My heart is full and my mind has many thoughts to share. I wonder why we sing songs like “I surrender all” and do not. We say we are ready to lay down our life for the sake of Christ but, I find big singing boastful words usually means quick retreat in the face of the enemy or in austere times. I wonder why we raise our hands in submission to God swinging our arms to and fro in the air while having a tearful emotional experience promising God to do something and not do it? It would be far better for us to just keep our mouth shut. We must be very careful with what comes out of our mouth God is very good at making us eat our words, you can ask Jephthah, “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” (Judges 11:30-31) and now the result of a quick emotional vow to God “And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.” (Judges 11:34-35) In these cases others usually pay most of the price. Did you know when we raise our hand and promise something before God we are making a vow, an oath, or swearing to do something for God? My friend, God takes a very narrow view of saying something and not doing it. I would recommend at your next song service to please pay attention to the words you are mouthing. As I began to grow in the Lord I thought these emotional approaches to God was what He was after, but now much older in the Lord I believe (even though I was well intended) these times did little to help me overcome things in my life that would enable me to be obedient to God. My friend we must be very careful when we get our emotions involved with the things of God. Our emotions are dangerous and will run us out of God and off track faster than anything I know. Please take time as you read the Bible to see how emotions got such mighty men of God as Adam, David, Solomon, Samson, Jonah, Gideon, Elijah, all of the disciples (the list goes on and on) in trouble and off track. In the Proverbs Solomon shares, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit (control our emotions) than he that taketh a city.” (Proverbs 16:32) I wonder where Solomon learned this truth? Maybe from his father King David. Today we want to conquer the world for Christ, well He wants us (with His strength and ability) to be able to conquer our spirit and mouth. If you really want to grow in God to be accountable do not look for the next praise and worship service to get all blubbery in, but look within your heart and spirit for the next area of fear (that lives in the pit of your stomach) or failure in your soul that needs to be conquered by God by allowing Him to strengthen you in your inward parts. Did you know the word praise in the KJV Bible has little to do with singing, but more with making confessions, thanksgivings, a discourse like speaking well of someone, or a commitment to something in words not music? Our progression in God is not measured by what we do or give to God, but what we lose of our selfishness self-life and how much we allow God to strengthen us. We must not allow our emotions (and that includes our flesh) to rule over us, but channel them into a Godly focus from following to obedience.
Thus far this year Karen and I had not traveled to the nations. The first part of 2008 we were helping to take care of my parents (and still are in ways) and the middle of the year we hosted some wonderful friends from Nepal and India, but now Jake Luffy and I planned a trip to Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria. The need was certainly there and God provided the funds, but just because God provided does not mean this is what He wanted to happen. I think most times God is more concerned about our heart’s desires to go and do than the actual going and doing. Now here is where things really get foggy and over into some gray areas in God. Oh you say there are no gray areas in God? Well walk with the Lord long enough and go to the places He wants you to go (and not the places you want to go) and you will see the gray areas fade to black and into the darkness of the unknown of God. I have been traveling abroad for the Lord since July 1996 and at first I went to where I wanted to go and said the things I wanted to say within His call on my life, but when I got older I needed others to “girdedst” or strengthen me. In John Jesus shares this wonderful truth with 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) The older I get the more the truth of this verse becomes more alive and more of a reality in my heart and life. Now I will be honest I wanted to go on this trip the need was great, but still in my heart (I will be honest) I did not want to go on this trip. I do not need to travel ministering the word to be fulfilled and satisfied in God. I know there are many great men of God in Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria who can do a much better job than me. I am very content and very happy at home with Karen, working on writing my books, writing our newsletter and articles, helping keep the maternity clinic in Aveile, Nigeria, the radio station in Katmandu, Nepal, and the tuberculosis clinics in Addis Abba, Ethiopia (on auto pilot now) up and running, soon Bible schools in Rwanda and Kenya, and attending a local Body and ministering locally. There are plenty of Godly and righteous things I can be doing to feel like I am “ministering” or doing something for God. However, we planned and prepared, but the night before while I was laying on the couch and Karen (my sweetheart) was rubbing my feet a cloud like veil descended over my eyes, right away I knew my blood pressure (for no apparent reason) went up. I went up stairs and got the blood pressure cuff bought for me in Turkey last year and I asked Karen to take my blood pressure. Sure enough I was right. I should know this happening by now because on the last five trips I have taken I have experienced blood pressure problems. Starting in India in 2006, in Rwanda, in Romania and Bulgaria, in Nepal, on my way to Tanzania but ended up in Istanbul, Turkey where the plane dropped me off and I spent six hours in the emergency room, and then again on our (Karen and I) last trip to Turkey in 2007 (where they bought me the blood pressure cuff) I had a blood pressure problems. And now before we leave for Turkey another blood pressure problem, well I remember all to well the feeling of helplessness and danger I was not so fast to run out the door the next morning. God sure has ways of getting our attention. When we are in our teens or early 20s we think we are invincible and we will live for ever, but as we get older say into our 30s and 40s we begin to see our mortality ever before us. And as we reach our 50s and 60s we notice every pain, bump, and lump on our body questioning everything, wanting to hold on to every bit of life we can. Now please do not misunderstand me here, I am ready to die, but I do not want to die God still desires for me to share His wondrous Gospel message and I so love and enjoy my wife Karen and our family. Anyone that says they want to die, both sinner and saint alike is lying. I was getting my hair cut one day and the Korean lady barber and I were discussing this topic and she said the older we get the more we look at our self, she is right. We even have “beauty parlors” to camouflage our age and faults. Believe it or not spiritually there is a parallel to this thinking. The older we get the more our flesh desires not to do the will of God. It seems the older we get the more and more our fleshly desires needs to be beat into submission and dragged along (even kicking and screaming) as we overcome in obedience doing what God has asked us to do. It seems our flesh is more of a stumbling-block to us than man or the devil. I was very grateful that God allowed me to have this blood pressure problem before we left the States. After going to the doctors I found out I may have a stenosis (narrowing) of the renal (kidney) artery or a tumor on my adrenal glands that produces a sudden surge of epinephrine, both will cause my blood pressure to suddenly go up. Time and testing will give us the answer and a miracle or treatment will follow. Now I am not saying it was my flesh that was causing my blood pressure problem, but on the other hand I would not put it past my flesh. Jake and I must rest in knowing God had a better plan (inspite of the great need) for us than to go to Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria now. In my case now I see it is a physical problem that God wants to be corrected for the future. But my friend our flesh is wicked and deceitful above all causing us to do so many things we would not have done. Our flesh is to be but to death. God has no intention of keeping our flesh alive and is counting on us to help put it to death. When we get over into emotions and allow our thoughts to run away our flesh is in control. Did you know at the heart of our emotions is selfishness? When we do not get our own way or we think we have lost something what moves our emotions is our selfish nature. I remember as a small boy when coming home after school and my mother not at home thinking oh no the Lord came and I was left. I would go from room to room calling her name, get on the phone if need be, just seeking her out not feeling bad about my youthful sinful heart condition, but I was seeking her to reassure my selfish nature. We cannot handle our flesh by our natural ability, but we first must allow the Spirit of God full sway in our lives to work in us an ability to “mortify” or put the deeds of our body to death. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:11-14) If we desire to be led by the Spirit of God we first must put to death the deeds of our flesh. My friend either our fleshly emotions or the Spirit of God will be leadings us it is our choice.
Now we (Karen and I) are not saying we will never travel in ministry again, we already have had wonderful friends in India, Nepal, Nigeria, and Tanzania wanting a visit in 2009, but what we are saying is; if God wants us to go and we know that we know it is God’s leading then we will endure even blood pressure problems. Our heart is to glorify God and His children. We cannot glorify God and His children if we come with problems to add on top the problems our wonderful friends already face. Times are perilous and expensive enough the last thing our wonderful friends around the world need is to have to care for people who ought to have known better. And it is not about going in faith and counting on God to make a way, this my friend proves to be foolish and unscriptural. God gave us a mind and expects us to use it. I still shake my head at Peter leaving a place of safety and provision that Jesus provided so that he could do something spectacular and miraculous yet in the end Jesus had to save him from his fleshly ambition. It was not about going to where Jesus was or Peter walking on the water, but about foolish ambition and pride as it would be the same for us going to minister some where in the world (like in the past) with a problem in hand. Jesus told Peter, “This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” (John 21:19) When reading this verse we often focus on “what death he should glorify God,” that is true, but we should be focusing on the “Follow me.” Where are we to follow Christ? Into the great abundant life in John 10:10? No my friend in reality we are to follow Christ into His death. We are to follow Him into a death of our selfishness into a newness of life into our selflessness and then literally into a physical death. I think the more we die to our selfishness and self-life the easier it will be to fall into the group physically. Today Jesus says to us, “Follow me” yet I see so many Christians going the opposite direction of Christ while they say they are following Him. Where are they following to? To their cross (not Jesus’) to daily impale themselves on? How are they following Him? In a humble, lowly, and contrite way? Are they following to obedience or are they following to presumption; thinking they are doing right, but in reality doing wrong? The only way we can glorify God is to follow Him in obedience. Following to obedience will kill you time and time again, but if you can die then you will really be alive to follow Christ anywhere He leads. Written by David Stahl
Thus far this year Karen and I had not traveled to the nations. The first part of 2008 we were helping to take care of my parents (and still are in ways) and the middle of the year we hosted some wonderful friends from Nepal and India, but now Jake Luffy and I planned a trip to Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria. The need was certainly there and God provided the funds, but just because God provided does not mean this is what He wanted to happen. I think most times God is more concerned about our heart’s desires to go and do than the actual going and doing. Now here is where things really get foggy and over into some gray areas in God. Oh you say there are no gray areas in God? Well walk with the Lord long enough and go to the places He wants you to go (and not the places you want to go) and you will see the gray areas fade to black and into the darkness of the unknown of God. I have been traveling abroad for the Lord since July 1996 and at first I went to where I wanted to go and said the things I wanted to say within His call on my life, but when I got older I needed others to “girdedst” or strengthen me. In John Jesus shares this wonderful truth with 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) The older I get the more the truth of this verse becomes more alive and more of a reality in my heart and life. Now I will be honest I wanted to go on this trip the need was great, but still in my heart (I will be honest) I did not want to go on this trip. I do not need to travel ministering the word to be fulfilled and satisfied in God. I know there are many great men of God in Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria who can do a much better job than me. I am very content and very happy at home with Karen, working on writing my books, writing our newsletter and articles, helping keep the maternity clinic in Aveile, Nigeria, the radio station in Katmandu, Nepal, and the tuberculosis clinics in Addis Abba, Ethiopia (on auto pilot now) up and running, soon Bible schools in Rwanda and Kenya, and attending a local Body and ministering locally. There are plenty of Godly and righteous things I can be doing to feel like I am “ministering” or doing something for God. However, we planned and prepared, but the night before while I was laying on the couch and Karen (my sweetheart) was rubbing my feet a cloud like veil descended over my eyes, right away I knew my blood pressure (for no apparent reason) went up. I went up stairs and got the blood pressure cuff bought for me in Turkey last year and I asked Karen to take my blood pressure. Sure enough I was right. I should know this happening by now because on the last five trips I have taken I have experienced blood pressure problems. Starting in India in 2006, in Rwanda, in Romania and Bulgaria, in Nepal, on my way to Tanzania but ended up in Istanbul, Turkey where the plane dropped me off and I spent six hours in the emergency room, and then again on our (Karen and I) last trip to Turkey in 2007 (where they bought me the blood pressure cuff) I had a blood pressure problems. And now before we leave for Turkey another blood pressure problem, well I remember all to well the feeling of helplessness and danger I was not so fast to run out the door the next morning. God sure has ways of getting our attention. When we are in our teens or early 20s we think we are invincible and we will live for ever, but as we get older say into our 30s and 40s we begin to see our mortality ever before us. And as we reach our 50s and 60s we notice every pain, bump, and lump on our body questioning everything, wanting to hold on to every bit of life we can. Now please do not misunderstand me here, I am ready to die, but I do not want to die God still desires for me to share His wondrous Gospel message and I so love and enjoy my wife Karen and our family. Anyone that says they want to die, both sinner and saint alike is lying. I was getting my hair cut one day and the Korean lady barber and I were discussing this topic and she said the older we get the more we look at our self, she is right. We even have “beauty parlors” to camouflage our age and faults. Believe it or not spiritually there is a parallel to this thinking. The older we get the more our flesh desires not to do the will of God. It seems the older we get the more and more our fleshly desires needs to be beat into submission and dragged along (even kicking and screaming) as we overcome in obedience doing what God has asked us to do. It seems our flesh is more of a stumbling-block to us than man or the devil. I was very grateful that God allowed me to have this blood pressure problem before we left the States. After going to the doctors I found out I may have a stenosis (narrowing) of the renal (kidney) artery or a tumor on my adrenal glands that produces a sudden surge of epinephrine, both will cause my blood pressure to suddenly go up. Time and testing will give us the answer and a miracle or treatment will follow. Now I am not saying it was my flesh that was causing my blood pressure problem, but on the other hand I would not put it past my flesh. Jake and I must rest in knowing God had a better plan (inspite of the great need) for us than to go to Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria now. In my case now I see it is a physical problem that God wants to be corrected for the future. But my friend our flesh is wicked and deceitful above all causing us to do so many things we would not have done. Our flesh is to be but to death. God has no intention of keeping our flesh alive and is counting on us to help put it to death. When we get over into emotions and allow our thoughts to run away our flesh is in control. Did you know at the heart of our emotions is selfishness? When we do not get our own way or we think we have lost something what moves our emotions is our selfish nature. I remember as a small boy when coming home after school and my mother not at home thinking oh no the Lord came and I was left. I would go from room to room calling her name, get on the phone if need be, just seeking her out not feeling bad about my youthful sinful heart condition, but I was seeking her to reassure my selfish nature. We cannot handle our flesh by our natural ability, but we first must allow the Spirit of God full sway in our lives to work in us an ability to “mortify” or put the deeds of our body to death. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:11-14) If we desire to be led by the Spirit of God we first must put to death the deeds of our flesh. My friend either our fleshly emotions or the Spirit of God will be leadings us it is our choice.
Now we (Karen and I) are not saying we will never travel in ministry again, we already have had wonderful friends in India, Nepal, Nigeria, and Tanzania wanting a visit in 2009, but what we are saying is; if God wants us to go and we know that we know it is God’s leading then we will endure even blood pressure problems. Our heart is to glorify God and His children. We cannot glorify God and His children if we come with problems to add on top the problems our wonderful friends already face. Times are perilous and expensive enough the last thing our wonderful friends around the world need is to have to care for people who ought to have known better. And it is not about going in faith and counting on God to make a way, this my friend proves to be foolish and unscriptural. God gave us a mind and expects us to use it. I still shake my head at Peter leaving a place of safety and provision that Jesus provided so that he could do something spectacular and miraculous yet in the end Jesus had to save him from his fleshly ambition. It was not about going to where Jesus was or Peter walking on the water, but about foolish ambition and pride as it would be the same for us going to minister some where in the world (like in the past) with a problem in hand. Jesus told Peter, “This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” (John 21:19) When reading this verse we often focus on “what death he should glorify God,” that is true, but we should be focusing on the “Follow me.” Where are we to follow Christ? Into the great abundant life in John 10:10? No my friend in reality we are to follow Christ into His death. We are to follow Him into a death of our selfishness into a newness of life into our selflessness and then literally into a physical death. I think the more we die to our selfishness and self-life the easier it will be to fall into the group physically. Today Jesus says to us, “Follow me” yet I see so many Christians going the opposite direction of Christ while they say they are following Him. Where are they following to? To their cross (not Jesus’) to daily impale themselves on? How are they following Him? In a humble, lowly, and contrite way? Are they following to obedience or are they following to presumption; thinking they are doing right, but in reality doing wrong? The only way we can glorify God is to follow Him in obedience. Following to obedience will kill you time and time again, but if you can die then you will really be alive to follow Christ anywhere He leads. Written by David Stahl
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