We just passed through the most stressful time of the year; the holiday period between Thanksgiving (Nov 27) to New Years (Jan 01). Now the older Karen and I get the more we like to simplify our life especially during this period of the year. We find the more we can simplify our lives the more we can focus on the important things in life like hearing from God so that we can be more obedient to Him. Is that not the main objective of our lives to be obedient to God so that He can conform us into His character and image? Obedience, not our spiritual gifts, abilities, or talents, to God is the key to being conformed into the nature and image of Jesus Christ. Now please do not misunderstand me we do like this period of time, it is a wonderful time when we gather as a family which is very important to God. Never forget God will protect the institution of the family and its relationships it was His idea from the start and will take out those who stand against it. It is a wonderful time we all can come together and share the wonderful things the Lord has done for us. Gathering as a family should always include the Lord, He is to always be the center of every meeting, service, and its around the fringe where we pay honor to each other. God is to be “above all” in our lives. He is to be our all and in all. In Ephesians Paul lays the foundation of one God who is above all, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) Please notice the end of verse 6, “and in you all.” It is God’s intention for His Spirit to dwell within us all. What a wonderful thought, but what kind of vessel are we for the Holy Spirit to dwell in? Are we a vessel for honor or for dishonor?
As important as the family (our earthly father, mother, and siblings) is we must never lose sight of the truth that the Lord, His statutes, and commandments are above them all and if we get this foundational truth wrong (like many Christians today) we have missed out on one of the major critical points of our relationship with Him and our salvation. In Luke Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate (Strong’s #3404, to hate, pursue with hatred, detest) not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27) Now a lot of preachers and especially teachers try to soften this very strong word “hate,” but Jesus meant exactly what he said, “If (setting the condition for receiving from God) any man come to me (our salvation), and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life he cannot be my disciple.” Yes we must “hate” everything and everyone with a degree of heart separation and not with an emotional heart condition to be a disciple of Christ. Our desire for God and His ways must be raised to the same levels in our heart as hatred can be in us. This separation from the things and people of the world will equal your ability to be strengthened by God in the inward parts to be able to behold His glory to do what He has for you to do. We will never be able to put on God unless we first take off (separate ourselves) the world. God must be above all in our lives and family. Now this separation does not come without a price, like all things in God. Make no mistake my friend after salvation (Jesus paid the price for that) we will pay for everything we get from God. In Matthew we read Jesus’ words, “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. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:34-38) His sword is to cut our desires for our family and the world out of our heart. Our stance for God, allowing Him to be above all in our lives, will cause great heart-ache and frustration in our lives, but what are our choices? Compromising to bring peace and harmony making our families happy until the next time we are forced to make a stand for righteousness or being obedient to God and His words? Like Peter said, “Lord where shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life.” Make no mistake and do not deceive yourself, light cannot have communion with darkness. Paul told the church as Corinth, “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) Please do not think you can go to ungodly places with your family and expect God to turn His head. I learned this lesson the hard way. After returning from two weeks of powerful ministry in India we traveled up to my parents home. Well one night we (Karen, Connie, Joshua, and I) all (my brothers and sisters and their families) went out to a bar to karaoke. It was horrible almost everyone was drunk one fellow exposed himself on stage while singing. While sitting there the Holy Spirit spoke to and said, “what are you doing here? Last week you were leading 10s of 1000s in the ways of holiness and now you are in a bar.” I shook myself and said to Karen let us get the kids we are leaving. The owner apologized and offered to give us our drinks for free. Well I apologized to God and my immediate family) My brother and sisters got mad at me for leaving, but that was okay I would rather have my brother and sisters mad at me than God. I became a greater offence to them, but it was not I but the cross of Christ. Make no mistake our stance for God will be a great offence to those in our families who are not walking with the Lord. “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 9:33) Be not dismayed, but keep looking at Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. We will suffer persecution (especially from our family) if we do not we probably have compromised the truth and the work Jesus did on the cross is for no effect in all of our lives. Paul did not compromise the truth over the issue of circumcision with the folks at the Church in Galatians, keeping God and His words above all things and they were won for Christ. “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.” (Galatians 5:11) So too when we stand for the truth in the word of God (the Bible) we too will win our family and others for Christ or let them know what is true and acceptable to God.
In both passages of Luke 14:27 and Matthew 10:38 (above) ends with the admonishment to take up our cross and follow Him, if not we cannot be a disciple and we are unworthy of Him. I am reminded of the words of my good friend Jake Luffy who tells the story of a service he was in and the pastor made the statement we was trying to lead the people in worship with his guitar. Later Jake told the pastor he was using the wrong instrument, it is the cross that is the instrument to lead the church (the people) into worship not a guitar, piano, or any other musical instrument. Jesus said take up your cross and follow me. Not to many Christians wants to take up or even identify with the cross, the cross is an instrument of death and shame. But, at the same measure we take up our cross (and endure the shame) to lose our life on at that same measure we will experience the life of God. To live in God we first must die to our self-life and our selfish ways. Jesus told the disciples and us today, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, 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 12:23-25) We will never live in God as He desires unless we allow God to strengthen us enough in the inward man so we can die.
As important as the family (our earthly father, mother, and siblings) is we must never lose sight of the truth that the Lord, His statutes, and commandments are above them all and if we get this foundational truth wrong (like many Christians today) we have missed out on one of the major critical points of our relationship with Him and our salvation. In Luke Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate (Strong’s #3404, to hate, pursue with hatred, detest) not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27) Now a lot of preachers and especially teachers try to soften this very strong word “hate,” but Jesus meant exactly what he said, “If (setting the condition for receiving from God) any man come to me (our salvation), and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life he cannot be my disciple.” Yes we must “hate” everything and everyone with a degree of heart separation and not with an emotional heart condition to be a disciple of Christ. Our desire for God and His ways must be raised to the same levels in our heart as hatred can be in us. This separation from the things and people of the world will equal your ability to be strengthened by God in the inward parts to be able to behold His glory to do what He has for you to do. We will never be able to put on God unless we first take off (separate ourselves) the world. God must be above all in our lives and family. Now this separation does not come without a price, like all things in God. Make no mistake my friend after salvation (Jesus paid the price for that) we will pay for everything we get from God. In Matthew we read Jesus’ words, “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. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:34-38) His sword is to cut our desires for our family and the world out of our heart. Our stance for God, allowing Him to be above all in our lives, will cause great heart-ache and frustration in our lives, but what are our choices? Compromising to bring peace and harmony making our families happy until the next time we are forced to make a stand for righteousness or being obedient to God and His words? Like Peter said, “Lord where shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life.” Make no mistake and do not deceive yourself, light cannot have communion with darkness. Paul told the church as Corinth, “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) Please do not think you can go to ungodly places with your family and expect God to turn His head. I learned this lesson the hard way. After returning from two weeks of powerful ministry in India we traveled up to my parents home. Well one night we (Karen, Connie, Joshua, and I) all (my brothers and sisters and their families) went out to a bar to karaoke. It was horrible almost everyone was drunk one fellow exposed himself on stage while singing. While sitting there the Holy Spirit spoke to and said, “what are you doing here? Last week you were leading 10s of 1000s in the ways of holiness and now you are in a bar.” I shook myself and said to Karen let us get the kids we are leaving. The owner apologized and offered to give us our drinks for free. Well I apologized to God and my immediate family) My brother and sisters got mad at me for leaving, but that was okay I would rather have my brother and sisters mad at me than God. I became a greater offence to them, but it was not I but the cross of Christ. Make no mistake our stance for God will be a great offence to those in our families who are not walking with the Lord. “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 9:33) Be not dismayed, but keep looking at Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. We will suffer persecution (especially from our family) if we do not we probably have compromised the truth and the work Jesus did on the cross is for no effect in all of our lives. Paul did not compromise the truth over the issue of circumcision with the folks at the Church in Galatians, keeping God and His words above all things and they were won for Christ. “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.” (Galatians 5:11) So too when we stand for the truth in the word of God (the Bible) we too will win our family and others for Christ or let them know what is true and acceptable to God.
In both passages of Luke 14:27 and Matthew 10:38 (above) ends with the admonishment to take up our cross and follow Him, if not we cannot be a disciple and we are unworthy of Him. I am reminded of the words of my good friend Jake Luffy who tells the story of a service he was in and the pastor made the statement we was trying to lead the people in worship with his guitar. Later Jake told the pastor he was using the wrong instrument, it is the cross that is the instrument to lead the church (the people) into worship not a guitar, piano, or any other musical instrument. Jesus said take up your cross and follow me. Not to many Christians wants to take up or even identify with the cross, the cross is an instrument of death and shame. But, at the same measure we take up our cross (and endure the shame) to lose our life on at that same measure we will experience the life of God. To live in God we first must die to our self-life and our selfish ways. Jesus told the disciples and us today, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, 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 12:23-25) We will never live in God as He desires unless we allow God to strengthen us enough in the inward man so we can die.
When we line up with God’s words and His statues for our lives things just work out for our best. Now make no mistake tribulation, pain and sorrow is ahead, but at the end (if we can make it) the understanding of God awaits. When we place God above all in our heart and lives things in God just seem to work out. When we think of our church in Stuttgart, Germany one of the many victories we remember is the story of Eritrea and her dad Kahsay. One Sunday after I taught the word I felt led to give an alter call. Now this was strange because usually do not give alter calls. Well a very beautiful young lady named Eritrea from the country of Eritrea came forward to accept Jesus Christ as her savior, even to this day I remember the words I used to share God’s plan of salvation. To be honest no words were needed as she came forward she busted out into huge crocodile tears that quickly went into heavy sobbing and repenting, totally devastated. Do you know why there is not much commitment and dedicated in the church today? There are few people who have really been converted to Christ. Unless we are devastated to what sin has wrought in our lives and every relationship we enter into we will mouth an empty sinners prayer and go back to our seat lost. A Ghanaian fellow named David brought her to church. David meet her on the streets of Stuttgart where she was working as a prostitute, European men love African women. When her father, who named her Eritrea after their country, heard of her prostitution he was embarrassed and thought he has not only lost his daughter, but lost his country also. But this is where the love of God and His grace come into the picture. Day by day and week by week Eritrea slowly got out of the prostitution business and before her father’s eyes began to change. Well her change was so remarkable he said he had to come to the church to where he got back not only his country, but his daughter. Kahsay kept coming back to church until he too came forward to have God change his life too. What a wonderful story, what a great work of God. When we left Germany their entire family and extended family was serving God. God was true to His word and Eritrea was willing to put God above all in her life. She was willing to put God above all of the shame and disappointment of cleaning and making salads working for peanuts in German restaurants instead of the wealthy life of prostitution. Above all of the hurts and pains of the past. Eritrea was willing to take the chance she would not be received by her family (which is a really big deal to Africans) and place God above all in her life. Written by David Stahl
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