he says stand still. He said to live is to know what time it is, what season your in. It may be different for different people but when you get connected the heaviness will be gone because “my burden is light and my yoke is easy!”

Pastor John everything in me cried out, yes! The power of God fell in my car and I started speaking in tongues. There was a boldness about it that I’ve not felt before. I was so drunk that He left me breathless. I had to sit in my car for a little bit just to let it soak in. I said Jesus this is what I live for, this trumps everything!

It takes only a touch from the Master to put things right in your heart. I love it, I love his correction. I love when he gets in there and just fills every spot and crevice.

Michelle