Karen and I just returned from a ministry road trip through South Carolina and down into Florida. One thing I have learned, serving God in ministry will require you to travel. At a Cavalry Chapel Church in Panama City, FL I told a young man you cannot be a Christian unless you have a passport. He just looked at me with eyes wide as saucers and an astonished look on his face, it was like a ton of bricks hit him in the heart as he replied, “I now understand.” I am not sure what part of “Go” in Matthew 28:19, the church in America does not understand. Sadly we take on jobs around the church and call them ministries thinking it will soften our failure for not going as Jesus commanded, but this my friend can and will never happen. Jesus said, “Go” and guess what He meant it for in the going God can experientially work in our lives to conform us (His great goal in our lives) into the image and character, through God’s dealings and judgments, of His precious Son Jesus Christ.
As we drive I like to look at all of the churches along the road not the buildings as much as the name of the churches. God is not impressed with big beautiful buildings. I do not know why the major denominations put so much effort and money into building big stately, grand buildings with well manicured lawns, and paved parking lots with lined spaces. Some of the best services I have ever been in were in churches with no lights, seats made with sticks, and grass for flooring. Isaiah shared this truth with us, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2) God is after and looks toward the one who is “poor (spiritually bankrupt) and of a contrite (crushed and ground to powder) spirit, and trembleth (human fear) at my words.” But, over my many years of experience I have found the name over the church door is most often the opposite of what is really inside. Churches with the word “love” in them are usually void of love or loveless. In the world names mean things and are important, but in God it matters what He calls you. Jacob was given an earthly name by his parents, but after God’s dealings and judgments in his life God called him something different and what God calls counts. By far the most common name for a church in this part of the country is “New Life” fellowship or worship center or some other word that flows to make the name sound more spiritual. As we passed a “New Life” Church in Georgia the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “their presumption of name is because of their presumption of my word.” What a thought! Suddenly these verses came to my mind, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) Many denominational churches teach once we become a Christian we have a “new life” and everything suddenly becomes new, well this is so far from the truth. My friend the truth is once we become a Christian is when our troubles in life really begin. This lie is taught to enable church leadership to manipulate their people through condemnation and/or hyper-spirituality, preventing God from really being able to work in their lives. Either man or God will work in our lives, our choice. Either we are looking towards a man or God to solve our problems, our choice. No where in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 does it say you will receive a new life, but it does say, “he is a new creature.” There is a huge difference between a life and a creature. We like to shift the focus of this verse (and many others) to our life or our living so that we do not have to face the hard and often cruel reality and truth of the requirement, to be able to posses the resurrection life of Christ, we must die. For us to become a new creature in Christ the old creature must die. Many think God gets His magic wand out bonks us on the head and presto chango a new creature. Oh no my friend that is not the way God operates. Please read the Bible with understanding. There is a process God uses to bring us into His life and that process starts when we allow God to put to death our self-seeking, self-life, selfishness, our ungodly motives, attitudes, intentions, and so much more in us. How can a new man live if the old man does not first die? How can we put on light if we first do not cast or throw off darkness? Paul instructs us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12) Please notice “the casting off the works of darkness” comes before the “putting on the armour of light.” Jesus shared this truth with us in the wonderful Book of John, “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) The life that is contained in the “corn of wheat” is only life when it falls into the ground and dies. Until then the “corn of wheat” is just a promise of life to come. Again please notice before the fruit can come forth, first the “corn of wheat” must die. In God, before life there must be death, but who wants to die? Oh no we have a “New Life” Church, Jesus can to give us life and it more abundantly, (John 10:10) Well that is not true, that is the latest presumption of the church in America. Jesus came so that we might die. God gives us just enough faith to die so that we can believe He can raise us from the dead like He did His precious Son Jesus Christ. Verse 25 again repeats the process of coming into the life of God, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." And again please notice losing comes first then and only then can we have eternal life. When Jesus was entering Jerusalem for the last time He told the disciples now is the time for the Father to glorify the Son, and like many in the church today the disciples, thought, yes now we are going to kick out the Romans and exalt Jesus to the throne of Israel. But Jesus said no, just like He is saying to us today, I am going to Jerusalem to die. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) Where do we follow Jesus to? Into life? No, into death and out of our death there is great life. Brother Peter personally learned this lesson. “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. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19) Where is Peter following Jesus to? Into Jesus’ new resurrection life? Oh no my friend Peter must follow Jesus into death so that he too can have the life of God.
With all of these verses we covered (and so many more) I am at a loss to why the church in America does not receive and share this central truth. Sadly the result is no spiritual growth and development in God, no life of God. My friend do not be deceived by the religious traditions of men and the doctrinal half truths of the major denominations, we too must learn this critical lesson of death before glorification if we desire to come into the life of God and possess eternal life which is much more than having our sins forgiven. God has no plans to give us “new life,” but has purposed and planned to make us new creatures so that we could have His life and it more abundantly. Written by David Stahl
As we drive I like to look at all of the churches along the road not the buildings as much as the name of the churches. God is not impressed with big beautiful buildings. I do not know why the major denominations put so much effort and money into building big stately, grand buildings with well manicured lawns, and paved parking lots with lined spaces. Some of the best services I have ever been in were in churches with no lights, seats made with sticks, and grass for flooring. Isaiah shared this truth with us, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2) God is after and looks toward the one who is “poor (spiritually bankrupt) and of a contrite (crushed and ground to powder) spirit, and trembleth (human fear) at my words.” But, over my many years of experience I have found the name over the church door is most often the opposite of what is really inside. Churches with the word “love” in them are usually void of love or loveless. In the world names mean things and are important, but in God it matters what He calls you. Jacob was given an earthly name by his parents, but after God’s dealings and judgments in his life God called him something different and what God calls counts. By far the most common name for a church in this part of the country is “New Life” fellowship or worship center or some other word that flows to make the name sound more spiritual. As we passed a “New Life” Church in Georgia the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “their presumption of name is because of their presumption of my word.” What a thought! Suddenly these verses came to my mind, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) Many denominational churches teach once we become a Christian we have a “new life” and everything suddenly becomes new, well this is so far from the truth. My friend the truth is once we become a Christian is when our troubles in life really begin. This lie is taught to enable church leadership to manipulate their people through condemnation and/or hyper-spirituality, preventing God from really being able to work in their lives. Either man or God will work in our lives, our choice. Either we are looking towards a man or God to solve our problems, our choice. No where in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 does it say you will receive a new life, but it does say, “he is a new creature.” There is a huge difference between a life and a creature. We like to shift the focus of this verse (and many others) to our life or our living so that we do not have to face the hard and often cruel reality and truth of the requirement, to be able to posses the resurrection life of Christ, we must die. For us to become a new creature in Christ the old creature must die. Many think God gets His magic wand out bonks us on the head and presto chango a new creature. Oh no my friend that is not the way God operates. Please read the Bible with understanding. There is a process God uses to bring us into His life and that process starts when we allow God to put to death our self-seeking, self-life, selfishness, our ungodly motives, attitudes, intentions, and so much more in us. How can a new man live if the old man does not first die? How can we put on light if we first do not cast or throw off darkness? Paul instructs us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12) Please notice “the casting off the works of darkness” comes before the “putting on the armour of light.” Jesus shared this truth with us in the wonderful Book of John, “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) The life that is contained in the “corn of wheat” is only life when it falls into the ground and dies. Until then the “corn of wheat” is just a promise of life to come. Again please notice before the fruit can come forth, first the “corn of wheat” must die. In God, before life there must be death, but who wants to die? Oh no we have a “New Life” Church, Jesus can to give us life and it more abundantly, (John 10:10) Well that is not true, that is the latest presumption of the church in America. Jesus came so that we might die. God gives us just enough faith to die so that we can believe He can raise us from the dead like He did His precious Son Jesus Christ. Verse 25 again repeats the process of coming into the life of God, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." And again please notice losing comes first then and only then can we have eternal life. When Jesus was entering Jerusalem for the last time He told the disciples now is the time for the Father to glorify the Son, and like many in the church today the disciples, thought, yes now we are going to kick out the Romans and exalt Jesus to the throne of Israel. But Jesus said no, just like He is saying to us today, I am going to Jerusalem to die. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) Where do we follow Jesus to? Into life? No, into death and out of our death there is great life. Brother Peter personally learned this lesson. “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. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:18-19) Where is Peter following Jesus to? Into Jesus’ new resurrection life? Oh no my friend Peter must follow Jesus into death so that he too can have the life of God.
With all of these verses we covered (and so many more) I am at a loss to why the church in America does not receive and share this central truth. Sadly the result is no spiritual growth and development in God, no life of God. My friend do not be deceived by the religious traditions of men and the doctrinal half truths of the major denominations, we too must learn this critical lesson of death before glorification if we desire to come into the life of God and possess eternal life which is much more than having our sins forgiven. God has no plans to give us “new life,” but has purposed and planned to make us new creatures so that we could have His life and it more abundantly. Written by David Stahl
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