KEEP THE FEAST

As we study the Scriptures we must always put them into the perspective of truth as they are written, understand the correct context of what is being said, and most important what is the personal application God desires we learn. God is very concerned about us learning those lessons that will ensure His primary goal of conforming us into the character and image (icon) of His precious Son Jesus Christ. It is a shame we are not so concerned about learning these lessons. It seems we are more concerned about doing things for God and not becoming something in God. We are not very concerned about spiritual growth and development, we are more concerned about the seen things in God and not the hidden things of the heart. You know music, programs, church duties, dancing, flag waving, and the like will only carry you so far in God. People will go where they get fed. Most church growth is from lilies willfully picking themselves up (because they are not being fed the word of God) and looking for another field to plant themselves, well this is not God’s idea of church growth. The church, the God-ordained organization to edify and build up the Body of Christ, is to grow through salvation of non-believers, but this is not the case. Most Believers who get a real taste of the Word of God will leave if they are not getting fed. Again music (which is so entrenched in most church service) and such will only carry us so far. Sadly most church leaders do not know they are the blame and will say, “the people are in rebellion and it would be good for our local church body if they leave.” Well, my friend this is so far from the heart of God, but it happens all of the time.

We must guard against making up things to do for God (even though well intentioned) and call them a ministry. Remember, God is concerned how we do things for Him, not so much what we are doing for Him. Do we do things for God with the right heart condition, with the right motives, and for the right reasons? Often times we read things in the Bible and jump to conclusions ending with the word ministry. When Jesus said to go visit those in prison, I do not believe He was saying to start a prison ministry. But, He was saying to the people He was speaking to; if your friend is in prison, go visit him. To the ones who were sick, naked, and hungry Jesus was not telling the disciples to start a soup kitchen or medical ministry (this is the local church’s responsibility), but He was saying, if your friend is sick, help him get well, if hungry feed him, and if your friend is naked clothe him, because as you help, visit, feed, and clothe people you are doing that unto Me. All we do for God is boiled down by how and why we do things for Him.

One day Jesus was talking with the disciples, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:53-58) The question is: how much of God’s glory can we hold? Well the answer is how much of His “blood” can we drink and “flesh” of Christ we can eat. Unless we eat of His “flesh” and drink of His “blood” we will not have eternal life and will not be raised up at the last day. Now please understand Jesus was not talking about literally drinking His blood and eating His earthly flesh. Oh no, Jesus was talking about eating of His words, character, and nature of His very life. We eat of Christ every time we die to our self and allow our brothers and sisters to win. We eat of Christ every time we take the lowly and humble place, every time we identify with loss so that we may gain Christ. If we have not eaten of Christ how can we follow Him? What eternal life can we have if we do not eat of Him? How can we be raised up if we do not die? Now the disciples took His words literal and could not comprehend what He was staying. “These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:59-61) Many Christians today do not understand what the Scriptures are really saying so they make up things to soften the hurt of truth. But this my friend will never do. In verse 61 Jesus asks the disciples, “Doth this offend you?” The word “offend” here means to take away your heart to follow the Lord. My friend if we too desire to follow Jesus He will speak words and allow things into our lives that will prove us, test our resolve, and too take away our heart to follow Him. Many Christians say, God loves us and He would not do anything to hurt us, well God does love us very much, but He knows we must learn those hard lessons to be useful to Him. In Deuteronomy we read “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” (Deuteronomy 8:2) The word “humble” here means to afflict or weaken. God’s leading often in our lives is to afflict us so that we may learn of Him and weaken us so that He may be strong. All of this is done to “prove thee, to know what is in our heart.” If we get things wrong, if we do not eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, if we have no life of God in us we will fall out of the way. We must have the heart to follow God no matter what. And the way to eat and drink of Him to have His life is in a downward direction not up. Remember, the way up is down where Jesus is. It is a meek and quiet spirit that is incorruptible, not the high and mighty spirit full of self-strength. We can only put on incorruption if we have died.

I got an email from a lady today and I challenged her with regards to being called to a ministry that is not called a ministry in the Bible which was an example mentioned once in passing. We do all of these crazy things that satisfy our religious flesh and call them ministry because we do not want to do what God wants us to do. She became very offended (a good thing) at me. Did you know if you walk long enough with God you will get offended? He will see to it. The disciples walked with Him and time and time again they got offended at Jesus. The goal here is to get offended so that we can learn about ourselves and change so that God can use us. Sadly many are learning, but never learning. Many are never coming to the understanding and knowledge of what Christ desires we know of Him and our selves. Sadly we make up religious traditions and customs so we will not have to focus on our evil heart condition and self-seeking motives. We see this play out with the disciples in what we call the last supper or the communion table. Now I really believe Jesus was NOT establishing a custom or ordinance of the church when He and the disciples sat around the Passover table before He was crucified. Jesus was a good Jew and kept the law. I know this will ruffle many religious feathers and some will even get offended and brand me a heretic, but that is okay there is a lesson of truth waiting for you here. If we look at the four references of the last supper in the Bible either before or after is always set in strife, disagreement, division, and confusion. Here in 1 Corinthians we see the church in great spiritual immaturity, strife, and disagreement as were the disciples in the three references in the Gospels: Mathew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:17-20. In Luke we read, “And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” (Luke 22:22-24) The communion table is always set in strife and it was this strife and even offense Jesus and Paul wanted to end using the Passover feast. During the meal, Paul said, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And 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 11:23-26) Jesus took the bread and said this bread is my flesh, you MUST eat of my life or you will not have the strength to possess the life of God in you to follow me where I am going. And fellows I am going to a cross so that I can spill my life out for the sin of the world. And in the same manner, Jesus took the cup and said, fellows this cup is my blood and you MUST drink the bitter cup of loneliness, fatigue, shame, misunderstanding, humiliation, ridicule, and even death like me or you will never have any part of Him. Verses 25 and 26 drives my point home, “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.” What Jesus was saying, every time you pick up a glass of wine and a piece of bread (both essential staples in the Jewish diet) remember Him and to think of the forth coming sacrifice on the cross as He told them time and time again, until He comes again as promised. This was to be a moment-by-moment event in our lives not a monthly ritual service with pomp and folding white sheets that is announced or observed during special occasions. Jesus and Paul was not starting an ordnance or tradition for the church, but using the moment to teach a critical lesson that will yield, if received in the vain of truth, the life of God. This too is why Paul said, “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30) If we eat any other things except the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ we, “eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” And, “for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Many have no strength to survive. They are weak they eat of ambition, pride, self-strength, arrogance, and desire fame and riches they eat the wrong food and many sleep because they have no life within them. My friend Jesus was not establishing a tradition or custom, but the way we may receive the very life of God. How can we examine our self enough to be worthy of God’s wonderful saving grace? We cannot, “But let each man examine himself” or stand before God in a holy moment of reverence as they eat and drink of the Lord.

My friend let us keep the feast by eating of the “blood” and “flesh” of Christ. It is the only way to end the strife and division that is found in our heart and thus in the church and to help endure the offense of the cross, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled (afflicted and weakened) himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) which is designed by God to kill us like it did Jesus. Brethren please let us keep the feast. The Master calls, “come and dine.” Written by David Stahl.

UNITY (ONENESS) WITH THE FATHER

Every time I say something I should not the Holy Spirit brings to my spirit the spiritual truth; out of our mouth speaks our heart. Whatever our feelings and thoughts for our spouse, friends, maybe our job will come out our mouth. There is another spiritual truth we must understand. We will respond to whatsoever is inside of us. Even as Christians if those things of the world such as ungodly worldly (self-seeking contemporary and Christian rock) music and the ways and means of the world are inside of us we will respond to them. It is easy to see what is inside of us, just wait and look at what we respond to. Is it the world or the word of God we respond too? If it is the word of God then we will respond to the Father in obedience and come into unity and oneness with Him. What we respond to is often seen in times of testing and when we are under pressure. The greater the pressure the more of our real nature and character is exposed. Pressure and stresses refines and defines our character. Even the tares and the wheat grow together in harmony and are not exposed for what they are until the tares are separated from the wheat by the reaper, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:30) My friend whatsoever is inside of us will be seen for what it really is during the time of separation, tribulation, testing, and harvest. How much unity we are in with the Father will also be seen during times of pressures, testing and tribulation.

Now many Christians believe Jesus came to make us all Christians so that we all can come into unity with each other and make heaven on earth, well not so my friend. Jesus came so that we might have “life eternal” (John 10:10), the life of God. “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 may know the Father. Jesus came so that we could come into unity with the Father. We can only have the life of God and know Him if we are in unity with the Father. And the more we are in unity with the Father the more of Him we can have in our life, the more of His peace, joy, and rest we can have. How can we partake of the Father’s blessing if we are not in unity with the Father? My friend it will not happen. In the Psalms we read, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalms 133:1-3) Now the word, “unity” (Strong’s #3162) in verse one here means: unitedness, union, altogether, alike. Behold, how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell together in union, unitedness, union, altogether, and alike, but not in oneness. Did you know there is a degree of importance in the words in the Bible? The Holy Spirit did not randomly select words, but hand picked them and individually plugged them into Scripture. In different verses we can see this truth in action. Here in Psalms 133:1 we read “good and pleasant,” but not “perfect” as in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) The word “perfect” here Strong’s #5048 means to be brought to an end, made complete, finished not like without flaws like a flower, but a completed process in our life. The verse did not say, “Behold how perfect it is . . .” it said how good and how pleasant. Man cannot be perfect, good, or even pleasant unless the Father is allowed (man’s choice) to change their lives. Please understand man’s ability to be good and pleasant is even based on his ability to be in unity with the Father. Those that enjoy a level of unity with the Father will be good and pleasant with man. Please keep this important thought in your mind as you read on.

Now the oneness that Jesus prayed for in the real Lord’s Prayer John 17 was a desire of the Father for us. Please know Jesus was not praying for the church to come into unity, He already knew this would not happen due to man’s selfishness and greed. So many denominations struggle and strive so hard to find common ground even to the point of compromising the Gospel message to be in unity with each other, but this can never be unless all hearts are in unity with the Father. The basis for unity or oneness with the Father is submitting to and enduring His dealings and judgments in our lives unto death. All those who desire to be in unity or in oneness with the Father will have to die. Jesus learned this truth as He daily walked with the Disciples, when the Father pressed Him as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane “not my will, but thy be done,” and then personified it when the Father glorified Him when He physically died. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4) If we desire to walk with God “in newness of life” we must taste of the waters from the baptism pool of His death. What a stark and vivid truth that is missed by the denominational teaching of water baptism today. Only in unity with the Father does life come out of death. We today may die physically, as Jesus and as some of our brothers and sisters have, but if not physically surely we must die spiritually to our selfishness, our self-seeking nature and ways, and of course we must die to all of those religious traditions, emotional rituals, and customs of man that the church of today is bound in. Now Jesus was praying for us to be “one” or in unity with the Father as He is in unity or “one” with the Father. What a powerful thought, what a transforming word. “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:22-23) The word “perfect” here is the very same word that is found in Matthew 5:48 and the word “one” (Strong’s #1520) here means one; like in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit is one with an eternal completeness of purpose. Jesus was praying that we would see the need to come into unity into the same oneness of eternal completeness of purpose that He shares with the Father. Wow what a powerful truth for us to move in. But, please notice Jesus did not make this unity happen for us, but gave us a choice. Sadly for many the prayer of Jesus has fallen on the ground. Sadly all that Jesus prayed for us has been swallowed up in our willful disobedience. We can see this disobedience in the diversity of doctrines and denominations that breed: confusion, strife, and division within the Body of Christ. Sadly we can see this truth moving in the diversity of sub-denominational churches that change a name, but the rebellious heart condition has not. Unity or oneness with doctrine will not give you unity or oneness with the Father, however many churches preach this lie to their shame. Join our denomination we are the right church, we can track our history back to the Bible days, what a lie.

Brethren there is only one Church someday Jesus is coming back for. There is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. “Endeavouring to keep the unity (Strong’s #1775, and comes from Strong’s root word #1520) of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one (Strong’s #1520) body, and one (Strong’s #1520) Spirit, even as ye are called in one (Strong’s #1520) hope of your calling; 5One (Strong’s #1520) Lord, one (Strong’s #1520) faith, one (Strong’s #1520) baptism, 6One (Strong’s #1520) God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:3-6) Now if these verses are true (and they are) then why are there 100s of denominations and sub-denominations in the Body of Christ today? That answer is easy, rebellion to the word of God because of no unity with the Father. When we are in some level of unity with the Father we will want what He wants. His desires will be ours desires, His plans will be our plans, His purpose will be our purpose, but when there is no unity with the Father what we want takes our heart and our selfishness and unrighteous desires over rides the Father’s purpose ending in fruitless toil and total destruction.

My friend this is not the Father’s intention for us. Back in Psalms 133, we can find the Father’s purpose in His unity and oneness with man, “2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalms 133:2-3) Where is the “for there the LORD commanded the blessing?” It is the beard of Aaron? Or maybe on the mountains of Zion? Oh no my friends, it is found only in that place of unity with the Father. Only in unity with the Father can He bless us and give us His life. Only in this place of oneness with the Father can this blessing be found. More than money and fame the Father’s blessing contains “life for evermore.” Even Godly ministry comes out from this place of unity with the Father. No wonder what we see on TV and at many churches have no life, they have no unity with the Father. This my friend is not the Father’s desire for us. He desire for us is to be in unity with Him so that He can command “the blessing, even life for evermore.” Oh my friend let us today desire and allow the Father to work in our lives bringing us into greater and greater unity with Him. Written by David Stahl

MESSAGES NEEDED NOT SERMONS

In 1996 when we were heading to Germany a friend gave me a wonderful book of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons. I asked him why do I need this book and he relied, “I am sure you will be preaching maybe you can use one of Spurgeon’s sermons.” I said thank you and now it collects dust on our shelves. My friend the last thing the church (especially in America) needs is to hear another canned sermon. Did you know here is a big difference between a sermon (a canned speech by a clergyman on some religious topic or on morals) and a message (a God-breathed word of revelation for a given time and a given body of people). The last thing we need to hear is another sermon. What we need to hear today is the unvarnished word of God that brings life to us, but sadly not too many Pastors today have the ability in God to hear from Him and share His words with His people. Now do not be deceived, some Pastors say they are sharing a message when in reality it is a sermon. For a message to be a message it must be directly from God and it must contain life. Jesus taught us this spiritual principle when He said, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) A message contains the life of God in its words. The Lord really worked this truth into my spirit and life the first time I went to the Islamic Republic of the Mauritania. It was early in the morning, before the sun was up and I went for a walk in the Sahara Desert without any water. How foolish. The morning was cool so off I went. Before I knew it I walked about 2 ½ hours out in the desert and I was sweating, so I decided to head back, well the sun was up now and boy was it hot. Suddenly I found myself sweating more and more (heat exhaustion) and I was getting dizzy. I knew I was becoming dehydrated and needed water now. But, I had some distance to go. Things really started looking bad when I stopped sweating (heat stroke), but then the Lord brought back to my memory, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” (Psalms 23:2) Things started looking up. Here in this verse David was saying God “leadeth me” or God leads him from one watering hole to the next watering hole. What a wonderful leading of God for me to a much needed watering hole or I would die. Remember, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out from the mouth of God.” With each step I took I said, “he leadeth me,” step, “he leadeth me” step, “he leadeth me” step, and before I knew it I was back safe and sound. What an unbelievable experience to God’s faithfulness yet at the same time a very costly lesson in awareness. My friend we must hear from God for in the hearing and receiving of the word of God is the life of God. If we never hear from God we will never receive His faith to do the things He desires us to do. God’s faith is not contained in sermons, but in a message of His words. In Romans Paul shares this truth with us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Now faith does not come by hearing the Bible on tape or CD as many of my friends believe. Faith does not come by hearing sermons or even messages if this be so why do many believers hear sermons and messages every week and have no faith? But faith comes when we hear a word from God. The Greek version of Romans 10:17, is more realistic to what God is saying here in Romans, “So then faith cometh by hearing a word from God.” (Romans 10:17 Greek) In the word we hear from God faith is contained, everything; our power, our supply, our ability everything needed to do what God desires us do is contained in the word. We can not pray faith up, work faith up, give our money to get our faith up, or even sing and dance faith up, faith is God’s and He gives it to us when He speaks it to us and when we hear His words with the right heart condition.

We all have a role to play in hearing from God; like preparing our spirit and heart so that the word of God can take root, but I would like to humbly and respectfully place the blame for the spiritual failures and great aversion to spiritual growth and development in the nominal (in name only not in fact or power) church of America and around the world where it lies, in the hands of her Pastors. Now I too was a Pastor and share in this blame. I failed many times, but when I Pastor again with God’s strength and grace I will not make the same mistakes. The spiritual welfare of any church is the responsibilities of the Pastor, not the board of Deacons, Elders, or committee, but the Pastor. If your church is organized in any other way I would be very careful because the head (the leadership) is not in Biblical order so the tail (the people) cannot follow in obedience. The Pastor alone is held accountable by God for what happens in the church which God has entrusted him with. God always appoints someone to be the leader. Graduating from a seminary or Bible School with a Doctor of Divinity will not do it, having a title confirmed by a board of denominational regents, or voted in by the people will not do it, but God and God alone appoints a Pastor and God and God alone holds that Pastor to a very high standard. We can see this truth time and time again in the Bible. This person scripturally is a male and is held accountable by God and God alone for the success or failure of His intention in the gathering of His people. In the US Navy the Commanding Officer (CO) of the ship is solely responsible for anything and everything that happens on the ship, even if they are asleep or not onboard when something bad happens, the CO is held totally responsible and is always accountable to higher authority. If something goes wrong, the CO is relieved of command until a board of inquest can either clear him or convict him of the command’s failure. This is known as, “The Captain of the Ship Doctrine.” So too God has this doctrine for all who would be a Pastor. In God we must be careful what we ask for and what God entrusts within our hands. Some day I will stand before God and give account of myself, my wife and family, and the church I was given responsibility for. I do not know about you my friend, but this is a very sobering and scary thought. But sadly most Pastors are to busy to separate themselves from family and their church to wait before God in silence to hear from Him. Most Pastors not willing to pay the price to hear from God, not willing to endure sometimes physical pain, loneliness, and the anguish of self-examination and confession to be a Godly vessel He can use. Most Pastors are too busy working for God with many programs and activities, too much work and not enough becoming something in God to be the channel the Holy Spirit can flow through. The Holy Spirit will not use a Pastor (or Teacher) who has not paid the price to be used. Most Pastors would rather blow off the dust and try to resurrect an old sermon, but this my friend this will never do. Even a babe in God knows the difference. When a “true” message from God is delivered the people are humbled and respond in a downward direction, downward to our knees. God’s message is not hip with cool sayings using today’s language. Pastors who try to be hip and cool are trying to save someone to a hip Jesus. Jesus was not hip, He was God’s Son. Jesus was serious, Jesus was intense, Jesus was sincere, and Jesus was compassionate. There is nothing funny about the Gospel message. Jesus gave His life for it. How can you be Godly if you are busy being cool? Hip and cool Pastors are liars (they are not telling the truth), thieves (stealing God of His glory), and are hirelings who strip the Gospel message of it power and authority.

My friend there is a process we must endure to be the channel for the Holy Spirit to flow God’s word through. Like all processes in God they start with communion with Him. No communion with God, no nothing. We must have communion with God because, it is in the delivering of God’s word will the burden from God be discharged. Here is a flow diagram to help explain this process and my cryptic review below:

Communion => Burden => Enlightenment (revelation) =>Thought => Words, both external (many) and internal (few)

Communion: A personal relationship with God. Time spent with Him in prayer (communication) and time spent with Him in fellowship. Without this communion it is impossible to be a man of God who can deliver God’s word.

Burden: A yoke of duty and responsibility that God gives a trusted servant in doing God’s will for their lives. A burden is truly a sign of God’s approval in our lives. Gifts, tongues, and talents mean little, but God trusting us with a piece of His plan is truly something special. The heavier the burden the greater the power released when discharged.

Enlightenment (revelation): God’s light. Such light does not linger, but is fleeting. It is a quick glimpse of truth that runs through our spirit and mind. We cannot hold them unless we can fix the light with our thoughts. There are two types of revelation; one in our spirit and one in the word of God.

Thoughts: Holding God’s light of truth and revelation by meditating on them as it is transferred from our spirit to our words.

Words: Two types, external many written words, notes, and such. If my mind is clear and my thoughts are strong I will be able to fix more of God’s light to my thoughts which gives me more words. Worldly speech is measured by counting words or counting time. Words of revelation however are enormously different. As God can reveal so much in a second so too God is able to reveal much in few words, these are internal words of the Spirit of God and they are few, but they contain the life of God. Here is the distinction between the two. The internal words are never long, but are rich in content. They do not come in long messages since we have few, but what spiritual wealth a wealth that is life-releasing. External words are never short, but many words from our mind and are orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Not as rich and does not contain much life to release God power and authority, but is of God none the less.

I often read Wade Taylor’s website and was kind of surprised to see Wade has cancelled all of his services and meetings waiting to get a fresh word from the Lord. Knowing the Godly man Wade Taylor is and how he values hearing from God I was not too surprised. Actually I was convicted to the need of doing the very same thing. Now I believe Wade has been in ministry longer than I have been alive, what a mentor what a guide. My fellow Pastors and friends if we do not hear from God what are we going to say? Well that answer is easy, what the church is saying today the same old denominational mess and not a message from God, this will not do. We must hear from God and share His message, real life God’s life awaits. No longer can the church afford to hear sermons, it must be God’s word or nothing. Written by David Stahl.