Making Genesis come alive

Hey John,

The new book about the Father and Son is like it is all New, even though we have read it several times before. The end of chapter 4 is so good!!! The Son of God is the reason for EVERY element of the Old Testament. Been reading Genesis, and this book with it. This book makes Genesis ALIVE!!! My my.

Jr. E

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The Lords footstool

Good morning John,

Last night I was reading the father and son book and it referred to Psalm 110, which I read this morning. The first verse says “the Lord said unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

That word footstool stood out to me, and I looked up the many references regarding it.

In the old testament it was to be a place of worship:

Psalm 99:5 KJV
[5] “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”

Psalm 132:7 KJV
[7] “We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.”

It was also the earth:

Isaiah 66:1 KJV
[1] “Thus saith the Lord , The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”

Matthew 5:35 KJV
[35] “Nor (swear) by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.”

It was the building that David had in his heart to build for the ark of the covenant:

1 Chronicles 28:2 KJV
[2] “Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me , I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord , and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:”

It was a “golden” place of honor, for the feet of the king at Solomon’s throne:

2 Chronicles 9:18 KJV
[18] “And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:”

Which brings us back again to what Paul said and confirmed:

Hebrews 10:12 KJV
[12] “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

And here is the verse I really loved concerning his enemies:

Colossians 1:21-22 KJV
[21] “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled [22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

I pray that the King will put His feet on ME!

The Father and Son book really sets the heart free to consider things John, and there is something very special about it. I have sat down twice to read it now, and both times it has left me feeling very blessed, with a desire to know more of this Jesus, who nobody knew about until His Father revealed Him.

Gary

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“Son” or “son”?

John

In chapter 1 of the book, God Had a Son before Mary did, under the section, “Suddenly”, it says this:

“The child which Mary bore was created in her womb by God, and that being the case, he was physically the Son of God. But the Son of God through whom God “made the worlds” did not spend nine months being formed in Mary’s womb.”

Would the first “the Son” still be capital when referring to Mary’s son Jesus being physically God’s son?

Richard
================

Hi Richard.

That is an issue that we have debated several times. As for capitalizing the “S”, in general, I doubt that the Son of God himself would capitalize the “S” on “Son” if he were writing the word. But most of the time, we capitalize it because Jesus told us that God wants men to honor the Son even as they honor the Father (Jn. 5:23).

Paul and James both referred to the night in Genesis 15, when God told Abraham to look up at the stars and Abraham believed God when He promised that He would multiply Abraham’s seed like the stars in the night sky (Rom. 4:21-22; Jas. 2:23). The problem is, that “Abraham” didn’t exist then. His name at that time was still “Abram”. God didn’t change Abram’s name until Genesis 17! But what we learn from this (and other, similar examples) is that it is acceptable to call the man in Genesis 15 “Abraham”, even though “Abraham” was not his name until years later.

Likewise, I believe it is acceptable to refer to Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God, even though only years later did the Son of God leave heaven and become one with him at John’s baptism. I even hear people talk about “Jesus” being at the Father’s right hand in the beginning of creation, and I do not argue with them because there is no difference now between Mary’s son and the Son whom God had with him in the beginning, “through whom He made the worlds”.

The original languages do not capitalize “son”, “father”, “spirit”, or even the word “God”. It is our choice to do that. An argument can be made that “son” should not be capitalized when Mary’s son is clearly the son being referred to, and in our translation, we have not always capitalized “son”, depending on the meaning of the verse itself. For example, we did not capitalize “son” in the following verse from John 10:36, where Jesus asked the Jews who hated him,

36. Are you telling the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am a son of God’?

In general, out of respect for the wondrous work of God in Jesus, I think it is acceptable to refer to Mary’s son as “Son”, but it is not a law that can be laid down. It is a matter of choice.

Thanks for the question, Rich!

jdc

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Songs Of Rest

http://www.songsofrest.com

Good morning 🙂

 

I was playing the songs on my PC from the Songs of Rest website before I went to breakfast; so very good to hear it fill this little room.  I left with Donna’s song playing, “Let Us Live (Like There’s No Tomorrow)”.  Wonderful, song!  When I returned from breakfast a little while later, Darren’s song was playing, “Rest Oh My Child”.  The power of God flooded my heart and mind and reminded me when God touched me in your doorway in 2001, while Darren was playing that song on is new guitar.  The curtains were opened, and I had to just praise God in front of the window.  I cried, “Jesus, the whole world needs this (the power of God)!”    It will cleanse, it will heal, it will give a sound mind, but all-in-all, it will keep you over time.

 

As I was praying on my face because of what I was feeling, the Spirit reminded me the first time I heard Darren’s song and how it had an effect on my heart.  Then, walking into the hotel room, how it still had an effect. 

 

I loved Damien’s email this morning.  Paul was trusting in Jesus by going to Rome, even if it required his life, rather than to have to trust men.   It is true, “Jesus Cares”.

 

Off to the job site, “The Way of Grace” is playing now.  I don’t know if I can work, now. 🙂

 

Billy

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Acts 25:9-11

Note from Pastor John:  Our ground-breaking non-Christian translation of the New Testament books is progressing.  We have completed most of them, but much work still remains.

 

Hey

 

I’m working on Acts 25 and really enjoyed this passage.  One of the good things about knowing some Greek is to be able to see something here.  In verse 9, Festus wants to do the Jews a “xaris”.  In verse 11, Paul uses the verb “xarizomai“.  This isn’t plain “give” or “deliver” but has the idea of giving as a favor.  Paul knew what was going on. The KJV, RSV and ESV don’t do it.

 

What a scene!  It struck me that Paul was given a way out of going to Rome here, not that he had much expectation of a long life if he went back to Jerusalem.  Him saying those words, “I appeal to Caesar”, may not quite be up there with Nathan’s, “You are the man”, and such, but it is on that way.  It is hard for us, perhaps, to appreciate what uttering those words meant in that cruel, tyrannical world.  Paul was trusting Jesus who had told him he would go there. 

 

djc

 

Act 25:7 And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around, and brought many serious charges against Paulos, which they were not able to prove.

Act 25:8 In his own defense, he said, ‘Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I done anything wrong.’

Act 25:9 But Festus, willing to grant the Jews a favor, answered Paulos and said, ‘Will you go up to Jerusalem, to be judged before me there concerning these things?’

Act 25:10 Then Paulos said, ‘I am standing at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done the Jews no wrong, as even you yourself very well know.

Act 25:11 For, if indeed I am doing wrong or have done anything worthy of death I do not seek to avoid death, but if there is nothing [in] what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up as a favor to them.  I appeal to Caesar!'”

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“Did not Blame God for Anything?”

Hi there!

I have been doing a little bit of work this evening on verses from Job. Maybe one of you can explain this to me. In Job 1:21, we have these famous words of Job:

21. And he said, “Naked, I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked, I will return. the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

My question has to do with the next verse. Here is what the Bible says:

22. In all this, Job did not sin, or accuse God of wrong.

But here is how certain Christian versions of the Bible have translated that verse:

New Living Translation
In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

New American Standard Bible
Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.

Now, if Job said in verse 21 that God “took away” his children and all his possessions, how is it that Job was not blaming God for doing so? If verse 21 is not Job holding God responsible for “taking away” his children and possessions, then what on earth did Job mean by saying, “the Lord has taken away”?

Thank you ahead of time for your explanations of how Job was not blaming God for anything when he said that God had taken away all that he had.

Pastor John

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All Things for Our Good

Pastor John’s House Teaching Materials and Music Store

 

Hi John,

I feel like the message on “All Things working together for our good”*  is one of the best lessons a new born child of God can learn, if they can take it in and believe it – any child of God for that matter.  It takes all the resistance out of every situation that comes our way.  It brings peace, hope and trust; it builds your faith in God and his Son, and brings him glory.

I, and a lot of us among us, have had the opportunity to be taught this lesson while we were young in the Lord by you.  It has made our lives so much easier, and has allowed us to grow and learn just what God wanted us to learn in the situations that came our way.  It has allowed us to slow down and wait to see what God was doing.

I can’t count how many times, when things would start stirring around me, I would get still and start talking to God asking him when to move or what I should say or not say.  If the situation did not go the way I thought it should, I prayed, asking God to change me to be in harmony with him and his Son.  The first place I would start was with me.  Am I wanting my own way?  Did I miss something, God?  What are you trying to teach me?

Without learning the revelation of that God being for us and working all things together fro our good, the message God gave to you for us, John, we would have a lot more struggles in this life and not understand who and what God and his Son are in our lives.  We would blame the devil, other people, bad luck – anything – and could never even think that it might be God doing it for our good.  

I am so thankful to know and understand this truth from our Father and his Son.  What a difference it has made in our lives!  It has allowed us to do His work while we are here on this earth, and give the glory to the one it belongs to.

Thank you,  John

Stuart

* Pastor John’s “All Things” book has been updated and retitled.  It is now called Suffering and the Saints. 

 

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Thankful

Pastor John,

After reading Kathy’s and Stuart’s emails, and Tina’s text all today, I have to say that one of the sweetest gifts God has given us in this life is each other. I don’t believe anyone in this earth has been more blessed than we have been. He has given us his life, His truth, and you, a man of God to teach us, and each other to share it all together! And it gets sweeter all along the way. I love this holy way. I pray that our brothers and sisters will find some of the good food you have prepared for them!

Donna N

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“Nobody is living without God”

Good Morning John,

I was on my way to work this morning, driving through the back roads by my house, heading to the job site. I came across a church sign that said, “Living without God is like trying to bounce a football”. As I got further down the road, the spirit spoke to me and said, “Nobody is living without God”

The only reason anyone is alive and here on this earth is because the Father and his Son created them. The only question is, are we his child or not? And are we following his spirit? As I drove on, my thoughts went back to this weekend and how wonderful it felt and how good it was to be with my family in the Lord.

I thought about what you were preaching about God’s children, and how much we lose when we try to add something to what He has done for us through his spirit. Most of God’s children don’t know that that is what they are doing when they join a church or add any ceremonies to worshipping God in the spirit.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought about how much some of our brothers and sisters have given away, and what we have lost, by them being a part of Christianity, and how thankful I felt to be able to understand and be taught about our Father and his Son by following his spirit and hearing his voice.

At that point, as the tears flowed, I felt so thankful! How much of a privilege it is to be a part of what God is giving to us through you, John. It is a rare thing on this earth, what God has given to our little group, and all we want is for all of God’s children everywhere to have it, and to be be made one in the spirit. I feel more thankful every day for what he has done for us.

Thank you John.
Stuart

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Feelings!

Good morning bro. John. 

 

Last night, as I was reading the section on “Job” in your Suffering and the Saints book, feelings were overtaking me that I had never felt that way before.  Tears would not stop coming from my eyes, and the feelings I was having were wonderful.  Bro John, I have been praying for a long time, “Jesus, please let me feel these feeling like you want me to feel.”  Job did not even have the Holy Ghost, but he sure knew God, and loved God, and trusted God!  I love what I am feeling in my Heart and in my Spirit.

 

Well, I hope to see you soon .

Kathy T

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