PRAYERS THAT REALLY WORK

POST SCRIPT NOTE: This Blog concept is quite different to our newsletter and other writings. In this entry, I would like to lay a foundational overview as to how I would like to use our Blog. I plan to daily (but will slip when we travel to the nations) input some thoughts as the Lord deals in our lives, current happenings with our family and with Beholding His Glory, all mixed in with some articles I will write. So, let us please step off together and see how God uses this Blog to ever keep His wonderful Son Jesus Christ before us. As we behold His glory we will be changed into the same glory, not all glory, but only the glory we can behold of Him. Please let us keep this verse prayerfully, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) How much of God's glory can you behold? At the measure of what you can behold of God's glory you can become that same measure, no more no less.

THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER: I have changed the picture for our Blog this month to support our time in Istanbul, Turkey. In Nepal the Buddhist write their prayers on colored flags and find the highest place in the wind hoping their words will fly off the flags and find their way to the heart of their god, well I do not believe this system of prayer really works. In Turkey they have asked me to teach on prayer what an impossible task. I will be honest, I do not know how prayer functions. I hope the Brethren in Turkey will not be too disappointed, but prayer is beyond my feeble understanding. God took me all the way to Hyderabad, India to teach me this lesson. It seems the longer I go with God the less I know and understand of Him. I believe that is the way God has things divinely arranged. For if we know and understand too much we will not be very useful, it is far better to move in faith not in what we know and understand. I think this is what Paul was teaching us, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12) The same "dark glass" that is in both verses is what we look deep and long into to find our spiritual way, God certainly has a sense of humor. He leads us into the light through looking into a "dark glass" like prayer. One thing I do know about prayer is; it is an anchor that holds us and not an anchor we can hold to in troubled times. It is one thing to say I have Jesus, but it is a far better thing to say Jesus has me. I can and have let go of Jesus, but He will never let go of me unless I want Him to. This truth, this anchor of prayer holds us sure and firm not based on what we have done, but based alone on who He is and what He has done for us. I look forward to our time in Turkey and to what God plans to teach us. Written by David Stahl.

BROKEN AND POURED OUT

One of the greatest works God can ever do in our lives is to reveal His Person to us and how much we need to be changed into the image (icon) of His dear Son Jesus Christ. BUT, my friend there is a price you will pay for this revelation. To now the power of God you will pay a price. To know God's presence you will pay a greater cost and a different price. And to know God's Person it will cost you everything. This price begins when God can break and pour us out for His use. Please enjoy the article on this topic.

We think of being broken and poured out our minds often go to many scriptures that speak of God humbling and breaking us into a place where His Holy Spirit can work in our lives, truly making us fruitful in God. Now my friend if you serve Him long enough He will do this and more. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:24-25) This is the work God desires to do in our lives, kill us so that He may be able to live through us. I find the longer I go with God the more I see my weaknesses and inabilities. It is strange, the longer I go with God the less I want to go for God. When God first started to use me in traveling the world to minister I was fearless, nothing stopped me, I would endure anything, but now within me I do not want to go. It is not my increasing age or health concerns, but is an ever increasing glimpse of my inability to go and do for God. I will be honest, it is frustrating to me. On one hand I do not want to go to the nations, yet on the other hand I know I must go. I am getting a better understanding and glimpse of the revelation of what Jesus told Peter, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” (John 21:18) Please notice in both (John 12:24 and 21:18) the double imperative; “Verily, verily” often translated “most assuredly” meaning there is no other way. This way is God’s everlasting way to do what God desires in our lives. The word “girdedst” here is translated strengthened, “When I was “young” or maybe immature, unskilled in God as a Christian I strengthened myself . . . but when I became “old” or mature, seasoned in God’s dealings and judgments I stretch forth my hands and another or others strengthened and carried me to places or poured me out in places, I did not want to go. The longer we walk with God the more He will take us to the hidden secret places of darkness in Him so that we can be strengthened in the inward man and know Him the more. These places are fearful to us and we do not want to meet Him there. “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3) My friend if we desire to be used by God we cannot be whole and well all of the time, living in victory every minute of the day as some teach, we must be broken and poured out so that we will be useful to God. Why even a wild horse is not useful until they broken for the saddle or harness. Like wild horses many Christians run around in the spiritual realm doing and saying whatsoever they want to do without any understanding and restraint causing problem after problem for themselves and others. In Proverbs we read, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18) The word “vision” here is often translated from the Greek as limitations and restrictions, “Where there is no limitations or restrictions, the people perish . . .” If we really want to be used by God He must be able to break us and get us to live under the restrictions and limitations of His word for our lives. Sadly, I can now see the self-strength and self-ability I have moved in. Oh if I could only go back and redeem those times. Not that God did not use me and His will was not accomplished through me, He did and it was, but now I can see the difference and why some things happened the way they did. When we started Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart, our church in Germany, I foolishly thought all of my America friends, all of my friends in my office and in my neighbors would join. How surprised I was when I asked them and they said no. I could not believe it. Even my Christian friends said no when I asked. They said, we are Pentecostal, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, etc. we do not want to be associated with a Christian Church we are very happy with our denomination. I see now for our church to be a successful in God I had to be broken hearted from even my Christian friends and poured our of denominational teaching to be free to teach the word of God. I did not understand why I had to be separated from my American Christian friends, but if not there would never have been Eritrea and her Dad Kahsay. Eritrea was a very beautiful lady from the country of Eritrea and like most Africans living in Germany life was very difficult, jobs were rare, and harassment from the German government was almost a daily routine. And like most attractive African woman in Germany Eritrea turned to prostitution to survive. Her Dad Kahsay was heart-broken he felt not only did he lose his daughter when she turned to prostitution, but he also lost his country whom he named his daughter after. Well the Lord is good, Eritrea was invited to our church by a Ghanaian fellow, she gave her life to the Lord, her life began to change, she was serious about her conversion. You know when we are serious about what we say God will honor His word and our effort then change will happen in our lives. Her Dad saw the change in her life and came to church a few times to see what was going on. Finally, after three or four times at church he stood up and said, "I had to come to this church to see what power it was that changed my daughter Eritrea’s life and gave me my country back, now I too want this power" and he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. Today they are still a family serving God at Biblische Glaubens Gemeinde. Eritrea is now married and teaches Sunday School. Kahsay has made many contacts around the world for me to go and preach this glorious message of the Lord Jesus, this same message that transformed his life from darkness into the kingdom of light. Even to this day Karen and I have very few friends. But, I did not understand why must I be broken and poured out, why I could not have many friends to fellowship with, but now I see this walk with the Lord is a narrow way, not much room on the narrow way for many friends. The broad way has much room for many friends, the narrow way is full of separation, restrictions, and limitations, but it leads to the life of God. “Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Do you know why “few there be that find it?” Many would say it is a hard thing to understand like the Disciples said, “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60), but this is not sure. Many do not find because only a few are looking. All that look will find. All that are “truly” looking for the truth of the Word of God will discover it. I hear Pastors say, “we like having fun at church.” Fun at church? Church is not to be a place where we are entertained and having fun. Going to Church is serious, it is a time when the Body of Christ comes together to hear the word of God from a broken vessel, praying one for the other, a time when we collectively as a local assembly of like believers stand before a holy God knowing He is God and we are not. It is not a time to run around networking with each other, but a time to listen to thus said the Lord. These Pastors who likes to have fun at church have little revelation of who God is and how He operates. Being broken is a work of God in our lives (if we allow Him) where He Himself will break us of bad habits, bad motives, and bad attitudes that are not sin, but will keep us from communion with Him. And there is a pouring out unto emptiness where God Himself will (if we allow Him) empty us or pour us out of the world, out of relationships that prevents us from growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, out of religion, denominationalism, and church activities. Over the last 40 plus years I have been involved in so many church activities that if I did not really know I would swear they were of God, but in the end, I saw they were just man ordained rules and regulations that satisfy our religious flesh keeping us in bondage from really knowing God and His ways. We must never come under this yoke of man’s rules and regulations no matter how holy or spiritual they look. I have found the more spiritual and holy things look on the outside, the less of God is really moving in it. Often we see people laying prostrate on the alter or bowing down, but in reality it is look-see-pigeon (a Chinese expression), something for the people to do. One day I saw a lady (who everyone said was so spiritual) bowing down and raising her hands to heaven and bowing down again. This went on for about 30 minutes while the choir sang, she was a member of the choir. I thought this to be odd and inquired of God and felt in my spirit the Lord saying she has a Jezebel spirit in her. In time she was found out by causing division that split the church and even influenced some couples to separate and divorce. Remember, if it looks look a duck, acts like a duck, sounds like duck, and walks like a duck in God it may be a chicken. My friend let us be broken and poured out for the Master’s use. This process often is a painful process, but God must be able to work in our lives. The more we allow God to break us and pour us out from vessel unto vessel the more God will be able to use us. I hear many pray, God use me well the beginning of being used by God is this breaking and being poured out process in our lives. At the same measure God can break us at that same measure God will be able to use us no more no less. One Sunday I was speaking at a Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church in North Carolina after the service an usher handed me a note, it read,” I by chance stopped at this church today and your words were the reason. Your few words stood for great purpose, your few words expressed explained years of shunned pain. I can accept now I am broken for a purpose. I will let the Lord use me for I am broken and I will not self-pity because I am broken, I am blessed. Thank you so much, God bless.” Our brokenness is seen not in our actions, but in our response and obedience to Him. Written by David Stahl.

AFTER THE VICTORY

We often are inspired when we read about the great men of the Bible and of their victories, but that is where we often stop reading. Now please understand I am not bad mouthing these great men of God nor am I exalting myself over them, oh the grace of God that saves and keeps me, but the truth my friend is God expects us to continue in the faith and in obedience to the end. Paul gives us this admonition, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Colossians 1:23) It matters not the last victory God has worked in our lives or what we have done lately for God, but rather are we grounded, settled, and not able to be moved out of the way of faith. I have heard sermon after sermon preached about the great men of God, but seldom do we hear of what happened to them after the victory. And again, please understand I am not criticizing. But, what did they do after God used them in supernatural ways? God intends for us to begin and end in victory. This is a critical revelation we must have. Only God can bring us from sure defeat into victory, and we must stay in the victory Christ has won for us to do the will of His Father. “In Christ,” is where victory in God is found. We must come to a spiritual place in Him to where we see this. When we move out of this place of victory, through sin or coming short of the glory of God, we will experience loss in our lives and the work of God in us and out from us often will be destroyed and lost. We must not allow this process of death to take root in us. Here are a few examples:
King Jehoshaphat a great and mighty King who got it right for awhile, “for the battle is not ours, but God’s,” but after the victory over the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, because of his ungodly relationships, the Lord, “broke his works.”
The Victory:
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)
After the Victory:
“And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 36And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber. 37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” (2 Chronicles 20:35-37)
Samson the first Judge of Israel, a mighty man of strength and valor, but after the victory because of his love for ungodly women he lost his sight and the anointing of God on his life. Ultimately it cost his very life to complete his purpose (Judges 16:28-30).
The Victory:
”And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. (Judges 15:14-15)
After the Victory:
“And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.” (Judges 16:18) and “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.” (Judges 16:21)
Elijah a mighty Prophet of God who held the rain at his words (I Kings 18:41-46), who had a personal revelation of God (I Kings 19:11-12), but after the defeating the 450 Prophets of Baal was on the run and in hiding from Queen Jezebel for fear of losing his life.
The Victory:
“Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. 40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.” (I Kings 18:38-40)
After the Victory:
“Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (I Kings 19:2-4)
Jonah another wonderful Prophet of God. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and cry against this great city because of their wickedness (Jonah 1:2), but instead in disobedience he went to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). God prepared a great fish to transport Jonah to Nineveh to proclaim salvation to the people, he did and they were saved, but in the end Jonah resented the people whom he proclaimed liberty to.
The Victory:
“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” (Jonah 3:4-5)
After the Victory:
“Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:10-11)
In 1 Corinthians Paul shares some insight in why the Scriptures go into great detail to explain the shift from victory to defeat, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12) These stories of great victory and then great defeat are written so that we can learn from their mistakes and not follow after them. There is a spiritual principle in our lives we must be aware of; we are to be learning and ever learning, but most (I too many times) sadly are in the school of life in God and learning, but never learning, those lessons that will enable us to grow in the Lord as He intends. Paul warned Timothy of this, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7) Now victories in God are great and wonderful and we must never over look or trivialize them, but what happens next after the victory is probably more important to God to our understanding of Him and for our Christian testimony than the victory. In all of the stories in the Bible God is trying to reveal truth, from His perspective to us, and teach us about His character and nature. There is a message for us if we look with spiritual understanding to see what God through His Spirit is saying. In the third Chapter of Revelations, Jesus told the Churches, “he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying” so too today. Please allow me to share some thoughts taken from James 1:6-9 that will help us stop our slipping from victory to defeat. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:’ (James 1:6-9) There are three points from these verses we must look at. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." The first point is we must allow God to teach us how to control our emotions. The opposite of faith is emotionalism not fear. All of the afore mentioned fellows and other great men in the Bible like King David seldom were in control of their emotions. They were ruled by their five senses. Music and dance seemed to play a big part in their lives. We must be very careful in this area. The next point, “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” We must have single vision like the dove. Our focus must be God’s focus. We must know where we are going and how we are going to get there. If not we will be “unstable” or inconstant (fickle, not steady, changing often) and restless in ALL of our ways. Now when the Bible says “all” it means ALL, not some things or only in the point in question, but ALL things, even the things of God. And lastly, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:” It is when we are in the humble and low place God can promote and exalt us into a position of importance. God always humbles the exalted and exalts the humbled. The way up is down. If we desire to spent eternity with God our direction is not upward in God, but downward in Him. And, the lower we allow God to take us the higher God will exalt us. I heard TV preacher say, we must be rich in our spirit, well this is wrong thinking from wrong teaching. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) The word “poor” here means spiritually bankrupt where we see no value in our self. The poorer in spirit we become the richer in God we can become.
Well my friend let us not look at the victory, but to the time after the victory, when we can be found faithful and be approved for the next victory. Please know the opportunity for defeat or victory in God soon will be coming our way. My friend after the victory it is best to take the admonition of James, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19) qualities needed before and after a trial, sound wisdom indeed. Written by David Stahl.