Forbearance

Pastor John, 

​I was talking to Jesus yesterday on the way to work.  I had just finished listening to Donna’s song, “Run to my Jesus”.  I was asking Him to “empty me and fill me at His command,” as the song says.  Then I came to a stoplight, and the car in front of me had a license tag that read, “4bearance”.  That really struck me because you just don’t see that everyday.  So, I looked up the definition:  “Self-control; patient restraint; hold back, abstain.”

I thought about that off and on, all day.

Last night, I got home and started reading.  I wanted to find out where that word was in the Bible, and I found it in Romans.  I read in chapter 2 and by the time I had finished, I had such a fear of God in my heart that I began to pray . . . I mean really pray.  The spirit of prayer fell on me, and I began crying and speaking in tongues.  I began asking for discernment and understanding.  I have prayed for these before, but not like it fell on me last night.

I feel like Jesus is trying to teach me something but I’m not getting it.  I feel it, but don’t understand it.  Can you help me?

Michelle

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Last Night’s Meeting

Hey John,

I still have the sweet feelings from last nights meeting.  Yes, we are blessed to hear these words of life.  What compassion it gave me for God’s people that have little to no food!  I just want to thank you for feeding us, and I thank all the translators too. 

I loved Darren and Gary songs last night.
Jr.

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Jesus Did It!

Good morning Pastor John, 

​I had the sweetest drive into work this morning!  

When I passed by Carrie’s neighborhood and saw her coming out, I don’t even think she saw me but it made me smile to see her.  I thought, Oh Jesus I love her, I love my sweet family.  Then I had the thought, Jesus did it!  He put that love in my heart. 

Then a little later I looked out my window to see this beautiful sunrise with the most amazing colors!  And again, I had the thought, Jesus did it!  He created this beautiful sunrise for us to enjoy. 

As I continued driving and listening to our wonderful music that moves me down deep in my soul, I had the thought again, Jesus did it!  He’s given us our musicians and this wonderful music!​ Whew…. how sweet!  All because He did it!

I love Jesus made us, us!

Hope you have a great day!

Michelle

 

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The Revelation Reading

After reading those things tonight from your book on Revelation, I sat back and thanked God for what we’ve heard.  It made my mouth shut in some places and hang down in others.  It was so wonderful!  It really keeps you in focus.

Billy M.

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Thank you so much for the reading last night!  I was sitting there thinking, “How does he do that?” (Putting it all together and make it so clear.)  I love how Jesus teaches you and you teach us!

Before coming to the truth, I never knew the Old Testament could be so alive!  I love how you added the OT scriptures to the Revelation study.  One of my favorite parts was the story of Joseph talking to his brothers, and comparing it to Jesus talking to the Jews.  Whew!  What love!

I was so thankful to be there last night, and thankful to be literally sitting there instead of watching it on Livestream.  I am blessed!

Carrie

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Good morning,

I feel so full after last night, reading about when the Jews turn to Jesus in the end.  I feel stirred with a longing to be full of zeal and to be faithful to God.  The love that was, and that will be, poured out from God for His people, the Jews, pierces my soul when we read about it.  I got up this morning just saying over and over “Lord, let me be faithful to you!”

How can I love Him enough for His mercy and not leaving me out there?

After learning the truth, the Jews will outlaw false doctrine.  Whew!  Their zeal for Jesus provokes me to jealousy now! When I first started taking the OT course, I used to feel jealous about them being God’s chosen people.  But I see why God loves them so much.  I want to be so full of zeal that I would fit right in with them at that time!  I consider what we have now, and think,  “Lord, am I thankful enough?  Do I really value it enough?  What would those weeping Jews see in me?”

We don’t have to wait to learn the truth.  God has already poured out His love on us.  We are already filled with His spirit. We have already met Jesus.  That is just rolling through me this morning.

Beth

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Hey Pastor John,

I have loved reading Revelation.  It has stirred up such feelings, feelings I never knew existed.  I love it because I feel like I’m getting to know who Jesus is, His love, His mercy and His power. I’m in awe of this precious life that He has given to us.  He’s chosen us to understand it, to love it, to feel it!  Wow, that is no small thing.  

I wish every child of God could hear and feel what we’ve been given.  What a remarkable life!

Thank you, Pastor John!

Michelle H

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Pastor John, 

I agree with Carrie, the way you put scripture together makes it easy to learn and to understand. 

Also putting Joseph and Jesus together like that was new to me.  I never thought about it being a shadow of things to come. 

It was good reading that last night.

Thank you,

Steve 

 

 

 

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Life Support

Hi Pastor John, 

Today I was in the car and I was listening to a brother testify.  This brother said, “I know I can sit here in this chair (at the prayer meetings) and die.”  That struck my heart when he said that, and almost immediately Jesus said, “I am life support.”  Jesus will keep us alive when our spirits are tired and need help to keep going. Jesus will bring us into the “emergency room”, as Sister Willie says, and plug us into the body where we can get nutrients and be fed.  There really is nothing new in this world.  Jesus is the original life support!  That is so good to me.

Yet, just as in the world, a body cannot stay on life support.  Almost immediately the muscles weaken causing atrophy.  I was in a coma for seven days once, and after I woke up, I remember not being able to sit up without help.  I remember wanting to stand, and my mind was ready to get up and walk, but my muscles could not function like they were supposed to.  The lack of circulation and blood flow had an almost immediate effect.  I could not eat or swallow after only seven days.  The muscles were too weak.  I had to do daily exercises to even take a drink of water.  I was so thirsty, yet I could not have a sip of water, for the doctors feared I would choke on it.

You can overcome the atrophy and get strong again, but it is not without work, and it is not without pain.  The longer the body is on life support, the harder it is to regain strength and function.

I love the mercy in this, and I love His wisdom.  We can rest when our spirits are tired.  Jesus will keep us alive.  But we have to get up and use our spiritual muscles!  We have to move and let the blood flow, or everything vital begins to die.  We do not want to get to the point where we cannot take a sip of water from Jesus.  Imagine being so thirsty for a drink, and having the water available, but no longer having the strength to swallow.

Also while I was in a coma, the hospital sent two men from local churches, on separate occasions, to anoint my head with oil because the odds were high that I was going to die, and that was supposed to ensure I made it to Heaven.  I am so very thankful for the oil that will really get me home. 

I found this definition of atrophy:

Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body.

Beth

 

 

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Good Testimony

Hi Bro John, 

I really enjoyed Rob’s testimony last night about his two choices the doctor gave him about his ear. ​ ​One was to apply the cancer cream and the second was to have surgery which required being cut on and then recovery time. ​ ​Rob went with his doctor’s first choice if it were him (the doctor) making the decision.

I know he was talking about a physical thing, but I thought about it in a spiritual way too.

It makes me think this could be how Jesus talks to us sometimes. ​ ​When he shows us something about ourselves that needs fixing or changing, we have a choice to make. ​ ​Many times, we can hear godly sermons, songs and testimonies that seem to speak directly to us.​ ​ If we can take in that godly wisdom and instruction, apply the “healing cream”, we might discover that was all that was needed to take care of the problem.​ ​ On the other hand, we can just hear what came to us as mere words or maybe think those were words for someone else, do nothing when the help is offered,​ and then have to be cut on. ​ ​That kind of spiritual surgery can be tough,​ even though we realize it’s for our good​,​ and it’s much better to be cut on than cut off.

It reminds me of the song you sang recently, “Let Have His Way With Thee”. ​ ​The ​chorus goes like this: “His pow’r can make you what you ought to be; His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free; His love can fill your soul, and you will see, ’twas best for Him to have His way with thee.”

When listening to the words, I usually hear this: “His love can fill your soul and you will see ‘Twas best for Him to have had His way with thee.” ​ ​Meaning, his way is many times an easier way,​ but we make it harder when we refuse to take that easier way when it was first offered.

Oh my, how many times have I done that in my life time.​ ​ It makes me want to tell Jesus all over again how sorry I am that I did not go with his first choice for me.

Hope your day has been a very good one.

Sheila

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John the Baptist and Jesus

Hi, Pastor John. 

Since John the Baptist was a shadow type of Jesus and was sent only to the Jews to introduce them to Jesus, would that be the same as Jesus being sent (in spirit at Pentecost) to the sons of God (those who were chosen before the foundations of the world) to present (“introduce”) us to his Father?

Thanks,

Billy M.

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Hi Billy.

The Spirit is really what introduced the Father and the Son to men, for even when Jesus was here among us, men did not know him because they did not have the Spirit within. So, you are on the right track with that.

Pastor John

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Conversion and Salvation

I Would like to understand the difference between salvation and conversion. Will you please help? 

Shirley

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Hi, Shirley.

There is a great difference between “conversion” and “salvation”.  Conversion is experienced in this life.  It is to be “born again”.  Conversion happens when our sins are washed away, which takes place when we are baptized with the Spirit of God.  The disciples were converted and had their sins washed away on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1-4).

Salvation, on the other hand, is God’s reward for the faithful.  Jesus will bring that reward with him when he returns to catch away his faithful saints.  As for any unfaithful believer, though converted, he will not receive salvation but God “will cut him off and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  In that place, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” (Mt. 24:51).

No believer who is still living on earth has received his salvation yet because Jesus has not yet comes.  Paul said that “our salvation is nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11), and that is true.  Every day, our salvation draws nearer because every day, the coming of the Lord is nearer.

Do not follow those who teach that you receive salvation now, in this life.  Jesus is the Judge, not them.

Pastor John

 

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