Fulfilling Scripture

Hey Pastor John,

Just thinking over the Matthew readings, more precisely they fact scripture was fulfilled with certain details of Jesus death.

One instance was, “There was not a bone broken” in his body.  My question is, the Pharisees were up on their scriptures as good as anyone….didn’t they see that was being fulfilled by what they were doing??

Or were they blinded by God so they couldn’t put 2 and 2 together??

Thank you,

Steve

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Good question, Steven.

Nobody in Israel believed that any prophecy of a man suffering, and especially of a man dying, applied to the mighty Messiah of whom the prophets also spoke.  They were looking for a superman-type person, not a man who was despised and abused.  So, no, the Pharisees did not apply the prophecies about suffering to Jesus.

As clear as the prophecies seem to us, it is difficult to understand how they could have missed it, but until God opens our eyes, we are all just as blind.  And when He decides to keep our spiritual eyes shut, no one can open them.  Be thankful for what you can see!

I am glad you are thinking on these things.  Do keep it up!

Pastor John

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Free Indeed!

I know you know all of this because you wrote it, but this is so good!  It’s just so good!  Made me think of that song ‘I want to love Him more”, and I changed it in my heart to want to love Him more than anything.  And to hear how Jesus felt about how they treated him!  Jesus had feelings as they mocked him; it hurt him.

It also made me think of brother Gary singing just from the heart the other night.  I loved that, and Ellie dancing was just pure, just pure and free in what she was feeling with Jesus.  We witness some wonderful things from Jesus, PJ.  I had to write you and share how good what you wrote is!  I can picture the Jews in the end, when their hearts are changed and they can see, reading this and it being so clear for them.  A wealth of knowledge laid out for them.  I would love to see that, and just think, God used you to write it!  That’s pretty wonderful.

from God Had A Son before Mary Did*

“To partake of God’s kind of righteousness was beyond the wildest dreams of man.  The rites and rules of the law were intended to lead Israel to receive that righteousness, but they didn’t know it, and in the end, the law that God Himself gave Israel to lead them to that blessing became their prison.  The law became their idol, and that dead idol would not allow them to receive the Messiah of whom it spoke.  They loved the law more than they loved the Son, and so, their temple and their holy days, their priesthood and sacrifices, their lovely candlestick and golden table became their prison, their curse.  The persecuted Son is the one who asked the Father for that justice:

Psalm 69

19.You know my reproach, and my shame, and my disgrace.  All those who torment me are before you.

20.Reproach has broken my heart, and I am in despair.  I longed for someone to pity me, but there was no one, and for comforters, but I found none.

21.They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst, they made me drink vinegar.

22.Let their table become a snare for them, and their peace offerings, a trap.

The liberty that Paul preached was the liberty from ignorance and spiritual weakness.  It was the gift of the knowledge of God’s will and the strength to do it.  In a powerful sermon in the 1970s, Preacher Clark summarized Paul’s message this way: “God can’t use you as long as you are going by a set of rules.  I don’t care whose rules they are.  God is going to give you His law now, today, and His law will be in your heart.  It will make you free from the law of sin and death, and you will be willing and able to do whatever God wants you to do, without a set of rules to go by.”  The liberty that God’s life brings is an incomparably glorious liberty, as joyous to the souls who enter into it as it is strange and frightening to the souls who will not.  The Son of God came to set us free from our fear of breaking a rule and being damned (Heb. 2:15).  He did this by re-creating us as people to whom rules and rites do not apply, as holy people who live under “a perfect law of liberty”, “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”.  To keep this law, all we have to do is to walk in the kind of life we have received, the life that knows no rules and fears nothing but the God who gave it, our heavenly Father who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our stead.”

also from above:

“The Son of God came to set us free from our fear of breaking a rule and being damned (Heb. 2:15).”

That fear of being damned is so heavy in Catholicism!  From the very beginning that fear is instilled.  I feel like Jesus is still getting that out of me.  You can really see where it is an extension of the righteousness of man, and is so far from what God did for us.

Beth D.

* Going to Jesus.com – God Had A Son Before Mary Did

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The Law and Psalm 119

Hi Pastor John,

I am studying the Old Testament* with the Paynes, Nelson’s and others.  This is my first time studying it in a group, so it’s special to me right now, and I’m loving the class. 

I especially love studying The Law.  It was wonderful, though imperfect.  But it was part of God’s overall plan.  I love how you showed Jesus, and the faithful of God’s ppl, loved the Law.  They were not insolent about it; they cherished it!  Thank you for that; that has gone deep in my heart.  I love that they loved the Law.  Christianity made my heart despise the law, I think, without my knowing it.  But these studies undo that, and I’m thankful for that. 

But most of all, I love how Psalm 119 seems to sum up the law and the love and goodness of God.  My heart’s prayer is Psalm 119.  Before Jesus let me come to the truth, Psalm 119 was not in my heart; I couldn’t feel it at first, I was so numb.  But now I feel it and love it, and I cherish that beyond words.  Brings tears of thankfulness to my eyes. I love Psalm 119. 

Thank you. 

Love, Jenny

* Old Testament Course (Pt. 1) – Going to Jesus.com

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A Pure Heart

Good morning! 

Reading what Paul went through this morning:

2Corinthians 11:

24. Five times I received forty lashes, minus one, at the hands of the Jews;
25. three times, I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a day and a night I have spent in the deep;
26. on frequent journeys, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from bandits, in dangers from my own race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers on the sea, in dangers among false brothers,
27. through toil and hardship, through frequent sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and nakedness.

That is the same hate-filled spirit that mocked Jesus.  I tried to even imagine being so cruel to any hurting or broken human.  They didn’t know he was God’s Son, but where was just the normal compassion?  I often think about the hardening of the hearts in the world today, but it is not new.  That spirit has been around a long time, designing a way to kill people that ensures the most suffering.  What kind of hearts can do that?

Then I read this: “The Jews in Paul’s time feared that they would face eternal damnation if they attempted to live without that dear old guardian [the law].  After all, had not God commanded them to obey the law, on penalty of death?  They could not imagine God considering them righteous if they did not keep the law’s rules for conduct and worship.  Everyone in Israel, to that point in history, who had disobeyed the law had been condemned and cursed by God, while all who had kept it had been blessed.  Who, then, except a fool or a madman, would think that someone could be righteous without observing the law’s rites and rules?  God did.” 

Amen! 

Whew!   It’s like a tug of war on the heart, until I go back over everything you have taught me.  The truth really does save you.  I thought, “Paul wasn’t asking the Jews to stop following the law.  Paul was telling the Jews that the Gentiles did not have to follow the law and its ceremonies.  God had written the law on their hearts.”  God had done something new and wonderful for us Gentiles, the dogs of this world.  But the Jews were too proud to admit it.

Pride!  What a dangerous and heart-hardening spirit pride is.  When we look at those lost in Christianity or just those without God, our hearts do not want to throw heavy stones at them or whip the flesh from them.  Our hearts want them to have God’s spirit.  We want them to have what God gave to us.  We want that because God changed our hearts and made them like His.  Look at the difference of the hearts, God’s heart and man’s heart.  I think of God commanding Israel to get rid of all the Amalekites, but I feel like even that would have been done with a different heart.

And God is going to change the Jew’s hearts, too, in the end.  Just to understand that touches me.

I hate pride.  I feel like Jesus has been talking to me a lot about pride lately.  Maybe that is why I feel this way, reading this.  I pray for a pure heart from my Father.  A pure heart is the answer.  I want a pure heart.

Beth D.

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A Matter of the Heart

Pastor John,

You wrote in the book, God Had a Son before Mary Did*, “Adam and Eve were not made sinful by eating the forbidden fruit and obtaining ‘the knowledge of good and evil’ (Gen. 2:16–17; 3:6–7, 22). They ate the fruit and obtained that knowledge because they had already become sinful. Sin is a matter of the heart, and their choice to disobey God was the sin.” 

That makes me think of Judas.  What difference did it make to God if Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver?  It was a matter of the heart.

Wow!  What a thought! 

“Children, in their innocence, are in some measure clean before God. Jesus even said that we must become like innocent children if we hope to ever see God’s kingdom (Mt. 18:1–3). But when young children in Israel came of age and learned from the law what sin was, they realized their guiltiness before God and “died” to their innocence. Paul described how this happened to him:

Romans 7

9.I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

10.And then, the very commandment that was ordained for life was found by me to be for death.” 

Beth D.

* Going to Jesus.com – God Had A Son Before Mary Did

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Morning Revelation Reading

John, 

I just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done for us, this morning’s reading of Revelation was so good.  As we were reading about the destruction of Babylon and the end time events for the Jew’s, God’s people whom He loves, a feeling of thankfulness and gratefulness came all over my body, to be able to understand and take in what God has given to you for us is an honor!  All I could think about was all the work and time you have put into us and our education to learn and teach us about the God we love. There is no way to understand these things without the education you have given us all, learning the Old Testament and the prophets and what is in their writings, along with following the Spirit with it all.

Life in God is an education and a lifetime of growing and learning in the Spirit about who and what God has made us and where we are with Him. I know it has been God who has led you and taught you and given you everything you have written and taught us, but you had to be willing and ready to dig all the holes to help get it out to us all!  What an honor to be here with you and everyone else who feels the same way. This is a way of life that we get to live every day and love it, if we want to. I just feel so blessed and thankful to be a part of what He is doing with us in this place at this time.  We need it all, and I pray that we can take it all in.

Thank You, John!!

Stuart

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What an Experience

I just experienced a similar experience to the one you told us about regarding Brother Murray and the spirit that passed through telling him to jump out the window.  He pushed it aside, and that spirit left him and found some weak spirit to take over, with that man jumping.

I was driving down the highway and a spirit came passing through, telling me that if I veered more to the left to hit the median, I would flip the car.  I said in my mind, why would I want to do that and injure Brad and my dog?  I felt the demon spirit leave but before it left, it left me with the feeling that It would happen up ahead.  I immediately thought of Brother Murray’s testimony.

Just 10 minutes or so later, traffic came to a stop, and on the other side of the road was a horrible accident that had just happened, and there was debris everywhere with motorcycles and a car flipped on its side.  What!?!

I praised     God told Brad about what had happened and was overwhelmed by the experience and the love of God.  What a blessing to have his Holy Ghost!  How important it is to walk (and drive) in the Spirit!  How sorry we both were for those weak spirits who that demon spirit was able to enter.

There is a war raging, and only our armor of the Holy Ghost keeps us safe.

Love you, Jesus and my family

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Matthew Wednesday Night (Feb. 16, 2022)

Pastor John,

The Wednesday night Matthew teaching was wonderful!! 

I really wanted to take in what you were saying in the beginning about Jesus being very burdened.  At first, I couldn’t take it in fully.  The man who performed such mighty miracles was burdened?  I knew he had a load to carry, but feeling afraid and burdened?  Then there was a point when you were describing Jesus as being one of us!!  It was as if you brought him straight down out of heaven!!  I could see past the man who performed miracles!!  I could feel him!!  It was so real. Knowing what is coming, I didn’t want to leave Jesus there!  I wanted him to get back to his Father.

At the end of the meeting, I sat there for minute looking down at my papers.  The very first verse on the Matthew papers jumped off the page: “You haven’t chosen me, but I’ve chosen you.  I couldn’t go any further!!  I just had to weep!!  He is worthy!! 

Thank you for all your work!! 

Love Jammie

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Psalm 42

This is so good, from Psalm 42!

5. O my soul, why are you cast down and in turmoil within me?  Hope in God!  I will surely praise Him again in the full salvation of His countenance.
6. O my God, my soul is cast down within me.  Therefore, I will remember you from the land of Jordan and Hermon’s heights, from the mountain of Mizar.
7. Deep is calling to deep in the sound of your waterspouts.  All your waves and billows have swept over me.
8. By day, the Lord commands His loving-kindness, and by night, His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
9. I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10. As with a deadly blow in my bones, my adversaries reproach me every day, saying to me, “Where is your God?”
11. O my soul, why are you cast down, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God!  I will surely praise Him again, the salvation of my whole being, and my God.

Whenever I start to feel pain, loneliness, hurt, discouraged I remember David stirring his soul!  I’ll call out to Jesus for help and he reminds me of all he’s done for me.  All his blessings come flooding in!  He sends me help in whatever way I need it!  It’s always perfect and it’s always on time!  He gives me a praise in my heart and stirs my soul!  What I love most is each time he does this for me, I feel like it’s going deeper in with an assurance Jesus will always be there for me.  I love that!  Feels good, safe and secure!

Michelle

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Revelation – Messages to the Seven Pastors

I really enjoyed the reading this morning.  Firstly, that Jesus gave you such an important message for understanding who and what Jesus was saying – “to the messenger of the Assembly in….”  Jesus was talking specifically to the pastors over the Assemblies and not directly to the congregation.  That is so good, and most importantly, to know who Jesus is talking to.  And then the love from Jesus for his pastors and their congregation that he explained what he was going to do and what would happen to them if they overcame. And then he gives the message about his coming (which is yet to come in our reading)!  There is much love from Jesus for his pastors in these admonishments, but also stern and sober lessons to be learned.

As we were reading, I started noticing how Jesus told every time who he was and his authority! I went back and underlined them all and put them together.  Here is who Jesus said he was taken from Revelation 2:1-3:22:

“I am the one who holds the seven stars in my right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands, who was dead and is alive, who holds the sharp-double edged sword, who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are as fine brass (I am the one who examines the minds and hearts and I will give to each of you according to your deeds.), who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one closes, and closes and no one opens, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I say these things.”

Whew! That is so good!  Jesus lets them know upfront who is talking.  And then he says that “he who overcomes” will have this:

“To those who overcome, I will give you to eat of the tree of life that is in the paradise of my God.  I will give you the crown of life.  You will not be harmed by the Second Death. I will give you to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written which no one knows except the one who receives it. I will give you authority over nations  and you will rule with an iron rod (like potters’ vessels, they will be shattered), as I also received from my Father, and I will give you the morning star.  You shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot your name out of the Book of Life, but will confess your name before my Father and before His angels. I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that is coming down out of heaven from my God, and my new name. And I will grant you to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat with my Father on His throne.

He who has an ear, let him hear.”

I love that!  Jesus is so encouraging!  He said to them as he is now saying to us: “Be watchful; Be faithful unto death; Hold fast; Hold on to what you have; Remember; Repent!”  He wants us to make it.  If we can “hold on to what we know”, as you have told us, we can make it home to be with him, his Father, and each other. 

Amy B.

Note: Pastor John’s third edition of his book, Revelation should be available soon at: Going to Jesus.com – Revelation

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