Ongoing FB conversation

It is good to be able to see evil for what it is, and to speak out, as the Spirit leads one to do, against any evil. That is one way that we are “the salt of the earth”. But it is a terrible mistake to encourage God’s people to become “entangled in the affairs of this life”, as Paul said. Politics is clearly an “affair of this life”, and other than pray for the leaders of a nation and obey the laws that do not contradict God commandments, God’s people do well to stay out of politics. The hope of God’s children is NOT that a Republican be elected President; it is that the Lord Jesus will keep us from sin and save us from the coming wrath.
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Deanna L.     agreed- amen
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Deborah K.     That is exactly how I feel! I vote for God!
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Glenda R.      I have to disagree. Someone will be in charge of making our laws and enforcing them. We need Christian leaders, politicians, businessmen, artists, homemakers…..Christians involved in every aspect of life, to be a witness to others and to direct the affairs of our communities and our country. Our Founders were largely Christian, and thank God for that. I do agree that our country’s salvation is not based on electing a particular person. However, much further evil and destruction can be averted by removing the current administration. All of our leaders, at every level of government, certainly need our prayers on a daily basis.

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John Clark      I will post another response I got, from a dear friend in Florida, David, and my reply to him will follow. He wrote the following: “John: Are you saying that Christians should not run for office or be aware of whether those who do are godly or not? Please share with us your understanding of Deuteronomy 16:18-20.

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Deborah K.     Praying for the right leadership is very important too! The more Prayer the better!
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John Clark        This is a little long, David, but I hope it will not seem tedious: The nation of Israel was an earthly kingdom and was given an earthly system of government to handle such earthly things a criminal behavior and the waging of earthly wars. That is what those verses in Deuteronomy are about. If you pay close attention to the NT books, however, you will see that there are no such civil commandments given to God’s NT people because we have no earthly kingdom. Until our King returns to reign on earth a thousand years (and us to reign with him), the only warfare we are to be engaged in is spiritual warfare, for “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Politics is as carnal a weapon as a gun or a bomb; it is not for us who believe. If someone does not understand that, they just don’t know what the word “carnal” means. Further, when Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. if my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight.” Politics is a more civilized form of fighting and shooting at people, but the spirits of hatred and strife involved are the same. The cruel abuse and ll-will that many Christians now publicly express toward this President is ungodly, and it leaves the impression that the USA is the kingdom of God. It is not. Jesus will abolish this and every other government on earth when he returns, without partiality. Finally, Jesus said that they who find the right way would be few in number. I believe that. I KNOW that is true. Then, if those who have found the way of life are in the minority, what sense does it make for them to promote rule by the majority? Our kingdom is the kingdom of God, and it is not a democracy; it is a KINGDOM. That is, it is a nation governed by an absolute ruler, One who is perfect in all His ways. Let us be content with that, and serve Him “in spirit and in truth”. Doing that, we will walk in the Spirit where there are no worldly partisanships, political or otherwise. God raises up rulers and puts them down, and He uses sinners on earth to do that, whether through earthly wars or earthly politics. God put Mr. Obama in office for some wise purpose, and He will remove him from office when He sees fit. What he desires is that His people to have enough faith in Him to (1) pray for whomever He puts in power, whether in this country or some other, and (2) keep their minds on the business of His kingdom!
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John Clark       PS I did say “It is good to be able to see evil for what it is, and to speak out, as the Spirit leads one to do, against anything that is wrong.” I( hope that answers your question about whether we should “be aware of whether those who do are godly or not.”
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John Clark          I wrote this article about 30 years ago. I would edit some of the wording, but the point is still valid. http://www.goingtojesus.com/site/php/politics.html

All Things – Going to Jesus.com
www.goingtojesus.com
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outsi…
See more
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Natalie E.      John, soooo good and true!!!!
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Glenda R.      Pastor John, I don’t see how the Bible supports your extrapolation that the Israelites wanted to return to Egypt for reasons of political conquest. Old and New Testament passages indicate that they were ready to go back into slavery because of yearning for certain foods.

Aaron led the Israelites into worshiping the golden calf. These people lived in a society where they did not have the right to vote. They did not participate in government. They were ruled with an iron fist and had their every decision made for them. The same is true for New Testament believers. Writers of the Epistles were addressing a people who had no opportunity to participate in government. So how does one conclude that the “affairs of this world” to be avoided was politics, and not food production or education of the young or the fine arts or any other particular aspect of civilized life?

By extension of your thesis that believers should not become politicians, it could be argued that Christians should not become farmers….because God supernaturally provided food for his children in the desert. Or that Christians should not become doctors….because the Israelites had no doctors; they relied on God to heal them and then on the priests to verify that they were healed. If one considers that Christians are part of the army of God, and therefore are not to be involved in civilian affairs, then the question becomes who provides for their food, clothing, and shelter? The government?

The Israelites were in the desert for a time. And then they arrived in the Promised Land….where God set up a new society with new ways of doing things. He told them how to do these things. He did not tell them not to not do them. He gave them the laws and procedures, and He fulfilled the promises He had made.

Our country was founded by God fearing men, many of them devout Christians, who believed they were led by God to establish a new society. They created a new Constitution….after months of concerted prayer and divine guidance. They set up the procedures by which this new country would be governed. They gave citizens the opportunity…..and responsibility…..to participate in this new government.

Christ followers are called upon to be salt and light in this world. Surely, if the medical profession and the food industry need salt and light, then so does government at every level.

If the Apostles’ admonition actually is against becoming entangled in something, and not against participating in civil government, then one must realize it is possible to become entangled in anything one pursues with a passion…..including ministry. We all have heard of ministers who have become so wrapped up in their ministry that they have neglected their families, and even their relationship with Christ.

It disturbs me to hear any devout believer categorically declare that another believer’s call, purpose, passion, or life’s work is invalid before God. True Christian believers are out all around the world, serving effectively in God’s army, in positions of service and leadership. Paul said the Holy Spirit gives gifts and abilities to believers as He sees fit. Some are apostles, preachers, teachers, healers, etc. And some have gifts of administration, ie, the ability to govern. I am thankful for people who use their gifts out in the world, as well as in the church. I am thankful for senators, representatives, administrators, …even bureaucrats…, at every level of government who are dedicated to serving God in their capacity and to working for the betterment of our society. There are many such Christians. Please see Charles Colson’s “Born Again” and Jim DeMint’s “Saving Freedom” for examples. We know God’s judgment is coming, and probably has begun. That does not mean we should withdraw from trying to govern and better our society…for ourselves and for those around us, regardless of what we believe their eternal destiny might be.
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John Clark           Oh my. To reply to much of this, I would have to repeat much of what i have said already. First of all, I should remind you that I am, by the grace of God, not a Christian. So, the life I describe is not for those who are seeking how to be good Christians. Christians DO belong in politics, from all that I can see. Political entanglement with the ruers of the earth is the birthplace of the religious system called Christianity. But I will, very successfully, argue that none of that has anything whatsoever to do with the real Jesus Christ. The biggest reason that what I am saying is not understood is that the fundamental difference between the Old and New Testaments is not well understood. The Old Testament was a religion of symbols and ceremonies, and an earthly kingdom. The New Testament, being the fulfillment of those ceremonies and symbols, is a covenant of spirit. Believers have no earthly nation; they are scattered throughout all nations. The enemies of God’s children are not nations of the earth but spiritual darkness, and our weapons are not carnal. As for your beginning comment, you are correct in pointing out that there is no scripture that says the Israelites in the wilderness intended to return to Egypt in order to rule it. But you yourself went too far when you stated that they intended to return to be slaves. For my part, I was making a deduction based upon the fact that Pharaoh and his entire army were dead, the land of Egypt wasted, and the Egyptians who survived the plagues felt great fear of the God of the Israelites. So, if as you say, the Israelites intended to go back to Egypt to be slaves, then, to whom do you think they intended to serve? You see it just makes no sense to think they wanted to return to slavery, and it makes perfect sense to think that they felt they could return to be the head, not the tail, of society. Your logic about becoming “entangled in anything one pursues with a passion” is sound, but it does not apply to something that God does not want His people in at all. And as for the “Founding Fathers” of this nation doing a lot of praying, such has been the case with many of the world’s rulers, even before going into bloody battle with each other. God certainly did use them; but then, who does God not use to fulfill His wise purposes? Finally, in that list of positions of service that Paul gave, I missed it if he included “politicians” along with apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, etc.”

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John,
Thanks for taking time to help God’s children. One of the most vicious spirits I have ever seen was dealing with a dear brother in regards to politics.
God make me more thankful for breaking that Christian yoke off my neck.
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Wendell
Amen, Wendell. We are blessed.
jdc
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Pastor John

I can remember Brother Glenn testifying on the radio program that is was his duty to kill as many as he could (if this country was inavaded), before he was killed. A lot of us thought the same thing. The truth can deliver us, if we are willing. No telling how many other wrong thoughts about God that we don;t know yet; I pray God keeps helping us.

Billy M.

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On the name of YHVH and Jesus

http://www.isaiah58.com/broadcasters/yahweh.htm

Dear friend

I have read your treatise on ‘Yahweh, god of the christians’ and would like to point out one or two possible fallacies in your reasoning if you’ll permit me.

Firstly, I am not a christian, I abhor the term as it is associated with many atrocities.

Much of what you say in you treatise is very much the truth as why God’s name has gone unknown and un-pronounced eventually leading to nobody knowing how it is said. But then you would wander off into a sound-like tantrum of how Yahweh sounds like Jove and that is a bit unscholary of you. May I show you the error of your reasoning? As you’ve already said in one other of your writings that you should be ‘slapped in the face’ to save your from destruction.

My friend’s name is Derick. That is a name from German origin, meaning ‘ruler of the people’ but it has a total different meaning in Hebrew. In Hebrew Derick (or rather the pronounciation of of those letter) would mean ‘way’ as in a way to walk or a way to follow.

When you move from one language into another, you are bound to find names or words pronounced the same but having very diferent meanings. To use a Hebrew word YHVH and equate it with a Latin word Jove which is pronounced very much the same, is like saying Jesus which is in the Greek Iesous and when pronounced sounds like Ie Zeus, which means Hail Zeus. You thereby effectively worship Zeus yourself when you use the name Jesus (an Angliized name). Such it is that the name Jove is the Latin word refering to the main deity in Greek mythology but the meaning of the word is more important to consider. Jove is derived from Jupiter wich is in Geek Iupeter. The ‘J’ letter didn’t exist until the 17th century. Iupiter means ‘Father God’ in the Latin, Iu = God and piter = father (piter is again fro the root pater which is Father in Latin). So even if the Greeks used it to refer to Zeus when they used it, it only refers to the ‘main deity’ or ‘superior god’. It would be quite likely that when people who came to faith in YHVH, they would’ve used the same word still, but their hearts were turned to YHVH instead of Zeus. They would say Iuve and that would mean Father God. Would you have made a connection if the latin translatrs wrote Youpeter?

C’mon, such thinking should be far from you when I read what you have to say about righteousness and serving God on His terms etc.

I will not try to elaborate on the name issue here but will attach a treatise I wrote on the name issue for your perusal.

Suffice to say that Yahweh is an accepted Hebrew word for the Almighty Creator, Ha’Shem (the Name), Eloyhim (Mighty one). YHVH (I am).

Wouter VDH
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Dear Sir:

Thank you for your input. I agree with your comments on the connections, or lack thereof, between words of different languages, but I fail to see how that applies to me. I think you have misunderstood what I wrote.

At no time did I suggest there was any etymological connection between the Hebrew tetragrammaton and the Latin word for their supreme God: Jupiter/Jove. I do not believe there is any connection at all, other than spiritual. So, your analogy using the Hebrew דֶּרֶך and your friend Derek’s name does not fit the case. Secondly, everyone knows there are random sound-alike words in different languages; so, that was not my point, either. The same goes for your analogy of “Jesus” and “Zeus”; your comments do not apply to what I wrote. Moreover, the historical roots and meanings of certain words did not enter into my discussion at all. Those roots are, as far as I know, irrelevant to the point I made. It seems to me that you have invented certain wrong thoughts, claimed that they were mine, and then proved them all wrong. But I cannot see how either the errors you pointed out or your corrections of those errors have anything to do with what I wrote.

What I said in the article of Yahweh and Jove is both simple and true. By adding to it, you missed that. What I wrote is all that I meant.

Thank you for your comments, though. Please feel free to respond if I have misunderstood you. Just point out what I missed, and we will continue this discussion.

Your servant,
Pastor John

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feeling good feelings

Hi Pastor John-

I have a question. My friend asked me why he feels the spirit of the lord when he participates in communion if it is not acceptable worship? I didn’t know how to answer that. Help please.

Thanks,
Mike G.
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We feel whatever we feel in the Spirit because of faith, not because of knowledge. When your friend gains a knowledge of the truth, he will lose his faith in those dead works and feel something else instead, something more in line with the sadness God feels when He sees His people carry on such vain religious ceremonies and “feel” good feelings.

jdc

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spirits

Pastor John,

I have come to Jesus several times to be totally delivered from some different spirits. One service I felt them hit me like I never felt before. My whole life changed. It puts out a demeanor that my family doesn’t like. I have asked Jesus to deliver me from these spirits that attached them selves to me. I do fight doubt that Jesus will not do it because maybe I went to far and he will not forgive me. I need help. I need to be delivered and have assurance that I am once for all free. Help me I need guidance that comes from Jesus. I am scared of not making it home.

Karl V.
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Hi Karl.

The spirits that are troubling you are very small and weak ones. If you could see them, you would laugh at yourself for having any fear of them at all. What you need is just a little bit of strength from Jesus, and such spirits would not trouble you at all. Jesus will help you, but please don’t expect some kind of mighty war from heaven against such worthless, puny spirits. Jesus does not do that, and neither will you when your eyes are opened. Pray for faith to understand what I am telling you. Those spirits are not worth your time.

Also, you need not worry about having “gone too far” and being beyond forgiveness. That depth of sin is reserved for people who have walked much closer to God than you ever have, but then sold themselves to do evil. Those foolish children of God are described in Hebrews 6:

[4] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
[5] And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
[6] If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance….

Those verses do not describe you, Karl. You haven’t ever known that depth of life in the Spirit. Humble yourself to God, then, and receive what He is freely offering you, while He is offering it. He will give you peace if you come to Him with simple, child-like faith in His Son Jesus. And it will not be hard for Him to do it.

Pastor John

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“Scripture” question

Hey Bro. John:

I heard someone “quote” this as scripture the other day: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In times past, I would have believed whatever someone said was a scripture, but I remember the story you told one time about your father and someone telling him they “got it out of the Bible”, and he said they must have “got it out” because it is not in there now! 🙂

So, my curiosity led me to check the concordance on this and to my surprise (I actually have heard this “verse” said so many times I think I believed it was in the Bible as such) I could not find it anywhere as they quoted it. Is this another one of those “man-made” verses, or is “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” reconfigured by Xns?

Made me think about how knowing what IS NOT in the Bible is just as important as knowing what IS in the Bible. Growing up around Xty, I know I heard so many things such as this quoted as scripture that I began to believe they were in there. I thank Jesus for purging our hearts and minds with his Truth!

Well, if this verse is in the Bible, I would appreciate your help in finding it. 🙂

Thanks again!

Sandy 🙂
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In this case, Sandy, that saying is in the Bible, but not exactly as it is usually quoted. It is found in Luke 6:31: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

jdc

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Pastor John,

Concerning this scripture: Luke 6:31: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

I have heard the same verse ‘quoted’ this way… “And as men would do to you, do ye likewise to them”. Wow, subtle change, and it sounds like it is in the bible!

Kay
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Ha! Now, wouldn’t THAT be something, if Jesus commanded his disciples to do unto men the way men wanted to do to them! That attitude would have turned them into Christians, marching across Europe to kill Muslims and re-conquer Palestine, or burning people alive at the stake for not believing what they taught.
But come to think of it, I, too, have heard a “verse” quoted like that! It went, “Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you!” That has certainly been the way of Christianity, from its beginning.

You can trash that home-made “verse”, Kay, and Christianity with it. Stick with Jesus, who never said anything like that – ever.

Pastor John

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Salvation and the Body

Hey John,

Those old notes you found for the Father and Son book were so good! I don’t know how you are going to finish this book 🙂 I have a question about this paragraph below, especially the part in red:

“Salvation is for the body, and when Jesus returns, he will reward his faithful children with spiritual bodies which belong to the new nature we have been given, new, holy bodies which are ‘like his glorified body’ (Phip. 3:21). Salvation, then, for the saints is to be counted worthy to receive a new, glorified body when Jesus returns; that is the hope of every child of God.”

So, are you referring to the body of Christ? or the spiritual body we will receive when he returns? The way it reads to me in the paragraph it sounds like it should read “Salvation is for the body of Christ”.

Thanks
Stuart

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No, Stuart. What that means is that the salvation for which God’s people are waiting is for their physical bodies, not their souls. Their souls have already been made clean and holy. Now, we are waiting for our new bodies, which will match the holy work that God has already done in hour hearts.

Quite a few people said that was a new thought to them, but my father taught me that many years ago. He mentioned it often, and it is an important point. Jesus is not coming back the second time to deal with sin (Heb. 9:28), which has to do with the inner man, but to bring salvation (new bodies) to those who are looking for him. These bodies of flesh will be changed into bodies like Jesus’ glorified body (Phip. 3:21)

Here is the revised paragraph.

The salvation which Jesus promised to bring with him when he returns is for the body, not the soul. His reward for faithful believers will be new bodies that belong to their new nature. He will, as Paul said, ‘transform our lowly body into the likeness of his glorious body’ (Phip. 3:21). That is the unique hope of every person ‘born again’ into the family of God.”

Thanks for the question. A lot of people asked it.

jdc

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radio program

http://pastorjohnshouse.com/radio/

Hey Pastor John,

I feel so so good, so blessed!!!

I have been listening to the radio program CD I got in the mail this week. Absolutely wonderful! The testimonies on there are so sweet! When I heard Aaron telling about how Jesus touched him when Jonathan sang the other day in the meeting, then when sweet little Jonathon sang – WOW! I have cried at times during this, and shouted at other times. All you can do is PRAISE GOD!!!

This is definitely a CD you want to hear over and over. I think I will make a copy and give to one the people I clean for.

I can’t wait to see you all and touch you. This fifth weekend stuff is for the birds. I miss all my peoples. 🙂

Love You,
Donna C

p.s. Thanks for listening the other day!

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Yesterday

Good Morning, Pastor John.

Yesterday, I was going to service some window jobs. I had forgotten a contact number for one, but took their service ticket. I did the first job, and was driving to do the second, when I realized there was not a contact number for the place I was going.

I started to drive home to get a lot of paperwork completed and reschedule the appointment, but I heard the Spirit, “Call the office”. I pulled over and I called the office and received the contact number, and of course then called the person to let them know I was on my way. It was the [name withheld] Baptist Church, and one of the members had let me in to service the windows.

On the way to my truck after the service, I felt in my heart to give them one of my books. I told him that I had had a kidney stone and God had healed me from cancer. I explained to him that it was an education from Jesus, that money couldn’t buy. I told him a little more of my testimony on the book, then he said to me that his son has had a kidney stone that was so big that had to put a stint in to help pass it. The stint became infected and now he has to have a major (like mine) this Friday to see what they can do to remove the stint that is causing all of his son’s problem. They will operate on his son like they did on me to expose what may be bad inside. I pointed to my side and told him I have a huge scar, too. The book points to us, and especially to the power of God. He said he would read it and pass it on. I pray he does, and passes it on to his son to read.

Jesus, get’s past the titles of xty, and goes to the root of the situation. I know God loves this person and this person’s son. Had I not listened to the voice that told me to call the office, I would have not have been there in time to give my testimony of healing and give him a book about us.

What happens with the book is not my concern, though I pray I may get some kind of feedback. The links are in the back for them to look up. If they do, it will open a door to Jesus that they may not ever have known, if Jesus didn’t put it on my heart to make the effort to make contact with them. I left there feeling so good that I had pleased Jesus. Today was not about servicing windows, but obeying, God, and servicing whom He wants to service.

What was neat is when I saw a sign previously on the other job that said. “To obey is better that sacrifice”.

I love my little life!

billy m.

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Michael – Pearl for July 24

Pastor John,

I’m curious of the context your father was preaching when he said today’s Pearl? The word “reformed” caught my attention. I’m used to seeing “reformed” in a religious context attached to certain protestant theologies. I can’t imagine your father was referring to one of those. In the sense he was speaking, is reformed to be under conviction? The same feelings of conviction that lead us to repent and receive the Holy Ghost? But as I write this, I’m noticing that the word “form” within the word. Was your father simply saying to be is reformed just a “form” of godliness by the self will of man?

Not to get to deep here, as I said, just curious as to the context and the use of the word reformed.

Michael

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In that sermon from 35 years ago, or so, my father was referring to individuals “working on their problems” or “making New Year resolution”, changing old habits, or such as that.   None of that can make a person clean in God’s sight.  But even if we were to think of it as one of the “Reformed” churches, as you mentioned, it would apply.  No Christian church has ever been of God; men devised them all.  So, what eternal good is there in changing any of them and calling it a “Reformed Church”?  That is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. 

God calls no one to reform but to repent.  Then, He does the cleansing.

Pastor John

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Wonderful time with Jesus

Hi Pastor John

I had the sweetest time with the Lord this morning! I was driving into work and listening to the radio broadcast cd’s and the feelings were just so sweet. I felt like Jesus had His arms wrapped around me the whole way to work. How sweet it is to be a child of God. So safe and secure and so loving. I can’t help but to feel so blessed! I’m loved by the King………wow. He is so sweet. I love Him so much Pastor John. He knows me to the very core and He has never ever left me. He is a wonderful God. I’m so thankful so blessed! Praise God!!!

Love to all
Michelle
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Jesus loves times like that with his people, Michelle. You sure know how to make him happy!

Pastor John

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