ALL THINGS ARE OUT FROM GOD - BIRTHED FROM ABOVE

A. We read earlier that only God can birth from above. A person has to be birthed from above by being joined to the Lord. Without Christ in us there is NO birth and NO LIFE. But if Christ is in us then we have ALL – all that is from out of God in Him. B. Only that which is born of God is of God. Nothing that is birthed by man is of God. For example, how many of us understand that God must give BIRTH to a church, just as He gives birth to the people in it? People cannot simply decide to start a church, and then hand it to God, expecting that He will bless it. The mere fact that anything WE birth is birthed by flesh – it is birthed of flesh if we initiated it – ought to tell us that it is not birthed of God. C. But for some reason, we think that if we do things for God that He will bless it. Or if we start things in the name of Christ that Christ will inhabit it. We have this notion that if something is in our heart to do that it is in there because God put it in there. No. It may be a created and initiated by our natural man – not so much in rebellion against God or to the disregard of Him – but it may be a product of our natural, religious man, thinking that it is our job to think up ways to keep God moving. D. In the end, if flesh births anything, it is of the flesh – and at some point, it will produce the results that flesh produces. It will serve self. It will serve the flesh because flesh gave it life. Look around in the church today. Everywhere you find the gospel of ME, myself, and I. A gospel that says that Jesus came to make you happy, successful, and prosperous. A gospel that says that Jesus came to bring out the best in you, and help you find your truest self. This is flesh. E. Jesus did not come to bless your natural life – He tells you to LOSE IT. He tells you that there is nothing in the natural life that is compatible with God. Rather, if you lose your life, you will find true life in Christ. And in Christ is all that we need both materially and spiritually. F. Along side of this gospel of ME is almost a complete blindness to Jesus Christ. Christianity is Christ in us, the hope of glory. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature – and in Christ are all things that are from God. Yet today, the reality of Christ in us, and the desire of God to form Christ in us, is almost never discussed. People don’t know it, and don’t know TO know it. Here we have the essence of Christianity, and the very purpose of God, and it is off the table for discussion. This is what happens when Satan blinds people. And once Satan blinds people to the reality of Christ in them, he can more easily get them to operate from out of the natural life -- and convince them they are living from out of God. This is deception. G. Again: The reality of Christ, and the meaning of Christ in us, and God’s purpose of forming Christ in us this is the reason Christ came. It IS Christianity. Yet if you would preach this in most local churches, or on Christian TV, you would either get a blank stare, or meet great opposition. This is how far things have fallen from the Truth. Even in those places where there is some little Truth on these matters, it would seem that even that is buried beneath an avalanche of money, members, and the soul power of people. H. To abide in Christ by faith requires a total surrender to Him as Lord – not because I feel I must, but because I want to surrender. It requires that I not only take my hands off of my life and leave it alone to God, but it requires that I WANT to do so – I gladly do so. It means that I will birth nothing of myself and that I will not resort to the flesh to solve what ails me. I. Does that sound hard? It might seem scary – most of us, despite all of our great confessions of faith in the LORD are quite terrified that if we do nothing about ourselves, or our ministry, that God might also do nothing. And we will go down the drain. Well, our attitude ought to be that if God will do nothing we will gladly do nothing – and if everything crashes so be it. Indeed, the sooner the better. The work of the Cross will bring us to such an abandonment. It spells freedom. J. God is quite willing and capable of not only birthing that which satisfies Him, but of looking after it. If we really believed this, we would not be using the ways and methods of the world to try to prop up our churches. There would need to be NO money raising campaigns. No drives for members. No blessings promised, or threats of punishment from the LORD, if we give or don’t give. We would not use craftiness or wisdom of words or emotional drama to try to move people. We would not need signs and wonders. Rather, we would simply abide in Christ, preach the Truth in Christ, and let the chips fall. Have we ever considered what God might do if He were actually given His place and sovereignty? K. Do you want to know why the early church was so powerful in the Lord? They had NO money. They had no TV, written materials, or audio tapes. They didn’t even have a Bible to carry around. They had only Christ in them. But they changed the world – because they let God have His way, first with them personally, and then to do what He wanted. They were not perfect, but kept their hands off of God’s property. God could therefore do what He wanted. God could be sovereign. Today, we expect God to come down and fit Himself into what we have birthed. He won’t. L. For the last two-thousand years, professing believers have created one form of religion after another – and pasted the name of Christ on it. Roman Catholicism is a big example, but the Protestants have done the same. We have created laws and principles. Religious rituals. Belief systems. We have created an entire priesthood or ministry around it. We have built our temples. Yet God will NOT inhabit any house made with hands. He inhabits only people through Jesus Christ. M. What is the solution to all of this? Not to find a better way, “to do church.” No. Not to read the book of Acts and try to create from it a template to follow. No. The solution is to get back to the foundation – the person of Jesus Christ. But not just to a theological Christ. We have to get back to the essence of Christianity, which is, “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” N. We have to get back to the fact that if we are in Christ that we are birthed new creatures – that all of the old is passed away – and that all things are brand new and from above in Christ. And that all things pertaining to the new creature of OUT FROM GOD as the source. And we have to learn Christ, allowing God to form Christ in us. We must renounce and forsake the old as the source for anything. This is the will of God. It is what He has birthed and it is all that He is going to do.

A MEDITATION ON CHRISTMAS

When I meditate on this time of the year and what we call the Christmas (word not found in the KJV of the Bible) season I must conclude this is the most divisive time of the year just ahead of Easter. I wonder why these two holidays divide so many people in the world. Now I will tell you from the start Karen and I do not celebrate Christmas how can we the word is not in the KJV Bible, but we do celebrate the birth of our precious LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. As Christianity began to spread many were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs among their converts. We even see this throughout the New Testament Church as Paul constantly battled against pagan and cultural traditions from taking root in the young Church. At first the Church forbade this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Bible historians claim that the Christmas celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also to the Persians (Babylonian Chaldeans) whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. Oddly enough it was during this period the three Wise Men (also Magi) (Matthew 2:1) learned of the Star of Bethlehem by reading the prophecies of Daniel the Great Magi (Daniel 1:1-7). Sadly this religious deception continues today, even though the faces and names has been changed the spirit and intent has not. We Christians seem to be good at making up things to satisfy our flesh for fulfillment. Now as I said Karen and I do celebrate the birth of Christ, there is a huge difference. As we watch the news we cannot believe all of the fighting to keep Christ in Christmas. Where in the Bible did Jesus ask us to remember His birth? Now I can find plenty of Scriptures in the Bible where Jesus has asked us to remember His death, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) Who wants to remember Jesus’ death when we can remember His birth? Yet few Christians really remember His death (Romans 6:3) while they go crazy in remembering His birth. I wonder why? Yes there is a wonderful story about the birth of Jesus in the Bible, but where are we commanded to make His birth an annual holiday like we in American have made: Independence, Veterans, or Valentine Day even Halloween? And when you merge religious with traditions and customs you have an unbeatable national money maker. Is not Jesus’ birth much more? Yes my friend I am afraid we have gotten off track and the merchants of the day (and for 100s of years) have capitalized on our selfish greed (maybe only in America, but I think not) and great presumption. The same way Hollywood has recently discovered the untapped market for Christian movies. I find it really strange how many Christians today would rather go to a movie then to Church to hear about Jesus. I wonder why? It is not about fighting to keep Christ in Christmas or even about a baby in the manger. You know we really like seeing baby Jesus in the manger, but you know my friend Jesus is not a baby any more, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) Today Jesus is not a defenseless baby in the manger He is our victorious King of kings, Lord of lords, and someday soon He is coming back to earth not as a baby, but as a judge (to kick butt) and rule (to set righteousness in order) in the earth. Something else we are puzzled about is why Christians want to beat up on the Atheist in Washington State who put a sign beside a manger display in the Capitol building. I thought we were to witness to them and tell them about Jesus? There is not much of a Christian witness when we shake our fist and gnash our teeth at someone over a wooden display. How can this sign destroy the eternal timeless message of our precious savior Jesus Christ? It cannot and will not. Has the love of God been displaced by Christians wanting their traditional religious symbols? I too can speak for God and sadly I must say yes. Jesus did not come so that we could decorate our trees and yard with gold and silver balls or blinking lights. Jesus did not come so Christians could deck the halls with a blow up Santa Claus and reindeer on their roofs and lawn. What do we do with these verses? “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not.” (Jeremiah 10:2-4) Maybe we should ignore them or maybe the Holy Spirit made a mistake? I think God is very clear in what He is saying, but we continue in the lie with Christmas trees (a German custom) out from our American tradition (now transported to the world) and because we do not want to offend family members. Just look at the Christmas trees in churches today? What do we do with these verses? The answer will be what we do with Jesus. Never forget the Gospel message of Christ is very offensive and at times even divisive to the non-believers, but truth is truth. Either we will stand for truth or compromise for the lie for the sake of peace on earth. The truth is Jesus did not come so we could have songs to sing at our annual Christmas musicals. It is amazing how old Christmas recordings from people long ago come back to life every Christmas. Jesus did not come so we could run ourselves to death, buying presents for people, while going further into debt. It is no wonder support in America for missionaries and humanitarian programs dwindle to almost to nothing this season of the year. I am afraid the true character and nature of man comes out during Christmas. We even plug in a written list to a jolly fat man in a red suit that drives a sleigh of reindeer around the world in one night to make sure we get want we what for Christmas. Why do we think we should get a present on someone else’s birthday? Our selfishness and self-centered nature really comes shining through. Oh Lord please forgive us for the indulgence of our wrong attitudes, greed, and lust. Jesus did not come to give us a Christmas season to feed our passions. The Bible is very clear why Jesus came. Jesus tells us in His own words, “The thief (not the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus came so that we “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” not to get a bunch of Christmas presents to satisfy our flesh. Jesus came so that we might (our choice not His) have the life of God dwelling within our heart and lives. The creative eternal life of God moving in us and out from us to the world. Also, in John Jesus tells us, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) Jesus came so that we might have life eternal (one part of salvation) which is knowing His Father (and ours), so that we too could “know the only true God” as Jesus did. So, we too could know the sublime unity of knowing God as Jesus did. I would think that would be worth far more than anything we can buy each other. Did you know, Jesus (even though the Prince of Peace) did not come into the world to bring peace as many of the major denominations and religions of the world tell us. Religious deception always leads us away from Christ into the traditional religious worship of the customs of man (like Christmas and Easter) and into a good works salvation thinking. Oh no Jesus Himself said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance (Strong’s #1639 to cut into two parts, cleave asunder, sever) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39) Jesus has come to cut our hearts out of the world with His word, the sword. Jesus has “come to set man at variance against” or sever every relationship where we love someone or something more than Him. Jesus came so that we could take up our cross (not Jesus’) and follow Him. Jesus came so we could lose our life so that we could then find our life in Him. We know and are persuaded if we lose our life for His sake we shall find it. We also know many of our friends will disagree (we hope and pray this is not the case) with this article, but that is okay getting the truth of the Gospel message out is more important than our friends getting offended at us. If they get offended at us over this article we know they probably are not our friends anyway. We have learned this truth the hard way. Please do not allow yourself to be deceived (your choice) by any pastor or person that says, “it is not a Heaven or Hell issue or it does not really matter” oh really? This thinking my friend is just spiritually wrong and a very subtle form of deception that has been carried on for 100s maybe 1,000s of years by the religious denominations and merchants both working hand-n-hand to get customers. Sadly at the heart of why we focus on the Christmas story and baby Jesus in the manger is so we do not have to deal with a risen Savior. How much more religious can we (like the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17)) who could not totally sell out be than to bow down and worship the Christmas story and the sweet little baby Jesus in the manger? This satisfies our religious flesh and helps to ease our guilt and feeling of disobedience from rejecting God’s word to us. Who wants to allow God to deal and judge in their hearts exposing areas where we must allow Him to work? It is much easier singing another song about Christmas as we buy presents for our family or even as we buy a present for some poor people who live down the street who we neglect the rest of the year. It is far less painful to go to every church musical and spend all we have than for God to be able to show us who we really are. Who wants to allow God free rein in our heart and lives to conform us into the image (icon) and character of Jesus Christ? Very few people do and the rest continue in this traditional religious lie year after year. I think I will end with a very sobering word; if you need a traditional religious holiday to know God sadly my friend your heart is very far from Him and you will never come to know Him. Let us turn our hearts away from the religious traditions of Christmas and allow God to bring the truth of His character and nature to us. It is our choice whether we desire presents on Christmas morning or the knowledge of God, we cannot have both. Written by David Stahl

THE NEXT GENERATION

One of the biggest norms in Christ is change, but change is only good for us if it benefits what God is doing in our lives. If not, then the change will drive us and others around us away from the truth of God’s word and God Himself. One of the biggest changes I have seen in the “Church” today is the move to change the means, to catch the next generation for Christ. We must be careful here, we must use discernment not to throw out God in a desire to see the next generation come to Christ. Now, this is a noble desire, but always remember what you use to win someone to Christ with you have won them to that. So if, you use: rock Christian music, a new look in the sanctuary, a stage show with strobe lights or like most seeker sensitive churches turn out the lights to add a nightclub affect, fog machines, a new sound system, drama, painting, and so much more then you have won the next generation to that. But if you use the word of God and His ways, even though they may seem like they are old fashion to the new generation, still you have won them to the word of God. There is no hip Jesus my friend. The message to come to salvation does not change, the Gospel, saved by grace through faith. Now the means, the things used to support the message can as long as it does not reflect the world. Remember, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck and looks like a duck it probably is not a chicken. There must be a balance, there must be an awareness between the world’s ways that appeal to the next generation and what the Bible allows. The message of the word of God is not optional depending on the desire, likes, or dislikes of the next generation. I have seen Christian Churches and Bible Schools bend over backwards, for years, trying to satisfy students and make kids more comfortable hoping they will stick around, but usually what happens is the Church or Bible School comprises the tenants of the faith while saying they are making up for past failures of leadership. The old saying, “you must not let the chickens run the hen house” still applies today. If the spirituality and behavior, due to policy and structural changes of a Church or Bible School, begins to wain then that is a huge red flag to the leadership that signals a revisiting to the effectiveness of the change and then have the courage to go back to the old way of doing things if need be. Newer, bigger, brighter is not always better in God. I have seen this struggle between the old ways and the new ways, so that the new generation will get involved, but I am not so sure that message will really work in God if not careful. The key between creating greater problem or touching a “true” spiritual need in the next generation is the leadership’s discernment and ability to know the difference between the things of the world and the things of God. We know what the world and the nominal church offers, I described them earlier in this article and the end result is confusion, loss of time and money, and usually the next generation wanting more and more of the world. I have seen it all over the world. You know, today there seems to be a great hunger from Churches to want to be like the seeker sensitive Churches in America. They look successful, crowds, dancing, singing, but not always so in God. NO! Each Church MUST be developed according to cultural norms and how God wants them to be developed. To follow and copy a failed non-spiritual format like the seeker sensitive movement in America is insanity and void of all spiritual values. So, what is spiritual discernment? Well, spiritual discernment is the result of knowing Jesus Christ. If you know the Truth Himself, you are going to, well, know the Truth that pertains to Him – you are going to know what is of Him. This is, of course, a progressive revelation into which we have come. We really must understand that discernment is the result of knowing Christ. Too often we make discernment a gift and think of it as something we are able to do as a thing unto itself. No. For a Christian, everything is connected to life in Christ, and nothing operates independent of our relationship with Him nothing that is of God, that is. Thus, discernment does not operate independent of Christ, but rather, is a product of our relationship with Him, and knowledge OF Him. This tells us how to know error. Error is not simply bad theology, although there is plenty of that out there. Rather, error is a misrepresentation of Christ Himself. One way or another it is that. Thus, I cannot know error unless I know the Truth. I do realize that it is possible for discernment to operate purely on a theological or intellectual level. People DO have brains, and even an atheist can spot hypocrisy and some error. But the discernment of the Holy Spirit is much more than simply being able to compare notes and come to conclusions. The discernment by the Holy Spirit means that I am able to sense whether something belongs to Christ or does not. It is all based on Him, whether it fits into Him. Unless we know Christ, and therefore have Him as our basis of discernment, we are going to use something else. Usually we will use our understanding, how we feel about something, or whether something appeals to us. Sometimes Christians just do not think like spending vast amount of money to change outward surroundings, like a sanctuary, to please fleshly concerns. And often they simply resign and let others think for them. If there is one thing the church needs today it is the discernment that comes from knowing the Person of Jesus Christ. The fact that there seems to be so little discernment out there today is simply evidence that many, including leaders, do not know Him. The consequences are everywhere. The growing trend in churches today is the compromise of Truth for the sake of unity. Churches compromise to keep members and get them. This compromise is not merely seen in wrong things being preached. It is seen in right things being eliminated. Preachers like Joel Osteen openly brag about the fact that they never preach that we are sinners, must repent, or that there is a Cross that each of us have to meet. This, we are told by people like Osteen, is not necessary. We need a positive gospel, they say. And the fact that millions follow them in their error simply gives them all the more boldness to continue preaching it. It would seem that today more than ever, whatever will get the people in the pew is what is accepted as Truth. Or people just don’t care about Truth at all. Either way, the trend of the last 10-15 years is one of, "anything goes in the name of love." People like Osteen, Rick Warren, and Bill Hybels all of whom have ties to, or are echoing heretic Robert Schuller concentrate on you, and on making you the center of God’s universe. And since we all care about ourselves, we eat this stuff up. And yet this kind of message is actually the message of antichrist. Antichrist is basically Christ without the Cross. In other words, antichrist is man in Adam affirmed religiously, just as he is, and without the need to meet the Cross. The modern gospel of self-esteem is the fullness of the gospel of Satan. That is not an extreme statement. It is the Truth and it is here, right now, in the churches. It is one of the most subtle, yet damaging, deceptions ever perpetrated on the Body of Christ. Draw your own conclusions about what that means as to the times in which we live. All of this comes back to a lack of discernment, and the usual result: Trying to do for God, on the wrong basis, what only God can do on the right basis. God wants His church unified in Christ, and in the Truth. Today we are trying to unify the Church by compromising with both. We just returned from three weeks in Romania and Ukraine what a wonderful time we had, how God protected and kept us from harm and death. But, In Romania we know of a church, my most favorite church in the world, and a Bible School that is in the throes of this change. Now I know the leadership quite well and know in God they will make the right decisions. I have attended this Church since 1998 and watched it go from a cold, dark place, where you prayed on the hard concrete floor on your knees to a warm, inviting place, where the presence of God is tangible and the life of God is imparted to the people. Year after year, as God moved, things changed, things were removed and things were added. Little by little (that is important) God changes the inwards things of the heart and as the inward heart changes so does the outward. Not fast, but slow little by little. I know the next generation likes things fast, flashy, and shiny, but God does not work that way. Change not to look like the world or even America, but change because God said so. There is where the safety of change is found, not in the change to look like someone else, but change to be in the will of God. Written by David Stahl

ONE BREAD

Recently we just returned from Romania and Ukraine. What a wonderful trip to minister in many Churches, a Bible School, and to feed three war-torn hopeless, starving villages in Ukraine. Now feeding the villages was not on our radar when we started out for Romania and Ukraine, but as the old Jewish saying goes, “man makes plans and God smiles.” Our plans were to yes, minister in churches along the way and at the Bible School in Agigea, Romania, and travel a very long way to Cherkasy, Ukraine to visit stage one of “New Life” a prosthetic lab and rehabilitation center for land mine victims, and visit Dr. Joe warehouses. Last year we traveled over 2,600 miles visiting six cities in seven days while holding high level meetings with Ukrainian Generals, Mayors and State leaders, and senior medical people from the civilian community. Out from these meetings we put together lists that Dr. Joe gave his friends who bought and collected the items on the list, containerized, and shipped to Gdansk, Poland. But, due to the change in the footprint to the battlefield in Ukraine Dr. Joe felt it would be best to hold the 15 containers on station in Gdansk till things calm down in Ukraine then he can push them forward, do the country clearance with his guys, and deliver the containers safe and sound to his warehouses near the cities where we had the meetings. A great plan that did not happen, so the containers are now sitting in Gdansk. Sounds like we will have to make another trip to Ukraine sooner than later. No problem. One thing I keep learning is the words from my Teacher Charles Haun the last time we talked on earth, “just go along for the ride.” And I find when I do just that, “go along for the ride” God can open up to me some of the most amazing experiences in my life. So, Karen and I traveled to Romania and for four days Pastor Luke Rotaru and his wife Elizabeth took great care of us ministering in a few churches and visiting old friends. Then Monday Pastor Florin Strugariu picked us up at the Bible School in Agigea at O dark 30 and we headed for Ukraine. First stop was Izmayil. The plan was this: Izmayil, Kherson Nikolaev, then lastly 693 miles from Izmayil the City of Cherkasy where “New Life” is. Well, by then the word came from Dr. Joe that he would hold things on station in Gdansk so I told Pastor Florin we may not be going to Cherkasy. I think he was relieved. Pastor Florin is a great man of God. Not because he has a wonderful church in Cernavoda, Romania or because he has been to Ukraine 24 times maybe more, oh no, Pastor Florin is a great man of God because he loves God deeply and he loves God’s children. There are very few people alive, that I have met, that has a greater love for evangelism, especially in the villages, than Pastor Florin. He was our driver also last year and greatly impressed us then and on this trip. But before we left Romania (here is where the title comes alive) Pastor Luke’s wife Elizabeth gave Karen and I some Cozonac, a very tasty Romanian sweet bread (with other very tasty things) to take on the trip to Ukraine. Well, I put the Cozonac in my backpack and forgot about it. So, we arrived to Izmayil and met Pastor Costica Voinov our new straw boss. Pastor Luke was our straw boss in Romania and worked us like a rented mule. After meeting Pastor Costica he said to us, we look tired take a two hour nap and we will come for you. So, we did what we were told to do, being obedient was the least we could do. After two hours Pastor Florin came to our room (we stayed at the church: Skinia the Meeting Tent or Tabernacle) and off we went to the local supermarket to pay for the $1,500 of food Pastor Costica and his Youth Department picked from the shelves. It was all hands on deck as we loaded 14 baskets of food and fixings into a very large van, then back to the church compound for the unloading, sorting and assembling off wooden pallets. The calvary arrived, the ladies from the Youth Department. It was plain to see that this was not their first rodeo. They (the teenagers) knew their parts well and worked as one team with a smile on their face. Pallet to pallet they laid everything out and then the seeming endless walking around the pallets until we put together 170 parcels (of 8 items per bundle) to be loaded into an even bigger van for a 3:45 am departure, seven hour ride, to Nikolaev and three villages. Pastor Costica feeds 14 villages every two weeks. WOW, every two weeks they do this. Every two weeks they bring food and the word of God with hope and love to 14 villages. No one makes them they just do it out of their love for God and their desire to see men, women, and children come to Christ. So, the team was Pastor Costica, Pastor Florin, Alexander (the driver who Pastor Florin says is a better driver than he), Youri, John, Anatolii (all three musicians), and Karen and I. Now here is where I am a bit puzzled. Someone made a switch in towns. The plan was Kherson then Nikolaev, but someone, not really sure who, made a change to our plans. In retrospect I know now who made the change in plans. So 3:45 am sharp we left for Nikolaev. Pastor Florin was right Alexander was a great driver, but I think Pastor Florin has him beat, but I am biased. We arrived too our first village outside of Nikolaev, Partizanskhe. There we met Mayor Eva, Karen and her really hit it off, toured what was left of the destroyed village, off loaded 60 parcels of food, the singers sang, Pastor Costica preached, and I prayed over the village. What really caught my attention was the feeling of despair and hopelessness. Mayor Eva had a list and if your name did not appear on her list you did not eat (or had to get food elsewhere) for two weeks. It was humbling to watch grown men and women reach out and take the parcel of food donated by the wonderful folks who supported this trip. Next, we were off to the village of Hardat, but before we got there we stopped by a bridge and saw the memorial to 28 Ukrainian, soldiers, defending the village, who were executed by the Russians. Everywhere we looked were red signs with a white skull and cross bones signifying a live land mine, live ordinances (MLRS Missiles, 3.4 mm Tow Rockets, even live small arms ammunition) were buried in the ground some were just laying on top of the ground. They were everywhere. We were told stay on the road and you will live get off into the grass and you will die. Well, they did not have to tell us twice. We left and entered Hardat and repeated the same routine, but in this village, which was much smaller, had aid workers from England. Mayor Eva was also the Mayor of Hardat, but I am not sure if this was a good thing, because the aid workers hated God and the Mayor. There was a church there, but it was a Mennonite Church that the English aid workers called a commune and a cult, and said was a bigger enemy than the Russians. There was a bad spirit in this village. So, we off loaded 60 parcels, sang, Pastor Costica preached, I prayed over the village, and moved on to the last village, Smighiriovca. This village was the biggest of the three villages and had a Church well established and a better level of prosperity and outlook, which is due I am sure to the Church and their faith in God. Our routine changed. We off loaded the remaining parcels, had a Church service, then ate supper. The singers sang, Pastor Florin played the guitar and sang, John played the accordion and sang, Pastor Costica preached, and before I preached and prayed over the village, I found out why God changed our plans. Suddenly a man came busting into the service and reported the town of Kherson was just rocketed, by the Russians, and the Church I was to be speaking in right now, in Kherson, was totally destroyed and many people were killed and many injured. There is a lot to be said about the grace and mercy of God and His plan for our lives. It was easy preaching after that. We had Church! After the service we had a great supper, said our farewells, and settled in for our seven hour ride back to Izmayil. After a brief stop in Odessa where we saw the Odessa Staircase or Steps and about 40 to 50 Russia drones striking ships in the port, an amazing sight indeed, we headed for Izmayil. It was now late, maybe 11:00 pm and everyone was asleep. I remembered the Cozonac in my backpack so I dug it out and asked Karen if she wanted a pull of bread? She said yes. So, I opened up the Cozonac and the aroma quickly filled the van. Lights behind us switched on and I heard sniffing. Karen got her pull of bread and I passed the Cozonac back to the singers. They quickly pulled some bread and passed the loaf back to me, which I in turn passed to Pastor Costica seating in the passenger front seat, he pulled from the load and gave it to the driver then got a big handful of bread for himself and passed back to me. Suddenly my eyes filled with tears as the verses in 1 Corinthains 15-17 filled my mind and heart. Paul writes, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” I passed the Cozonac loaf back again for another round and something even more amazing happened. The singers in the back seat started singing traditional hymns of the Church. What three part harmony, wow! Songs like Abide with Me, Come Thou Fount, It is Well with My Soul. Karen and I joined in. Pastor Florin and Costica joined in, I think the driver Alexander also joined in. So, here we are driving down the road at 80 miles an hour, eating Cozonac, and singing hymns. What fellowship what communion we had. They then asked me if I knew the history behind these beloved hymns, so I shared what I knew of these hymns. Oh, how it thrilled our soul. What a presence of the Spirit of God filled the van. What joy filled our hearts. As things died down the LORD shared with me the communion and fellowship with the “many” started not with the passing of the load or the singing, but with each sacrifice of the Saints: with Pastor Luke and Pastor Jacob in Romania all along the way with each life we touched, with each smile, with each “God bless you,” “is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” My eyes filled the more. You know it is not aways the big things God is looking for in us, but the little things, like Elizabeth giving us the Cozonac. Who would of thought? Ah yes, the little things like a loaf of bread of which we all are a part. Written by David Stahl

ALL THINGS OUT FROM GOD

All Things are Out From God Part 3 Necessity of the Cross A. The Cross is not merely a THING in which to believe. Neither is the death of Jesus merely an historical event upon which to rest my faith. Of course, without the historical event nothing else would be possible. But our faith is NOT to be in the Cross. It is to be in the One who died on it. Our faith is to be in Christ – the living Christ with whom we are one in spirit. And if it is, then we are planted into His death and into His resurrection. B. We will be crucified with Christ because we are one with the One who was crucified for us. We will be raised with Christ because we are one with He who was raised for us. We will be seated in heavenly places with Christ because He is seated in heavenly places, and we are joined to Him. Thus, the object of our faith is the Person of Jesus Christ – right now, the very Christ who dwells in us. For if we are planted into Christ by faith, abiding in Him, then we will likewise be planted into all He has done and all that is in Him. C. Note the distinction between having received all in Christ, and having experienced Christ. Despite the finished reality found in Christ, and having received all that is in Him, it is nevertheless a fact that when Christ joins us to Himself, we have just begun. This is why, even though in Christ we are complete – that is, have all that God has to give – this is why the purpose of God must be to now unfold the Christ to us, and bring into our experience all that is in Him. D. But, It is one thing to have all things in Christ. It is another to actually come to learn, know, see, and experience all those things that are in Christ. Israel was given all of the land before they ever set foot in it. But they still needed to enter in and take possession of all that God had already given to them. E. Here is where the conflict begins. When we encounter problems in life – problems that demand solutions, resources, and wisdom – how do we respond? God says to abide in Christ. He is, and carries, all that we will need. But unfortunately, we do not easily abide in Christ. Rather, we draw upon ourselves or upon something of this world. And most of us don’t even realize what we are doing. We barely know the difference. F. The only way in which a person in whom Christ dwells is ever going to learn the Truth of abiding in Christ is if the work of the Cross has God’s way with them. And in order for God to have His way with us, we must PICK UP our cross and lose our lives – as Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-25. The admonition to pick up our Cross shows that we have to choose to yield to God. G. But his yielding is not so much a matter of figuring out what to do. It is a matter of saying to God, “LORD, do in my life whatever it takes to bring me into the fullness of Christ. Do whatever it takes through the Cross I will pick up to bring me to where I will realize Christ and abide in Him.” God has to do this – and the first step is death to the old. But we have to pick up the Cross – we have to embrace Him. H. The work of the Cross will bring us to the place where we are absolutely and joyfully convinced that there is NOTHING in us – nothing outside of that circle in our natural makeup – carries LIFE. We will see by experience that no resource found in natural man can enable us to walk with God. Do we know this to the point where we voluntarily desire to see the death of all that we are in Adam, so that we might come into the fullness of Christ? Can we honestly say that we do not want to draw upon ourselves for life, and that we will aren’t even going to try? Well, we probably won’t come to this place without some hard but necessary lessons – but we must come to this place in order to be free in Christ. I. Most people in Christ spend years trying to live the Christian life by drawing from their natural man. We still think that God wants to salvage something from us and bring it into the new creation. We still think that Jesus Christ died to bring out our latent greatness, or to enhance the good things about us, or to fix up our old man and make him fit for God’s use. No. Jesus Christ came to die so that the Adam life could die in Him. If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is NOT, “an old fixed up creation.” No. He is a new creation, and all of that newness is FROM OUT OF GOD in Christ. J. It is essential that we see that Christ is ALL for the believer – but we will never see that He is all until we at least begin to see that we are NOTHING. This is the TRUTH we must see. And any other basis for living is deception.

ALL THINGS OUT FROM GOD (HGM 23 JULY 24)

A New Birth 

 A. As noted, when we are joined to the LORD, and become one spirit with Him, there is a BIRTH – a new creation in Christ Jesus is born. This is another way of saying that we have been born from above. We have received Christ from the outside of us into us -- new life is not born into us naturally – we have received Him from above. In short, God does NOT act upon us and change us into a new creation. Rather, He joins us to Christ and because we are then IN CHRIST we are new creations. HE is the source of all that makes this possible. 

B. Now please note that this does NOT mean that the old man in Adam – our natural man; our flesh – ceases to exist. That is not what Paul means when he says, “old things have passed away.” What he does mean is that our life is now Christ, and not the old. He means that all things that constitute true life are from out of God in Christ. The rest is under death. Eventually – at the resurrection of the body – the old will cease to exist. But for now, only the power of the old creation is broken. It remains present, and thus, possible to us to yield to it. Thus, we have in each believer two natures. 

C. The Bible speaks much about these two natures as the separation of soul from spirit in the believer. If we have received Christ there is this division between soul and spirit. The presence of Christ in us immediately creates this division. There is, on the one hand, Christ in us and all that is in Him. But there remains, on the other hand, all that is of the natural. And not only is there this division and great distinction, but there is a great conflict. The natural and the spiritual are against each other. 

D. Let’s lay this out: If you could take a pencil and draw a circle around the new creature in Christ – a circle around our resurrection union with Christ – all that is INSIDE this circle would be NEW. All that is INSIDE of this circle would be FROM OUT OF GOD in Christ. Inside of that circle would be LIFE, light, Truth – it would be Christ in us and all that constitutes the new birth. But outside of that circle would remain all that is OLD – the natural man and the flesh – outside of the circle would be that which is from out of the old man in Adam. 

E. Now hook this up with the statement of Jesus from John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The conclusion is that flesh cannot birth anything that is of God. Flesh can birth only flesh – and even if what the flesh births is highly religious or looks holy, it is still flesh. Only God can birth that which is of God. In short, only that which is from out of God is of God; is of the spirit. All that is from out of the natural can never be anything but natural. 

F. Once we begin to understand this Truth and realize that each believer has TWO natures – one within that circle in Christ, and one outside that circle of Adam – we should realize that only that which finds it’s source from Christ is of God. Anything that finds its source in the natural man is not of God. Only God can birth what is spiritual and of Christ. The rest must pass away. 

G. If Christ is in us -- then all that is in Him is from out of God as the source. Thus, this tells us who ought to be the source of all things for the believer: Christ. This is why Jesus said, “abide in Me,” and, “without Me you can do nothing.” Now, obviously, people can do plenty without Christ. It’s just that they can do nothing that is God’s will, or that is eternal. Indeed, the problem is that even Christian people do plenty that is not OUT FROM CHRIST – but rather, from out of themselves as the source, power, and intent. And where that is the case, what they are doing is part of that which is going to pass away. 

H. Again – we have Christ in us, and we have our natural man. God wants us to abide in Christ – to draw from Christ for all that we are, and all that we need. Christ IS our life – that covers everything. Thus, instead of drawing upon our natural resources, and using our natural man, we are to draw from Christ. 

I. Now, we are not going to do this unless God teaches us. And the way that God teaches us is not merely through information or directions. Those things help and we must find what God is doing in scripture. But God teaches us Christ, and guides us into all Truth, usually through experience. God will often allow us to try to live our lives on the basis of natural man – we tend to do this without realizing it. He will often allow this to prove to us the completely futility of it. He may even allow us to crash and burn. Why? So that we may see, through experience, yes, the emptiness of natural man, but more than that, so that we may have proven in us that in Christ alone are all things that are from God. 

J. When Paul said, “old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new – all things that are from out of God,” he was stating a finished fact. But then God will prove it to us if we are open to the Truth. We must still be brought into this finished Truth and will need to discover that all that we need is Christ, and what it means to abide in Him for all that is from out of God. 

K. What does it mean to ABIDE in Christ? It means, “to live from out of,” Christ as our source. It means that if we are already joined to the Lord and are one spirit with Him, that we must – by faith – live in Him and draw from Him all that we need. We are already joined to Him – now believe it, see it, and live like it. Christ is to BE our life. To function as if He is our life speaks to what it really means to abide in Him. He is the Vine. We are a branch. 

L. To abide in Christ as a branch abides in the vine is exactly what it means to enter His rest by faith. It means that I know IT IS FINISHED – and now I’m going to turn and live like it is finished – I am going to abide in the Christ who is my life, and in whom are all things from God. Of course, there is nothing here that I can do, or need to do, to make something happen. It is not a matter of getting God to do something. It is a matter of seeing who Christ is and of surrendering ourself to Him as Lord. A branch does not need to try to convince the Vine to help him. A branch need not to struggle to drag life from the Vine. A branch needs to abide in, and rest in, the Vine. If we do that, by faith, we will find that we are indeed already one with Him.

ALL THINGS OUT FROM GOD (HGM 18 JUNE 24)

Paul writes to the Church as Corinth and to us. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17) In the Greek, it reads, “behold, all things are out from God.” Which is so true, “ALL” things are out from God.

 A. In this passage we find a description of Christianity or what constitutes a Christian. A Christian is someone who is “IN CHRIST” or as Paul says in Colossians 1:27, Christianity is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Christ in us, or us in Christ, this is Christianity and a Christian and if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. 

B. How is Christ in us? How are we in Christ? Paul writes, “He that is joined to the Lord is ONE SPIRIT (with Him.)” (I Corinthians 6:17) Salvation takes place when the LORD joins us to Himself and He makes us ONE SPIRIT with HIMSELF. Paul elsewhere describes this joining as being, “baptized into Christ.” (see Romans 6:3-5) He says we are PLANTED into His death, and thus, His resurrection. Christ is in us through the joined of our human spirit to Himself through His Spirit. 

C. An essential to see about this joining is that we are not generally given THINGS from the LORD aside from, or added to, Christ. For example, we are not given a THING called “salvation” because of Christ. Oh no. We are given all things IN CHRIST. We are joined to Jesus Christ Himself, IN WHOM there is all life. Much difficulty in the Christian life arises from trying to get things from God instead of receiving and living out from the Christ in whom are all things. 

D. God has wrapped up ALL THINGS in His Son, and He has freely given all things IN HIM. (Romans. 8:32) Thus, there is nothing that God has for us except it be found in His Son. So, we cannot receive the THINGS of God except we receive the Christ in whom are all things. The fact that God is sometimes merciful to bless people aside from what is in Christ does not diminish this overall Truth. 

E. Now what this ought to tell us is that if we are joined to the LORD, we have in Christ all that God has, indeed, all that God is. The goal, at that this point, is not to receive MORE from God or other THINGS and it is not to obtain more experiences. Oh no. The purpose of God once we are saved is that Christ be formed in us (Galatians 4:19) and that we be formed together with Him. (Romans. 8:29) If that is happening, then all that is IN Christ will likewise come into our experience. Christian growth or sanctification is never the result of getting more of Christ. Rather, it is a matter of the Christ we have already received being made manifest in and through us: 

F. Paul writes, “That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (l Corinthians 1:29-31) 

G. This brings us back to our passage from II Corinthians. 5:17. You will note that it is our joining to the LORD that makes us a new creation. You will also note that everything that is of the new creation is, well -- NEW. And just as importantly, all of this newness that constitutes the new creation comes FROM God. Again, the Greek actually reads, “and all things (that constitute the new creation) are OUT FROM GOD. 

H. So, what we have is this: When we are joined to the LORD and become one with Him in spirit, what is birthed is a new creation in Christ Jesus. We become one with Christ in both His death and His resurrection, old things are passed away through His death and all things have become new. Note that we do not bring anything new into this relationship. Christ brings all and IS ALL, to us in this spiritual joining. That is why Paul says, “ALL THINGS ARE FROM OUT OF GOD.” In contrast, nothing new is from OUT OF US. 

I. A Christian is one who has been joined to the LORD made one with Him, and thus, has received all that Christ IS, and all that Christ has done. Despite the fact that it will take a lifetime and more for Christ to be unfolded and experienced, it still does not negate the fact that we have already received all things freely in Christ. Our joining to the LORD not only births a new creature, but immediately negates the old. All that we are in Adam, the natural and the flesh, the old Adam life is now under the work of the Cross. It has no place in the new creature. It is passing away. 

J. Notice that a Christian is not one who is made to LOOK LIKE JESUS or merely ACT like Jesus by following certain principles. Oh no. That is not sanctification. Rather, a Christian is one who is joined to the LORD and THROUGH WHOM Jesus Himself wants to live. When Paul said, “Christ, who is our life,” (Colossians 3:4) he was pointing to the fact not that Christ has given us a life to live for Him, but that HE IS OUR LIFE and wants to live in and through us. 

K. God is not making Christians into little Xerox copies of Jesus. Rather, He wants each of us to manifest through us the Christ who dwells in us and to be living evidence of the fact that we are joined to Him.