THEY ARE IN THE SHADOWS

On my first trip to Nigeria, back in 2005, was a most amazing time. Now make no mistake traveling to the Country of Nigeria is not for the faint of heart. West Africans have a saying, be careful where you put your feet in Nigeria. It is a very beautiful country. Some of the people have a burning desire for the things of God and the rest have a desire for your things. Now please do not misunderstand me I am not talking bad of the people they are so precious, but the great poverty and lack of physical security by the government in Lagos and Abuja (and other big cities) has built a mistrust in the people where beatings, robbery, and sadly murders are every day occurrences. To be honest, of all of the countries I have traveled to only in Nigeria did I feel a sense of alarm in my spirit. But I knew there I would meet Mike Olufemi a wonderful friend and former member of our church in Stuttgart, Germany. Mike is in the top three of the most humble people I know. Even in Germany (a land that flowed with milk and honey for many Africans) Mike took the humble place. His simplistic, child-like faith, and Godly spirit always inspires me. And now living with his family in a village of almost all Muslims, Mike has learned how to keep his mouth and speak when God tells Him to, a noble lesson for us all to learn. My mission was simple (or I thought) to travel to Mike’s village of Aveile (about half way between Lagos the providential capital and more Christian south and in the north Abuja the present capital of the Country and almost all Muslim), meet Chief Habeeb Kadiri and give him a gift of money for three burr hole water wells, and preach in as many churches as the Lord opened the door. Just when you think you have figured out what God wants of you please know you are standing on dangerous ground. Mike met me at the airport in Lagos and we spent three or four days ministering in three churches as we locked on transportation to Aveile. Make no mistake everything in Africa is difficult, even going across town can take you all day. Pastor Israel of the Faithfuls Church was a good friend of Mike and Pastor Joseph Ojatabu my associate Pastor in Germany. Did you know it really does matter who your friends are? Did you know there are some people in your life you cannot hang around with? This is why having a spirit of Godly judgment is critical to our ability to know what God wants and more important want God does not what. My friend if you lack this understanding and wisdom God will never be able to work in your life as He intends. Ask God to open the eyes of your understanding to your need to be able to judge righteous judgment. Jesus taught the people in the temple, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) We see and know what is right and what is wrong my friend the Bible tells us this. But “righteous judgment” (Strong’s #2920, a separating, sundering, separation to opinion or decision concerning justice and injustice, right or wrong) is much more, it is judgment based on our heart condition as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. If our heart condition is wrong then how can we handle the weightier things of God? Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23) How can we handle “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:” if we do not have the ability, by God’s Spirit, within us to separate ourselves from injustice and wrong? This is one of the biggest areas not spoken about in most churches today. We need to allow God to work in our lives, through His dealings and judgments, to judge our thoughts, motives, and intentions that are not of Him to open up our understanding to His critical need for our lives. I mean who wants to be judged? Only the man who knows judgment is the beginning of correction and right relationship with God and man. Without judgment in our lives we will always end up over in selfishness and self-seeking ways, like sheep we all will go astray. It is “righteous judgment” and our need for correction that brings us to the understanding of our need for God. It is no wonder fewer and fewer people see not their need for God and their beliefs are so ungodly today.

Anyway back to Nigeria. Pastor Israel agreed to take us to Aveile. So Pastor Israel, his body guard, Mike, and I headed to Aveile about a five or six hour drive by minivan. About every 30 to 45 minutes we would get stopped by Nigerian soldiers or police (with AK-47s) to check our passport. One time we got stopped by some road workers who wanted to shake us down for some money, but Pastor Israel, his body guard, and Mike got into a verbal altercation that ended with some punches and Pastor Isreal promising to curse them. I was told to stay in the minivan no matter what I heard and saw. Well we made it to Aveile early evening and paid our respects to Chief Habeeb. It would have been a really big social and traditional mistake if we would not have stopped by to see Chief Habeeb before retiring for the night. After all we were staying in his town and sleeping in his government hotel. The next day we visited Chief Habeeb again. Now make no mistake he was in-charge. His words were life and death, our life and our death as he wished. Mike told him of my gift of the water wells, but he stood up and called his counsel of advisors into a side room. After about 30 minutes or so, he told Mike to thank me for the water wells, but they did not need more water wells, but a maternity clinic. Well I was floored I only had $5,000 with me. Then Chief Habeeb said, “you pray to your God and I will pray to mine and either your God or mine will make it happen if it is God’s will.” Well, today a beautiful maternity clinic (check out our website to see it) delivering 60-70 babies a month (our local hospital delivers around 80 babies a month), well stocked and equipped, giving hope to 100s of 1000s ladies in Aveile (and the surrounding area) from the heart and finances of a wise and Godly mother and dedicated, loving son for the glory of God. No greater love than for someone to lay their lives down for the Brethren. Now here is where the title of this article comes in. After we agreed to see what our God could do Chief Habeeb asked me what I wanted. Mike had already started to lean forward in the foxhole and prompted me to ask him if we could have a church service in the village. I asked and to my amazement Chief Habeeb said yes. Before I knew it we were making plans for an evangelistic service in a Muslim village, who would have thought it, God. The service stated at 6:30 pm and the sun was still up. Mike and others sang for about 1 or 1 ½ hours to raise interest in the service as the Nigerians were coming home from work. After all there were no advertisements, no radio or TV spots. No signs, banners, or handbills which are the biggest way to advertise such meetings. All we had was just permission and a desire to see God do something special in the lives of the people of Aveile. About 8:00 pm or so I climbed up the home made rickety platform they hurriedly made. With each step up the ladder it swayed back and forth until I stood behind the only light on the soccer field. I think every flying insect in Aveile stopped by to see what was happening. I spoke from Psalms 133, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1) As I began to speak and as the sun began to go down I noticed 100s of people standing in the shadows. You see they could not take the chance of being seen, if so they could be beat or even killed for attending the service. They had to hide in the shadows until the sun went down. And I thought, that is where the lost are, they are in the shadows. I finished my message (and survived the aerial attacks of the insects) and turned the service over to Pastor Isreal. Now Nigerians are emotional people. It was now late at night and the soccer ground was packed with people. Pastor Isreal took the microphone and had the people jumping. I have never seen someone more charismatic than Pastor Isreal, he went on for hours singing and preaching until he gave an alter call, 100s of people came forward to receive Jesus Christ. From the shadows maybe 400 people came forward. Pastor Isreal told them all to get in one straight line (believe it our not Africans are usually obedient, strong discipline teaches one obedience) because he wanted to pray for everyone who came forward. I asked if he wanted some help, but he said no I would slow him down with the need for translation. It would be best if I went back to the hotel where the guards are so, I departed the soccer grounds thanking God for the opportunity to share the Gospel message. What a night, what a trip. Little did I know what God had in store for the future of the people of Aveile and the surrounding area.

But my friend, those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior are in the shadows on the fringes of life. They are not in the light of day, but on the edge where life matters the most. I wonder why we try so hard to paint the walls and groom the lawn trimming the building like a Christmas tree when the ones we are to go after in life are not too concerned about a building or the many programs we work so hard to regiment in every week. We spend so much time and money in putting life into a building and grounds that, like us, will decay and crumble away. Our focus must not be a building or a program, but those in the shadows. My friend a church building is nothing more than a coffin to bury our flesh in. I will let that sink in awhile. All those people in the shadows know is they need help and do not really know where they can go to get it. They like the shadows are transitory in life and we have a defined opportunity and time to draw them out. This was the point Solomon was making in chapter two of Song of Solomon, “My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. 17Until the day break, and the shadows (Strong’s #6751, transitoriness of life) flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Solomon 2:16-17) What Solomon was saying was, before the day breaks or life fleets away we are to be “like a roe” (Strong’s #6638, beauty, glory, and honor) for those in the between segways (transitions points) of life. We are to show beauty to those who see themselves as ugly, we are to share the glory of God with those who cannot see His glory, and we are to give honor where honor is due to those who have lost their way. We are to be like “a young hart” (Strong’s #352, strong man, leader, chief, or mighty tree, terebinth) on the mountain full of strength, shelter, and life. Jesus went on in Matthew 23 and said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” (Matthew 23:25) Sadly today in the church we do a great job in cleaning the outward parts of the touch not, taste not, handle not, but leave the inward parts where we are to handle, “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:” of our heart and life. My friend the lost are in the shadows go get them and bring them into the light of God. Written by David Stahl

WHAT SPIRIT ARE YOU OF

In the First Epistle of John he exhorted the Church at Ephesus (where the weight of early and strong Christian tradition puts John at this time in his life) to do something unheard of in the church today. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3) Most Believers do not have the ability in God to “try the spirits whether they are of God:” I think I am going to try real hard to replace the reference Christian in my vocabulary with Believer. Almost everyone we talk with today call themselves a Christian and well we all know that is not true. But, a Believer is one that is presently and continually giving of himself to God in faith and living in a vital relationship with Him. Only those who do so can partake of the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God that are hidden in Christ Jesus. It is no wonder many Believers struggle with areas in their lives they do not possess the ability in God to “try” or judge the spirits. Without a trying or judging of the spirit there will never be a separation from ungodliness and unrighteousness. Why do we think we are not to judge things and people? Judgment is a big part of our everyday natural life. I will wear this shirt, no I will not wear that one. I like this food, no I do not like this food. I will buy this car, this house, the list goes on. Judgment is critical to who we are and to who we hang around. Why would we not use judgment in our spiritual life? How can we serve the Lord if we do not have the ability to know the difference between things that are Godly and things ungodly, between things righteous and things unrighteous, between the clean and the unclean things? There is a critical need within the Body of Christ to be able to judge righteous judgment and then separate ourselves from the things that are not of God. God commanded Moses, “Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. 3Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 22:2-3) Now God here was speaking to Moses who was to speak to the Children of Isreal through the high priest Aaron, but this truth is still in affect today for us. I would say even more so today. Remember the lessons learned recorded (1 Corinthians 10:1-10) in the Bible are examples (from the Children of Isreal) for our benefit and learning so that we would not make the same mistakes. Paul writes, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12) What will prevent us from falling? Heeding the “examples” (lessons), thus having the ability in God to be able to judge people, situations and circumstances in our lives so that we will be able to separate ourselves from ungodly things and walk with the Lord. Last year Karen and I had to make a tough decision, either stay at the church we have been attending for over five years or separate ourselves from them because of gross ungodly behavior from the leadership. To be able to walk with God we had to separate ourselves inspite of the love we had for many. How will we be able to judge big things in our lives if we fail to judge little things? We all know (I guess) what lying, cheating, stealing, murder, and adultery look like, but what about the areas that are not frank sin? How will we be able to put the mind of Christ on and know what God wants if we daily read the newspaper and watch TV, cannot keep our mouth shut, cannot keep our thought life pure from evil fantasies and lustful desires; instead we are taking on the mind of the world. Oh no my friend we must even judge these non sin areas in our lives and separate ourselves. God said, “Be ye holy for I am holy” and He meant it. We can see the reward (something we get from God out from our behavior) of not judging areas in our lives, “having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence:” a very strong price to pay for disobedience indeed. It is no wonder the church, especially in American, has entered into an unholy alliance with politicians for power, influence, favor, and money. I have seen this happen over the last eight years, the church has forsaken God as its source and turned to the arm of man to provide all it needs. Paul in Philippians writes, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) Now it says “need” not needs. Prosperity driven emotional, self-seeking, selfish Christians (not Believers) read needs into this verse. Needs are things; building cars, clothing, ministry, but “need” is what God knows you are in need of and what only God can provide. Please know the “riches in glory by Christ Jesus” is much more than having our fleshly wants and desires satisfied. The “riches” of Christ Jesus have nothing to do with earthly things, they are things of the Spirit of God; wholeness, health, and completeness in God. Yet the church of today goes after these earthly beggarly things with a great fervor while dismissing the real spiritual things of God. And why? The church of today lacks the spiritual ability to judge things and then separate themselves. In God there is a process; judgment then separation. If you wants to be able to operate and function with God you will need to be able to possess His Spirit and wisdom to be able to see what is moving in lives and situations so that you can quickly move away from them if not you will get sucked into them, stumble out of the way everlasting, and get off track. Some my friend never recover and get back on track, take heed, “take heed less he fall.”

But here in 1 John, John exhorts the Church to never put their personal commitment and their trust in everything, and yes that even means the church. I could tell you of the countless 1,000s of stories where someone put their total commitment and trust in a so called man of God, well . . . I am sure you have your stories too. We must never commit ourselves to every person Jesus never did that. In this world and sad to say in the church there are many misleading elements not to mention the so called biblical teachings. Great deception is found in false prophets and those who appear to be of God. These prophets and men of God are to be tested to determine their source because many false prophets who have the spirit of anti-Christ (against or not of Christ) have gone out into the world. John says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Now John is not talking about demons as many teach, oh no John is taking about men. “Try (test or judge) the spirits” to see what is their source. How will they know a false prophet from a real prophet if they can not judge their spirit? Signs and wonders, what most people in the church go after, will not be a measuring stick of their source. Did you know there is probably more false and even demonic spirits operating in most churches during Sunday services than true spirit of God? One of the greatest I often see is religious Jezebel spirit. Remember, the one that shouts the loudest, jumps, the highest, and rolls the longest is probably not in the Holy Spirit, but their spirit. When the Spirit of God comes to man it always brings man down into a place of inactivity. The Spirit of God shuts man’s feelings and emotions down. We will not feel like standing to our feet and shake our fist as our head bobbles to and fro, but just be thankful to be alive, quiet before Him. John to receive the Book of Revelation, fell at the feet of Jesus as a dead man, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:” (Revelation 1:17) What a godly place in God dead at the feet of Jesus. Most of Chapter three of 1 John deals with the manifestation of sources that is the manifestation in men so Chapter three serves as a background and guide for Chapter four to be able fulfill the exhortation to try or judge the spirits. Now it is not hard to be able to try or test the spirits. John is not telling the Church or us something spiritually hard to do. You know we make this wondrous walk with the Lord so difficult by making everything we do spiritual. Far too many Christians today (in the world corporately) are looking for a demon under every rock instead just walking with the Lord in a simplistic and holy way where we just get to know Him in a personal way (as we know other people), and just allow God to speak to our heart. But no everything is demonic, the devil is doing this or I am taking back what the devil stole. Mule muffins! Our focus is to be on the Lord he will take care of the devil if we take care of Him in our lives. My friend it is not hard to determine the source of people. All we have to do is keep our mouth shut and our eyes and ears open.

This ability to judge things becomes very critical to my ability to pastor our Church in Germany. Most if not all of our members were non-Americans. Now I know Americans quite well, but now Africans, Europeans, Asians, and the like not so much. When two ladies were brought before me to settle a dispute or circumstance I could not rely on my natural ability to determine who was right and who was wrong in this situation. I had to judge by their spirit, not by the Holy Spirit, but by the spirit they were of. And I always found the one who was of the spirit of Christ (not anti-Christ); humble and lowly of heart, not taking a threatening or accusing approach, but open to correction was innocent or blameless in the situation. What a wonderful guide to have to help people who could not control or help themselves. And let me tell you when you get people from all traditions and nationalities together problems will come. The key is to identify what is their source? Is their source God or the gods of this world? If you can identify someone’s source then you will be able to know who and what they are made of. This ability to judge or try their spirit also helped me to pass judgment. The one who is soft-hearted to the leading of the Holy Spirit will not defend themselves. A strong word of correction is not needed. But the one built on themselves, usually justifying themselves at the others expense, must be dealt with much more severe because of their hard heart and callous words and emotions.

This need to “try (judge or test) the spirits” also became critical for my success of knowing who to trust and who not to trust with the things of God and our Church. This also was a big sticking point with my associate pastor. Joseph was from Nigeria a great friend and a man who loved the word of God. At first in our relationship we walked together, agreeing on many things and God did many wonderful things for us, but as time went on and as the church grew there was a big push by Joseph to open the Church to Ministers (who said they were pastors, preachers, teachers, evangelists) from Nigeria and west Africa. It became painfully obvious unless we could work this out God separation was inevitable. I have seen too many of these so called ministers from Nigeria and Ghana in operation in other churches (both in Africa and Germany), I have seen their source and know their motives and could not allow them to minister in our Church unless we both (Joseph and I) talked with them and we talked together well in advance of the service. Well, this became a wedge that grew between Joseph and I that ultimately ended in us separating ourselves from each other and me and my family going back to the States early. Judgment then separation is the process God is looking for in mature Believers. How could I allow them to minister when their motive and intentions were to make money? And they were good, very good at manipulating people into giving them money. Most religious people are smooth and well spoken, gifted speakers, but they are not broken speakers, the ones God uses. But God does not operate this way, we must have the ability to “try,” to test, and even judge the spirits of men, by the Spirit of God, to know what spirit they are of. Paul commanded Timothy, “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. 22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” (1 Titus 5:21-22) Never allow someone to pray for you that you do not know. Wait, watch their character, get to know them first, judge what spirit they are of, find out what their source is. If you do not know what spirit they are of you could be opening yourself up to some really bad spiritual things. Remember, either we are filled with the Holy Spirit or we will be filled with some other spirit. What spirit are you of? Written by David Stahl

GO IF YOU WISH

If we serve the Lord long enough at times God will allow us to discover some truths that will off set all of the trials and problems we often face. This was the case as I was making plans for a trip to India. In my self I seemed to struggle with going or not going. My heart said yes go, go, go Pastor Wilson and his son Julian are such great friends and the 50 or so orphans they care for and feed in their compound are so precious, but I felt in my spirit the Lord saying “go if you wish.” Now I have had the Lord say this before, but never with such intensity. God did not say go nor did He say not to go. It would have been much easier if God would have said, David go and I will bless all that you do and say, but He did not say that, He said, “go if you wish.” Well now when I was younger in the Lord I wanted to go, go, go, wild horses or God could not keep me from going, but now I am older in the Lord and in earthly years so going is not so attractive. The older we get the more we see and feel the price to be paid for ministry. Ministry is the pouring out of our life so that God can live through us. It is not a question of my faith or desire, God knows my heart, but it is a question of my thoughts (plans in the KJV), motives and intentions. Jesus questioned Peter’s thoughts, motives, and intentions when He said, “Verily, verily, (double negative) I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst (strengthened) thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird (strengthen) thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” (John 21:18) When young in the Lord we “girdedst” our self and “walkedst” where we want to go, but when we get old, “thou stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” In other words when we get “old” (that is in physical years and in the Lord) we will make plans to go and our thoughts, motives, and intentions to go for the Lord in ministry and “another” shall strengthen or gird us AND carry us to where we do not want to go. We understand the price to be paid and know of the loss required in us (spiritually) and from others (physically) for us to go and minister. Now it does not say another person will strengthen and carry us to where we do not want to go. It says, “another” (Strong’s #243, another or other) shall gird or strengthen us. Please know I am not saying other people have not strengthened or even carried me all the days of my life in the Lord. I could start naming names (beginning with my mother) and go on for hours of the people who have had great impact in my life, people who have mentored and molded me, people who have suffered and sacrificed to make sure the Lord was been able to grow in me as I grew in earthly years. But what I am saying is “another” probably is not a person, but is the maturity, wisdom, and experiences we must allow God to work in our lives. Anything we get from God comes by way of us allowing God to work them into us. God does not change our heart (no matter how hard we beg, pray, kick, dance, cry, or speak in tongues) until we submit in obedience to His dealings and judgments in our lives. I wonder why we think God must do what we want Him to do or worse believe He has a magic wand that He bonks us over the head with and presto changeo we have been changed. Oh no my friend God changes us one dealing and/or judgment in our lives at a time. God comes to us and says how about this sin, wrong motive or intention in our heart? We can either agree or reject His advance. If we agree with God’s words He then can take us to the next level, maybe even show us our heart condition in all of this or bring us down into a place of low degree of understanding to the truth about us. But if we reject God’s words to us God will do nothing to change us, the Almighty of the universe is powerless to intervene. Our response is either anger and we stiffen our necks to His words or what most Christians do respond in a religious ways through: singing, dancing, giving in service to the church, running to the latest conference or praise and worship concert some religious. All of these lead us no where in God. God is after the inward thoughts of our heart to be brought to a calmness and silence before Him and a spiritual reverence of knowing Him, for there is where righteous and Godly change in our lives happens.

This strengthening and carrying (out from the wisdom, experiences, and maturity) Jesus talked about with Peter happens over time as we grow in the knowledge and grace of God. This growth is a process we must undergo when we come into God’s family. Never forget we come into God’s family not to get things from God or learn our destiny in Him, but for learning. The spiritual principle of first things first of the Spirit of “adoption” in God is for learning the things we must learn to grow and mature to the point we will be able to speak for God. Did you know not just anybody can speak for God? Many Christians think they can, but their words are shallow and powerless and their lives reveal the lack of relationship which is an automatic disqualifier. But the Christian who speaks for God, their words are felt in the spiritual realm (in heaven and hell) and the reality of the manifestation of what they speak is seen in the authority and power that is produced. In Romans Paul talks about this process. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23) and “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:4-5) Here in Romans Chapter 8 and 9, Paul projects this thought of “adoption” as it relates to a three day Jewish feast the father holds for his son after the son completes his schooling and training. When we think of the word “adoption” today we think of legally taking someone into our family. Well this may be true now in 2009, but that is not what Paul was taking about. When a Jewish boy becomes of age (say around age 12) he is given tudors and teachers to sit under in school so that they can lay a foundation of understanding of his father’s business and how he (the son) knitly is joined with the family. The son undergoes years of rigorous schooling and if he does well in his schooling he may (not a given) be able to go on to training. Even in God there is a big difference between schooling and training. We today in the church kind of lump them together so that we can be a know-it-all sooner. Now the better the son does in schooling the better chance he will have in his training if selected. Oh did I mention his training is dependent on the father. Just because his schooling went well does not automatically guarantee or qualify him for training. I wonder why we in the church today think we get to be trained just because we completed a seminary or Bible school? I will let you chew on that one for a while. Any how, after years of schooling and years of training, and after the son has learned his lessons the father holds this three day feast, called the adoption feast, for the son as a show of the father’s good pleasure in his son. At this feast the father can now present his son as a member of his family. At this feast the father lets the entire town know the son can now speak for the father. The son’s words are equal to the father’s words and must be obeyed as the father is speaking. In Romans 9 Paul asks, “to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;” or who have completed this adoption process and can now receive the glory? Who has such a wonderful relationship with the Father? Who operates and functions under spiritual laws? Who can now go, speak, and work for God? And who has completed their training so that they may be able to receive the Father’s precious promises as Peter said, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, (whose divine nature? The Father’s of course) having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:4) When are we given these “exceeding great and precious promises?” Is it when we are saved as babes in the Lord? No I think not, but when we have been adopted after our schooling and training is complete, now the Father can trust us with His goods. Every Jewish man knew what Paul was taking about when he used the word “adoption” it was the right of passage for business from childhood to manhood. It is really a shame we have twisted the meaning of this word (like many other words) to fit our little schemes and agendas. I do not know about you my friend, but I have not been adopted (in the modern denominational religious thinking) I am a blood heir with Christ. We sing songs with words like “Abrahams blessing are mine,” well I do not want Abrahams blessings I want the blessing God has reserved for me if I meet the conditions of obedience. But is this not the same way we train our children today? When our children are babes they do not get to speak for us, they must undergo years of family interactions, years of failure, trial and error, discipline, correction, and even punishment followed by years of formal schooling and training. Why would we expect things to be different in God? There is no silver bullet or magic pill to take that will make us complete in God, we must grow in God through failure, correction, discipline, and punishment until we come to some measures of obedience and understanding. God trains us the same way. If we would want our child to go through a door we would work with them and when they get off track we would straighten their way. We would tell them and show them the way to go, but as they get older and mature there should be a less of a need for us to instruct them. Ultimately the goal (and God’s goal in our lives too) is for us to be able to tell our children one time to do something and there would be obedience. If God has to speak to us it would be for correction.

As I said earlier, when I was planning for my trip to India I felt the Lord saying, “go if you wish.” This freedom to choose really got my attention. And as I said I struggled with the decision until the Lord let me know His thoughts here. As Karen and I were walking our boxer Gremme and discussing the trip I felt a sudden peace in my spirit, as I heard God say, “go if you wish.” The light came on. What a joy flooded my soul it was like the weight of the world was lifted from my heart. I understood what God was saying. After all I did not want to make the wrong decision. I think this desire of not wanting to make a wrong decision can really be a big problem with our walk with the Lord if we are not really careful. When Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Jesus was not saying to ask, seek, knock again and again until you get an answer. Oh no, Jesus was saying be careful! If you ask something will be given to you, maybe not what God wants in this situation. If you seek you will find something. This is a part of our human nature, always seeking and wanting to know things. This got Adam and Eve in a lot of trouble with God. Seeking always ends in finding something, maybe not what God wants us to find. If we knock a door will open, maybe it is the wrong door. Jesus was saying to take heed, be careful with all of our asking, seeking, and knocking. All of this beseeching of God must be done in the context of what God wants in each situation and not just our self-seeking desire for things or to get God to jump through the hoop for us. I understood what God was saying, “go if you wish” there was no wrong decision. Going or not going was up to me. God was counting on me to look at the situation and make a decision. Wow! A sure sign of maturity in God is when He does not have to tell us to go or not to go. God is counting us to know what to do. Like when our children grow up we count on them to know what to do. God is counting on us to look at all of the information and make a decision. God knows the schooling and training is complete, He knows our thoughts, motives, and intentions our wisdom, maturity, and experience has manifested in our lives and now God has faith and confidence in us. God cannot do this with babes, He still needs to change their diapers and spoon feed them direction. Believe it or not I got scared then. WOW!! God wants me to make the call. I thought why not, I have been schooled and trained, I have spoken for God in the past, I represent Him now, why can I not make a decision for Him? This is what God is after in our lives; to live so that God does not need to tell us what to do, we will automatically know what God wants. We will be able to automatically take on our heart what is on the heart of the Father. His knowing will be our knowing. Our knowing what God wants will be second nature, as breathing is automatic. We will be able to hear God say, “go if you wish” and know what He means. Written by David Stahl

THE MAKING OF PERFECT

Many do not know I am a substitute teacher at a Middle School, grades 6-8. The Bible says if we do not work we should not eat and I enjoy eating because Karen is such a great cook. One day our assistant principle sent out an email entitled “24 Things About to Become Extinct in America.” The number one thing about to become extinct in America was the family farm, but I would beg to differ with the author of the list sadly in my opinion the number one thing about to become extinct is the traditional church. Make no mistake my friend there is a culture war in America between the social progressive liberals and the traditional Christian conservatives. Even sadder this culture war has bleed into the local Body of Believers, the church. When you read our (Karen and I) writings you get a conservative traditional perspective based on the word of God. We have no pretense or agenda. We know our traditional Christians values have cost us readers, but that is okay we are not trying to tickle your ears or make you feel good about who you are in God and the destiny He has for you, but we are trying to share the truth of the word of God and lay a foundation of Godly teaching (that will out live us) so that others now and in the future will be able to read and come to know the truth from the lie they have been told. All of our poems, articles, and books (out from our life experiences, failures, and victories) are for a present truth today and a repository for God to use to lead those who have a heart for Him in the future. Charles Haun said the greatest thing we can do for God is write down things He has done for us and share them with people. My friend the lie grows bigger and bigger. The more social progressive liberal values takes root in the local Body of Believers the more the truth is blurred. Only truth can dispel a lie and light (the word of God) dispels darkness. The more the church goes after numbers, money, and programs the less of the word of God will be preached and taught. The truth will still be there, but it will not be recognized because the lie (denominational doctrines, programs, and traditions of men) will become the message told over and over deceiving even the very elect. We were attending, for a few weeks, what I would call a traditional church. We really liked the hymns sung a cappella and the preaching was solid, but we found out they are changing things around with new programs to have something for people to do. I feel sure if we would come back next year we will find things have changed for the worse, it is a slippery slope that ends in ruin. A wonderful church in West Virginia (seemingly very kind and humble) was considering me for their pastor, but I was rejected because they wanted to go in a different direction. Now we are not offended, but if the direction they want to go is opposite of us (conservative, traditional, and Godly) they could be heading to Ai (house of ruin). My friend we either go towards Bethel (house of blessing) or Ai.

At stake in this culture war are the minds, hearts, and souls of America. But, this is nothing new the New Testament Church constantly fought against their members engaging in pagan and unrighteous customs. Their first rebirth and salvation was not from their sins, but out of these ungodly acts, customs, and traditions of men. The Church at Corinth (and many churches in America) was a shining example of this. These ungodly and pagan customs was what Paul was at war with. The City of Corinth sat on an isthmus, between two water ways. It was much faster to load ships on log rollers and move them across land than to sail them around, this made Corinth a key city for commerce and for the introduction of every pagan religion in world by the many people passing through. The Church at Corinth had every spiritual gift in operation, yet Paul said of them, “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.” (1 Corinthians 11:17) In other words Paul was staying they would be better off in God if they did not come together as a local Body. Thank God for His faithfulness and grace, Paul was able to bring the people down into a place, in God, where they could see their need for Him. Now if I was God I would not allow this disobedient immature behavior to continue in Corinth (or America for that matter), but God knew there must be something going on in a church (even if it is unhealthy spiritually) for correction to come. The group of people we took over that later became our Church (Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart) in Germany resembled the Church at Corinth in so many ways, but through preaching a need for maturity and spiritual growth and development in God things changed. God allowed the Church at Corinth to continue to act as babes (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) and worship in sectarianism and carnality giving time for Paul to be birthed from above, grow in the Lord, and then come to Corinth with the words of correction from the Lord.

They say the longer we go in things the better we are to become, well I am not so sure about that my friend. Time and distance is not the judge of success or failure, but dedication and faithfulness to what we really believe and who we really know. In time the Church at Corinth was overcome by a lie, today Islam reigns supreme, like all things in God time will tell, but time is not the predictor. I hear many say, God wants us to be on fire for Him well, what does that mean? God does not want us on fire for Him (zealous and operating in blind faith), but He wants us to be obedient and faithful. It is our obedience and faithfulness that will serve to be the predictors of success or failure in God in our lives. These requirements of God will be the measure of God’s ability in us, by us allowing Him, to bring us to His purpose and goal in our lives. God is not trying to make us happy, rich, or popular, but will do everything He can to make us like Himself. I cannot believe all of the “word of faith” preachers and teachers that spread this prosperity dung heap message and teach we must find our destiny in God. Well, there is no need to look, seek, or knock just read the Bible, walk and talk with God, and you will discover your destiny. God started something in the Book of Genesis, “to make man in His own image” and He has not changed His mind. Now the image God wants to make us into is a “perfect” person. You say we cannot attain to this, but my friend we can. Jesus taught, “Be ye therefore perfect (selflessness), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (selflessness).” (Matthew 5:48) Jesus was not telling us to be perfect like in not making mistakes (but we should strive for this in our lives), but Jesus was teaching we must be selfless like our Father in heaven who is selfless. This is the goal, the image of God, He desires to bring us all to, selflessness. Where we think not first of our selves, but of our friends and if God has really worked in our lives we first think of our enemies. It is easy for God to be able to get us to sing, dance, pay our tithes, and get involved with church programs and activities, but what must we do to be able to allow God to bring us to a place where we look and act like Him? Well, what did it take for the Father to bring Jesus to place where He looked and acted like His Father? In Philippians we read, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:7-9) For God to be able to make us perfect (selfless) we must die to our selfishness and self-seeking ways. How can God live in us, how can we look like God, if we are alive to our fleshly desires and ambitions? Who in the Church wants to have no reputation, wants to be a servant, wants to humble themselves, and wants to be obedient (there is one of those two requirements), the one who wants to look like God and be perfect (selflessness). We must die to our self so that God can work His nature and character into us. The social progressive liberals thinking in the church have no desire to die they want to live, work, and go so that they can get a big church with 1000s of people and teach a wrong message for God, well God wants us to die to our dreams, desires, and wants so that He can live through us. Death to self and the message of the cross is not popular. This is why the Churches that teach and preach the message of the cross are small and few in number, but this truth (which is the truth of the Bible) makes them perfect and powerful in God’s eyes. Paul told the Church at Corinth (and we are telling the Church of America and around the world) “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) If the world is running after you and your church know this God is not. If we want big numbers, much money, and many programs for people to do things then we have our reward, but if we want God we must die to what we want.

When Jesus was on the cross and especially when He died He was one (total unity) with His Father, He (Jesus) was selfless. There was no other time in Jesus’ life when He personified His Father more. The Gospels time and time again speaks of how Jesus only did and said the things the Father told Him to say and do, but when Jesus died He “truly” (in the spiritual realm) became one with the Father. I believe this is why the Father could forsake Him. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46) There was no need for the Father to tell Him what to do or say they were in complete union. Jesus was complete as God’s Son, nothing could be added or taken away to make Him look and act like God. How strange it must have felt for Jesus, maybe that is why He (Jesus) felt His Father forsook Him. For the first time in His life He was not totally dependant on the Father. Oh to God I would have such a dependence on the Father, well this is His expectation for our lives. We know the Father did not forsake Jesus because it was the Father (God) that raised Him from the dead. “Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.” (1 Corinthians 15:15) I do not know how many times I have heard preachers and teachers say God (the Father) turned His back on Jesus because He could not look at Jesus with sin. What a foolish statement this is. If this be true then God cannot look at man, the world, or anything that sin has touched. Let us never forget Jesus took the sin of the world and the punishment we should have received for our sin and our sins upon Himself. In John we read, “The next day John (John the Baptist) seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) But Jesus did not, “take away the sin of the world,” oh no, He did something far greater. In the Greek we read John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, he who takes upon himself the sin of the world.” If Jesus took away the sin of the world then there would be no sin in the world, but sadly we all know there still is sin in the world. But Jesus did something greater than taking sin out of the world, on the cross Jesus “took upon himself the sin of the world” and vanquished them in His holiness and glory making a way for our sin and our sins (our individual fleshly acts of our flesh) to be dealt with. This is the hallmark truth of our salvation as is the truth; mercy is for the innocent where punishment is reserved for the guilty. We must not get these spiritual principles backward in our mind and heart or we will get off track in our thinking when it comes to God’s dealings and judgments in our lives.

Make no mistake my friend God’s goal in our lives is to bring us all to a place of selflessness (perfect) like Him. It is a making process whereby we allow God to deal and judge in areas in our lives where we must confess and then repent of them so that we can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must stand true to God and His word and be the physical manifestation of God on earth. We must stay true to the word of God (the Scriptures) and not get over into the social progressive liberal thinking of one short contemporary service a week with many programs and activities for the people during the week. The traditional times of coming together to hear God’s word and for communion (not what we call the Lord’s Supper, but being knitly joined in fellowship one with the other) is a must if the “true” Body of Christ is to make it today and in the future. The Gospel message must be brought down to our heart and lives for there is the place God desires change to happen. Written by David Stahl