Our Righteousness

Pastor John, 

Beth and I were talking tonight about life in the Spirit.  And while we spoke, I felt Jesus.  After that, I felt like I understood this:

God has amply provided us with knowledge, through the scriptures, of how He feels about our righteousness (the righteousness of men).  The verse that immediately comes to my mind, is “our righteousness is like filthy rags”.

That verse is not saying that the behavior of men that is contrary to God is like filthy rags in His sight (though it is).  What that verse means is that all the behavior of men, even the behavior of men that is considered right, is like filthy rags, even if it perfectly mirrors the righteousness of God.  In other words, it has nothing to do with the behavior, or act being performed by a man. It has everything to do with the motivation and intent.

If a carnally minded man abstains from alcohol and drugs and fornication and gluttony and all of those things, just as God commanded, it can only be for the furtherance of his carnal desires.  Perhaps it is for the upkeep of his appearance, or to impress and gain attention from others, or to further his financial success, or his longevity of life, to enjoy that financial success. Whatever it is for, though it be godly in appearance, it cannot be for the Glory of God.  The flesh only minds the things of the flesh, it is not subject to the will of God, nor can it be.

Therefore, a man’s reason for what he is doing can pollute the thing that he does, even if what he is doing, is exactly what Jesus wants him to do.

Jerry

 

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Fellowship Purges Wrong Ideas

Good morning Pastor John,

This morning, I was thinking about the great time I had last night with my sisters at Michelle’s house.  Just as soon as I had that thought, the spirit said to me “now they are your god-isters, not the ones the world says are you god-sister or god-brother or godfather and godmother.  That’s just something else the world gets wrong, another ceremony they started, along with baptism!

Pastor John, people have asked me who the man is in the picture in my living room, and I would reply, “My daughter’s godfather”.  Or if someone asked why I moved to GA when I left NJ, and I would reply, “My god-sister told me about a place in McDonough GA.”  I never thought about what I was saying until this morning when the spirit reminded me how wrong the world is – and I was – and how lost we are without being led and purged from wrong ideas.   How deeply imbedded some of those ideas are!  We can’t see them until they are pointed out to us as we go through life.

I am glad I listened and started drinking from the cup of fellowship.  If not, I would not have heard the spirit or felt the godly, sisterly connection that God wanted me to have.  I don’t know how I survived, wandering in the wilderness  for 10 years without fellowship, but it was by the grace of God that I was found and brought in.  I see now how fellowship can purge you from wrong ideas, either by speaking to you or showing you how it’s suppose to really be done.

I’m so thankful to you and all my family and happy to be a part of this life. 😀

Venus

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God Still Loves Them – and Us

Pastor John,

Good Morning! I just read your “Random Thought” for 2-26, “Cast Out With Love”.   It tells how God cast out Adam from the garden of Eden to protect him from eating of the tree of life.  God still loved Adam.  It also tells about the shepherds of God’s flock on earth.  God’s shepherds know how dangerous it is for disobedient believers to be allowed at fountain.  It talked about the sinful man in Corinth.  Paul told them to put him out of the Assembly.  It was that man’s best chance to meet God in peace!  It was also the group’s best chance, as a whole, to stay well.

God loves us!!!  He will give us our best hope of eternal life!  The words to Elijah’s song was at the end, “I Still Love You the Same”.  I love God’s government!!!  It is the best hope for us all.  Let’s pray for those who are have had to leave!!!  God still loves them the same, even if the best place for them now is away from the body!

Sue

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Hi Sue.

Yes, the precious love of God for His people expresses itself in many ways.  And if we humble ourselves to receive it, in whatever form it comes, we will be made the better for it.

Pastor John

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://goingtojesus.com/site/php/thoughts.php?tname=rdt02-26

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Possessing the Whole Promised Land

After Moses died, God spoke to Joshua and said, “Moses my servant is dead.  Now, therefore, arise and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I give them, even to the children of Israel.  Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said to Moses.  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast” (Josh. 1:2-4).

Everyone who has studied the geography while reading the Old Testament story of the conquest of Canaan knows that Israel never took all the territory that God told Joshua to take.  They never possessed and dwelt in the part of the Promised Land that was farthest north, the land which reached the Euphrates River.  King David and King Solomon forced the people living in that territory to pay them tribute, but even they never took possession of the land for Israel.

Did the New Testament people of God do any better?  Has the body of Christ attained to the power and wisdom that rightly belongs to it?  Obviously not.  I believe that someday it will; at the same time, viewing the confusion and divisions that exist among those who belong to Jesus, I have to say that the New Testament family of God has not attained to its potential in Christ.  How patient God has been with us!

The same, no doubt, holds true for individuals.  Each born-again soul is given the power through the Spirit to fully conquer their old, sinful nature.  But how many actually fulfill that potential in Christ?  That is a sobering, humbling question.  May God grant all of us, and all His children everywhere, the grace to conquer the entire land of our lives, and to make all of it a dwelling place for Jesus!

jdc

 

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Sweet School Day

Pastor John,

On our daily lesson plan for school, I always leave a section titled “Bible”.  I leave it blank unless the Lord gives me something in particular to talk about with the kids ahead of time.  Sometimes, it stays blank.  I love not feeling “obligated” to have something written down.  Most of the time, though, at the end of our day, I can go back and fill in something that we discussed.  It is always unexpected, and I usually never remember how we got there.

Today was so sweet. We wound up talking about how Jesus gives us pleasures in this life, whatever it is that you like, just so that we can understand what “pleasures forevermore” means–just to get the idea.  We talked about loving peace and how this flesh doesn’t, but Jesus does.  We talked about the waterfall and the little bird sitting peacefully by it.  We talked about whether we wanted to be like the waterfall or the bird.   If we don’t love peace, we’ll have that, forever.  If we love peace, we’ll have that, forever. 

Then we talked about if we do make it there, where there are “pleasures forevermore”, how we’ll see the people that we love who have gone on before us and made it there.  I’m excited to hope to see my grandma again.  I look forward to seeing Preacher Clark and Uncle Joe.  It brings tears to my eyes to think of meeting King David.  I have fellowship with him.  That brought up the whole story of David, Bathsheba and Uriah.  It was so good having the kids put themselves into the story.  Would they have forgiven David?  Would they have been happy Absalom was dead?  After that, David spent the rest of his life teaching Solomon what he had learned.  It was a wonderful lesson for all of us in the mercy and love of God.  What sweet, sweet feelings from Jesus this morning!  I love it when he does that.  My mouth just waters.

Last night was wonderful, and Jesus gave me something unexpected again today to put in my “Bible” section. 🙂

Cris

 

 

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Meeting (2/24/2016)

Hi Pastor John,

I’m sitting here looking at God’s beauty of the sunrise, but what we heard last night is beyond words, as you were teaching us.  What love from the Father to create a place for us, together, so that we could relate and be shown the Son.

God sends food to the shepherd for his sheep.   All you have to do is eat when the food is given.

Wonderful food last night. I’m glad we got to eat it together.

Billy M.

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Pastor John, 

Last night, through the streaming video, I felt like something heavenly drew near.

I had to start it over to watch the beginning, once it finished streaming live, but I was able to see it all. When I turned it on, it was 8:20pm and by 8:22, I and the room I was standing in, felt full!  It was so wonderful, and unexpected. I felt saturated. 

In your message, I felt like every sincere heart everywhere had their questions answered and every form of confusion made clear. That message was power, and it was able to subdue everything that wasn’t Jesus, everywhere, if taken in. It was the Answer!  I hope there is a way to persuade God’s children to listen to this, once it is available on the websites. 

Beth and I were discussing, this evening, what we each experienced from the gathering of the Saints last night.  We spoke of the power that we could feel and the value and clarity of your message. 

Thank you brother John 🙂

Jerry

 

 

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Reactions to the Wednesday Night Meeting (2/24/2016)

Stuart:

Thank you God!! Thank you God!! Thank you God!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Life!!!!!

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Beth:

I feel so at peace and content and full tonight. I am so thankful for our life. I am thankful Jesus let me love the truth. Good night Pastor John ⭐

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Natalie:

Bro John, tonight was a cleansing of our souls. Your love for the truth that overflows and stirs up our love that is in our life that Jesus has given us. It sets us free from this flesh that is a war with the spirit. I felt like Jesus was calling us out to a place of liberty, saying LIVE in the HG I have given you. Gods message was so simple. God help me to take it in to the fullest! I thank Jesus for loving us this much!!! Yay!!!

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Cris:

Goodnight!~from this stupid, helpless, hairy sheep 🐑😊

 

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Debbie T’s Saturday Touch

I am very thankful for the touch I received Saturday night (Feb. 20, 2016).  I was at home, sitting in a chair with a blanket and pillow, eyes closed and listening to the testimonies, and the songs, and the praying.  It felt like I was someplace else, wrapped up in my blanket, floating along. I could feel it when the tightness and congestion left my chest.  It felt so good!

Also, my right shoulder has not had much pain for a few days now. That is wonderful!  I have had pain in the right shoulder over 6 months now, and the past 2 months have been so bad the pain would wake me at night, and I’ve not been able to use the right side.  I
still don’t have normal strength or good range of motion, but the lack of pain is wonderful.  Constant pain is so wearisome, and a lack of it has made me feel better all over.

I am very thankful, and thank Jesus for the touch, and thankful for
the prayers.  Jesus is still a healer and our friend.

Love,

Debbie T

 

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Meeting Today

Pastor John,

I feel like Jesus gave me some strength today through the songs, testimonies, and the teaching in 1Corinthians and Jude.  I am grateful for feeling the power of God wash over me today!

Bess

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Sweet Day

Hi Pastor John!

I was listening to a CD from December and had such a sweet day with Jesus.

As I sat listening, I thought about how much I like your voice.  Many times just the sound of your voice will move my heart.  I asked Jesus why that is, and I got a very quick response.  “My sheep know my voice.”  I always thought of that differently, but you are His voice for us.  It was really sweet to feel that today.

Another sweet moment today is as I was driving home today,  I was kind of daydreaming and I thought about morning sickness.  I have no idea why just an OUT OF NO WHERE kind of thought.  I started thinking about Abby and how beautiful she looked in a photo on Facebook.  She was just glowing.  I thought, “That’s because she has life inside of her, Lord.”  The spirit said, “just like my children glow with my life in them.”  I know I have said this before, but I have to say it again.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE how everything is a shadow of Heaven, an echo of Jesus .  It stirs my soul every time Jesus lets me see a little bit.  When I first saw Uncle Joe on the PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE video, I asked Jerry why he had makeup on?  Jerry said “He doesn’t.  Jesus just makes you shiny.”  Ever since that moment, I have wanted to be shiny.  It is a prayer of mine to be shiny in Jesus. 

I love our life.  

Beth

 

 

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