ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Make no mistake my friend God’s long-suffering will come to an end and when it does all hell will break loose. I really feel America is on her way out. Now I do not want to see this happen because I love America very much; I spent 24 years of dedicated and loyal service to her and her people in the U.S. Navy, but that being said there is a limit to God’s patience (and my love for my country if not God focused) and I feel in my spirit America is almost at the end of the line. And why? Well one reason is the humanistic doctrine taught in the church today of continual grace without being held accountable for our actions (do wrong, just ask, and you will be automatically forgiven), well this wrong doctrine is not supported anywhere in the Bible. As a matter of fact just the opposite is true. Sin must be dealt with. As much as God loves man there comes a time, because of man’s evil heart condition, God will say enough is enough. In Genesis God said, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5And 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 6:3-7) Can you believe God, “repented that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Why do we think man today is any less evil than man in the Book of Genesis? I would think man today is far more evil than man in the Book of Genesis; today man has the ability to project imagines (through high-tech TV, advanced computers, reality computer games, etc.) that sear our mind and thoughts. Oddly enough it was through improper sexual relationships here in Genesis; like today with massive infidelity in marriages (both non-Christian and Christian) and fleshly sins of the mind and heart through pornography and evil imaginations that kindled God’s wrath towards man. Why do we think God will not say enough is enough? Man today has something else that makes him more evil than man in the Book of Genesis a false sense of security of salvation through apostate denominational religions that emboldens him with “if it feels good do it” thinking and repent later. This very practice going on with the churches in Galatia and Paul tried correcting things when he said, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Galatians 5:13-14) And then goes on in verses 19-21 to define what the works of the flesh are and what we are not to take our occasion to flesh in, but if we are honest with God (He already does know all things) and with ourselves (we must come to know) we often find ourselves abiding in one of the fleshly things listed. Why do we think God loves us more than He did the men in the Book of Genesis? Why do we think we have a greater pass when it comes to disobedience to God’s word?

Make no mistake my friend God will let us play fast and loose with Him for only a predetermined time and then all hell will break lose. And I think God is slowly tightening the noose to His judgment. This week in the Jacksonville Daily News paper Karen read an article “World Gone Wild” here are some of the alarming statistics: Through Nov 30 nearly 260,000 people died in natural disasters in 2010 as compared to 15,000 in 2009. By comparison deaths from terrorism from 1986 to 2009 were less than 115,000 according to the U.S. State Department and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Natural disasters cost over $222 billion in 2010 which is more than Hong Kong’s economy. God knows where to hit us where it hurts the most and that is in our wallets. And I could go on and talk about a volcano that paralyzed air traffic for months in Europe or other volcanoes in Africa, South America, Central America, and Asia that sent people scurrying for their lives. In New York City even a rare tornado. Two pound hail stones in South Dakota not to mention earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and flooding beyond epic proportions all around the world. Do you think God is trying to get our attention? Do you think God is saying I have had enough?

I got an email from a very good friend of mine in his email distribution with a subject that read, “Time for America to Turn Back to Jesus.” The email talked about how America is drifting from God and really highlighted the impact the Muslim religion has had on our President and our Government and like most of these types of emails makes reference to another time when people of God drifted from the truth of the word of God and God’s word to them in 2 Chronicles, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Sad to know, but in the end the people here in 2 Chronicles did not do the four things God told them to do. Now when God says to do four things He means four not three or two. We cannot just pray and expect to hear from God without humbling ourselves and turning from our wicked ways. So here is my reply back to my very good friend and his distribution list: “Great email and so true, but we both know the rest of the story. The Bible is clear to man's heart condition, to his desires in the day we live, and his outcome a part from God. Sadly, America will not turn from the path she is on because of the lack of truth and the lack of Godliness in both the market place (unrighteous dealings with fellow men) and churches (teaching humanistic apostate doctrines). I would to God she could, but she does not have the spiritual foundation she once had in God. Do you think it would be better to encourage Christians to pray for God's mercy on America? It is nothing less than God's grace and His long-suffering that is swaying America's final devastation. But for the sake of "true" Christians and God’s long-suffering and mercy America would have already slipped into the history books. God have mercy on America, "Oh to know Him and the power of His resurrection." Much honor and much love to you my friend brother.” I still stand by my words. I believe America does not have the spiritual wherewithal, in spite of the countless number of churches that dot the land, to “humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;” Sadly, I believe (those Christians who called themselves a Democrat please take special note here) America’s greatest days are behind her because she has drifted far from God and replaced the truth of the word of God, to govern lives, with the decisions of the men and women from the Supreme Court. Every time the Supreme Court rules contrary to what God said is true it takes America further in further away from God and closer and closer to total annihilation. Every time our Government passes laws that is contrary to God’s word such as the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” which will allow Sodomites and Lesbians (something God said is an abomination) to openly serve in our U.S. Military also moves our country closer and closer to greater levels of God’s judgment and extinction. In my response back to my friend’s email I asked him (never got a reply yet) this question, “Do you think it would be better to encourage Christians to pray for God's mercy on America?” After all if America is not going to humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways;” then the people better do something to turn God’s heart and appease His wrath. Funny how we know when we are guilty and when we are caught. King David knew this truth all too well, like us. In 2 Samuel 24 we read the story of King David guilty before God as America (and me too at time) is today of her waywardness and must decide his own punishment. “And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.”(2 Samuel 24:10-14) Now in America today we have not made this declaration of our great sins (as David did) before God, we think we are hiding our sins under our many denominational religious robes of service: feeding and clothing the poor, paying our tithes, singing and dancing to three fast songs and a slow number (we call it praise and worship, but God calls it empty chatter), and then ignoring the word of God. We call this going to church, but unless done with the right heart condition God lets us know (calls it), “When 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.” (Isaiah 1:12-13) So if we have not recognized our sin before God how can we ask God to, “take away the iniquity of thy servant;” But please notice what God told David through Gad, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.” Here the three options are not as important as David’s response, “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.” David knew God and God alone gives mercy. David knew he was in “a great strait” real trouble, guilty before God, and he had to pay the consequence for numbering the people, his sin. David threw his life into God’s hands, asking for mercy. He knew man would be merciless. So too this is what America needs to do. If America is not going to change her heart condition then the next best thing to do is to throw herself on the mercies of God and let Him decide her fate. Make no mistake America your days are numbered unless there is a quick migration back to righteousness and truth. You will be overrun and destroyed by your own liberalism, distain for God, and open sin. Make no mistake nominal churches of America your days also are numbered unless there is a quick and deliberate movement back to the simplistic presentation of the Gospel. In the early 1960s the Beatles sang “all we need is love,” but they were dead wrong my friend; it is much more than love and forgiveness God is after God is after: integrity, obedience, and holiness in our lives. God is saying enough is enough! “I have smitten the world and the earth in a small way, but take heed I drawn my hand back again to smite harder and will continue until you return unto me as a sheep returns to the shepherd. Pray that my wrath is swayed, pray for mercy not justice.” Thus says the LORD. Written by David Stahl

A MEDITATION ON CHRISTMAS

When I meditate on this time of the year and what we call the Christmas (word not found in the KJV of the Bible) season I must conclude this is the most divisive time of the year just ahead of Easter. I wonder why these two holidays divide so many people in the world. Now I will tell you from the start Karen and I do not celebrate Christmas how can we the word is not in the KJV Bible. As Christianity began to spread many were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs among their converts. We even see this throughout the New Testament Church as Paul constantly battled against pagan and cultural traditions from taking root in the young Church. At first the Church forbade this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Bible historians claim that the Christmas celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also to the Persians (Babylonian Chaldeans) whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. Oddly enough it was during this period the three Wise Men (also Magi) (Matthew 2:1) learned of the Star of Bethlehem by reading the prophecies of Daniel the Great Magi (Daniel 1:1-7). Sadly this religious deception continues today, even though the faces and names has been changed the spirit and intent has not. We Christians seem to be good at making up things to satisfy our flesh for fulfillment.

Now Karen and I do celebrate the birth of Christ, there is a huge difference. As we watch the news we cannot believe all of the fighting to keep Christ in Christmas. Where in the Bible did Jesus ask us to remember His birth? Now I can find plenty of Scriptures in the Bible where Jesus has asked us to remember His death, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) Who wants to remember Jesus’ death when we can remember His birth? Yet few Christians really remember His death (Romans 6:3) while they go crazy in remembering His birth. I wonder why? Yes there is a wonderful story about the birth of Jesus in the Bible, but where are we commanded to make His birth an annual holiday like we in American have made: Independence, Veterans, or Valentine Day even Halloween? And when you merge religious with traditions and customs you have an unbeatable national money maker. Is not Jesus’ birth much more? Yes my friend I am afraid we have gotten off track and the merchants of the day (and for 100s of years) have capitalized on our selfish greed (maybe only in America, but I think not) and great presumption. The same way Hollywood has recently discovered the untapped market for Christian movies. I find it really strange how many Christians today would rather go to a movie then to Church to hear about Jesus. I wonder why? It is not about fighting to keep Christ in Christmas or even about a baby in the manager. You know we really like seeing baby Jesus in the manager, but you know my friend Jesus is not a baby any more, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34) Today Jesus is not a defenseless baby in the manger He is our victorious King of kings, Lord of lords, and some day soon He is coming back to earth not as a baby, but as a judge (to kick butt) and rule (to set righteousness in order) in the earth. Something else we are puzzled about is why Christians want to beat up on the Atheist in Washington State who put a sign beside a manager display in the Capitol building. I thought we were to witness to them and tell them about Jesus? There is not much of a Christian witness when we shake our fist and gnash our teeth at someone over a wooden display. How can this sign destroy the eternal timeless message of our precious savior Jesus Christ? It cannot and will not. Has the love of God been displaced by Christians wanting their traditional religious symbols? I too can speak for God and sadly I must say yes.

Jesus did not come so that we could decorate our trees and yard with gold and silver balls or blinking lights. Jesus did not come so Christians could deck the halls with a blow up Santa Claus and reindeer on their roofs and lawn. What do we do with these verses? “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” (Jeremiah 10:2-4) Maybe we should ignore them or maybe the Holy Spirit made a mistake? I think God is very clear in what He is saying, but we continue in the lie with Christmas trees (a German custom) out from our American tradition (now transported to the world) and because we do not want to offend family members. Just look at the Christmas trees in churches today? What do we do with these verses? The answer will be what we do with Jesus. Never forget the Gospel message of Christ is very offensive and at times even divisive to the non-believers, but truth is truth. Either we will stand for truth or compromise for the lie for the sake of peace on earth. The truth is Jesus did not come so we could have songs to sing at our annual Christmas musicals. It is amazing how old Christmas recordings from people long ago come back to life every Christmas. Jesus did not come so we could run ourselves to death, buying presents for people, while going further into debt. It is no wonder support in America for missionaries and humanitarian programs dwindle to almost to nothing this season of the year. I am afraid the true character and nature of man comes out during Christmas. We even plug in a written list to a jolly fat man in a red suit that drives a sleigh of reindeer around the world in one night to make sure we get want we what for Christmas. Why do we think we should get a present on some one else’s birthday? Our selfishness and self-centered nature really comes shining through. Oh Lord please forgive us for the indulgence of our wrong attitudes greed, and lusts. Jesus did not come to give us a Christmas season to feed our passions. The Bible is very clear why Jesus came. Jesus tells us in His own words, “The thief (not the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus came so that we “might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” not to get a bunch of Christmas presents to satisfy our flesh. Jesus came so that we might (our choice not His) have the life of God dwelling within our heart and lives. The creative eternal life of God moving in us and out from us to the world. Also in John Jesus tells us, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) Jesus came so that we might have life eternal (one part of salvation) which is knowing His Father (and ours), so that we too could “know the only true God” as Jesus did. So we too could know the sublime unity of knowing God as Jesus did. I would think that would be worth far more than anything we can buy each other. Did you know, Jesus (even though the Prince of Peace) did not come into the world to bring peace as many of the major denominations and religions of the world tell us. Religious deception always leads us away from Christ into the traditional religious worship of the customs of man (like Christmas and Easter) and into a good works salvation thinking. Oh no Jesus Himself said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance (Strong’s #1639 to cut into two parts, cleave asunder, sever) against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39) Jesus has come to cut our hearts out of the world with His word, the sword. Jesus has “come to set man at variance against” or sever every relationship where we love someone or something more than Him. Jesus came so that we could take up our cross (not Jesus’) and follow Him. Jesus came so we could lose our life so that we could then find our life in Him. We know and are persuaded if we lose our life for His sake we shall find it. We also know many of our friends will disagree with this article, but that is okay getting the truth of the Gospel message out is more important than our friends getting offended at us. If they get offended at us over this article we know they probably are not our friends anyway. We have learned this truth the hard way. Please do not allow yourself to be deceived (your choice) by any pastor or person that says, “it does not matter, we celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Christ.” This thinking my friend is just spiritually wrong and a very subtle form of deception that has been carried on for 100s maybe 1000s of years by the religious denominations and merchants both working hand-n-hand to get customers.

At the heart of why we focus on the Christmas story and baby Jesus in the manager is so we do not have to deal with a risen savior. How much more religious can we (like the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17) who could not totally sell out be than to bow down and worships the Christmas story and the sweet little baby Jesus in the manger? This satisfies our religious flesh and helps to ease our guilt and feeling of disobedience from rejecting God’s word to us. Who wants to allow God to deal and judge in their hearts exposing areas where we must allow Him to work? It is much easier singing another song about Christmas as we buy presents for our family or even as we buy a present for some poor people who live down the street, then neglect them the rest of the year. It is far less painful to go to every church musical and spend all we have than for God to be able to show us who we really are. Who wants to allow God free rein in our heart and lives to conform us into the image and character of Jesus Christ? Very few people do and the rest continue in this traditional religious lie year after year. I think I will end with a very sobering word; if you need a traditional religious holiday to know God sadly my friend your heart is very far from Him and you will never come to know Him. Let us turn our hearts away from the religious traditions of Christmas and allow God to bring the truth of His character and nature to us. It is our choice whether we desire presents on Christmas morning or the knowledge of God, we cannot have both. Written by David Stahl

IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

In one of our guest bathrooms is an old wooden plaque that was in one of our kids room growing up that reads in part, God is watching you. I wonder why we think we come and go from the presence of the Lord? At church we often hear someone who is leading the service say, “let us enter into the presence of the Lord.” If we have to enter into His presence, then when do we leave His presence? When we leave church or maybe after the song service? For the truth to be known we are always, 24 hours a day in the presence of God. We live in and out of God under an open heaven. But, sometimes we really do not want to believe God is watching us because we often like the times we ramble around in darkness, God help us all. The Bibles says in God there is no darkness, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” (1 John 1:5-6) and if we are in God there is to be no darkness in us. How can we at times be in the light (in His presence) and have to come into His presence (as many say) from out of the darkness and be His child? It just does not make sense in God. No matter where we go and what we say we are in the presence of God 24 hours a day. To believe anything else is just plain non-sense and it reveals a lack of spiritual understanding and “we lie and do not know the truth.” Again it is our emotions and feelings that deceive us into thinking we are coming and going from the presence of God. During a song service when the music is just right and they are playing our favorite praise or worship song we feel like we are entering into God’s presence, but how about when the doctor tells us we have terminal cancer? Since we cannot feel God’s presence at this time we think God is a million miles away and we think we have to do something, pray, or say something to enter into the presence of the Lord, but did Jesus not say I will never leave you nor forsake you? Did God the Father leave Jesus on the cross when Jesus said, “my God why have thou forsaken me?" No of course not. Did God the Father turn His back on Jesus while on the cross? No of course not. And no it was not an issue of Jesus “taken upon His body the sins of the world.” (John 1:29 Greek) and God not being able to look at sin; God looks at sin every day and does not turn His head or heart from it, but turns toward us in a great way with His grace and mercy because of the sin in our lives. But are we smart enough to turn to Him in our time of sin? When Jesus died for our sins He fulfilled His mission on earth and at that time Jesus became totally one with God the Father to just a degree He was at a loss. Jesus always had a great dependence (for everything) on His Father and now His earthly mission was over (how strange Jesus must have felt, no wonder He felt His father turned His back on Him) and now He once again can take His heavenly seat and complete the God-head in heaven once again. If God did not leave His Son, why do we think He will leave us or we have to come and go in and out of God’s presence? How foolish.

The presence of God is far more valuable than that to play around with. Oh how precious the presence of God. In Exodus we read Moses imploring God not for God’s presence (he knew we are in God’s presence 24 hours a day), but that God’s presence would lead Him and the people, “And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” (Exodus 33:12-15) If we are not going the same direction of God’s presence we should not be going.

I would like to share some thoughts on the presence of the Lord in a hope to straighten out some misconceptions in our thinking from wrong teaching: The first and biggest truth is the presence of the Lord comes to us we do not go to it. Most often the presence of the Lord comes suddenly and unrequested. We think God is trying to make us feel good, well He is not He is trying to conform us into the image and nature of the Lord if we let Him. The second thought is the presence of the Lord comes to us before or after a test to show us His victory. We must be able to see what God calls victory in our lives to be able to grow and develop spiritually in Him. Now what God calls victory may not be what we call victory, but victory is God’s ultimate objective in our lives. God never intends for us to come to defeat; there is no defeat in God, if you are looking for defeat you have to go outside God to find it. And His presence will lead us (like it did Moses) to victory if we allow it to. The third thought is God’s presence is always for a knowing (by His Spirit) to show us the way (like with Moses), again not to make us feel good. The fourth thought is the requirement to have God’s presence to abide with us and that is righteous living. Jesus told the disciples, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) Righteousness is always the requirement from getting something from God. God is after righteousness in our lives and if we cannot give it to Him then He will not go with us. We will stay at the foot of the cross and experience our salvation experience (again and again and no more) where many Christians want to stay. Notice how things are to be sought; the kingdom of God which is not working for God at a local church in ministry or traveling the world in ministry, but “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (you cannot see, touch, or hear it) 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21) Like God’s presence which you cannot see, touch, or hear it leads and guides us to an understanding of what God wants for our lives – righteousness. The fifth thought which is the object of the presence of the Lord is to bring us into a place of rest, abiding with God, and a dwelling place. Verse 13 again from Exodus, “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.” Here Moses asks God for some particular things, see the underlined portions. Here Moses is beseeching (the way and matter a servant asks his master for something; a different word than asking) God for total assurance and guidance. What else could Moses ask God for? Money, chariots, food, houses? His health? Long life? Things we like to ask God for? Oh no, Moses beseeches God for His presence to go with Him, to abide and tabernacle with him and if God’s presence does not go, then Moses says he will not go. How often have we said things out of our emotions and feelings, during the heat of a moment and then went the other way? Oh Lord help us all. The sixth thought is the presence of the Lord will cost us something. Nothing in God is free. To know God’s presence will cost us something of our self. Strange to know God measures our spiritual growth and development by what we lose not by what we gain. And to know God’s presence will cost us things of our self, we will have to lose our selfishness, our self-seeking, our self-righteousness, and the list goes on. Lastly and is number seven God’s presence is the pathway back to the heart of the Father. We are on our way back to where we came from; the heart of God. God started something back in the Book of Genesis, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27) We were made in His image from God’s own thoughts, “And God said, Let us make man in our image.” (verse 26). and He sent us out to help save those who were lost. For us, our entire life is about finding our way back to the Father’s heart where we came from. And God uses His presence to help show us the way, but this too is our choice like everything else in God. Let us think rightly about the presence of God. Let us not think like a yo yo we come and go as we wish before the Lord, but we are 24 hours a day before God living a life that He can see and a life that pleases Him. May God’s presence go with us is our prayer. Written by David Stahl

JUST SERVE THE LORD

I do not know about you my friend, but life at times can be wearisome. Even ministry (even in God) at times can be very tiring. It seems the more we go and the more we press toward the goals established by God and us the more we seem to perish within ourselves and outwardly. Oddly, the older I get the less assured of myself I am, the less my health seems to support me, and the less I seem to know of God. Paul in 2 Corinthians shares these words in his second letter to the Church at Corinth, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) Paul’s words are very telling to the struggles we face and how these struggles affect us. Paul’s word reveals the possibility of us fainting at these daunting struggles as “our outward man perish.” If you have never experienced this in your life my friend you have something in God to look forward to. This thought of not wanting to perish has always been a driving force in man’s psyche. All throughout the Bible we read about man’s understanding of his mortality and his great desire not wanting to perish from the earth. We see this strongly represented in the Psalms, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” (Psalms 103:13-16) Yes, God knows our frame and we know that God knows our frame. And we know that God knows we are dust and our days are as grass: as a flower of the field. Knowing God knows us is the only real hope we can truly rest in. Not even knowing we know God, but knowing God knows us. Do you see the difference? At the heart of this knowing is a basic simplistic truth of God that we must never over look and never forget which is found in the Book of Ecclesiastes which ends with these words, “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-14) Amazingly these verses do not talk about all of the good works of God that drain our strength, all of the good things we do for God nor does it talk about all of the hard work we must endure to be able to walk in the truth of these verses. All we must do, according to Solomon, is to “Fear God and keep his commandments:” everything else we do is above and beyond what God expects of us. Never forget the best we can ever do for God is to do what He expects of us and that is all we need to do. God never asks us to do something He knows we are not able to do. He knows us, He built us, and He knows what we can do. Now do not get out there in the realm of faith and expect God to give you power to do something He does not want you to do. God knows what we can do and He knows how He has built us; real faith operates in God by aligning with what God knows and wants, not what we know and want. Knowing this we do not have to struggle with the expectations of ourselves and others which will always get in the way and always get us into great trouble with God. Serving the Lord is easy we make it hard by heaping to ourselves ministry and unrealistic expectations that confuse and compound our relationship with God and others. We make serving the Lord so difficult, but do not feel too bad the 70 Disciples the Lord sent out made the same mistake. In Luke we read, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) They got all spiritual on Jesus, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” but, Jesus calmed them down and handled their zealousness and told them, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Boys (no girls in the 70 Disciples) do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven. How simple how plain, but how to the heart of the issue. Serving God is not hard all we have to do is love Him and do what He has asked us to do. All of the ministry, miracles healings, all of the care, financing, and feeding of the local bodies around the world will take care of themselves. God does not need us to do all of these things, but God needs us to be obedient to him. I learned this lesson one day while in India. The crowd was huge maybe 400,000 and I thought I had to lay hands on the sick, but I could not reach them I was positioned on the stage too high up. In a way I was happy, because praying for people like this often teaches people to not go to God, but to man for answers. But God saved me and spoke, I do not need to lay hands on the sick He is the one that does the healing all I need to do is pray.

Serving the Lord is just loving God and keeping His commandants. Jesus shared the same thing in the Book of Matthew as did the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. One day a lawyer asked Him, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love (Strong’s #26 agape, dedicated yourself towards) the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love (Strong’s #25 agapao; to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of) thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40) Now do not miss the point here in all of this goodness. Jesus said there are some folks you are to be fond of (Strong’s #25) and there are some folks (Strong’s #26) you are to dedicate yourself towards. The first command is unto God and we must love (Strong’s #26) Him “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” the fearing of Him in Ecclesiastes 12:13. What a job! Loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind (if we do this it will kill us no wonder we will faint and our outward man will perish), but this is the commandment we must follow to be obedient to God. That is okay because this is God’s idea. Remember God is not trying to make us happy He is trying to kill our sinful, fleshly, nature so He can conform us into His image. And the second commandment is to love (be fond of) our neighbour as our self. Now this is a lot easier to do, who does not like themselves? If you are not fond of yourself you will never be able to love (dedicate yourself ) God. We were made in His image right? For us to see no value in ourselves is an open rebuke to God, it is no wonder the world wants to kill babies in the womb they say babies are not created in the image of God they are just a blob of tissue we will take care of things, oh how foolish. Now on the other hand we must not get too carried away in thinking we are special, because if we do God has measures to take care of this wrong thinking. One of the greatest areas of danger in God is for Christians to think more highly of themselves than they should.

Strange as it may seem the more I go in God the less I know of God. The things I thought I knew and was convinced of (to the death) now I am not so sure about. Now I am not talking about my salvation that issue is settled for all eternity, but what I am talking about is what I have heard, seen, and touched of God. And if we really have a walk with the Lord what we know and believe (seen, touched, and heard) must give way to even greater revelation and ever increasing experiences. All truth is progressive and mysterious. Now this is a critical point if we desire to understand the truth of the word of God. Knowing the beginning will never lead us to the end of understanding unless we follow hard after the many veins of truth that accompany our lives. For us to be able to come to the end of all understanding we will first have to come not to know all truth, but come to know the creator of all truth. What is more important the fruit or the tree? Many Christians strive to know all truth (we see this in all of the denominations and religions of the world), but it is much better to know the creator of all truth. We desire to taste of the fruits of God, but it is much better we eat the tree that produces the fruit; then our lives can be a tree that produces Gods fruit. And as we come to know the creator of all truth we will quickly learn we know nothing at all. The depth and vastness of God always leaves us with more questions than answers, but at the same time deep within our heart and soul burns with a sublime yearning to know more and more of the creator. This simple yearning is at the heart of just serving God. No pressure to perform, no pressure to do things to see God glorified. You would not believe the number of times in Africa I was asked if I wanted them to stage a miracle. What crowds we would have the next day. A white man has come and has laid hands on an African and they were healed, what offerings we would get. What a sad, unholy way of thinking – I was shocked and dismayed. When we just serve God the pressure is on God. All of the going and doing is His idea. It is His responsibility to look after His word not ours’ our job is to just serve God.

Just serving God is, “the whole duty of man” as the Preacher said in the Book of Ecclesiastes. I think one of the greatest benefits of just serving the Lord is the rest to our heart we discover. Paul ended 2 Corinthians 4:16 with these words, “yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” He began this verse by talking about how the outward man daily perishes and it will just serve God long enough, but he ends with the secret of being able to just serve the Lord, we must day-by-day be renewed in the inward man by God. What peace we find, oh to just serve the Lord, oh what strength we find, oh to serve the Lord. And when it is time to be gathered unto Him, oh what joy we will find because we have just served the Lord. Written by David Stahl