IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Karen and I just returned from being with our son Daniel and his wonderful family. When I see Daniel and his son John I see so many similar characteristics. From their red hair to their passionate personality I see how John was made in the image and likeness of his father Daniel, so too with our oldest son David and his wonderful son Caleb. When I see Caleb I see David when he was a little boy. I see his continual smile, good nature, and huge heart. They say when you see the son you see the father, well my prayer is that my sons (all three) will have a greater walk with the Lord than I and be conformed into the image of God. When we see our grandchildren we see how they were made in the image of their father. This continual process of being made in the image of our father is a spiritual principle that God has ordained for our lives. We must understand this process if we are ever going to come to the completed image of our Heavenly Father. Caleb and John were made in the image of their fathers, but they were not made complete in their development, they both still have to grow and mature if they are going to come into the completed image of their fathers, well this principle holds true for our lives in the spiritual realm. We see this truth of being made in the image of our Father in the Book of Genesis. In the first Chapter of Genesis we read, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Man was made in the image of God, but like Caleb and John man was not made complete and needs to grow and develop into a completed image of his Father. Here we see “And God said” another continual process in our lives we must come to understand if we are ever to come to the completed image of our Father. God said it and now it must come to pass. Anything God said is truth, there is no doubting or rejecting what God says. God’s spoken and written words are a continual revelation of our Father and reveals the critical need of being made into His image, that we must believe and mingle a part of our daily lives if we are ever going to come into His image. We see this truth of being made into the image and likeness of our father as something God wants in our lives as seen in the life of Adam who was made in the image of God. In Genesis Chapter five we see this process and revelation being carried out in the life of Adam, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:” (Genesis 5:3) But like Adam, Caleb, and John Seth was not born as a fully matured developed image of their father, they were only born in the likeness and image of their father and had to grow to become a completed image and likeness. And likewise when God created Adam in His image and likeness he was not made in the complete image of God, but had to grow and develop. Now the image of God was there, but it was latent. When talking a picture using film the image on the film is there, but it is latent. The likeness and image is there, but it is not developed and cannot be seen until the film is processed. As with Adam there was a latent image of God in him when he was created that had to be developed. So too in our lives when we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) created in Christ Jesus there is a latent image of God in us that God MUST be able to develop in us if we are going to look and operate like God. Now God begins to develop us by doing and providing certain things in our lives. It is important to know God provided everything Adam needed before what we call the “Garden of Eden” was created. Please do not miss this point. Adam had everything he needed before God put him into the garden. It is important to know I am strictly speaking from what the Bible says (by verse) and not some religious denominational doctrinal belief. So too in our lives God provides (and only God can provide) all we need to grow and develop to come to the image and likeness of our Father. In Genesis we read, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree (that would include the tree of good and evil and the tree of life), in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29) All that Adam needed for his physical growth and for his physical maintenance God had provided for him. Now after this God planted a garden and put man in the midst. “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (Genesis 2:8) Please notice God said “the man whom he had formed” drawing our attention to the forming process and not the creating (Strong’s #1254, to create, shape, form) process. The word “formed” (Strong’s #3334, to bind, be distressed, be in distress, be cramped, be narrow, be scant, be in straits, make narrow, cause distress, beseige) here has nothing to do with making or creating, but to cause to suffer distress. So now God planted a garden and put Adam in it for a greater forming process, well guess what my friend God too has a garden just for us. The physical Adam was already created and already provided for there was nothing God needed to add for Adam for his physical provision, but now God does something else, something different. For now God must provide for His spiritual being. After caring for Adam’s physical development God must now provide for Adam’s spiritual growth, maintenance, for his spiritual welfare and development. To do this God plants a garden and puts Adam into the garden in order to form Adam’s character, to development his spirit man, and to develop this latent image and likeness God has put within him. ”And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant (precious in the Greek) to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9) Maybe not precious to see to look at or behold, but precious for the vision and spiritual insight God wanted to bring Adam into, “and good for food.” But the physical food had already been provided (Genesis 1:29). This no doubt was for another type of feeding and goes well with the word following, “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” So these were provisions God has laid down for Adam to use to develop into the image of God. Do not ever forget God planted “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” The devil did not plant these trees God planted them. So now in Genesis 2:15, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress (Strong’s #5647, to serve or translated five different times in the Old Testament as worshipper) it and to keep (Strong’s #8104, to obey, observe (like keep My commandants) or take heed) it.” (Genesis 2:15) I wonder where Adam existed before he was put in the garden? I wonder where God took Adam from so that He could put him in the garden? Now the Bible does not say so, but I believe Adam was where he ended up in life. Where we all end up in life, the same place we start from in life, the heart of God. When God made man He contemplated (paused and thought) “let us make man in our own image and after our own likeness.” Here God is speaking these words out of a longing heart for man to know Him, but for this to happen man had to be developed spiritually to grow in understanding and in the ways God operates. There must be developed in Adam (and is us) an attitude of dependence and obedience. Remember the physical means for Adam’s life was already provided, but his spiritual life needed to be developed through a process of approving and qualifying so he could move from one level of obedience (glory) to the next level of obedience (glory). Our next level of usefulness in God depends not on our gifts and abilities, but on our willingness and obedience to endure God’s developing program. God cares not how well we sing, play an instrument, dance, how fast we can run, shoot a basketball, or preach and teach, but God cares about how obedient and willing we are to His word. For Adam the dressing and keeping of the garden was more an attitude of learning and worship then one of service and duty in responding to God’s approaches. Obedience was God’s goal in Adams’s life. Adam’s approach back to God was on a spiritual level and not sweat effort, because Adam did not till the ground (Genesis 3:19) until after Adam sinned. God would even come and talk with Adam (as seen in Genesis 3:6) in the cool of the evening. God’s first approach to man is always on a spiritual level to develop him into His likeness and image. So if God is developing Adam into His own image Adam will have to by necessity be brought into the power of choice and many other things in his life, ”And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Adam’s development program was a garden of plenty and his approving test was whether or not he would believe God’s word. When God is working and developing us He will always come and inspect us and will expect to see in us a manifestation of the works He is putting into us. I find it amazing to know God expects certain things in us to grow and produce. God expects honesty, integrity, honor, virtue (strength), humbleness, gentleness, and so much more to grow and produce a harvest in us so that others can partake of God’s divine goodness in us. The seed that is sown in the ground is not money as many TV evangelists and preachers spin their lies of manipulation and control (they are so deceptive to those who know not the truth of the word of God), but is the words of God that has been planted in our heart. If this seed takes root and dies then we too can fall into the ground (John 12:24) and die to our selfishness and self-seeking life. Sadly we know the rest of the story how Adam failed and was not developed. From what we can read in the Bible God never saw His purpose done in Adam. But always know God’s purpose will be completed in time and by someone. After Adam God continued to lay foundations in many people until His precious Son Jesus Christ was born into the world to be the second Adam of which God’s purpose was completed. Jesus is the mature and completed image of the Father, solely dependent on His Father for everything. I wonder what impact the church would have on those folks lost if we (the Body of Christ) were solely dependent on God for everything? God’s goal (now and has always been) to conform us into the image (Romans 8:29) of Jesus Christ, thus we being conformed into the image of God. Jesus was God on earth to show us how His Father operates and functions, to show us His Father’s dedication (love) to us. God has no plan or objective in making us rich, happy, or popular (like most in the church today believe), but still desires to complete what He started backed in Genesis, to conform us into His image.

You know it is really easy to beat up Brother Adam, but guess what, God desires to develop us too. God too has planted a garden for our lives to be developed and matured in. Oh it may not have the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of life, but make no mistake my friend the consequences for failure is the same for us as it was for Adam – sin, a willful walking away from God, and an eternal separation from God if we do not repent. In life today failure in God is not an option, yet we play fast and loose with God. Oh Lord please forgive us! The price for us to pay to become conformed in the image of God is the same price Jesus paid, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But 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 2:6-9) Never think the Father gave Jesus a name which is above all names because He was God’s Son, oh no my friend. Jesus was given His name, power, and authority because He willfully became (a process of development) obedient, the requirement to become the image of God. Written by David Stahl

THE CHURCH WITHIN THE CHURCH

My friend there is a religious denominational church (this includes large non-denominational churches) on planet earth and there is a God-ordained church within the religious denominational church that pleases God and meets His expectation of being called the Body of Christ. Now please do not think these churches are a part of the Body of Christ they are not. They are only a church in name and not in Spirit. We the people of God, the local Body of Believers (one presently and continually giving themselves to God in faith, living in a vital relationship to Him, which enables the Believer to be discipled by the Lord) are the church not a building, denomination, religious, or Christian organization.

Over the many years of traveling, teaching, and writing we have gotten many comments, none more often than thank you for telling us the truth. I am not a smart man, but I do know the truth when I read and hear it. My friend it has always been our aim to tell the truth even if means stepping on toes, our included. Karen and I do not want to have our ears tickled and you should not either. What we need is a strong word from God to bring us down in our self-life and self-seeking, a rich yet hard and revealing word from God that brings us to tears and leaves us on our knees before Him. They say, if you want people to like you and give you money just tell them what they already know and what they want to hear. This is what you hear in most churches today. Well my friend I do not need your money, God provides for me, my family, and our ministry. If you support Beholding His Glory I thank you very much, but we desire you do so out from a heart condition that has been touched and melted to support us by the Spirit of God. Please do not expect us to try to make you feel good, oh no my friend the last thing we all need is to want to feel good about our self, what the Bible calls deceitfully wicked. What we all need is a good kick in the butt from God, now that will get our attention. Our goal is to share with you thus says the Lord and stick His words in the center of your heart. For in doing so there is great life for both of us.

In our day we are witnessing, as never before in our memory, the nations of the world casting off restraint. Immorality and perversion have replaced the righteous standard of God’s word. In America God’s priorities have been replaced by the importance on money and meeting the needs of “me, myself, and I.” Our system of governing laws protects the rights of minorities from being trodden underfoot by mob rule, but we have lost our sense of boundaries. We as Christians cast votes for men and woman who feel the most innocent among us, the unborn child, should be sacrificed to excuse an undisciplined action. Our moral compass has lost its true bearing. In Proverbs we read, “Where there is no vision (revelation in the NKJV), the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18) The word “vision” here has nothing to do with future plans, but is translated from the Greek as limitations or restrictions. I do not know how many pastors, preachers, and teachers I have heard twist and pervert this verse away from the truth. The more verses like this one that are perverted and twisted the more the people move further away from God and His words for our lives. It is restrictions and limitation in our lives that bring us to fulfillment and completion in God. We will never be happy and come to completion as a country or in God if we cast off limitations and restriction in our day-to-day lives. It is in keeping the laws of God where true happiness and fulfillment is found not in having our own way to do whatsoever we want to do. Oh Lord please help us. In the church we have those who continually inform us that they are “the leaders” of the church declaring them selves to be the prophets and apostles of the end-time global movement. But when whatever these leaders prophesy does not come to pass they fail to repent and apologize. Instead, they continue on to the next new thing claiming God is now speaking something else. Many leaders have fallen into moral failure because of lack of relationship with the Holy Spirit and His work of sanctification in their lives. Often, gifting, revelation, and natural organizational skills are mistaken for the character and holiness the Lord demands from His Body, particularly His leaders. God said, “Be ye holy” guess what? He means it. No man shall see God unless he has clean hands and pure heart. David asked this question, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4He that hath clean hands, and a pure (holy) heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalms 24:3-5) Pastors have compromised the standard of the word of God for fame, riches, or to be esteemed by their peers. The goal is not souls for Christ, but can I get to a bigger church in my denomination there I can really make a difference, as if a bigger church and more people please God. All we hear at Christian bookstores when we do our book signings is how pastors and the churches have failed them so they come to a bookstore to buy the latest self-help book from the spiritual leaders of today. My friend only God can touch the issues of the heart. Never forget at the heart of every issue it is an issue of our heart. It is only the word of God and the Holy Spirit that mend our heart. Today we find the church in the same spiritual condition as the nation of Isreal. “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:4-6) Wow did you read that, “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” A few weeks ago I was on my favorite exercise machine at the gym (the stair-stepper treadmill) when a lady mounted the next machine. We started to talk (it always helps time to go by faster) and she started telling me how much she loves President Obama. She asked me what I thought and I told her I wish him no ill or harm, but wish he would give his heart to the Lord and be a Godly leader. She started to attack me. I said, I guess you are not a Christian and she said no she was a good Jew. I said oh good let us talk about the Torah (the Old Testament) and she said she does not believe in the Torah. I asked how she felt about abortion and she relied, she watched the abortion of a friend and it was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. I shuttered in my spirit. She went on and on talking about many other liberal topics (sodomy, lesbianism, global warming, etc.) that totally disagrees with the Bible. I tried sharing the Gospel with her, but she wanted nothing to do with the word of God, so I looked her right in the eye and told her she was sick in the head. Now some would say this was wrong to harsh to do, but this type of worldly thinking is what Isaiah was talking about when he said, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.” Her thinking is sick and her heart does not have the strength to received the things of God. She said my words were foolishness, but her words was just fulfilling the word of God. Paul shared with the church at Corinth, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) When God speaks to us His intention is to heal our inter man. When God comes to us His intention is to strengthen our heart to be able to receive His words. I ended my work out on the machine and bid her a good day. Please keep this lady in your prayers as I do. In these verses of Isaiah 1 we read, “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores.” Here Isaiah is describing their inward spirit lack of righteousness and integrity. They have “wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores” these non-healing sores are from “wounds and bruises” received from the Brethren in relationships. These sores are seen in the lack manifested in broken relationships, in dullness of spiritual hearing and seeing, and in hearts that are hiding far from God. Isaiah was sent by God to rebuke the Israelites for their false worship. They hid their heart from God behind religious activities (like today) and did not have the power and ability to heal their wounds and bruises they both suffered themselves and inflicted upon others. Their remedy to heal these ailments was more religious practices, self-centered and selfish sacrifices, good works to make them feel good and holy (like today), but God wanted nothing to do with this (like today). “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;” (Isaiah 1:11-16)

What a condition in Israel then and what a condition today of the church. But please know this is the spiritual heart condition of the religious church today, but God has a remnant that has been cut out by the sword of the Spirit of God, who has not bowed a knee down to the gods of this world. Which church are you in; the religious denomination or the remnant the church within the church? In the Old Testament and recorded in Romans by Paul, Elias thought he was the only person who has not bowed a knee to Baal, but God opened his eyes and heart to the truth? “Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (our choice) of grace. 6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (Romans 11:3-6) A remnant established not by religious denominations or good works, but by grace. Often times we feel like Elias, but please know God will not allow man to totally destroy what He has intended from the beginning. In spite of all of man’s failures and shortcomings God will not allow man to totally fail. God loves man. When God made man He contemplated, “let us make man in our own image” and right then Jesus was slain for our salvation. God has a plan and a purpose for man and He will do whatsoever He needs to do to have it come to pass in spite of our rebellion, carnality, and wicked nature. It always amazes and scares me when I read how God used men like Samson. In spite of his desirous and rebellious heart God still got through all of his unfaithfulness and pride to accomplish His will for Samson’s life. God will bring all things to completion. And even in the church (religious denominations) today, God has a remnant that will be willing and obedient. The condition to have our “wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores” healed is to be willing and obedient to God’s words. Obedience is always the salve, the balm, the ointment that heals our heart spiritually

The question before us today is what church are we in? Oh we quickly say, the church within the church, but my friend the only way we enter that church is by dying to our selfish ambitions and self-love. I hear many preachers and evangelists manipulate the religious denominational church folks by saying put your seed into my fertile ministry, as if the seed is money, well my friend that thinking is just a bold face lie that seems to sell well because most Christians do not (shame on them) know the Bible. My friend our natural life is our seed not our money. If our natural life is sown into the ground then God can raise us up from the dead like He did Jesus. John said this way, “And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat (a seed) 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) Jesus was talking of His forthcoming death on the cross when he said, “the Son of man should be glorified.” Who wants to be glorified like that? The church within the church. Unless we “fall into the ground and die” we will not be able to bring forth fruit. The condition for being fruitful in God is not working or doing, but dying. But who wants to die? The church within the church. They have met the condition, they learned this spiritual principle and now they shall receive the promise, “he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” The church within the church is made up with folks who have lost their lives (fallen into the ground and died) so that they can live eternally. There is an expensive price we pay to be a part of the church within the church. In our hearts we know which church we are in. We may be able to deceive some people, but we cannot fool God. He is not mocked, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Again I ask you what church are you in? Written by David Stahl