September 3, 2004

Pastor John,

I was reading a broadcaster on Unequally yoked in Worship and I read the following paragraph and it really astonished me.

This is Babylon. The attractive place, filled with unclean spirits, spirits of unregenerate, deeply religious men. This is Babylon, the enemy of the righteousness and the truth of God. Babylon, the hiding place of sin, which offers a haven to souls who desire the benefits of Christ, but disdain the reproach of holiness. This is Babylon, where God is worshiped, but not in spirit and truth, where men sing praises to a God they hate, where ministers proclaim "doctrines of devils" concerning a Lord they will not obey, and where those who do love God are slowly, unknowingly, poisoned into confused submission to spiritual death. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Babylon is cursed, and all who partake of (support in any way) her sin will also partake of her reward from God.

After reading this, all I could do was pray for God's children everywhere, my brothers and sisters, to consider where they are and what doctrines they are being taught. Consider what is Babylon here and now? I felt in my spirit a pleading to consider, please consider. Consider what this is. It is a matter of life and death. This is where a lot of God's children are today. Babylon - Christianity -the modern day "instead of" religion where the children of God are being taught lies about Jesus and being confused about his ways.

I don't know what else can be done, other than to live a clean and holy life and pray to be a light to one of His hurting confused children entangled in this mess. But God is calling them out to His rest and His peace. Where He can be worshiped in Spirit and Truth and praises to Him are acceptable. To a place where you can live and not be confused and know the true and living God. There is such a place and it is available to all who hunger and thirst. Whew. My feelings are "Come out of there. . . come learn of your real Father. He is waiting for you."

Amy

August 25, 2004

John:

I've really been blessed by listening to the New Birth series and taking notes this week for you to record again this series. I don't know if listening to the tapes had anything to do with what I awoke with this morning, but it sure made sense to me:"The holy Ghost takes the toxins [poisons] out."

Amen! Sometimes, the words seem strange, but God is just trying to see if we love him enough to search them out and get blessed! Solomon was blessed by watching the ants and the lilies of the field!

One of my first thoughts regarding "toxins" was "blood". I also remembered the tract on the "Blood of Christ". As I read about red blood cells - - Wow! Our red blood cells do for our body what the holy Ghost does for our spirit. The holy Ghost gives us LIFE [just as the red blood cells bring oxygen]. And the holy Ghost cleanses us of [toxins] wrong ideas about God, purging us of Xn ceremonies and doctrines of Xty just like the red blood cells remove waste. If it wasn't for the holy Ghost "taking the toxins out" we would slowly die a spiritual death [as we know some have already], just as our natural body would die without the oxygen and cleansing of waste by red blood cells. Jesus just makes things real for us and brings everything right down to simple understanding! Jesus did say that the holy Ghost would teach us all things!

Red blood cells perform the most important blood duty. A single drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells which are constantly traveling through your body delivering oxygen and removing waste. If they weren't, your body would slowly die.

Red blood cells perform the most important blood duty [for the body] and the holy Ghost [blood of Christ] performs the most important duty for our spiritual body. The holy Ghost gives us life and keeps us free from the poisons of this world. Praise God!

Before his death, Jesus, as you said on the New Birth series, repeated over and over again to the disciples the importance of the holy Ghost. He knew how much they would need the Spirit of God to keep them clean and full of life in this world!

I thank Jesus for the wonderful work he keeps giving us to do - - just like the disciples, we need to hear his words over and over again until they are fully established in our hearts. Today, I felt more understanding go into my heart of the importance of the holy Ghost! If we listen, Jesus is always teaching us.

Sandy

Amen, Sandy!

Paul told us that the invisible things of God are understood by the things that He created. That is why I do all I can to encourage our young people to study and to learn in school. The more they know about this creation, the more easily God can teach them eternal truth.

Pastor John

August 18, 2004

Hello folks.

Several of you asked to know more about Taylor's testimony, and what the Lord showed Amy concerning her car accident, per the e-mail I sent out the other day about "slowing down". I am enclosing again, Pastor John's comment to Taylor, and below that original message, copies of what Taylor and Amy had to say on the topic of "slowing down". It is apparent, as this has come up several times in the last month, that Jesus is speaking to us about "slowing down." Let's hear the message!

Bro. Gary (all messages below)

===========================

(original response from pastor John):

Taylor, the theme for a month or more seems to have been for peole to slow down. It started getting very clear with Amy's car wreck (whatever it takes), and from there, it has been one admonition from the Lord after another to "slow down!"

If you didn't hear Paul's testimony about his dream from the Lord about slowing down, maybe you can get him to tell you sometime. It is short, but boy, was it real.

Thanks for bringing your testimony over here. It fits. I hope that without Saturday night meetings, we will all have more time to slow down and smell the roses....or listen to the crickets.

jdc

===============================================

(Taylor's testimony):

Fall 1998 - Soon after I got the holy Ghost, Bob Payne and I were walking down his driveway toward the Nelson house. There was one group of saints at the Payne house and another group of saints at the Nelson house (best I remember). While I was walking with Bob, I had one of the best feelings I ever remember having. It was a very, very strong feeling of family, togetherness, and oneness. I remember thinking, "This is the family you've always wanted". It was a very, very good feeling.

Aug. 4, 2004 - I read an article entitled, "Are You Burnt Out?" (something like that). It listed ten or so symptoms of workplace burnout. After I read the list of symptoms, I had to conclude that I was almost a textbook case of "workplace burnout". Later that night at the prayer meeting, Wendell sat next to me and said, "Do you ever feel like you just have too much to juggle on your job?" (paraphrased). I could tell Wendell was exhausted too.

Aug. 7 or 8, 2004 - While I was at work, the thought came to me, "You need to STUDY to be quiet".

Aug. 9 or 10, 2004 - A pretty strong feeling came over me (while I was at work again) that seemed to be communicating the following, "You need to slow WAY down". It was not at all a reproof or rebuke; instead, it felt very much like an invitation to A LOT more peace (I can't emphasize enough the words A LOT). This may sound strange but I do not know else to put it; there was a sense that I did not have to be a "slave" to the "Information Age". Just because I have information about virtually any subject on the planet at my fingertips (via the internet), I did not have to fill my mind up with such a high volume of information on a daily basis (news, weather, research; even emails, music cds, and meeting cds.) There was a sense that almost a lifestyle change was in order. It did not at all come as a commandment; it just really seemed like an invitation to some really, really (I can't overemphasize) deep peace. The feeling I had was very reminiscent of the feeling I had while I was walking with Bob in 1998.

Shortly after I had this feeling, I decided to take a break (that's been unusual for me lately) and just go outside of our office building to sit or stand there. As I left the building, I took a few steps and in a split second, it felt like huge clumps of wax were pulled out of my ears and in the blink of an eye, I went from hearing nothing to hearing what sounded like millions of crickets in the woods around our building (before that, I do not once remember hearing a single one of those crickets). I think it was drizzling that day and the tall, green trees just looked beautiful in front of me. It is difficult to explain how good I was feeling.

Aug. 11, 2004 - While I was at work, I began feeling exhausted. I decided to take a break so I loaded the Instant Messenger program and typed the following to Sis. Sandy: "Hey Sandy, I need a 'brain break', what's going on with you?" She replied, "Taylor, I just had the same exact thought a few seconds ago and I was about to instant message you!!" We small-talked for a while and then I wrote, "I've been feeling really burnt out at work lately, have you felt like this before?" She replied, "Oh Taylor, I'm going through the same thing right now! What's going on??" Neither of us really drew any strong conclusions about any of this. We both felt, however, that the Lord might be up to something.

Aug. 13, 2004 - Last Friday night, I walked over to Mark Hosler's house to pick up a tape measure. While I was walking through their yard, I saw Drew and Maleah standing at Mark's front door. They told me Mark and Lee Ann were not home. I grabbed the tape measure off of Mark's porch and Drew and Maleah decide to come back to our house to visit with Carrie and me. We sat around and talked for a while. I asked the two of them, "Have you ever had a feeling like you REALLY need to simplify some things? Like you really need to slow down?". Maleah said she had had some thoughts and feelings like that before. Drew and Maleah left at about 9 or 10 o'clock. I sat down to my computer to check my email. I remembered what I felt like the Lord may have been telling me earlier in the week, "You need to slow WAY down". I said to myself, "No, I'm not going to check my email. I'm just going to turn the computer off and go sit on the screen porch". I had no intention of doing anything but going outside and just sitting there. As I sat there in the rocking chair, the best, most refreshing feelings started filling me. It seemed to last for about 20 minutes; just really, really good feelings that left me feeling half-drunk. I felt like the Lord was communicating this to me, "Yeah, it's Me that's been talking to you. I've got such a pleasant life for you if you will just slow down enough to enjoy it." I felt like the Lord was really putting an exclamation point on what He had been telling me during the week. After spending 20 minutes or so on the porch, I went inside and asked Carrie if she was ready for bed. She told me that she had to do two or three things before she could go to bed. I helped her unload the dishwasher (still feeling half-drunk) and took her laundry basket upstairs with me. I started to pull back the sheets on our bed and the thought hit me, "No, it's not time for bed yet". Then I had the thought, "Why don't you go over to Pastor John's house?".

I have had this same thought hit me in the past after I felt like the Lord had spoken to me, despite the fact that it was very late in the evening (both on this occassion and others). I told myself, "I'm going to put this spirit to the test tonight; I'm going over there".

I arrived at Pastor John's house. It was about 10:30 p.m. Surprisingly, there were fifteen people or so in the meeting room. Slowly everyone started leaving until I was left all alone with Gary (Song was falling asleep on the couch). Gary and I talked for twenty minutes or so until he finally said, "Well, Taylor, I think I'd better get some sleep here". I said to Gary, "Wanna hear what happened to me tonight? I was about to get in bed an hour or so ago and I felt like the Spirit told me it wasn't time to go to bed, you need to go over to Pastor John's house." After telling Gary most of what is written about above, Gary had the following things to say (paraphrased): That's interesting that you bring these things up, Taylor, because we've been talking about this a lot in Louisville (about slowing down). Pastor John has brought this up to us more than once. The people there are just tired; you can see it all over them. Bro. Paul got up and testified recently about being so busy and not having enough time. The Lord has really been impressing upon me lately to be slow to speak. I've had some of the best feelings this last week by just keeping quiet when I felt like the Spirit was telling me to be quiet. Really, really good feelings. I've never thought about what you said about filling your mind up with so much information; so much news, so many emails, etc. As a matter of fact, I was praying last night for God to let me know how I can rest my mind because it's so full of this and that, things to do, and so on. I'm starting to wonder if God brought you over here with my answer.

When Gary started talking about being slow to speak, it felt as if the Lord (through Gary) had more to teach me about slowing down. I remembered the thought that came to me earlier in the week, "You need to STUDY to be quiet". When Gary told me the many things he did about the Lord teaching him to be quiet, I felt like the Lord was telling me that being slow to speak was a big part of slowing down.

Aug. 14, 2004 - This morning, Carrie and I had plans to go to town and run some errands. I had the feeling that we should not leave the neighborhood until we saw what was going on over at Pastor John's house (perhaps the Lord wanted us to talk about some of these things?). Upon arriving at the Clark house, Amy greeted us at the stairs, "You're just in time! Darren will be here in just a minute to sing his new song." Darren sang these words, among others:

You know that I love you and you know my love is true
But all that I can do is give, to receive is up to you
I can fill your heart up, oh, but only if there's room
If you could find a little space you'd feel a new love bloom.

I'm sure that there are other things these words mean, but I can't help but think that the Lord was telling me/us, once again, to slow down.

============================================

(SISTER AMY'S TESTIMONY):

Oh there is so much to say about what I have been learning. A few weeks ago I had a wreck. I wasn't sure what God was doing, but I knew He was trying to get my attention. The night before I had my accident, I was talking with Brother Stuart on IM and we were ending our conversation and had actually said bye and the Lord started giving me these questions. "How are you spending your time? On things of Heaven or on things of Earth? On things eternal? Or on things temporary?" There were several more questions that day, if I would have known what I know now, I would have saved them all. Brother Stuart and I had a wonderful conversation after that and signed off. That night I went home and the spirit of prayer fell on me in my bed as I listened to Brother Gary’s song, "You’ve been good to me". I knew the Lord was letting me know how much He loved me.

The next morning, I listened to Tammy’s dream on my way to work on the Way of Grace. On that tape, she mentioned the attitude of a servant by saying the servant of an attitude. Which is a big part of the lesson I learned. About ten minutes after I finished the tape, I had the accident. I knew when I came home that day, that the Lord wanted me to slow down. Later on that day I went and sat out on Sister Patsy’s swing and watched the trees blow and listened to the birds sing. It was very pleasant and something that I hadn't done in a while. The Lord reminded me of what he said years ago, "Things are going to change, enjoy it now." The Lord had already been telling me things like slow down, be slow to speak, study to be quiet and listen for His voice. As I was on the porch, He began to explain the importance of slowing down and what it does for you and how slowing down helps you to listen and hear His voice. Don’t be anxious for anything. He said if we are so busy and we have this set schedule to follow and so many things to do, when He comes with His still small voice and whispers something to us like "Go visit such and such" or "so and so needs this" or to simply just read something or pick up the phone, we will miss it. You can be so busy or set on getting your schedule done that you brush off the small voice leading you to do His will and where or what you need to be or do that day. You have too much YOU in what you are doing.

I have had times that I needed to get some things done that I wanted to do and when I heard that still small voice speak, that I said, "if I do that, I will never get this done" or "I'll do it later" and brushed it off, when there was someone else who needed something. There was a blessing waiting that was missed. When you listen to the voice of God and do His will, everything else falls into place. You are surprised at the amount of time you have left to do things. There are things that you have and need to do, but it was more like don’t put too many things on your plate that you can’t hear Him or have time for Him; put HIM first in all things. When you get so busy like that, things become more of a chore than enjoyment. You start putting pressure on yourself to keep up the pace. It really wears you out.

During all this, I was praying "God, you are going to have to show me how to slow down. I don’t know how to do this. I have been like this for a long time." When I was in the world, I kept busy so I didn’t have to think about things. I trained myself to keep busy. One day on the way to work, He gave me somewhere to start. He said, "Work with your own hands and Mind your own business. Do your work and listen to me. Don’t be a busybody." The following weekend, we had our Bible study on Ahaz. Pastor John said something in that meeting like, "don’t think that whatever has happened to you or is happening to you is an accident. It’s not just some coincidence or ‘it just happened' kind of thing. Ask God what He wants. Find out what He is trying to tell you."

The message on Ahaz really touched me and I felt like God tenderized my heart and prepared it for what He wanted to show me. After the meeting, I had a dream. Basically in the dream, I was very busy and when some things didn’t go my way, I became unreasonable. So unreasonable, that I didn’t see the good things that were set before me even to the point that I was willing to give up what I had. Sometimes you might not think that’s where you are but when God shows you the results; it’s very sobering. The next morning when I awoke, the Lord told me "if you don’t have the attitude of a servant, you are the servant to an attitude."

I listened to the cd on the Attitude of a Servant and Pastor John spoke of the True Fast; Isaiah 58. That day, Jesus was with me explaining to me what "breaking the yoke that is in the midst of thee" means. He said, "do you know what the yoke is?" and I said, "no". He answered, "It is your will". Pastor John said on that tape in addition to this, "and everything that has helped you obtain it". Your will can cause you to become unreasonable. Moving at a fast pace makes you anxious to get things done, you're not slow to listen and more quick to respond, if something doesn’t go your way you can get ill or snappy, speak sharply, and not so willing to listen, feeling as if you are being "interrupted". What Jesus was showing me, is to slow down and have my mind completely on Him so that I don’t miss spending time with Him or doing His will or enjoying the things around me. This includes spending time with my brothers and sisters that God has given me to enjoy. God has given us all things richly to enjoy, and that is living. Our whole lives are His and for doing His will. He has called us to be servants. Really, too, finding out that it is "not about us" is bigger than we think. Pastor John had said a few weeks back "If you don’t slow down you are going to miss a visitation from the Lord". I believe that. I have learned a lot from this experience and I have had some wonderful times with Jesus. It has changed something on the inside of me. I feel like God came by and knocked me out of my chair (like a kid in school) but very swiftly, He picked me up, sat me in the chair, and brushed me off. It was so sweet. He told me it was just a little attitude adjustment to veer me in the right direction; sometimes we need that.

I have to say, it has been some of the best times with the Lord I have EVER had and they just keep coming. I have been very encouraged because I know God was showing all this to me for my good because He loves me. One time the Lord told me "I will do whatever it takes to save you". I am very thankful He will because without Him I would be lost.

July 17, 2004

Hi John,

Forgive me for being a little behind, out here on the west coast, and just getting a handle on the "church" issue. I listened with a heavy heart to the entire discussion on cd and praised God, John, for your capacity to admit this error of ignorance and the extent to which you were deceived and have unwittingly deceived others. It's been a month now, and it's behind you, as your integrity has moved you onward and upward, but I'm still putting it all together. . .so please clarify one thing. . .

Does your discovery mean that in Matt 16:18 Jesus said to Peter, "...upon this rock I will build my congregation" (of called out ones) ? The word church should NOT have been substitued there? It was NOT "ekklesia"? That's HUGE.

Brad

Hi Brad:

Yes, Brad, that is what I am saying. The Greek word for "church" (kuriakon) was in use many years before the NT was written, and is found nowhere in the NT books. I have for many years now, at different times, wondered about the word "church" because I knew it was not an accurate translation of the original Greek word "ekklesia", but I just passed it off as a translation problem that was over my head --- until I learned that the translators of the KJV were commanded by King James to use the word "church" instead of the more correct "called-out ones", or "assembly", or "congregation". He did this for blatant political reasons, as I explained in the June 12th TFT. (Just a friendly warning: Anytime a Christian ruler gives a commandment concerning the faith, men should look around for truth being hidden somewhere close by.) Then, I did the research on the word "church" and found it to be completely incompatible with what Jesus and the apostles intended by the use of the word ekklesia. In its basic sense, the word "church" is the very opposite of what ekklesia connotes because "church" means a religious building INto which people are called (by the ringing of bells, etc.) and ekklesia is the congregation of those who have been called OUT of those places by God.

In translating the Greek into English, words are often used that do not actually come from Greek. For example, the Greek word elpis is translated "hope". There is no English word "elpis", is there? The word "hope" does not come from the Greek. It actually derives from an old Saxon word, but "hope" is what elpis means, so that is OK. We can live with that. For another example, the Greek word irene is translated "peace", but the word "peace" comes from a Latin word (pax). (We also have the English female name "Irene", which means "peaceful".) The meaning of the Greek irene and the Latin pax is the same, so it is OK to translate irene as "peace", even though "peace" is not directly from the Greek language.

This is what I used to think was the case with the word "church". I thought the word "church" meant basically the same thing as was meant by ekklesia. Boy, was I wrong!

The meaning of the word "church" is not at all the same as the meaning of the word "ekklesia". The word "church" means a religious building, a physical edifice for use in worship--and not just Christian worship. A Muslim minaret is a church; a Jewish temple is a church; a Buddhist temple is a church. That is the original and proper meaning of the word, and that is absolutely NOT what Jesus, or Paul, or John, or Peter meant when they used the word "ekklesia". (Actually, Jesus probably used the Hebrew or Aramaic word for "assembly" or "congregation", but that is not an issue here).

Now, Brad, there is nothing wrong with using a word from Latin (pax) or Saxon (hope), or whatever, to translate Greek, as long as the meaning of those words is the same as the Greek (irene and elpis). But to purposefully impose upon a Greek word (ekklesia) a meaning (church) that twists or conceals the truth that our God mercifully revealed to us dying people a very great evil. This is the cunning craftiness of Satan, and he has successfully deceived the whole world. But Jesus is helping us, and to him belong all glory and praise and devotion forever!

According to my count, the word ekklesia is used in the Greek scriptures of the New Testament 115 times. Of those, it is mistranslated "church" 112 times in the KJV. Only 3 times, when ekklesia was used in reference to a mob called out to gather together to honor the goddess Diana, is it correctly translated "assembly" (Acts 19:32, 39, 41).

Take care, Brad. I hope things are going well with you in California.

Pastor John

PS So popular has the word "church" become that in the Greek grammar book I just purchased for teaching Elijah to read Greek, the correct translation of ekklesia is given as "church". "Assembly" is no longer even given as an option. I once asked, "How long does "wrong" need to be around before people give in and call it right?" Not long, actually, but the longer that "wrong" is here, the more easily it can be made to appear right.

Once again John, my heart has been made happy and clean by reading your articulate and scholarly honest explanations. I LOVE your writing so much. I deeply appreciate and admire your research and I hope our entire assembly puts such a value on your diligence and care for our souls.

Thank you for your lengthy reply.

Brother Brad.

June 14, 2004

Hello John,

I ran across your site today and since you encourage comments I wanted to pass this on to you. I think it would be enlightening in you site research. If you heard that The Bible is God's Holy Word and their was several documents of proof wouldn't you want to see if it was true or not? You are reaching many people with your website and are accountable for your words and possibly their very souls. I was read your site and was impressed to send this information to you. Read it or toss it, but either way when you stand before God you can no longer say " but I didn't know no one told me".

"Grant Jeffrey has written an extraordinary new book, The Signature of God, that provides astonishing proof that the Bible was inspired by God. Grant is recognized as the leading researcher in Bible Prophecy today."

Hal Lindsey, Hal Lindsey Ministries

Is there some way to determine the truth about God and the Bible? This book, The Signature of God, will examine incredible scientific discoveries that prove that the Bible is authoritative and inspired by God. How would God prove that the Bible was His legitimate revelation to mankind? How would God differentiate the true inspired Scriptures from the many other religious books produced by men over the centuries.

I believe that God would authenticate His own true revelation by writing His signature on the pages of His Scriptures. This signature would consist of evidence, knowledge and phenomenon in the text of the Bible that no unaided human could possibly have written. In other words, the genuine Scriptures should contain supernatural evidence within its text that no one apart from a Divine Intelligence could create.

Topics Covered in The Signature of God

1. Fascinating ancient inscriptions and manuscripts that prove the incredible historical accuracy of the Scriptures.

2. Little known archeological discoveries that provide overwhelming confirmation of the biblical accounts, including the Tower of Babel, the famine in Egypt,

3. An astonishing discovery of ancient rock inscriptions in the Sinai and Yemen that record the events of the Red Sea Crossing and the Exodus mentioning Moses, Miriam and Joseph.

4. The tremendously accurate scientific statements in the Bible that cannot be explained apart from God's inspiration.

5. These Hebrew Codes reveal the names: Hitler, Eichmann, and Anwar Sadat.

6. Throughout the Old Testament God has placed the name of Jesus - Yeshua in code, bebneath theespecially in passages that prophecy the coming Messiah.

7. The staggering phenomenon of hidden codes and mathematical patterns found in the text of the Bible that could not have been produced by human intelligence.

8. The incredible fulfillment of twenty prophecies in our generation that authenticate God's authorship of the Scriptures.

9. Ezekiel prophesied the rebirth of Israel as a nation on May 15, 1948

10. Fascinating archeological discoveries that confirm the accuracy of the Bible's statements about the falling walls of Jericho, the seal used by Baruch, the scribe who wrote the Book of Jeremiah.

11. Scriptural "coincidences" that confirm the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.

12. The phenomenon of the transformed character and lives of the writers of the Bible.

13. The unprecedented influence of the Bible on the lives of individuals, the culture, and history of the Western world.

14. Incredibly advanced medical laws and knowledge found in the Bible confirm its supernatural origin.

The evidence presented in The Signature of God provides tremendous evidence supporting the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Those who love the Word of God or anyone who wonders if they can trust the Bible need to read the thrilling information in this fascinating book.

This is not an attack. It is only a chance to find that that the Bible IS Gods written word and it cannot be added to or taken away from. Revelation 22 18-19

I pray you will find truth,

PB

Dear PB,

You misunderstand me. I have always maintained that the Bible is inspired by God and that it is authoritative in matters of history or faith. That truth, however, does not require us to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Are you saying that if the Bible is not the Word of God, then it is not inspired?

I have often wondered about a related issue, and you might be able to help me understand this. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that its every syllable was originally inspired by God, what does it mean to you that the Bible never claims that it is God's Word? And on what basis do you make such a claim for the Bible, when there is nothing in the Bible that says that? On that basis alone, what I am teaching proves to be more consistent with what the Bible says (or in this case, does not say) than your doctrine. I don't follow your reasoning. The 1 plus 1 in your logic does not equal the 3 that you seem to have come to.

As for your hope that I find truth, thank you. That is also my sincere hope, both for you and for me.

Your servant in Christ,

jdc

June 14, 2004

Gary

Just wanted to touch base and say the tapes are great, yes the call to come out is real, i used to think there was something wrong with we because i was filled with the holy ghost and i loved God and his word but i was raised with my teacher and a small group of brothers outside of christianity.So when i was separated from the brothers after my release from prison i felt strange in a so called "church building" and i almost felt my worship as fake,because i felt such a distaste for organized church, but now i know i am part of the remnant that has answered the call and came out of that demonic madness that call christianity.well actually i have never "joined" any sect since i have been out and i do not plan to. i sure would love to meet you guys.

love in Christ brother Glen

Dear Glen.

I'm glad that Jesus has helped you understand the truth about coming out of Christianity --- it is something to be very thankful for.

I too hope we can meet sometime. It is a distance, but you never know! We have people come to North Carolina to our gatherings, every now and then, from all over the world. The truth is THAT precious.

Do you have gatherings with others or are you alone? If you'd like other teaching tapes or materials, just let me know. I will gladly send them. Let me know more about your situation and we will do what we can to help and bless you.

Bro. Gary

June 14, 2004

Hi Damien and Kay:

I was just wondering what do you do with Ephesians 4:30 which says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom....". Wouldn't that indicate the Holy Spirit is a person, therefore able to be grieved?????

What about John 14:16, 26; 15:26 which use the words "whom" and "He"?

I'm also having trouble divorcing "christian" from "Christ-like". I thought they were one and the same. When talking about the world's view of 'christian', surely the same principle applies in the world's view of 'non-christian' meaning anything that it anti-God and very definitely not Christ-like.

Just a few puzzles I have so far!!

Luv

J......

Hi J......

I'm happy that you are looking into these things and asking questions. Hey, I notice you still have the same second initial :)

The children of God are those led by God's Spirit as we are told in Rom 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The Spirit is grieved when a person who has God's Spirit doesn't obey its lead. Paul also wrote in 1Thess 5:19 to "Quench not the Spirit." Nobody sees any support for the holy Spirit being a person in this verse yet they describe much the same thing as Eph 4:30. So who is being grieved then? Answer: God. It is His Spirit, as the verse says.

The use of the word "whom" is a translation issue. Pastor John Clark performed an exhaustive survey of all the pronouns and other words attached to the word "Spirit" in the New Testament. You can find this survey online at http://pastorjohnshouse.com/books/trinity.htm. In it you will find the proof of intentional mistranslation of Greek pronouns in order to provide support for trinitarian views of the Holy Spirit. I can't really do Pastor John's work any justice here. May I suggest that you also read the Apostate Fathers book? The word "whom" here should really be translated "with which" which translation you will find in several versions of the bible.

The verses from the book of John are specially covered in this survey. The short answer is that the word "comforter" is masculine in Greek and takes masculine pronouns. The word "Spirit" is neuter. It is simply a matter of correct grammar in the Greek.

I'm not quite sure about what you are saying regarding "christian" and "christ-like", but the world certainly misinterprets the term "non-christian" in the way you suggest. It happened to Kay on Friday in fact! Because christianity has claimed to be of God for so long, it is generally assumed by most people to be telling the truth. Even those who profess no interest in God very often assume that christianity is speaking for Jesus, whatever they think about Jesus.

As for the word "christian" ask yourself how do people become christians? The answer depends a lot on what sect of christianity you study. There are lots of ways - birth, water baptism, "making a decision for Christ", etc, etc. None of them require Jesus to do anything. To be a christian is of the will of man, not God.

By contrast, how do you become a part of the family of God, the body of Christ? There is only one answer, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:13). So, all the other ways are wrong. To be put into the household of faith requires an act of the will of God. It is that Spirit that will enable Christ to be formed in you. It is the only way to truly be Christ-like. In one way or another, christianity denies the need to be born of the Spirit. That is part of why the term "non-christian" is used. If we have a name, it is simply believers.

Pastor John writes about being a non-christian online at http://pastorjohnshouse.com/why.htm. It might be a good start for you.

I hope this helps you along. Just stay open to Jesus, and keep asking Him your questions. That is the way.

With our love in Jesus

Damien

June 14, 2004

Pastor John:

Saturday night, the message you preached concerning the gospel was so wonderful and powerful that it shook my whole body. I felt several times, "What else can I do with my body to express how I feel inside?" The Spirit hit me, and I began to rock back and forth with my hands and feet in the air; Praising God with everything I had. Then, the greatest peace came over me, and I became perfectly still. As I was lying there on the floor, the rest of God consumed me. I felt like God was spoon-feeding my heart the gospel. My mouth closed, and my heart opened. My ears became sharp, sharper than they had ever been before. As I lay there, I could hear everything that was going on . . . over the shouting and the praising God and dancing and music, I could hear little Joel playing his violin, and people praying for others, and hearing the little children playing around in the background. My ears could hear everything.

While I was lying there, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Your purpose is to believe the Gospel". This is a simple commandment and easy to be obeyed. When Jesus came preaching on earth, he came saying, "Repent and believe the gospel." That is what I was created for, to believe the gospel and love it. So very simple.

I knew earlier on that the Lord was saying to me, "You need to slow down". I needed to be reminded, and I was putting that into practice. A couple of weeks ago, you said to some of us sitting around. "If you don’t slow down, you are going to miss a visitation from the Lord." It went straight to my heart. I didn't forget it.

Yesterday in the Sunday meeting, as I was praying, a question/prayer came out of my mouth that I had never thought to pray before. It was "How do you not be a Christian?". The I thought to myself, "Where did that come from?" It was from the Lord. I have not considered myself to be a Christian nor have I ever been a part of it. I was born again outside of Christianity in 1996. Then I remembered the words that you spoke several months ago, "This [the USA] is a Christian Nation". We live in a Christian society and have been raised in it. Naturally, we are going to have thoughts and actions of Xty in us because it is all around us. We have to be taught now how to rise above that influence.

I have been pondering this question since yesterday. On the way to work this morning, the Lord was showing me that to not be a Christian goes against everything in this world. This whole world is pushing, moving fast, too busy. He told me "To have peace and to be established in the gospel of Christ is how not to be a Christian." The Lord was saying, "Slow down; be slow to speak; study to be quiet and listen to the voice of God; be anxious for nothing." This week, I have heard God tell me to be quiet on a couple of occasions. If I had been in a rush or moving too fast, I might would have said something that I didn’t need to say or might have become involved with idle talk or foolishness and missed some visit from the Lord.

The world does not understand this kind of peace. The peace of the gospel makes us more like Jesus and less like a Christian. I have never had the thought to pray to know how not be a Christian. But now I see that that is something that we all need to learn. To even have the thought to pray that prayer is a gift from God. You said not too long ago, the reason we keep talking about Xty is that there must still be some of it in us. I believe that, and what I am praying for is that God will show us "How not to be a Christian". What my prayer is really saying is "God, help me be more like you."

How not to be a Christian

1) the peace of the gospel - the settleness that the gospel brings - "To have peace and settleness in the gospel of Christ is not being a Christian."

2) the simplicity of the gospel -being content with the gospel, the law of the Spirit that God gave.

On the way home, the Lord gave me another answer to the question. I looked down at my speedometer and I was speeding. I then looked up at the speed limit sign and it said 45. As soon as I looked at the sign, the Lord said to me "The Law is simple." Then, I remembered when I was writing out what the Lord told me about my purpose being to believe the gospel, I wrote that is a simple commandment. The phrase came to me, "The simplicity of the gospel". There was a parable to show me this. When someone is speeding, they are not content with the Law. I, myself, have said at times, "The speed limit should be faster through here." That attitude is not being content with the Law of the land, but those laws are written for my safety. What the Lord showed me is to be content with the "simplicity of the gospel". Be content with the Law - His law (which is the gospel). That is another way how not to be a Christian. The spirit of Christianity is never satisfied, never content; it cannot be. But we can be content with what God has given to us.

Amy

Good testimony, Amy. There is much for us to learn concerning how not to be a Christian, but Jesus is patient, and he is an excellent teacher. Let's slow down and listen.

Pastor John

June 4, 2004

Dear Bro. Gary:

I can hardly express the beautiful relief that I felt in my heart when I read TFT "What You Cannot Do." Whew! And when I got to the last sentence "There are some things that you cannot do, and I still love you", it brought tears to my eyes and I felt such love for Jesus. Jesus really wants us to know who he is. And one thing that he is showing us - - he is not a hard taskmaster! Praise God! The spirit of Xty puts such burdens on God's children that they can hardly hold up their heads or their hands in praise to Him. They truly are laboring and heavily laden. When I was in Xty, that verse, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" was "laden" upon my back many times over. I knew there were things that I could not do without Jesus. I just couldn't find him where I was. And that verse was just another Xn cliché that oppressed me and my heart. When I read this TFT, it was as if Jesus reached down into my heart and pulled out another "splinter" of Xty, that had been stuck in there for years. What relief to have it removed by the tender hand of my loving Lord! Another "rest" from Jesus to my heart.

When I read again Matt. 11:28-30, I realized that I needed to refresh my mind as to the meaning of "yoke". What a blessing it was to read! Now I know why Jesus said " my burden is light." God's people cannot find rest unto their souls as long as they are in Xty because they are "joined" to the wrong thing! A "yoke" is a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together; a frame fitted to a person's shoulders to carry a load in two equal portions. God's people are not joined to anything that will lighten their load! Just as that scripture says in 2Peter: "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: . . . ." Their backs are being laden with false doctrines and lies and scriptures that mean nothing because Jesus is not their partner! He's not in any of it. How can they "learn of him" unless they be yoked together with HIM?

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 28-30

Jesus just tenderly removed another "splinter" of Xty from my heart by saying "there are some things that you cannot do, and I still love you." We are "yoked" with Jesus and working together in love. He does not expect us to carry more than our load. We are joined for working together. Another splinter removed, another healing for our hearts . . . . another step further away from Xty, and another step closer to complete and total Rest!

He is a GOOD God!

Sister Sandy

June 2, 2004

John:

I just watched a thirty-minute interview on UNC-TV with the Senior Pastor at the big Presbyterian place in downtown Chapel Hill. Below are some of the thoughts I was having while I watched it.

This minister was an extra pleasant type of man. He always had a little cheery grin on his lips, spoke softly and considerately, was very kind, very intelligent, had many good thoughts of wanting to help his congregation, help needy people in the community, and on and on and on. Seems like the type of man that anyone would enjoy spending some time with. I can hardly say enough about how good this man looked, and how pleasant he was (I wish I could be that pleasant!).

There seemed to be such good feelings "flowing" when the interview was finished. William Friday (the man interviewing the minister) seemed like he was enjoying such a renewed feeling after spending thirty minutes talking about such pleasant things. I don't know how to say it other than the interview just left you feeling so good (for those without eyes to see it).

A few things were hitting me. One, Satan (even though this minister knows nothing about it) has crafted a religion that cannot be beat in terms of appearance (look at Mother Theresa, you can't outdo her appearance of godliness no matter how hard you try). How can anyone (that hasn't been touched by a revelation from God) argue with what this man is doing? He's visiting the sick in hospitals; he's feeding the poor; he's helping to build the local community; he freely counsels those who need help in his congregation; he spends time visiting and playing with little children so they can become comfortable with him before he baptizes them; and on and on. If there is anything that appears to be good in the eyes of men, I can't think of why Satan wouldn't be inspiring his ministers to do it. At the same time, however, I don't believe for a second that this man has any idea what he's doing. He really thinks he is serving God. It's such a tragedy.

The other thing that was really hitting me was that Satan has launched (is launching) a masterful effort to keep people from being told and believing the truth; namely, that men must have the Spirit of God that speaks in tongues when it comes in. It seems like his primary means of doing this is to develop a religion that looks so good, smells so good, appears so good in every way, that anything other than what these men are saying is looked upon with suspicion. If a member of one of these congregations is approached by someone like one of us who may feel led to tell them, "You're being fed with lies", there is no way that that person will be able to get past what looks so good to the flesh if they haven't been touched by God. Jesus' words, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [revelation from God] I will build my congregation...", is meaning much more to me tonight than ever before.

It's not at all hard to see why men like this have the biggest congregations. And I can't blame people one bit (if they haven't been touched by God) for going to these places. After all, these men seem like they would be such a good source of spiritual understanding.

Taylor

Hi Taylor:

Jesus said that in each generation, the children of this world are more cunning than the children of God (Lk. 16:8). This is because the people of this world give their attention to the things of the world, while the children of God spend their time seeking a heavenly home. Men of the world pay attention to appearance rather than substance, while those who are of God pay attention to what is good rather than what looks good.

Because men are obsessed with appearance, the form of government in this country has degenerated into what I call a "mediacracy"; that is, a government by the media (principally by television executives). The political leaders of America tremble at the thought of being made to look bad on camera, or being made to sound bad by reporters. This process of degeneration in integrity took a giant leap forward in 1960 with the John Kennedy/Richard Nixon Presidential debates, which was won by Richard Nixon according to those who heard it on radio, but was won by John Kennedy according to those who saw the handsome young man on TV. Richard Nixon looked awful on TV, and he eventually lost the election.

The point is, the world's sharpest carnally minded concentrate on looking good, and no child of God on earth who has his mind on God's ways can compete with such men. God's ways have never been intended to look good to men, but to make us BE good.

An ancient Chinese philosopher said, "No one can compete with a wise man because a wise man does not compete." Whenever the saints are lured into a competition with the world in trying to look good to men, it falls from its purity and fails in its purpose. We are not after the majority of people, anyway. Only a few will ever find the true way of Christ, and they are the only ones who will be attracted to the congregation of the Lord when it is filled with the holy Ghost and joy.

Jesus said, "Woe to the man whom all men speak well of." I hope that the minister you watched is, in his heart, sincerely seeking to be good in God's sight and that he has not fallen into the snare of the praise of men. I know that is not likely to be the case, but I also know that with God, all things are possible. May God help that man, and help all of us, to escape the trap of loving men's admiration so that he, and we, can concentrate on "keeping God's commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight."

It is a tragedy, just as you said, Taylor, for people to be placed on such high pedestals, when what they really need is to be what men think they already are.

Pastor John

June 2, 2004

Dear Gary,

I have a problem and a question. There is a certain thing that I keep doing that I know is wrong...I try to stop and I will stop for a while and then I will do it again weeks later....I cant get a handle on myself. It is really frustrating and the worst part is that once Ive done it I feel like so ashamed that I cant even pray. Im too embarassed and I feel like such a failure. Would fasting help me? I always thought that fasting was not eating food...but I read an article on your web site...I think it was an email and Pastor John said to read Isaiah 58, but I dont understand what I must do to break this strong hold from that passage. I know this is in the way of me receiving the holy Spirit. Please help me. Thank you

Sincerely,

Betty S

Hello Betty S.:

Thank you for opening your heart, and asking the question you have asked.

Firstly, what your are feeling is not felt by very many people on this earth. Jesus has touched your conscience, and you can no longer do the things that most on this earth can do without feeling shame or remorse. That is something you can be very thankful for.

You are now aware of sin, and your sinful nature, and now he is putting a desire in your heart to be free from it. Talk to Jesus, and do whatever it is that Jesus tells you to do.

The apostle Paul had the same experiences you are having, and he wrote about them in the Bible (in Romans chapters 7-8). I have paraphrased a few things that may make the verses a little easier to understand. If not, you can read these verses in your own Bible. Here is what Paul said:

"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I don't want to do; for what I want to do, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

If then I do that which I don't want to do, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will to do good is in me; but to perform that which is good I don't have the strength to do. For the good that I want to do, I can't do: but the evil which I don't want to do, that I do. Now if I do the things I don't really want to do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God on the inside. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

And then Paul wrote:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Paul found, as you are finding, Betty, that although we want to do good, without God, we just can't. We have a sinful nature in us - and the only way to possibly overcome it, is through the Spirit. There is no condemnation to those who are IN Christ Jesus (have been baptized INTO Christ through Spirit baptism), to those who walk in the Spirit (obey God). When we receive the Spirit, we receive a power that overcomes the old sinful nature. That is why we need the holy Ghost, and MUST have the holy Ghost!

I remember as a young man wanting to be free from sin so bad. One night, I recall laying a towel on my bed, and crying into it, overwhelming tears to Jesus, to help me - if he could only change my desires and help me NOT to sin any more. It was not much longer after that, that I received the holy Ghost.

When you feel remorse and shame for sin, there is one there to help you. His name is Jesus. He is the baptizer, and he will give you the power you are looking for. In Christ we are new creatures ("Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor.5:17). Cry out to him, and I am confident, as he did for me, he will answer you, and give you the strength by his Spirit to overcome all sin in your life. John told us that he would "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" if we come to him confessing our sin (1Jn. 1:9), and he will!

I write with much love and prayer.

Gary