In our walk with the Lord, He will allow and even bring things into our lives that will drive us in the direction we must go to be near Him. Man’s will of choosing God’s free gift of salvation is limited to a choice, but God is God and we are not, He gets to orchestrate our lives leading us in many ways to the place of choosing. God is good at bringing situations, circumstances, even people our way that leave within us a sense of lack and desire for something that only God can supply. Usually they are small little things that have a big profound significance in our spirit. Such was the case in the life of Saul who later became Paul who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. In the Book of Acts we read of Saul’s conversion to Christ. We think his conversion from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light happened in one second, but my friend, like us, Saul’s conversion took many years and many vivid reminders of his need for Christ. On the day of his conversion we read, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (Acts 9:3-5) Suddenly a light, the glory of God, in the person of Jesus Christ shone around him and Saul fell to the ground (real worship in God) as Jesus revealed Himself to Saul. What a terrifying experience for Saul to hear and see the risen Christ who he has openly rejected and the leader of the 1000s of Christians he has imprisoned and probably put to death. My friend God has ways of putting us on our knees and in the dark. But then Jesus tells Saul something very strange to us, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” but, to Saul it was not strange at all Saul knew exactly what Jesus was talking about. You see God brought some pricks or goads into Saul’s life that forced him to evaluate truth and the reality to what he was doing. It is during these times the Holy Spirit can work in us, even convicting us of our sins opening up to us a greater revelation for our need to know God in a greater way. Can you image the imagines and pictures Saul played again and again in his mind after Steven was stoned? “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:58-60) With each stone that crushed the life out of Steven Saul heard Steven say, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” What a goad to get his attention. The word “prick” or goad (Strong’s #2759) here means: a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts or an iron prod for urging on oxen, horses and other beasts of burden. God used the event and images of the death of Steven to began this goading process that ended on the road to Damascus, because Saul submitted to God’s drawing, in the birth of Paul. Please let us never resist the goading of God or the prick of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Many denominations believe once saved always saved, well I do not see that in the Bible. There are examples after examples of people in the Bible that started walking with the Lord and over time fall away from Him never to be mentioned again. Is their salvation lost? I do not know only God makes that call, but to say once saved always saved is a very dangerous claim and can really set up people for a rude awaking when they stand before God.
When we pray and ask God to touch people and change lives take heed to your words because God may use you as the tool to goad and chip away at hard hearts and years of stony resentment, hidden shame, open wrath, and loss in the lives you are praying for. God brought this article to life in us through a personal and very painful ongoing family situation. For 10 or more years my family has turned a blind eye to the things God calls an abomination; such things as homosexuality and lesbianism. And things that are abnormal and just plain wrong in God’s sight; such things as abnormal relationships, mental (and hopefully not physical) abuse, rebellion, undermining marriages (out from these wrong relationships), taking advantage of my Dad and Mom for personal gain, greed, envy, strife, and sadly the list goes on. “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:14-18) The Bible commands us to honor our parents, well honoring is not appearing to care for their physical needs while taking advantage of them. Honoring is not done in word or deed, but becoming what our parents have tried to teach us over the years. My Mom’s mind is slowing slipping, but her spirit is still strong. In some ways I am glad she does not understand what is really going on with the family and the children she gave life, it would rip her soft heart out. While my Mom’s approach over these 10 or more years was to just love and pray for them, which is very important and we must do, but Paul goes a little further and tells us we must also speak the truth in love. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:15) We must love them enough to tell them the truth so that they can “repent” from ways and thoughts that will separate them from God and some of their family for ever. God used these ungodly examples, each time we got together, to goad my heart in a greater compassion (even though my family does not see it) to break my years of silence (for my parents sake whom I love every much) and wrong thinking for the sake of peace and unity within the family. Please know if you stand for the truth of the word of God, as Karen and I did, your family will probably respond the way our family did. Jesus told the truth and the crowd physically killed Him and if you tell the truth please know your family will probably assassinate your character, make up lies about you and your family, and try to exile you from the family, but that is okay. The word of God is true and we must always represent it no matter the cost. Jesus the Prince of peace 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 against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:34-35) Standing for the things of God will cut you coming, going, and out of things in this world, including your family. Now please understand, we must place my words in the framework of all my brothers and sisters were raised in the church and at one time or the other professed some level of commitment to Jesus Christ. With the loss of our praying Mom standing in the gap for our family I believe our ancestral home is under siege by the demonic spirits of homosexuality, lesbianism, and all of their little minions that tag along. For two weeks God prepared Karen and I for this confrontation. In my spirit I knew there was going to be a greater division in our family. Our family was already divided; those who still follow Christ and those who have turned their backs on Christ. One was in Bible School studying to be a preacher and another was a youth leader in a huge Pentecostal church, but now they both walk in darkness. When we come together we smile and try to put on a happy face for Mom’s sake, but we deceive ourselves there is no real communion and fellowship together, light cannot fellowship with darkness. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) I did not want to go to Fayetteville for Mother’s Day and my Mom’s Birthday, but I knew I had to go and speak the truth in love. My words were sharp, cutting (like the word of God), and maybe some love was lost at times, but at all times I spoke the truth. Do I want to see my family come back to God oh yes by all means, but this is a choice they will have to make. My prayer is this article and my words will serve as a goad God will use to bring them (and me too) to a greater place where we can see our need for Him.
When we pray and ask God to touch people and change lives take heed to your words because God may use you as the tool to goad and chip away at hard hearts and years of stony resentment, hidden shame, open wrath, and loss in the lives you are praying for. God brought this article to life in us through a personal and very painful ongoing family situation. For 10 or more years my family has turned a blind eye to the things God calls an abomination; such things as homosexuality and lesbianism. And things that are abnormal and just plain wrong in God’s sight; such things as abnormal relationships, mental (and hopefully not physical) abuse, rebellion, undermining marriages (out from these wrong relationships), taking advantage of my Dad and Mom for personal gain, greed, envy, strife, and sadly the list goes on. “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:14-18) The Bible commands us to honor our parents, well honoring is not appearing to care for their physical needs while taking advantage of them. Honoring is not done in word or deed, but becoming what our parents have tried to teach us over the years. My Mom’s mind is slowing slipping, but her spirit is still strong. In some ways I am glad she does not understand what is really going on with the family and the children she gave life, it would rip her soft heart out. While my Mom’s approach over these 10 or more years was to just love and pray for them, which is very important and we must do, but Paul goes a little further and tells us we must also speak the truth in love. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:15) We must love them enough to tell them the truth so that they can “repent” from ways and thoughts that will separate them from God and some of their family for ever. God used these ungodly examples, each time we got together, to goad my heart in a greater compassion (even though my family does not see it) to break my years of silence (for my parents sake whom I love every much) and wrong thinking for the sake of peace and unity within the family. Please know if you stand for the truth of the word of God, as Karen and I did, your family will probably respond the way our family did. Jesus told the truth and the crowd physically killed Him and if you tell the truth please know your family will probably assassinate your character, make up lies about you and your family, and try to exile you from the family, but that is okay. The word of God is true and we must always represent it no matter the cost. Jesus the Prince of peace 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 against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:34-35) Standing for the things of God will cut you coming, going, and out of things in this world, including your family. Now please understand, we must place my words in the framework of all my brothers and sisters were raised in the church and at one time or the other professed some level of commitment to Jesus Christ. With the loss of our praying Mom standing in the gap for our family I believe our ancestral home is under siege by the demonic spirits of homosexuality, lesbianism, and all of their little minions that tag along. For two weeks God prepared Karen and I for this confrontation. In my spirit I knew there was going to be a greater division in our family. Our family was already divided; those who still follow Christ and those who have turned their backs on Christ. One was in Bible School studying to be a preacher and another was a youth leader in a huge Pentecostal church, but now they both walk in darkness. When we come together we smile and try to put on a happy face for Mom’s sake, but we deceive ourselves there is no real communion and fellowship together, light cannot fellowship with darkness. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) I did not want to go to Fayetteville for Mother’s Day and my Mom’s Birthday, but I knew I had to go and speak the truth in love. My words were sharp, cutting (like the word of God), and maybe some love was lost at times, but at all times I spoke the truth. Do I want to see my family come back to God oh yes by all means, but this is a choice they will have to make. My prayer is this article and my words will serve as a goad God will use to bring them (and me too) to a greater place where we can see our need for Him.
I have bared my personal feelings and aired our dirty family laundry (like most families) before the world to share our experience for prayer and to show you how God has used us to be goads to our family like Steven was to Saul. Make no mistake my friend God will do whatsoever we allow Him to get our attention to draw us to where He is. Many Christians think God is only a loving God, well He is, but He is also a God that does not play around. Stakes are high words are not cheap. The Gospel message cost Jesus Christ His life and God will do anything and everything we allow Him to goad us to prick us into the realization of how much we need to give our lives over to His Lordship and rule as Saul literally saw and then began in time to become Paul. “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou calmest, hath sent me, that thou mightiest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:17-20) God’s goal in His goading in our lives is to bring us to a greater revelation of Him as He convicts us of our sins. My friend let us never reject or turn away from God’s goading in our lives for us to do so we reject God Himself. Written by David Stahl
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