GOD'S VINEYARDS

Jesus was a master with the use of symbolism as he shared with the common people of His day. He knew picture messages and easy to understand illustrations where key to understanding, but so profound with spiritual significance and revelation. Jesus often talked about planting seed into the ground, tiny mustard seeds with pervasive power to grow out of rocks and crevices and not the size of our faith, and seeds that must die to be able to be fruitful in God. Jesus was a master of painting a picture and molding thoughts and impressions in our mind to convey a spiritual truth. Funny how the religious people of His day never got His messages. All of the famous preachers and teachers (you know them I do not have to call their names) of today that seem to regularly appear on Christian TV miss the mark when they try to mix their new age humanistic philosophies and Jesus’ time tested method of sharing simplistic truths. I am ever amazed and greatly saddened when I hear about well-meaning Christians that are deceived by their crafty words of deception; by these liars and charlatans, yet their popularity and fame grows day-by-day. They have learned if you want people to like you and give you money then just tell them what they want to hear and what they already know. But fear not my friends, God is not mocked their day is coming. I fear for their eternal souls, Hell has special places and levels of torment for all of those preachers and teachers who have willfully deceived the children of God by willfully leading them into “err” not error, but “err” – to willfully and for personal gain lead people out of the truth of the word of God.

I think the best example of Jesus’ use of symbolism is when He talks about vineyards. In John 15, Jesus was sharing with the disciples their incredible need for them to be plugged into and pruned, which speaks volumes of their need (us today too) for total dependency on Jesus. The symbolism is rich, each word and thought screams to us of our critical need to be grafted into the “true vine” and only vine of life, Jesus Christ. I wonder what John was thinking about when he heard Jesus share these words? I wonder if John was thinking about a vineyard of lushes grapes, green leaves, on brown thick trunks? I wonder what John thought when he heard Jesus say, “I am the true vine, and my Father (God) is the husbandman (the gardener). 2Every branch (now we, the individual Christians, are the branches) in me (Jesus) that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1-2) Did you get that in verse two? “Every branch (us) in me (Jesus) that beareth not fruit he taketh away: (Strong’s #142, to raise or lift up and then cut away; to be set aside for destruction) and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (Strong’s #2508, to cleanse of filth impurity, to prune trees and vines from useless shoots) it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” Every Christian that does not bear fruit is removed for destruction (we see this happening in verse six) from the vine and every Christians that bears fruit is “purgeth” or cleaned through cutting away; not a cleaning by water, but a purifying by fire in a similitude like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit. Now unless you are a gardener or farmer and especially if you prune your vineyards or fields this way you will have no real understanding of this process, but every gardener and farmer listening to Jesus as He taught the disciples that day knew exactly what Jesus was saying and His words were quickened to their spirit. Jesus goes on, “Now ye are clean (pruned) through the word (what symbolism) which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; (Strong’s #3583, to dry up or pine away) and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, (Strong’s #4442, physical fire) and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:3-8) In verses four through eight Jesus was really bringing His message home to the hearts of the people. In verses six and seven Jesus says, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." So much for the once saved always saved doctrine of the Southern Baptist Church, be not deceived. Now verse seven has some of the most amazing words written in the Bible, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” I will be honest I have never in my life time yet, met someone who can walk in this promise of God. Jesus does not qualify His words here He says, “ye shall ask what ye will and it will be done unto you.” When Jesus said, “what ye will” He means that. What a place in God to be able to say whatever we want and God will do it for us. I am not sure if I would want such a responsibility. But can you image the disciples and the crowd hearing Jesus give them this promise? At one moment Jesus was talking about pruning a vineyard and then He ends His words by saying, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Oh only if we could walk in Jesus words today. Did you know Jesus meant it when He first spoke these words and guess what Jesus still today means these words, but to what degree do we desire for His words to abide in us? Now that is the measure of the effectiveness of Jesus’ words in our lives? At the same measure we are dedicated and committed to Jesus and His words at that measure (no more no less) His words will be able to abide in us. When Jesus speaks His words to us they are always His intention for our lives, but whether or not they come alive in us and produce fruit depends not on Jesus and His power, but on us and our willingness to be obedient to walk in what it will take to be able to make His words come true or not. Jesus told us, “nothing shall be impossible” and “all things are possible” was He just saying these words? I think not. Jesus has already done His part, but are we willing to do our part is the question.

There is another great example of a vineyard used in the Bible. In Isaiah we read how the gardener (God) prepared the borders of the vineyard with a fence and cleared and tilled the ground, planted only the best vines, provided a tower for safety and a winepress to be able to use the grapes to make the best wine, but when the grapes came forth they were not seed of the finest of grapes they were wild grapes. My good friend Pastor Rick Moser said, “The Church of today teeters on the edge of insanity.” Oh how this is true my friend. All that God has done for us and all God has given us, yet we today in the church often are like those wild grapes. Please notice the love and the detailed work the gardener (God) put into his vineyard and his response. “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill (canopy): 2And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:1-4) The gardener was shocked, he was hurt. All of the love and attention he put into his vineyard and he got something he has not intended. His reaction quickly was turned from nurturing and love to judgment and punishment. My friend what more does God have to do for us? He has given us all we need to follow (with a willing heart) and serve Him, yet we are still like those wild grapes. Now please notice the gardener’s reaction, look hard at his hurt and disappointment. Also please do not lose sight of the spiritual significance and the warning to us today from these verse. The vineyard today is the church internationally, the gardener is God, and if we do not get serious and love God back as He has loved us (sent His precious Son Jesus Christ to die for us) then the only thing we can look forward to from God is not His mercy, longsuffering, and grace, but His judgment, wrath, and punishment. Again, this depends not on God, but on us. “And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (Isaiah 5:5-6) Look at the spiritual significance of these verses for our lives. As God loved the vineyard when it had much promise (given everything to develop only the choicest grapes), but He hated the vineyard at the same measure of loving it because it did not produce as it should have. My friend, please do not presume on God’s grace and mercy too long, there is a time when God’s longsuffering runs out. We must grow up in God to be able to take responsibility for our actions and come to the place where we are accountable. How can we imagine God not holding us accountable when He held soulless grapes accountable? God gives to us His goods and we must be responsible. I know this is not taught today in most churches, but please read the Bible and see for yourself. Thus, God’s punishment was poured out on the vineyard, so too in our lives if we do not produce. God (the gardener) goes on (in verses 7-12) to describe the habitation, productivity, and heart condition of the vineyard; twice God uses the word “woe” to warn the people (like today), but His words fall on deaf ears. “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. 14Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. 15And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:” (Isaiah 5:13-15) The way in God is down my friend, one way or the other. In the next chapter God makes Isaiah eat his words. Did you know God is good at making us eat our words? Take heed my friend to what we say God is listening. In the sixth Chapter of Isaiah we read, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:5-7) After Isaiah had a revelation of God (verses 6:1-4) Isaiah had a revelation of his heart. Please notice God did not say, “Isaiah you are wrong, you are a wonderful prophet,” oh no God send a seraphim to retrieve a lump of coal to “purge” his lips and sin, the verb form of the word for Strong’s #2508 in John 15:2 to cleanse of filth impurity, to prune trees and vines from useless shoots. I would think while all of this purging was going on Isaiah’s thoughts were turned back to his words in Chapter five about God’s vineyard. God does have ways of making us eat our words.

Who do we think we are to play fast and loose with God? Denominations and religions of today do you think God is not watching your folly and foolishness? Nations of the world do you think God will not judge you? God is not mocked, there is coming a day in all of our lives where God will be God (no matter what we believe) and will be exalted over all of what we think and say. In my life I seem to get caught up in many distractions (ministry and non-ministry) that I find myself seemingly far far from God. Strange how we think God has moved, but in reality it is not God that has moved it is us who has moved in our thinking and heart condition. I see the real spiritual battle is not against demons or principalities and all of that stuff, but is fought between our ears (in our mind) and to the victor goes the supremacy of our heart. Let us not be concerned about all of the trappings of life and all we do for God in ministry. But let us just purpose in our lives to let the gardener of the vineyard sing to His “wellbeloved” a song of a simplistic love and righteousness and we can answer back I hear Lord and will obey. This is what God is listening for and nothing else. Written by David Stahl

REAL POWER

I do not know about you, but I have grown up in church all of my life and when I look back at what I remember and what I see in churches today I ask myself what has happened to the power of God? I can remember the sovereign power of God falling in services and people running to the alter repenting of their sins, not being led in some sinners prayer. Services lasting all night and into the next day; where people really touched the heart of God, lives were really changed by the power of God not like today where services are run by a handout to follow along. God forbid the Holy Spirit would move and change the order of the service. Four or five fast self-centered, humanistic praise and worship tunes from off the overhead projector maybe one or two slow tunes to fool your emotions, take up the offering, and then the real highlight of the service – the announcements. The preaching (if there is any) is no more than 15-20 minutes of a watered down denominational doctrine drivel with no power or authority then off to our favorite cafeteria style restaurant hoping to beat the Baptist or Pentecostals. No wonder there is no real power in the house of God today; no commitment, no dedication (to God nor man), and no desire to hear God’s word from supposedly God’s man. And before and after in most churches today tea, coffee, muffins, and cake are served; what have we been reduced to nothing more than serving coffee and donuts and smiling at each other? Where is the power of God? What a question to ask. What I remember and what I see today are two different churches, two different life-styles, and two different levels of commitment and dedication. Maybe there are two different Gods? No I do not believe that, that cannot be true. And no I do not need to quote Scripture here to support my belief I know that there is one God, because my mother taught me this from a child, the Bible I read supports her words, and that is enough for me. The folks in Ezra’s day knew exactly what I am saying. In Ezra we read, “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient (old) men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:11-13) Like many Christians today they sing songs, do church activities, and give thanks to God for He “is good, for his mercy endureth for ever” (now these words are true) they build big beautiful modern buildings with manicured lawns and fancy parking lots, and “shout with a great shout,” but like some priests and Levites (old men) of Ezra’s day, if the Christians today could see and feel the real power of God they too would have “wept with a loud voice.” Now here is my point. Sadly, just like in Ezra’s day, the priests and Levites who shouted with joy prevented the people from being able to discern God’s Spirit and from remembering where the church has come from as the Body of Christ. The struggles and hardships of yester year is faint in the minds of most Christians today and that is reflected in the Spiritual awareness, heart conditions, and character of the people. Now I was raised mainly in the Assembles of God Churches. In the past the Assembles of God churches held the line to Godly standards of dress, character, reverence to God, and in general our conduct in the house of God. But recently, I have attended a few Assembles of God churches and was shocked to see how far they have drifted from God. The music was loud rock and roll, so loud you cannot hear yourself think. Everything was a big show outward driving your inward emotions. And of greatest shock to me the older ladies were dressed like the younger ladies; short dresses, rings on every finger, heavy make up, no modesty, and no honor. The service was unruly and so disjointed, no flow of the Spirit of God, and the word of God was powerless. The pastor who talked about his Harley Davidson Motorcycle kept saying, “can you dig it?” There was no Spirit of God nor was the power of God present, only the spirit and power of the world. And why the change, because the Assembles of God Church, for years, has been losing young people so they went to a contemporary worldly style of service hoping to lure in young people, when all they are doing are deceiving the older people to let their flesh run wild while teaching the young people how to disrespect and be disobedient to God. Please understand I am not saying these things to speak bad about the Assembles of God Church, oh no I am saying these things to warn the Assembles of God Church and any church that would follow after their ungodly, worldly example. When we lose our ability in God to control our flesh we too lose the Spirit of God. Where is the power of God! Now please understand most of the other denominational churches we attend are just as bad as the Assembles of God Churches. We must have God’s power if we are going to make it through this wilderness of education and learning God has picked out for us.

My friend did you know the power of God is not seen in what we do, but is seen greater in what we do not do. We see this example of great power in the Scriptures when Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for a time of temptation and education. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:1-4) Now a man with no real inward power (who has supernatural power) would have turned the stones into bread. I wonder why we always seem to go after supernatural signs and wonders in our lives? Here Jesus could have used His supernatural powers to satisfy His flesh, but chose not to. Please notice his choice was made after fasting 40 days and 40 nights unlike the Muslim faith who fasts only 40 days and eat at night. I will be honest, I think I would have made some good dark pumpernickel or Jewish rye, but not so with Jesus, He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” There was a reason he made this statement, believe it or not He Himself had no power to turn the stones into bread. Okay David you have gone to far to say Jesus had no power, well let’s read it from Jesus’ own words, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19) John had a lot to say about the power of Jesus. Yes, Jesus the King of kings and Lord of lords who did mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, healed the sick and set the captives free had no power to do things unless the Father gave Him the power. Further on in John we read Jesus saying, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30) and “ . . . I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28) How strange to read from the Scriptures Jesus saying He has no power and we run around the world saying we have the power. I’ve got the power! Do you have the power? Here brother, let me give you the power when Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. I really believe Jesus learned this great truth in the wilderness (the place of learning all great truths in God) and any power He had came from His Father in heaven. Amazingly Jesus only did and said the things His Father told Him to say and do. He was limited and restricted to only His Father’s words, this is why He was so powerful and could say as He overcame the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” What a great truth the church of today must learn. We must again learn we can do nothing of ourselves unless the Father gives us the strength to move, we must solely again depend on God as Jesus depended on the Father. Yet we seem fractured and independent of God out there on our own in ministry and in our personal lives. We must get back to this central truth, it is one of the major pillars that all other truths are built on, “I do nothing of myself.” Jesus knew this personally and then shared this truth with the disciples, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Without the Father Jesus could do nothing and us without Jesus, well, like with Jesus we can do nothing. Oh to God we (I include myself here) would get back to being more dependant on God in areas of our lives. Jesus was solely dependant on the Father for all things in His life, I wonder what would happen today in the world if we in the Body of Christ took Jesus’ words in John 15:5 serious?

Another show of Jesus’ great power is when He blessed the loaves and fishes and fed first 5,000 people (Luke 9:12-17, five loaves, two fishes, 12 baskets) and later another 4,000. “And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.” (Mark 8:4-9) What great power in all three miracles, but please notice Jesus did not use His supernatural power to feed Himself, but always used His power to touch the lives of others as we also are to do. Jesus was never selfish or looking for self gain, oh no He was always doing things so that His Heavenly Father would be glorified. Now that is powerful, to do things so that others may get the credit. I wonder what this world would look like if the Body of Christ did things so that the Father and others would get the credit for the good works that they do. To be able to do and say only those things the Father tells us to say and do and to do things on earth (as they are done in heaven) so that others will receive the glory will require us to be totally dependant on God; not worrying about who gets the reward, God alone is enough for a reward is he not? For this answer to be yes, we must have no power of ourselves, no strength within us, no nothing of ourselves, except for what the Father gives us. Now that my friend is real power, a power that never comes to an end unless the Father wants it to. Written by David Stahl

CASUAL WORSHIP

Karen and I were passing through Kitty Hawk on the outer banks of North Carolina on our way home from Corolla (after spending a day with John, Mary (Karen’s sister), their two wonderful girls, and another couple and their three kids. John and Mary like to drive down from New Jersey to vacation in Corolla) when we saw a sign in front of a church that advertised, “casual worship.” Now my first thought was there is nothing casual about true worship. Only those who have really worshipped God in Spirit and truth recognized the real cost of true worship, all others just play God and themselves for a fool. I am amazed at the number of people in America who come to church dressed like they are going to the beach with short shorts, tank tops (for male and females), and flip-flops the only thing missing is the sun tan lotion and beach chair. What great disrespect for God Himself. You can always tell a church that preaches, “God looks at the heart and not what you are wearing” they are almost always rude to visitors, unruly, and very talkative during the service (especially the children sitting without their parents), because their parents have little discipline and know not the limitations and restrictions of God, after all they are on their way to the beach. This “casual worship” thinking is nothing more than disrespect for God’s standards, His holiness, and God Himself. This “causal worship” thinking is even seen in the way many churches relates to the world’s audio-visual systems (TV, internet, radio, cell phones, movies, media companies, computer games, etc.) to project messages with regards to: what to wear, what to watch, what to drive, where to live, what to eat, what is morally acceptable, what is right and what is wrong, they seem to have complete sway in almost every part of our life, if we allow them too. Sadly most churches today have sold out to marketing the glorious Gospel message through media platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other social networking sites. They justify their actions by saying they are using the tools that people use to communicate with. Always remember what you use to try to win people to Christ with you have won them to that. Media platforms will not work they are of the world, earthly, and carnal. Churches who use such tools have won them to the world not to God. This too is a part of “casual and hip worship.” Now you could say, Pastor Dave you are using a website and a blog to communicate your message and you would be right, but what we are NOT doing is using our website and blog to distort the wondrous Gospel message with lies and half-truths. Nor are we (and here is the heinous action) trying to manipulate the people for money, power or favor. We share the word of God out from an open truth and unveiled heart from the Scriptures allowing the precious Holy Spirit a gate way through which the word of God to work in lives changing people (and not circumstances and situations) into the character and image of God’s precious Son Jesus Christ. This is not the case overseas. In churches overseas the people wear their very best to church in honor of a God who they fear and serve. They use their relationship with God not as a means to ease and soften the many burdens in life, but as a means to recognize God for who He is and how much they depend on Him for everything they have. Such a great contrast, it boggles my mind how American Christians are so flippant to their demeanor and approach to God. It is no wonder the power of the Gospel has vanished from most churches leaving a ritual tradition of “casual worship,” but this is not what God is after. He desires we worship Him in Spirit and truth, from our open submission and obedience in reverence and honor to a holy God. The people that lived in the days of Isaiah to had this “casual worship” thinking, full of traditions, rituals that God finally had to deal with them over. “Hear the word of the LORD (I believe God is speaking this to the church of today), ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11To 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; 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:10-18) These words are strong and revealing of the heart condition the people had before God. This is a call to repentance and a cleansing of which without the nation will be lost. We in America debate, argue, and literally fight over the social issues (in which Jesus never got involved with) of the day, but at the heart of all of the issues is really American’s disobedience to God and His word. Our Supreme Court (the highest court of America) has passed laws that are in direct conflict and open rebellion to what God has said, and why? Because most people in America do not want to do what God commands we do. No I will not do what God said to do, I will do want I want to do. I do not care about God and His word, we have judges that can override God’s word – wrong my friend God has the final word not any court or man. We are like sheep we all have gone astray unto our own way; unless we turn back to God and His ways America is doomed as a nation and the people will suffer years of slavery and domination. It is a very slippery slope, wrong thinking, especially in worshipping a holy God will open up the door to more liberalism and excesses in other areas of our life. We see this in the humanistic man-centered message that is taught in the apostate churches of America and in the ungodly Hollywood style self-seeking programming that floods our TV airways with contemporary Christian program like TBN and others. My friends when the true Gospel message is lost in America so too will America be lost. God is not mocked, His longsuffering does come to an end.

Do you know the biblical definition of worship has nothing to do with singing, dancing, flag waving, and all of the “look see pigeon religion,” but is to bow your head to the ground in obedience and submission. We come to church thinking we are worshipping God by singing, dancing, flag waving, paying our tithes, church activity, but that is not what God calls worship, nor is that what God is looking for. God is looking for us to bow our heads, our will, our desires to the ground so that He can be projected out to the world. This “causal worship” thinking lifts our selfish and self-centered thinking projecting us on the same level as God. Respect for God and His ways have been replaced by being told God is your friend, well God is God He is not your friend. It is like Karen and I are not the friends of our children (now we are friendly to them) we are their God ordained parents. We are not on their level God has placed us a little higher in the place of responsibility and accountability. No matter how hard we would want to change things we cannot, God has set things into motion and for us to follow Him we must walk in what He has said and done. And if we try to move outside what God has said and done for our lives then we move into direct rebellion to God and to His word. Can you see that? America, are you listening? I hope and pray so. America is the greatest country in the world. I see this every time I return from a ministry trip abroad, but her greatness is not found in her military might, her industrial strength, nor her so called diversity, oh no it is found in her ability to listen to God and stay in the way God has purposed and planned for America – to spread the Gospel message to a lost and dying world and when she stops America (as we know, love and remember) will be no more.

The Bible is very clear about the way we are to worship God. Let us allow the Bible to speak for it’s self. In Genesis we find man’s first examples of true worship. “Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship (Strong’s #7812, to bow down, prostrate oneself), and come again to you.” Genesis 22:4-5) Here Abraham’s intention was not to sing and dance, but to sacrifice his son Isaac as the Lord commanded him. Where did we get this wrong thinking of “casual worship” from? Even “praise” all throughout the Bible has nothing to do with singing or dancing. Check it out for yourself. The Biblical definition of “praise” is to speak from your heart what you feel for God. In Ephesians, Paul let us know how to praise God, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians 5:19) Did you catch that “making melody in your heart to the Lord” not singing, yet the first 30 to 45 minutes of most church service is devoted to singing songs aloud from an overhead projector (whatever happened to hymnals?), organized dance numbers, and flag waving to inspire all devoted to glorify our flesh so that we can make an emotional approach (to feel good) to God, because we know true worship “bowing our heads to the ground” or like with Abraham having to take the life of his only son will kill us. It will kill all of our religious, selfish pride that we are built on for strength, all of our attitudes to be exalted as we say we are exalting Christ. Oh I know we say and sing, “we exalt you Lord,” but deep in our heart and in “self” we long for our friends and even our enemies to exalt us too. True worship in God will kill us dead where we will have no desire for life, only a desire for God and Him alone. David said, “I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. 11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.”(Psalms 38:8-11) Make no mistake my friend true worship to God will kill you and separate you from people in your life that does not desire to worship God in Spirit (as God commands) and truth. Falling on our face in true worship to God is the place of pleading for our brother and sisters. In Numbers we find Moses pleading for the lives of Korah and the 250 Elders for their rebellion and the people for their complaining to Moses, “And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: 5And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.” (Number 16:4-5) Again in verses 22 and 45 Moses falls on his face in worship to God three times in pleading for the people, yet in the end Moses intercession was not enough; God smites Korah and the 250 Elders for their rebellion not to Moses, but to God and many people died because of their complaining not to Moses, but to God for how God dealt with Korah and the 250 Elders. Our intercession for others is born out of true worship before God. Even sinners know they must bow down in worship, “Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:”(Daniel 3:10) Please notice no singing here. Yes even as misguided as religious people are today they still know of the biblical requirement to fall down before a holy God in worship. Did you know bowing down in worship before God is the correct position of our heart to receive and to extend forgiveness? “In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing. 19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.” (2 Kings 5:18-19) Maybe that is why not much real forgiveness flows within the Body of Christ today? When we bow down our thinking and will before God He then will get involved in our lives and heart. Notice the pardon from the Lord did not happen until Naaman bowed himself down before the Lord and Naaman’s worship was accepted by God. Often what we do before God will have great impact in the lives of others. Even bowing down before God in worship is a requirement for salvation. “But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.” (I Corinthians 14:24-25) There is nothing causal about worshipping God.

There is so much more we can say about true worship and there are so many more verses that command us to fall on our face in worship. But please do not miss the most important point of true worship – true worshiping in God must be sacrificial and at the heart of worship loss must be the purpose. All true worshippers are humble and contrite before God. All true worshippers have an understanding and a holy fear of God for what He would do if we do not follow Him and His ways. If what we lose when we worship God is not the focus then what we do in or out of church is for naught. God measures our Spiritual growth and development in Him not by what we gain: spiritual power to preach, teach, and do signs and wonders , but what we can lose of our self as He is able to work in our lives and heart. If not, all we will ever be allowed to do is worship causally. Written by David Stahl

GOD'S LONGSUFFERING

Jeff and Connie have moved in with us for about a month before they leave for Okinawa, Japan Jeff is one of those real American heroes a U.S. Marine. With their luggage, excess food and “stuff” from their home here in Jacksonville they also brought a five month old boxer puppy name Heidi. We (really like her) call her Heidi Ho because she is consistently on the move. Youthfulness is always exciting, full of life and motion, but if you are a seven year Boxer who enjoys his long naps and leisure moments, well life may not be so enjoyable. Often we ask God to reveal the mysteries of life and His ways to us (and complain to Him when He does not), but if we have an open heart for the truth and an eye for understanding we quickly will discover God’s ways and truthfulness are right before us in the clouds (flow with Him in whatsoever He brings into our lives), in a babbling brook (make no resistance to things in our way, become as water and move around them), or in an old dog that puts up with the impetuousness, zealousness, and youthfulness of a young dogs actions and antics. Karen and I too have a boxer, Grimme, the seven year boxer that enjoys his long naps and leisure moments. Grimme will be laying there on the floor enjoying the life of a sleeping dog and Heidi will come and jump on Grimme (without being invited) and start playing with him. I must say Grimme (in Karen’s words) is, “a good ole slob.” He will lay there for awhile on his back and play with Heidi this usually increases Heidi’s zealousness and desire for more action and energy out of Grimme. At times he rewards Heidi’s youthfulness by getting up to his feet and takes her on (the way an old dog teaches a new dog how to behave) by putting her down, but most often he just lays there and engages half-heartedly. You know I can see a parallel to how God deals with His children in all of this. When we first come to the Lord we are like Heidi full of ourselves, sure of our abilities, zealous, quick to run, quick to speak and slow to think and understand what God wants in our relationship and character. God is like Grimme, understanding, longsuffering, patient, does not mind getting batted around and jumped on, able to endure the exuberance of childish children, but now here is my point there is a time when Grimme says enough. There is a point in the tussle between Grimme and Heidi when Grimme has had enough and Grimme lets Heidi know enough is enough, a time when Grimme puts Heidi in her place. The sound of Grimme’s voice is un-mistakable as is the reaction of Heidi’s quick and complete submission. Well, God is the same way with us and expects the same reaction from us. We can play fast and loose with God for only so long then God will say enough and puts us in our place. There is a time when God expects us to grow up and stop being a baby, a time after our schooling and lessons from preachers, teachers, and tutors in life to grow up and come to certain levels of maturity in Him. As Grimme handles Heidi so too God will handle man in all the earth.

Now there is no mistaking God does love man very much and is very longsuffering towards our waywardness, but my friend we often confuse God’s grace with His longsuffering. God’s grace and love will never come to an end, they are new every morning like His faithfulness, but not so with God’s longsuffering. There is a point where God’s longsuffering come to an end. The Bible is full of examples where God lets a man, a nation, even mankind itself continue in their self-indulgence and selfishness up to a certain point then God brings them into judgment. God is a holy and righteousness God and He expects us to be holy and righteous too. In the very end God will not put up with man’s continued evil and perversion as we see today nor will He put up with the continued drifting away of the church from His standards and holiness. For God to be a holy God He had to judge Sodom and Gomorrah and other people and nations for their continued sinfulness waywardness, why do we think God will not judge America and the world? Just six short chapters from the creation of man, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7) In other words God said He was sorry He made man. Yet He made a way through Noah to continue His longsuffering for man’s total redemption. This is another reason God gave man the Bible for us to cheat and read the back of the book to learn those who are dedicated and committed to Him win in the end. Time and time again in the Old Testament God’s children turn their backs on God, God draws them back, they repent for awhile only to turn their backs on God again. This is not the process God has in mind for His children. We are to be learning (in school under a school master) and ever learning, not what we seem to have today in the lives of most Christians and churches; learning, but never learning. Paul told this to Timothy, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7) This sounds like what was going on in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and in the church and the world of Paul and Timothy. This is why Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, again context is important. Paul knew his execution was imminent and knew he would never see Timothy again so he wrote letters to Timothy to encourage him to be faithful in the face of hardships, desertions, and error. At the time of the writing of this letter only Luke (2 Timothy 4:11) was left of the disciples (and others) had deserted him for various reason. Yet God’s longsuffering towards man continues even unto today. Still that does not change God’s intention for us to stop all of this foolishness and turn whole-hearted to Him. Even the man Job who God said of him, “was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed (turned or depart from) evil” had to snap him up by the short hairs on his neck after complaining about how God dealt with him and his family. God’s longsuffering with Job came to an end and God had to put Job in his place, “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?” (Job 38:1-5) Here God had to only speak to Job to bring correction this reveals Job’s openness to God and Job’s soft heart that is easily turned back in the way God would have for him to walk. But, never the less, even Job had to have a Grimme moment. If God cannot get through to us with words then He will raise the ante. There is a progression in God’s dealing with us and if we do not knuckle under to Him then He will, in His time, move on to the next level. All throughout the Bible we see how God uses conviction in our lives (a most precious Spirit of God) and if this does not work then He moves on into open rebuke, (you can ask King David how Nathan’s words felt) next are chastisement and judgment, and lastly if these do not work in our lives to move us back into the way we are to walk then God moves us into reprobation where our salvation can be lost. What a terrible thought. Many denominations teach once saved always saved, but if we read the Bible with a honest heart and allow the Holy Spirit to minister the word of God to us we will see our salvation can be in jeopardy of being lost if we willfully walk away from God. Please do not believe the “once saved always saved” doctrine that will strand many people before God. Still through all of this, God’s longsuffering is still in place with His love, mercy, and grace to draw us to repentance and to lead us into salvation. With a soft heart God can get through to us with His words (conviction and open rebuke), but after that there is hell to pay.

I am amazed at how the people in the Bible knew the prophets were men of God and spoke for God, but the people did not listen to what the prophets said. So too today, we read the Bible and see what happened to the Children of Israel and the Christians in the New Testament Church, yet we continue to follow after and fall to the same things that got them off track. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: 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 10:5-6 and 11-12) We are to read and understand how the Children of Israel missed it in God so that we do not follow after their example. Yet we (I include myself at times) presume on God’s longsuffering time and time again instead of doing the right thing the first time. Oh Lord helps us! In the 28th Chapter of Deuteronomy we find 14 blessings (verses 1-14) and 28 curses (verses 15-68) all rewards for either their obedience or disobedience. I find it amazing there are twice as many curses as blessing. Maybe God would rather curse us twice as much as bless us because God knows a good cursing will carry us much further along in Him than a good blessing. We can see this same line of thought with regards to blessings and curses in Leviticus 26:1-13 (blessings) and 14-28 (curses) read them (and ones in Deuteronomy) mark them, know them well, because unless the Church in America and in the world returns back to the conservative Godly standards of holiness in the Bible she will be led away into captivity by her enemies as in the past. Yes God is longsuffering, but make no mistake my friend there comes a time in our lives and in the life of a nation when God takes His hand of protection off and we are on our own. This always happens out from disobedience. As I was reading these verses and writing this article the verses from Deuteronomy really stuck in my spirit, “Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. 42All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. 43The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. 44He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:” (Deuteronomy 28:41-45) “America take heed less ye fall. My hand is against thee. Repent, turn from your evil ways if not I will come quickly, remove your candle stick from the world forever, and my intentions for you shall be no more, thus saith the Lord.” Written by David Stahl