Friday, October 2, 2009

Are their prophets today? What about false prophets?


At a recent session of "Ask Pastor John" the issue of prophets was discussed.

I moved to the Rogue Valley almost fifteen years ago and I have never run into so many people who think they are prophets for God. Many of them are not prophets at all, but just people wanting to be special and to impress others.

In this session I deal with the question covering issues like:
-are their prophets today?
-how can you tell who is real prophet of God?
-what does the Bible call a prophet and what is their job?
-can prophets can their predictions wrong and still be prophets?

I think you will find this one fun to listen too and as always we would love you to post your comments below after listening.

I really do try to keep our discussion to under an hour but have failed miserably as question give birth to more questions. If you listen to the real audio recording you will hear how the group just wants to keep going.

To listen to the latest editon of "Ask Pastor John" follow this link.

Keep seeking, asking and knocking.

Pastor John

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Armegdon, End of the World, and Judgement Day


The History Channel has featured documentaries about the end of the world and various prophesies made by famous 'seers' in history. Such dooms day predictions and preoccupation with the end of the world results in some distorted thinking about what the Bible actually tells us about what is to come.

In our last 'Ask Pastor John' we explored these questions and about the Judgment Day that is about to come. On that last day will God forgive everyone or will there be a sorting of those who are found to be worthy and unworthy of entering into heaven?

Follow this link to hear the Real Audio recording of our question and answer session. The audio has been edited to cut some of the commentary from those participating so the audio isn't too long, not because they weren't good comments.

If you want to be apart of the next session of 'Ask Pastor John' send your questions to pastorjohn@clearwire.net or join us at the First Church of God, Medford, OR at 7 pm this coming Wednesday night. Go to www.fcog.us to find out more.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Why Pain?

Last Wednesday I was hit with three questions that are related.

1. Do some people get away with evil on this earth?
2. Why does a loving God allow suffering?
3. Why are some healed and some are not?

Any one of these questions are tough but I took them all on and try to show how they are connected in my response. It was an interesting night and we explored a variety of issues along the way. You can find a Real Audio Streaming recording of this at this link.

As always, I am interested in your comments and questions.

"Ask Pastor John" is on again tonight at 7 pm at the First Church of God in Medford. If you are in town feel free to drop in. If not you can send me an email at pastorjohn@clearwire.net and I will add it to our growing list of questions. You can log on latter and watch for your topic to come up on this blog and an audio recording of that session.

Keep asking questions, seeking the truth, and knocking on heavens gates.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Are we all saved if Christ died for all? THE ANSWER?

Dear John,

Let me take a stab at this and see if I help…

Come let us reason together….

1. There is no Arminian who could call themselves Christian who holds that God saved all people by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross whether they want it or not.
2. There is no Calvinist who could call themselves Christian who holds that people are lost or saved by pre-programming of God whether they want it or not.

These are the two extremes of both arguments and no Christian can go that far and remain Christian. So let us be reasonable. It is possible to be Arminian or Calvinist while not being a Christian.

So I begin with being a Christian. What does the Bible say about being a Christian? Please refer to my pamphlet “The Full Disclosure Gospel.”

Free will necessary for salvation.

8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:8-10 (New International Version)

Our assurance of salvation is the relational presence of the Holy Spirit. Give me that rather than a cold contract any day. It is written on our hearts and sealed.

Romans 4:16
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

2 Corinthians 1:22
set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:5
Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Ephesians 1:14
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Finally I can not know if someone else is truly saved, but every person can known for themselves if they are saved or not if I really want to know.

7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:7-9 (New International Version)

If you would like a more detailed description of what actually happens when we are saved I can tell you about the court case taking place in heaven right now.

For a summary of the two positions see http://www.the-highway.com/compare.html

I really differ with both when it comes to “election” because that is where the train comes off the tracks.

Pastor John

If Jesus died for ALL the sins of mankind, everyone would be saved?

This week I received a question by email that was very challenging. Here, in his own words are the comments made by John from Wisconsin.
-------------------
Greetings Pastor. As always, you make things easy to understand without the mumbo jumbo.

I would love to visit your church. If I'm ever in the area, I'm stopping by. Having said that, I doubt that will ever happen.

I have a good Christian brother who I've known from high school. He lives in Texas. He was down here over the summer and we got together. He told me he's turned Calvinistic, and takes all the 5 views. We got to talking and he made some good points. Bottom line is we still are good brothers, but disagree. He made the EXACT same quote that Sproul said. He said if Jesus died for ALL the sins of mankind, everyone would be saved. All I said is what I told you regarding that just because Jesus died, man still has to accept or reject what Jesus did. Man has a choice/free will.

Yes, I don't doubt Mr. Sproul is an intelligent man. I also don't doubt his love for Christ or salvation. I wouldn't have a problem getting into a discussion with him. Note I said discussion, not debate or argument. Although as of this moment he could probably talk circles around me. But hey, so what! He's just a human being like you and I. Who cares if he holds a PH.D or masters in whatever. Don't be intimated. It's kind of like David & Goliath you know? God will give us the words, as well as the knowledge to go against anything, if that's what He desires.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

What did Jesus mean by seal or bind?

This question came to our session last Wednesday from someone who had extensive contact with the Mormon church. This expression by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew had been used in several different ways.

As we talked others shared how it has been used in Pentecostal congregations and even in our own church. The Mormon use the word seal, but what they are referring to are these verses:

Matthew 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 18:18
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

What followed is an interesting discussion about what Christ meant. There was some concern it had to do with our salvation. The evening ended with learning how to pray for someone who has hardened their heart towards the gospel.

Follow this link to listen in our session
and leave a comment or send an email with your questions. I would love to hear from you.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Washday

Every Sunday Is Washday
at First Church of God, Medford, OR

What day is washday at your home?
Whenever it is, it comes after a week or more of piling dirty laundry in a corner someplace until you just can't look and smell presentable in public anymore unless you do some laundry. We would rather be busy than take the time to do the laundry.

That is how we are with our souls. We rush on through life taking hits, developing grudges, and becoming bitter rather than stop and take care of the dirt we are collecting. The result eventually comes that we are just not fit to be in the public anymore. Maybe someone will have the guts to tell us to our face that our attitude stinks or that our behavior has become ugly.

What's the solution? Laundry day. Like or not, it must come or we will be a social outcast. For dirty clothes you go the laundry mat but where do you go for soul that has collected a life time of filth from the sewers of our culture?

On Sunday, come to First Church of God, in Medford, OR and we will help you with your laundry. We will help you experience for the first time the washing away of all your sins, and help you stay clean. If you get dirty again, which is easy for all of us to do, come back and get clean. Why carry the increasing weight of last weeks dirt into next week? Start fresh! Start clean!

Wonder how? It is through the work of the Holy Spirit and not through anything we do. We have have simply rediscovered what millions have known for thousands of years and want you to share the same joy of being free and clear of sin.

It's good to be back after taking two weeks off and I come back with a new focus...washday. See you Sunday.

The next "Ask Pastor John - Live" is this Wednesday. Come by, drop me a note and ask your questions. (Wed. - 7pm - First Church of God.)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Will I recongize people in heaven?

Wow, this last Ask Pastor John session at the church was all about heaven. It began with the question about whether we will recognize each other in heaven, and spilled into other questions like: Will we all be the same age?; Will there be any handicaps?; How can I have joy in heaven if I know family and friends are in hell?; Why doesn't God forgive everyone and let them into heaven?; and Will there be animals in heaven?

I enjoyed this session and the audio recording is almost an hour long on streaming real audio. You are welcome to listen and leave comments here. No doubt our discussion may raise even more questions and we would love to hear those as well.

So, do you really know heaven as well as you think? Follow this link and listen in to our conversation.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Who am I? How do I know?

The question of who we are is central to our life. It is a question that everyone must face but is especially difficult for the average North American.

During our live session of "Ask Pastor John" we recorded the discussion about this question and came to some interesting conclusions. Check out our discussion and listen to the 'real audio' streaming recording.

You can discover who you are. You can begin to move into your true authentic self when you begin to understand where you came from and where you are going. Once you have this you can begin to live a better life with less frustration and more fulfillment.

Listen to the session and give us your feedback. I love to hear what others have to contribute to the great questions of life.

Pastor John

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Ask Pastor John TONIGHT 08 05 09

Tonight is another evening with Pastor John and your issues or questions. Since our last evening more people have been asking about where this is and how to get involved. So here is the information you need...

Ask Pastor John
2000 Crater Lake Ave.
Medford, Oregon 97504

7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall

Good news! The Air Conditioning as been repaired!

If you don't live in the Medford area, or just what your issue, question discussed in this blog, please drop me a note at: pastorjohn@clearwire.net

Keeping Seeking!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

"Touch Me Not"

Dear Pastor John,

I am still reading your sermons weekly and look forward to what you have to share. One question keeps coming to me every time I see this verse. Jesus telling Mary "do not touch me for I have not ascended to my Father". I know later he lets Thomas touch his wound to see it is real. But I don't understand why he won't let Mary touch him when she must be so excited to see him. Do you know why that is?

Great question! I have often wondered about that as well.

"Touch Me Not"

Matt 28:9 - And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and HELD HIM by the feet, and worshipped him.

Luke 24:39 - Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: HANDLE ME, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

John 20:17 - Jesus saith unto her, TOUCH ME NOT; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God (all quotes from the KJV).

The Greek used here actually uses the world TOUCH ME NOT in the Present Imperative in a prohibition. The present tense is properly used for expressing continued action. A prohibition in the present imperative demands that action then in progress be stopped.

Now, to apply the above to the beginning of John 20:17. The verse also includes a prohibitive, present imperative: me mou haptou. It would be better rendered as, "Stop touching Me." The point? A prohibition in the present imperative demands that action then in progress be stopped.

So Mary is already touching Jesus. But Jesus is commanding her to stop.

But why? Help in answering this question can be found by looking at the word rendered "touch."

The Greek word rendered "touch" in the KJV is haptou - "touch, take hold of, hold, to hold on to an object - ‘to hold on to, to retain in the hand, to seize, to touch, with the implication of relatively firm contact - ‘to touch.”

In his commentary on the Gospel of John, Merril C. Tenny summarizes the lexical connotations of this verb as: "The verb hapto does not mean to touch with the tip of a finger to test whether an object is real or not but to ‘clutch’ or ‘grip.’"

So Mary was not just touching Jesus, she was holding Him, grasping Him, clinging to Him. Jesus is simply telling her to let go, enough is enough already.

Putting all the above together, if I was translating the first part of this verse, I would probably render it as, "Stop holding Me…" or possibly, "Stop clinging to me…."

So Jesus is being "held" in Matthew; He is being "handled" in Luke; and He is being "held" or "clung to" in John. So there is no contradiction between the Gospels. In fact, the only reason there is even an "apparent contradiction" between these passages is because of the rather poor rendering of the KJV.

Compare, however, the translation of the NKJV, "Do not cling to Me…." Even without using "Stop" this rendering still has the sense that Jesus is commanding that Mary cease what she is already doing. I doubt very much I would say "Do not cling to me" to someone who was not even touching me!

Jesus was OK with being touched to verify that He was real, but his comment that he had not yet ascended meant that a real intimacy with Him could only be achieved after He left and sent the Holy Spirit to live within our spirit. If he remained here in bodily form then the Spirit could not come. When He left in bodily form he then was able to enter into every person who believed on Him and received His forgiveness from sin.

This was always God’s plan because to limit Christ to one body rather than the Holy Spirit empowering and indwelling in Billions would hinder the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of many.

Pastor John

Thursday, July 23, 2009

"There are no bad people..."

"...just good people making bad choices." That was the statement made in a college class this last week and brought to our Wednesday night session.

The statement reflect a post-modern notion of the nature of humanity. It even touches on the issue of whether there is such a thing as good or bad. Ultimately, if this statement is true then the Church I serve and the Gospel I share is useless.

So it would pay for us to take some time and understand the question.

Follow this link for a audio recording of our "Ask Pastor John" conversation:
"There are no bad people, just good people making bad decisions." (07/22/09)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Live Ask Pastor John Tonight

Tonight is the first live session of Ask Pastor John. You can get involved and everyone is welcome to attend. The Question and Answer session will begin at 7pm at the First Church of God, in Medford, Oregon. You can find a map to the church at www.fcog.us

You can also send your questions and issues to me by email. I will cover appropriate questions on Wednesday nights and post them here for others to read.

I hope to have a link to edited audio files of the live sessions on Wednesday night so you can listen in on our lively sessions.

You are not alone. There are many others asking the same questions you are asking and together we can look for the answers.

Christ promised us that if we seek we will find. If we ask, we will receive. If we knock the door will be opened.

This is your invitation to do just that.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

New Beginning...

A new beginning has come to this blog. Starting next week I will be taking questions from people attending a Wednesday night dialogue at the First Church of God, answering them at the event, and posting them here on the web.

Questions and issues that you have can be sent to me at this site or in person, or by email (pastorjohn@clearwire.net). I am going to attempt audio recordings of the Wednesday night sessions, edit them and make them available on this site.

I hope that as we seek answers together to some of the most important questions of life that we will find we are part of a community of truth.

Come to our sessions at the First Church of God, 2000 Crater Lake Ave., Medford, OR and join in the enjoyable interaction. The coffee is on me! We start at 7pm, start hitting the breaks by 8pm and come to a full stop by 8:30pm!

If you want to talk individually I will "linger longer" for you or write me by email. Check out our website for a map at www.fcog.us

Pastor John

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Blended Families

Last night was a real education for me. In a small group of teenagers we talked about their family life and the homes that raised them. Almost everyone in the room was part of a blended family and struggling with the consequences. When polled the said that 80 to 90 percent of their friends were part of struggling blended families.


My life has not been like their experience. My parents were married all their lives and I have had one marriage and we are still very happy together. The blended family struggle is frankly not my experience, but here are a few things the group of young people taught me last night.


Blended families can cause…

  • Loss of identity
  • Loss of belief and increase doubt of everything
  • Loss of faith
  • Loss of direction
  • Loss of trust in other people
  • Loss of life long relationships
  • Loss of purpose and direction
  • Loss of hope


These were sobering realities for just about everyone in the room that night. They were told with personal stories and real pain.


Since I was learning so much I asked the group for some more information. I asked, “What is the real problem with blended families?” We mulled that one around for awhile trying to sort out symptoms from cause. Finally we came down to the conclusion that the real core issue behind all the other symptoms is the breaking of the family covenant.


Behind all the loss is the chaos that covenant breaking brings. If the people who brought you into the world can and will not keep their covenants then the children of that family grow up wondering if there is anything real in this world. Just coming to that realization was a life changing moment.


One young member of our group responded to the feeling of being abandoned in a blended family that he sought God and came to his own conclusion about what was real and not real based on the Bible. He filled the void of the covenant breaking with a covenant he made personally with God.


I asked the group to think of anyone that was a role model to them or bright spot in their lives. Some were alive, some dead, and some were far away, but they all had something in common that meant everything to these young people. Every one of these role models kept their word. They were covenant keepers. I asked them to think of these role models and then I asked them, “Were they Godly people?” Their response was “YES!”


Covenant and contracts is not the same thing. Covenants are a promise made between us and God. That Covenant is without loop holes. When we make a covenant you are expected to keep your end of the promise even if the other person does not keep theirs. A contract, on the other hand, is nonbinding if one person fails to keep up their end of the deal.


The group told me last night that most of their families were contract based relationships and not covenants. There were a few bright spots but not many.


So I shared a few simple truths from the Bible about covenants…


1. Covenants are made with God. He makes them; we discover them and agree to them. We can not draft them.

2. Covenants breakers cause no end of trouble for many people.

3. Covenant keepers bring blessings and help to more people than they will ever know.

4. Covenants are kept because of God, not because of other people. That is why they must be made with God, towards others.

5. It is impossible to keep a Covenant without God’s direct intervention.

6. A contract can never replace a covenant.

7. We can change our world by discovering the covenants that God wants to make us with us and keep them.

8, We will all break our covenants, but God will help us get back on course.

9. Don’t be quick to make a covenant before God to someone else, but first count the cost.

10. Breaking a Covenant will always cost more than keeping a Covenant made before God.


As you can tell we covered a lot of ground last night. Those young teenagers had a great deal of wisdom to share about relationships. In them I saw the seed bed of change for a better American culture as they decided to become Godly covenant keepers.


Want to see economic recovery and cultural reform? Join us and become a Godly covenant keeper.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Full Disclosure Gospel


Just got home from a great home Bible study and a request was made to post a small flyer I made for our discussion called, "Full Disclosure Gospel."

This project was born out of a discussion that my wife and I have been talking about for some time and how many people we meet are only getting a small part of the gospel truth and missing large portions of the essential truth.

I would encourage you to do what we did tonight. Follow the link to my church website (www.fcog.us) and click the "Full Disclosure Gospel" image. You will get a printable copy of the flier in PDF form (you will need a free copy of Adobe Reader). Read through each point and look up the scriptures. Each time ask yourself if you believe the points and if they are essential for salvation in Jesus Christ.

Of course I am not saying that you can't be saved if you aren't clear on every point, but your confidence in your salvation can be greatly increased by making sure you understand and embrace each essential building block of the gospel.

Forgiveness in Jesus Christ is free, but it's not cheap. I register each day to win a free home from HGTV but if I were to win it would cost me to keep the home. It's free but even a free home comes with a cost to the person who receives the gift. The same is true for the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ.

If you like the flyer and use it, I would love to hear how you used it and what the results were. If you are stuck on any of the ten full disclosure points, drop me a note on my blog and let me know your question.

Reading the small print is important!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Finding Real Change & Freedom

Over the last twenty years of ministry there are a few tools that really have made a difference in the lives of people struggling with thoughts, habits, and other out of control influences in their lives. "Bondage Breaker" is one of those tools I would not be without.

If you want to know victory in your life and freedom to live out your faith in Christ, then you need to get this book as a basic primer for a new life in Christ.

A word of caution though...this book alone is not enough. Just reading the words and having it sit on your shelf will not bring the amazing power and freedom you can know through faith in Jesus Christ. The real power found in this book is discovered through skilled and experienced coaching.

I have used this tool as a spiritual coach with many struggling people. With the right questions and the careful consideration of our experience in the light of the Word of God, we can find together those life changing moments that will bring really freedom.

Get the book, used or new, and read it for yourself. Then send an email and we will begin your coaching to a new life walking in the power of the Spirit.

I waiting for your emails!

Pastor John