Hi all,
I’ve got some quick updates, some things to look for prophetically, and general news.
On a personal level: Chris’ behavior seems to be leveling out, and he is learning not to throw his toy cars at the aides in the group home and so forth, lol though a serious issue among others – Thank you for your prayers as anyone who has dealt with caring for the infirmed in your home or if they are at a facility can relate – it’s just ‘there’ always looming over you and always in the back of your mind. I’m losing weight slowly, but losing. Barb is doing good as well.
John on TV this Friday and Saturday
My 30 minute interview with Deborah Sweetin on ‘The Deborah Sweetin Show’ I’ve been told will air on the ORU TV network, GEBA, this Friday 2/17 and Saturday 2/18 at 6pm Central time Friday, and repeated Saturday at 5pm. Check your local provider for the channel in your area. (Direct TV channel 363)
Reasons to attend our Dutch conference May 25-28 (staying over 29-30 for site seeing if you’d like) include: Powerful prayer and worship, personal prayer, great teaching including Q&A, so much more than just house church related – well rounded! We are in a retreat setting where we all eat together, take walks, hang out informally, see old friends and meet new ones from several different countries. It is an investment in your destiny the impact of which can be life changing, not an expense, but an investment in your own life. You belong with others on the same spiritual page – great fellowship for hungry and thirsty souls. Email me if interested.
March 16-21 I will be in Lithuania – it has been several years since I’ve been there and am SO looking forward to seeing old friends again and making new ones. I hope those in the area and region can join us for some meetings!
Knowing, actually knowing the Lord and Father
Did you know the New Testament as we have it today was not formally recognized as the New Testament until the 1500’s and 1600’s (Though some Orthodox leaders came to the same conclusion 1000 years earlier, in the late 600’s AD, but the compilation of the NT was a work in progress for the better part of 1,000 years with variations to this day between the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible).
The apostle John’s writings around the year 100 AD were the last to be included in the New Testament, but everything from the gospels to Paul’s letters to John’s writings were copied and discussed for centuries before Matthew through The Revelation were brought into the form called the New Testament that we have today.
That means for centuries the letters of the New Testament were supplemental to one’s faith for they were just passed around from house church to house church, and it was centuries later when men began forming them into a single volume and adding chapters and verses for easy reference to passages.
The early Christians had to know the Father, had to know the Spirit of Truth within them, had to know the Lord. They were focused on Christ in them, the hope of glory, not words on a printed page for they had few words on the page. They knew the True and Living Person called the Word long before they had scriptures in print called ‘The Word’.
Today we have Christians arguing over this verse and that, so intellectually caught up in themselves they prove they don’t truly know the Person called the Word of God. For if they did, they would know the Spirit of Truth who would correct their error filled beliefs. And they aren’t man enough to step back from the argument to pray, seek the Father, seek the Lord, and see what the Spirit of Truth might think about what they believe. It is more fun, more challenging to argue and dig for this or that (weird) or off balance teaching than it is to close all the books, and just pray, think, contemplate, be still in worship and humility before the Father for HIS opinion. Paul told the Corinth presenting a different gospel, a different Lord, a different Spirit. They knew the Real so the counterfeit was obvious.
While the compilers of the letters we know as the New Testament intended to do everyone a great service, and they did don’t get me wrong, the unintended consequences was that people could switch their faith to words on paper rather than knowing the Word Himself. They could know the page without knowing the Person from whom those pages flowed. They could become hearers only, and not doers. They could become entrenched in intellectual smugness without actually knowing the Person and character of our Father.
SO many times I’ve tried to talk to someone who tells me the Lord says this or that or the Father is this way or that based on how they pluck choice verses out of context to form the Word around what they want to believe, and I tell them ‘You’re wrong, because I know Him and He isn’t like that.’
They look at me dumbfounded, thinking me arrogant or just trying to play with their heads. Neither is true, I just know the Father very well and the Lord is my best Friend and I know the Father’s Spirit in me – so if someone suggests the written Word says something contrary to how I know the Father to be, I know it is wrong.
THAT is where the body of Christ is headed folks – to a people who know the Father, know His Spirit of Truth within, know the Person of Christ in us.
The truth is I don’t go for the long held teaching “you must be in the Word everyday”, for in common usage that means you are supposed to read 2 chapters a day, or at least some chapter or some passage and that is to help you in your faith. I get it. But I do get into the Word everyday though not as prescribed by church culture. I choose Bible culture. I start my mornings while just waking up saying ‘Good morning Father, who do you want me to pray for today?’ before I ever get out of bed. I ask the Lord ‘Anything you want to tell me about the body of Christ today, or anything or anyone to pray for?’ That may take 10 minutes or an hour, but usually about 30 minutes of praying in the Spirit as people and situations float up from my Spirit to pray for. Usually intercession doesn’t take long, all the Father legally needs is an invitation to be at work in someone’s life and He can take it from there.
I am in the Word, every day, but I may not go to my chapter and verse on the page every day. My focus isn’t on the page, but the One from whom those pages flowed. I know the author rather than the publisher.
In that way I am thinking and studying and meditating on about 5 or 6 things ‘in the Word’ at any given time, shifting my attention to each ‘rhema word’ quickened in my heart, each principle or verse that stands out to me. When I need to find a verse related to one of those subjects I will pick up the scripture and go to it, but I have first gone to the Person called the Word for that inspiration and flow. I flow towards the written Word from Him, I don’t flow from the written Word to the Person of the Word.
How to know Him? Put down your Bible, and spend that time talking to the Father about anything and everything – talk to the Father – find ways to give Him thanks – the sunrise, the sunset, the clouds, the things in nature, the great timing and order you see in your life, the destiny of heaven, whatever…stir up yourself by getting in touch with your heart and why you are really thankful to be saved, and go from there. Then when someone in your day expresses an opinion about something, you can just internally say ‘What do you think about that Father?’ and you’ll be amazed. Include the Father, for from him the Person called the Word flowed, and from Him flowed the printed Word. Why not get to know the Source?
Keep in mind something the Father said…and then this…
Not 2 weeks ago I was thinking on something I’ve shared here that the Father said to me a year or more ago about the US. “The collapse will come when conservatives are in charge, and they will be blamed, though it was the actions of those before who are truly to blame…” – and more about the persecution coming on the US, etc.
At the time I wondered how and when we’d see ‘conservatives in charge’ – then came the election. As I was thinking on those things He interrupted saying, “Notice how Europe is moving to a cashless economy? Economic difficulties there will accelerate this, and these difficulties must come to Europe first, which will cause a restructuring in the EU, before it comes to the US. The US will be blamed by many. But when it comes to the US, it will be sudden. But don’t fear, I AM, and will always provide for those who walk with me and look for Me to do so. Many will prosper in these days and in turn bless many…”
Don’t fear, look for blessing, look for His provision, for He never changes – but you have to look for the revelation of HIs provision, and live like that. In this area ‘according to your faith be it unto you’ is very true. If you look for no provision you’ll have it. If you believe II Peter 1:3-4 that all things that pertain to life and godliness have been provide, you will have it – according to your faith be it unto you – so look for it, ask the Father ‘Where is your provision for this?’ – and watch how He does it!
Weekly Facebook teachings reminder
I usually do them Wednesday mornings 8am Central time US live, and are 8-11 minutes long, but they can be watched anytime. Just do a search at either site for ‘John C Fenn videos’.
House church: We continue to see that following the simple, Biblical pattern of rotating who leads each week, and when possible rotating host homes weekly, leads to healthy and balanced house church relationships. We also sometimes see people who say they do house church but who don’t understand the purpose of leadership is to empower others. When they centralize who teaches to just 1, 2, or 3 ‘regular’ leaders, things stagnate, those who attend become spiritually anemic, and the ‘house church’ becomes merely the auditorium church in a living room. Just keep it simple, the Bible works!
I feel like the proverbial duck on the pond – calm by all appearances but paddling furiously under the water. Know that when you mail in an offering or even no offering but just a prayer request (US residents) or email direct to me those requests, they are kept on a list by me and prayed for, usually daily and often more than once a day. I feel a real closeness to those of you who as Paul said in his life, have taken upon themselves the work of the ministry by their giving. We really, really, appreciate your giving and prayers for us! John & Barb
