COMMIT NOT YOURSELF

One of the greatest displays of dedication and faithfulness we can show our brothers and sisters is our commitment to them. Now I have been married for over 30 years to Karen, the best woman in the world. This is a sign of commitment not only of my love and devotion to her, but of her commitment and love to me. How could I not commit myself to her, she gave me four wonderful kids and has dedicated her self towards me for over 30 years. This my friend goes much further than just loving me. If we only love each other our relationships will not last it will break down when our body begins to break down and wear out, when our teeth and hair begin to fall out, when our minds become dull, and we are in great need of someone to feed us or change our diaper. Yes, commitment goes much further than love, this is why there is such lack in the church today, no real commitment. No commitment to studying (not just reading) God’s word, no real commitment to prayer, and no commitment to spending time with God. How do we expect to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ if we cannot be committed to God? How can we grow spiritually if we cannot find time to hear from God? Now do not make the big mistake of thinking and confusing commitment with busy work at church. Real commitment happens in the heart and always involves sacrifice of our self so that others may prosper. Sadly pastoring a church, teaching Sunday School, changing diapers in the nursery, counting the money, parking cars, cutting the grass, or greeting people at the door does not equal commitment, they equal service at different degrees. I would think the diaper changing and the grass cutting (in God’s eyes) ranks far ahead of the pastoring and teaching and so is the reward for the real dirty jobs. Commitment is critical in our relationship, yet divorce rates among Christians and worldly practices of living together before marriage out strips the secular world. What has happened to our commitment? Commitment requires integrity, honor, and honesty three things woefully lacking in most Christian (I include myself here at times) circles to the word of God and His ways. Oh we are ready for our destiny in God (oh really), but not ready for a real commitment to God that is heart focused and dedicated to the point of real sacrifice that God can count on. Oh we dance around (like Miriam), but in our heart we lack the determination and valor to follow through. In Exodus we read, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15: 20-21) What a wonderful song of victory as all of the woman of Israel took up their timbrels and had a Holy Ghost spell (what they use to call a move of God’s Spirit in times past), but if we wait and read a few more chapters we see the real heart of the people and Miriam for her brother Moses. Here, “Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” (Numbers 12:1) The Lord calls Aaron and Miriam on their words, “My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.’ (Number 12:7-10) The point here is Aaron and especially Miriam carried bad feelings and resentment for their brother through the miracle of the Red Sea and through the victory dance and for that they both were punished by God. No real commitment to Moses on Aaron and Miriam’s part brought swift and severe punishment. No emotional experience in God or amount of church busy work ever equals our obedience and commitment to God and His people. My friend let us take heed to the warning here in Numbers before we fall into such a horrible pit.

Yes true commitment is a must in our lives if we are going to walk in obedience to the Lord, but we must take heed my friend to who we are committing ourselves to. Often we make a very big mistake in God by committing ourselves to ones who are not really walking with the Lord as they appear or are off track in their revelation of the Scriptures. Remember, everything that glitters is not gold and in God everyone who preaches and teaches are not of God. The New Testament is full of verses that warn us to beware of false teachers; oh they are teachers, but they are false teachers. In 2 Peter we find Peter warning the Christians against false teachers within their local fellowship who would lead them into apostasy. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2:1-4) My friend times have not changed much in this area. Then and now they “merchandise” you or sell you out so they can take advantage of you. Through their “feigned words” they deceive you and take you for all they can. Over my many years walking with the Lord I have known many false teachers and have known many Christians who have gotten off track because they have listened to wrong teachings. They committed themselves to their teacher or mentor who was a false teacher and now both have run into a horrible pit. Many denominations (especially the Southern Baptist) teach you are to find a mentor or a “father in the Lord” you can trust and depend on to commit your self to, someone who can hold you accountable before God. My friend this is a very dangerous practice that will get you into a world of trouble with God. I have seen and even recently personally experienced the great folly in this. We must be very careful who we commit ourselves to. We must be very careful who we call our teacher, we even must be carful who we call a friend. You know I am learning I have many acquaintances, but very few friends. We must be led and accountable to the Holy Spirit in all of our dealings then we will have good success and not get off track. Did you know it matters who your teacher is? I am proud to call Charles Haun my teacher. Here too in our misunderstanding (not our not understanding) can we get in trouble. For example, many teachers teach to knock, seek, and find, well here we must take heed to be careful. Jesus never taught this He taught if we ask we will be given something, if we seek we will find something, and if we knock a door will open. In Matthew we read, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10) Now they may all be what God wants us to discover in Him (in our asking, seeking, and knocking), but take heed my friend they may not. Do you see the difference in what Jesus was saying and what many false teachers teach? The tense and mood of these verses (check it out) warns us to take heed to ourselves in this area and does not encourage us (like most teach) to keep on asking, seeking, or knocking God until we are blue in the face. This is a self-centered selfish approach to the Scriptures. My friend the Scriptures are not written so that we can add things to our self, but to encourage us to be willing to give things away. Anyone who teaches to the contrary is a false teacher and a liar. And here the misunderstanding (out from most denominational and prosperity teachings) of these verses causes many Christians to be led astray because they have committed themselves to those who would speak and spread lies, a false teacher from their “feigned (Strong’s #4112, moulded, formed, as from clay, wax, or stone) words” of deception.

Even though Jesus died for everyone in the world He never committed Him self to everyone in the world. Please let me say that again, Jesus never committed Himself to everyone in the world. Now here is where committing ourselves to some Christians can really get us in trouble. In John we read, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25) Here Jesus knew the hearts of the people, they came for the miracles and to fill their belly with wine and food, but their desire to know the heart of Jesus was far from them. John said Jesus, “knew all men” well guess what my friend Jesus still knows all men. Jesus knows our heart, Jesus knows our desires and hungers. Jesus even knows why we serve Him. I am amazed at the number of Christians (I know) who serve Jesus so that they can get something from Him or be spoken well of. Ministry to the world my friend is not the end of our relationship with the Lord, but the means for us to lay our life down for the world. Do you know what Jesus knew about the people? I believe Jesus knew the lies they had in their hearts. The Bible, time and time again, talks about how God hates a lying tongue. When we commit ourselves to someone and they have been found out to be less than what we thought (sometimes this is our fault for expecting more than what they can provide after all a man cannot give what they do not have) or worse a liar, trust the element that bonds, that glues relationships together is lost. And when trust is lost the relationship is not possible until the trust is restored by the one who has lied or has been found out to be less than what was expected. Trust is restored not through swelling words or tearful confessions, but confidence in character, honor, and integrity, but this takes humility (I declare my need for more of this here) by all parties. Oh the loss of relationship that happens from committing ourselves to people who take for granted the commitment that was invested into the relationship. I feel I have learned again, it is best not to commit ourselves to man, but put all that is within us to commit ourselves to God through the Holy Spirit. But, if you do commit yourself to man take heed my friend your heart can only take so much and you have only so much in which someone can use you up. Thank God for His touch. Written by David Stahl

GIVERS AND TAKERS

One thing I find so refreshing as I study (not casually read) the Scriptures especially the Gospels (John is my favorite) is that the ministry of Jesus was revolutionary and hard to handle by those who were a part of the established religious sects. Jesus’ ministry did not placate the traditions and rituals of men, but it revealed them for what they really were before God and man. We too must love God and man enough to be willing to call a spade a spade and tell the truth. But we seem not to want to do this. But Jesus had no problem with telling the religious folks of his day the truth, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:27-28) If Jesus would do this today he would be run out of most churches I know. I wonder why we dance around the truth not wanting to offend? Believe it or not the answer may surprise you. Why we fail to keep the standards God has established is because we lack truthfulness and integrity within the Body of Christ. I will be the first to say oh me here at times. If we really cared we would be quick (by loving them enough) to let our brothers and sisters know when they are getting off track. Do we not do this with our own children? And does God do this with us? Yes! The Writer of Hebrews shares, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8) Jesus endured chastening by His Father and is the servant greater than the Master? Please make no mistake my friend I take no pleasure in tickling your ears with denominational falsehoods and plain lies, my goal is to share things with you, God has worked into my life that will help you to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. My friend when it is all said and done this is God’s goal in our lives and if we have not allowed Him to do this in us then we have failed, not succeeded. If we truly want to serve God we will have to step outside the accepted religious norms and all of the busy work that goes along with membership at a church and be led by the Holy Spirit. We cannot follow (Matthew 7:13-14) the crowd, remember it is the broad road that is crowded with people fighting to get ahead in a world of business, religion, and traditions, but this road leads to destruction. This road is filled with many deceived people my friend. The other road Jesus talked about the narrow road (which leads to life) take heed my friend Jesus also said, “few there be that find it” Find what the road? No the life of God which is only found on the narrow way, the restricted, and limited way we must walk to be able to enter into God’s life. Yet today in most big churches we have “new member” classes when someone gives their hearts to the Lord. Why? Are we indoctrinating or sharing the Gospel? Are we not one body? Paul thinks we are, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Who are we trying to fool, certainly not the world, they know better. Even those in the world can read between the lines and see how we have set up ourselves ahead of God in so many ways. We are not to be so concerned with making peace with man that we forsake the requirement to make peace with God. It seems many Christians today are more concerned and would rather disappoint God for the appearance of unity and peace, so people will come, give money, and fill up their building, than to be honest before God. Why are there so many different denominations? I have been asking this question for years and no one can answer my question.

In the church today this deception and disillusionment is easily seen between the two groups of people Givers and Takers. We can further break them down into carnal and spiritual if we want. Now from the start we must establish how important giving is. Giving is the heart of the Gospel message. John captured this truth well when he recorded God’s heart, “for God so loved the world that He gave . . .” (John 3:16) Giving is at the heart of all we do in God. And if God cannot teach you to become a Giver He cannot use you. I will even go further and say we cannot be a real Christian unless God can teach us to be Givers. Now giving is much more than throwing in a few bucks in the offering plate when it passes by. God is not after our money this is a selfish and self-centered worldly concept that gets its power from our greedy carnal unrepentive nature. I am amazed at the number of messages I have heard in my life about giving money to the church so God will bless me. Is God’s blessing tied to money? How vain and presumptuous to think so. Being blessed by God in American means you drive the right car, wear the right clothing, or live on the right side of the tracks, how shallow. If this be true all of the Christians I have met in Africa and Asia who have no money must not be blessed. Well, my friend I would say they have been blessed far beyond (the Western churches standards) measure with: hope, peace, contentment, joy (not happiness), and so much more. Who would want money when you can have all of this? And I find it amazing these people who have nothing would give you the last bite of bread. Maybe they have learned something about giving. Pastors and preachers who preach on money are Takers. God is not interested in our money oh no God is interested on us giving ourselves unconditionally to Him. He knows if He can win our heart then our wallet will follow. Charles Haun always said, “once God gets a hold of our wallet He has all of us.” But our wallet is not God’s target it is our heart broken and submitted before Him. We Christians in America need to forget about money and start focusing on God what is truly important what God wants to do in our lives. Here are some points that highlight the difference between Takers and Givers. I am sure you can think of more, but I would ask you to prayerfully evaluate your self against these points.

Taker verses Givers

1. A Taker is more concerned with what they get from their giving, but a Giver is only concerned with what God is doing.
2. A Taker counts the cost of his giving while a Giver gives beyond his ability.
3. A Taker always looks for a return on his investment while a Giver does not care what they get back they has been taught it all belongs to God.
4. A Taker can tell you every time they gave and did not get something in return while a Giver never keeps track.
5. A Taker delights in reducing men to service for their personal gain while a Giver just delights in serving.
6. A Taker enjoys the power of authority, being in the limelight, and directing affairs of others while a Giver likes the back seat of the car.
7. A Taker goes for comfort while a Giver does not mind enduring.
8. A Taker likes surrounding himself with people (who look to him as the leader) while a Giver gets the bags while the Takers looks on.
9. A Taker acts like they care, but in reality they are only concerned about how things impact them while a Giver does what it takes to ensure success.
10. A Taker is out for himself while a Giver always thinks about others.
11. A Taker thinks he has a deep revelation from God while the Giver just lives his life for God.
12. A Taker does not know he is a Taker, but the Giver does.

Givers please be careful Takers will eat your last bite of joy that God has been able to work in your life and consume it before your eyes. If we look at numbers of Takers and Giver we will find eight out of 10 Christians in the church today are Takers. No small wonder relationships in the church are a struggle at best. In every relationship we enter into we will find ourselves as either a Taker or a Giver, amazingly enough the choice is ours. I wonder what Jesus was a Taker or a Giver? Written by David Stahl

KEEP THE FEAST WITH SINCERITY

There is a feast, a love feast we must keep before God and man. Everything we do as Christians must be done in love not a soft, spongy love, but a strong developing love that forces change in our lives. Now please let me stop here and say from the start I do not always keep the feast, but am trying to ever allow God to work in my life through His dealings and judgments and bring me to a place where I can with “sincerity and truth” say I am keeping the feast. Even truth must be projected towards those in the world with love if not the truth will kill and not make one alive. This is why Paul instructs, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:14-15) The word “sleight” (Strong’s #2490, dice playing from the deception of men because dice players sometimes cheated and defrauded their fellow players) here really captures the heart of this verse. Unless we speak the truth in love (from a heart of sincerity, concern, and love to see someone push forward in God even if they get their feelings hurt) then those who need to hear will hear the truth and not be, “tossed to and from and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” It is no small wonder we have so many denominations and doctrines in the world today, they know not the truth and are deceiving many. Oh I know I am not suppose to speak against main stream denominations, how dare I call someone or some denomination deceitful or how dare I judge other Christians, who do I think I am to be so bold. Oh no we are told we are suppose to love everyone, look past everyone’s faults, and allow them to make mistakes, just love them in a spirit of meekness, well that is not the example of Paul, Peter, or even Jesus. If you prayerfully (and want to know the truth) and honestly study the Scriptures you will see the glorious message of the Gospel was delivered in aggressive confrontations, much contending for the faith, and even in much conflict, why even Paul had to withstand Peter to the face to correct some things in Peter’s message. Paul speaking in Galatians, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face (Strong’s #436, to set one’s self against, to withstand, resist, oppose or in today’s language had a fight), because he was to be blamed.” (Galatians 2:11) When was the last time you heard a message on this verse? Oh no we hear sermons on forgiving everyone and how we are to ignore character flaws, well how are they going to know of their need for change? You know we are our brother’s keepers. How can we “keep” (guard, tend, support, cause to grow) them if we cannot speak a word of encouragement or correction? Now the problem Paul and Peter had was quite different than what we deal with today, but notice as the deception continued Godly people were being picked off and getting off track. “For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.” (Galatians 2:12-13) Barnabas, one who walked and ministered with Paul (from the start see Acts 13:2) was “carried away with dissimulation.” Because of the confrontation between Paul and Peter, Paul had the opportunity to speak the truth in love whereby people were set back on course and saved from the rocks of error. This is the heart of the issue, unless we speak the truth in love and tell our brothers and sisters they are off track and will fall out of the way and become a ship wreck on the rocks driven by the winds of false doctrines and character flaws (not sin mind you) that prevent the word of God to come through us and out to the world unfettered. We must love our brothers and sisters (keeping the love feast with sincerity) enough to be willing to suffer the loss of their relationship for the sake of sharing the truth with them. It is our responsibility before God to hear and honestly judge our hearts against the words spoken to us by our brothers and sisters. Their attitudes, tones, or even anger does not matter, this is a thing of the Spirit, we are to have enough of God in us to be able to remove our selfishness and self pride to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. How can we say we love someone and not tell them the truth? Our love for each other must not be in word (vain lip and eye service), but we must back up our words with a genuine concern and dedication (the meaning of Agape love) to want to see our brothers and sisters grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must desire, out of a genuine concern and dedication, to want to see our brothers and sisters, “grow up into him in all things.” And this my friend can only happen when we speak the truth in love not wanting to defraud, gain power, or influence over someone. Our motive must always be from a position whereby we desire to see our brothers and sisters grow in the Lord, even beyond where we are.

Not only Peter and Paul (and the other disciples), but many Christians (just like Christians of today) in the New Testament Churches never kept the feast. Paul time and time again had to encourage them, “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity (Strong’s #1506, pure, sincere, unsullied found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun’s light) and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) There is a feast of “malice and wickedness” we can keep, but Paul encouraged the Church at Corinth to keep the love feast of “sincerity and truth.” Not just “sincerity” or just “truth,” but “sincerity and truth.” One will not work without the other as one cannot walk with someone unless they agree in these two divine spiritual principles. Paul said of the Church at Corinth, they gathered together for the worse and not the better or they were worse off spiritually after coming together as a local body of Christ and why? They were not walking in “sincerity and truth” they were walking as carnal babes, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) This description really says it all they were, “puffed up . . .” (1 Corinthians 5:2). As bad as this all was worse yet was there was no one present to be able (until Paul wrote his letter to them) to speak the truth in love and bring correction (God does this if we do our part) allowing spiritual growth and development to the Local Body.

In closing, I have a very good close friend (I still consider him to be a close friend) I have known for many many years who asked me a question and when I replied he did not like my response and got offended (even though he refuses to admit this) at me. We all have character flaws, but when they are introduced to us in good faith and sincerity they must never be allowed to take root in our heart and diminish a friendship. I think he thought I was trying to correct him, but this was the further thing from my mind. All I was doing was answering a question he asked as God was working in my heart the last few days. Now I know I am not perfect (Karen keeps reminding me of this) but, all communication between him and I (his choice not mine) has been cut off in spite of me not once but three (even at the funeral of my father) times telling him I am not upset with him and I love him. I do not know what else I could do to convince him, I guess all of the many years of looking up to him as a mentor and all of the stepping and fetching for him means nothing now, while in all of the years we have know each other he has never once returned the sentiment. You see there is a feeling of superiority (he has admitted the Word he delivers is superior then mine) over me about him. You see his offence was not in what I told him, but that I would dare think or say something negative about him. How could David Stahl say such a thing to me, who does he think he is to say such a thing. Now that I am writing about our tiff (maybe like Peter and Paul) he probably will be even more offended, but never forget truth will offend us. The preaching of the Word of God will offend people and they will get angry with you. They hated Jesus because of what he said and is the servant greater than the Master? Karen and I have friends we have challenged their approach in ministry and they have walked away from us and we have separated our selves from some acquaintances, some friends, and even family because they have refused to walk in the truth of the Bible. We do not like this and feel the loss of relationship, but truth is truth, the Bible is the Bible and if we are going to walk with the Lord we must always stand and speak the truth (so many will grow in the Lord) in love. If not, we lie and the truth is not in us. Expectance by all is not worth the price we will pay for our disobedience to God’s word. It seems we all (Christians) are more concerned about making peace with our friends and families than making peace with God and doing what He wants us to do. It seems we do not want to offend anyone, well how will the lost know they are lost if our words, by the Spirit, does not prick their heart? Be careful what you ask for my friend you may hear something that will really test your heart condition before God and man. Now it is true he is older than I and it is true God has opened up to him more things from the Word of God than I, but that does not make him better than I. The message one receives from the Lord is never an indication of someone’s spiritual growth and maturity. When I think I am some body special I remind myself God opened the mouth of an ass to speak through. It is not our Word it is God’s Word, He gives it to us as we are obedient to His leading and submission. Revelation from God is always seen by how we treat people not by what we say. Authority from God is seen in not reducing men to service, but in serving men. You know words are cheap. Revelation from God is to bring us down into a humble low place before God and man. And the more revelation we have from God the further and further it is to bring us down. It is our character, our motives, and our attitudes we carry in our heart for people that is the true measure of our ability to be discipled by God and the measure of our able to be used by God not what we have been taught in Bible School or how well we can speak. Well, enough . . . I look to God for reconciliation and the time we can once again eat of the unleavened bread of sincerity and keep the feast, but until then I will allow God to work in my life and keep the door open wide. Written by David Stahl