FINE TUNING

While Ronnie Huneycutt and I were in Silistra, Bulgaria ministering we stayed at a better than five star hotel. Sometimes God will let us stay in the finest of accommodation and sometimes God finds a place for us in stark poverty and filth, but in either place a heart of thankfulness is what God is looking for in us. At times in Africa and India I have slept with the cattle. In Bukoba, Tanzania I have showered by lifting a bucket of water over my head that was retrieved (before I got up) and heated over an open fire by the pastor’s wife from a river over two miles way. How could I not enjoy my shower knowing the effort and sacrifice involved? How could I not be thankful? How could I want anything better? I really believe at these times God is checking us out and fine tuning our heart condition to be able to show us our heart and to see just how thankful we really are for the things He provides. Well in Bulgaria God put us up in the finest place in town: a four room apartment complete with a stocked (plenty of food, coffee maker, etc.) kitchen, huge bathroom, and two comfortable beds that Pastor Niki and his wonderful father built. What else could we want? Another feature we really enjoyed was Niki’s office computer which allowed contact with our families; just down the outside back stairs and into the back of Pastor Niki’s print shop. One morning as I was coming through the door in the back of the print shop I noticed a man was setting up one of the print machines. I stopped and watched in amazement. The man (I never got his name) looked up and smiled, but continued to work. He was a man on a mission and his mission was to get this machine to run at peak ability and function. Now what was so amazing was the way the man was adjusting or fine tuning the machine. He knew every inch of that machine like the back of his hand, he knew every turn of the dials, every lift of the levers, and every adjustment and slide of the paper guides. He knew every reaction to the adjustments he was making and compensated correctly to get the machine to run at its full potential. I was in awe I was watching a master at work. I know you may think I am somewhat crazy, but it was like watching a master violinist or cellist play their instrument. Foolishly I tried taking a picture, but he would not stop long enough for me to get the shot and it kind of annoyed him so I backed off. He adjusted and fine tuned; after those he nudged the machine again, a half roll of the print drum and another nudge, a slide of the paper guide and another nudge, another half roll of the print drum and another nudge where he then measured and nudged again. This went on for about 30-40 minutes and then added paper filling the paper tray. After a final inspection and a few more gentle nudges the on switch was engaged and the machine was off and running; one sheet, two sheets, three sheets, suddenly the machine was switched off. The adjustments and fine tuning was not to the master’s liking so the man was back to nudging, measuring, sliding the paper guide, and many half turns of the drum. Another inspection then machine was off and running again. The man was not so concerned about time as much as he was about the peak performance of the machine and turning out quality copies of the original. The machine was turned off again and more nudges and fining tuning was completed. At last he was ready to go. The paper tray was filled to the top and the on switch was engaged the machine seemed to rhythmically sing as it spit out copy after copy of the original image. And as I was standing there the LORD spoke to me and said, “this is what I must do to my children I must fine tune them so I can make exact copies of my Son.” What an unexpected word, but powerful word from God. God has to fine tune us so He can make copies of His Son Jesus Christ. Now we all know that, right? Sure we all know Paul told this to the Church at Rome, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 9:29-30) This is God’s main objective in our lives, “to conform us to the image of His Son.” God is not trying to make us happy (He can care less if we are happy), rich, popular, intelligent, or famous God started something back in the Book of Genesis, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) And God has not changed His mind He is still in the business of conforming man, still in the business of making “man in our image after our likeness” and He will do everything we will allow Him to do to fine tune and complete this process of becoming like Him in our lives. Did you know God is more concerned about our character than He is about how long we can speak in tongues, sing and dance in the Spirit, how much money we give to the church, even how long we have been walking with Him. All these things are okay, but they are not on the top of God’s list of important things for our lives. Our character is God’s number one focus; our character looking like or resembling the character of Jesus Christ. God is even more concerned about our character than He is about our service to Him. Do we really think God cannot get things done on earth without us? Of course not God can do anything He so desires He does not need man, but He made man, He loves man, and He wants to use man to herald the good news of the Gospel message to men. What a wonderful truth that God desires for man to help save other men. Many say (as I just did) we are to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ and this is true, but what image are we talking about? Are we talking about Jesus’ physical image? No of course not. My teacher Charles Haun was the most gifted Bible Teacher I have ever heard; many millions of people around the world would agree with me on this, but some went to the extreme. Many of Charles’ students bought glasses and even copied his dress and mannerisms they were called Haunites, but all of this never made them like Charles Haun. We are to be conformed to the spiritual character and nature of Jesus Christ not His physical features. Now I have a beard like Jesus, but that will never allow me act and touch like Christ. We are to love like Him, but before we can do that we must have a heart like Him. We are to think like Him, but before we can think like Christ we must have a mind like Christ. There is a spiritual principle that says a man cannot give what he does not have. How can we be like Christ if we have never allowed God to work the character of Christ, through His dealing and judgments, in us? So how do we get a mind and heart like Christ? How can we be conformed into the expressed (original) image of Jesus Christ? Well my friend this is a painful process indeed. Just asking God to forgive you of your sins will not do it, oh no my friend there is a process of opening up our heart and lives to God and allowing Him free rule and reign to work in our lives. At the end of Romans 9:30 we read these word, “them he also glorified.” Now most Christians who read these words would think like the disciples, “God is going to make us rich, popular, and famous maybe give us the biggest following in the land,” but not so. John tells us during Jesus victorious entrance to Jerusalem before His crucifixion, “Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.” (John 12:15-16) The disciples thought now we are going to set up the Throne of David and kick those Romans out of Jerusalem, but not so. Jesus told the disciples, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.’ (John 12:23-25) Die who wants to die? Lose who wants to lose? Not me I want to live and be free in Christ, well that is not the spiritual order. The spiritual order is death before glorification. And if we have a good death we will be glorified by the Father like Jesus. Jesus was teaching the disciples a critical spiritual principle, death comes before glorification. If we desire to be glorified like Jesus then we too must die to our fleshly, carnal, lower character and nature. At the same measure we can die to our lower carnal life at that same measure we will be raised in newness of life with Christ Jesus. Also in Romans Paul tell us, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:5) “Planted together in the likeness of his death?” His death? What about the abundant life of God? I want nothing to do with His death, well if so then we shall never be raised “in the likeness of his resurrection:” The Spiritual order is death before glorification my friend. This death in us only happens as we become His workmanship. Paul in Ephesians tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) The good works we are created (or conformed into His image) in Christ Jesus is God’s dealings and judgments in our lives. God’s “good works” (not our works or service to Him), God’s fine tuning (by grace) in our lives will bring us to more than salvation and will do more than take us all to heaven it will conform us into the character and image of Jesus Christ. Now I have understood this truth to be conformed for some time now, but to be honest (is not honesty good for the soul) I have never really understood why God wants us to be conformed to the nature and character of His precious Son Jesus Christ. There must be more to God’s intention here (God always wants more in our lives) and one day while studying I ran across these verses, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20-22) Now I am sure I have read these verses before I guess I could not handle this bit of truth then, but it was the missing piece to the puzzle God desires us to be His eternal temple of habitation for all eternity not in the heavens or the earth, but in us. Man is to be God’s eternal abode. I cannot explain (I dare not) why God chose to live in man’s heart forever, but He is God and we are not and He chose to live within man for all of eternity. No wonder He must fine tune us like the print master. No wonder God must adjust us He wants His temple to be perfect, holy, and blameless before Him. Written by David Stahl

THE IN BETWEEN TIMES

Ronnie Huneycutt and I just returned from two weeks ministering in Romania and Bulgaria and as always it was a life changing experience to travel abroad to share the word of God and try in some way to do what we could do to ease the suffering and hardships of the people we come to minister to. You know it is one thing to say Jesus loves you, but it totally different to show them that Jesus loves them. In all of this giving to the poor the Gospel message must be preached. Many people focus on feeding and clothing people (now this must also happen), but if you only feed and clothe people what you will have is well dressed, well fed people in hell. The word of God, the message of the cross, must be preached one on one from one heart to another heart not sung about or danced out, but preached word by word, line by line as the Holy Spirit gives us the revelation. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) Sadly today in most churches not much preaching is done and why because it takes time before God to hear what the Spirit is saying it is easier to sing and dance your way to heaven (probably will not make it this way) than to allow God to work, through His dealings and judgments, in our lives.

As we were drinking coffee (the Bulgarian favorite pass time) one morning near the center of Silistra Ronnie talked about the dash. He was referring to the dash (as seen on grave stones) between our date of birth and our date of death. I wonder why we celebrate these dates we have nothing to do with them our birth is out of our control and to a large extent our death is out of our hands, but what we do during the dash foretells the destination of our eternal home. Then the LORD spoke to me and said, “you are in the in between times the time in between times of ministering the word to people.” What a revelation I was surprised. We think ministry only happens when we stand and speak, but not so. In God there must be a time of preparation: time before God in quiet and stillness, time in the word spent discovering the verses God would have you share to the people, and time spent talking and fellowshipping with people. As we drank the coffee we spoke with an Austrian couple who are making plans to move to Silistra and help Pastor(s) Emil and Niki. The conversation and fellowship was as rich as the coffee we drank, but at the same time sublime moments that resonated in our spirit that filled our mind and soul. As I was sitting there unbeknownst to Pastor(s) Niki and Emil, Ronnie, and the Australian couple God took me back to an in between time in Moldova. While in Chisinau I met a great man of God and special friend Pastor Romcia Hututui. Romcia was a kind and gentle man with great wisdom and inward strength. I had the pleasure of listening to him preach in Russian. I wish I could have understood each and every word, because his spirit thrilled my soul. Nelleia my translator did an outstanding job sharing his words, but the passion and fire that God has put within him was remarkable to witness. As we, Romica, Nelleia, and I, travelled over 950 miles in seven days, sharing the Word of God in Russian speaking churches many hearts were captured for Christ, even mine the more. But, as we travelled I kind of figured out what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:6, what we are filled with. And what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians when he said, “The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (I Corinthians 10:17) We are filled with “the communion of the body of Christ,” and THE bread, Christ, that satisfies us, strengthens us, and even gives us our very own life. We are partakers of this bread through communion with the Lord and through the communion with our brothers and sisters within the “Body of Christ.” Without communion with the Lord and our brothers and sisters in the Lord we have no place within the Body of Christ. What communion we had as we travelled mile after mile. What bread we shared. Romica broke off a piece of Christ and fed it to me and I did the same for him, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” As we drove to the city of Floresti, Romica stopped and I bought some grapes. Moldova has the biggest and best tasting grapes in the world. After buying the grapes, we stopped by a well of water to clean the grapes. Romica dropped the bucket down the well and filled it with water after many turns the bucket was in sight full of cool sparkling water. Romica motioned to open the bag of grapes because he was about to pour the water into the bag and I was to agitate the bag so that the dirt would fall off. Great plan in theory, but we failed to consider the strength of the bag. As the bag filled with water the seams gave way and the water and the grapes spilled out onto the ground filling my shoes with water what communion we had we laughed so hard we cried tears of joy. This time with Romica at the well was an in between time before ministry. The in between times is always a time of preparation for our heart. Our heart condition must be dealt with by God before we can stand and share God’s word and during the in between times our heart is being worked on by God. Little do we know during these times God is searching our heart to find if there be any wicked way in us. What a powerful prayer David prayed in Psalms, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24) It is during the in between times as we are alone with God in stillness or laughing with our friends God is searching our hearts. The in between time is also a time we feed Christ to each other. As Romica and I were cleaning the grapes or when Niki, Emil, Ronnie, the Australian couple, and I were drinking coffee we were doing more than cleaning grapes and drinking coffee we were sharing the goodness of the LORD with each other. With each smile and kind word spoken, with each offer to pay for the coffee, with each moment spent together in unity and harmony we were feeding the goodness of Christ to each other. Funny to know we can only feed what we have to give to someone. There is a divine spiritual principle that says a man cannot give what he does not have. How can we give love, joy, and peace if we do not have love, joy, and peace in us? If we are filled with anger, wrath, and hatred then we can only feed that to people. And even in the in between times we can feed these ungodly attitudes and character traits to people. This too is why God must search us so that He can reveal our hearts to us. Unless God can reveal our hearts to us, by His Spirit, we will never be able to feed Christ to others. The in between times is a time of our soul searching and reflection before God. In the times we are alone with God or even when surrounded by people we can take the time to step back (in our thoughts) from conversation and happenings of the moments to reflect on what our attitudes and heart condition is. Did you know you could be alone in a crowd of 1,000s? Your heart condition will detail your perspective. At these in between times our ability and responsibility in God to minister His word is measured and energized within us as we look deep into our soul not God searching us, but us searching ourselves. Our reflection and soul searching always leads to a great dependence on God. Jesus knew this secret the more dependent He was on His Father the more authority and power He possessed. We Christians today run around and say we have the power, but Jesus said He had no power. I think we Christians of today need to learn this secret of Jesus.

During the in between times in Bulgaria I learned two powerful maxims (individual bits of truth) that Niki Marksov shared with Ronnie and I. The first maxim was, “keep your doctrine close, but the Brethren closer” and the second was, “why do we share the good news of the Gospel like it is bad news?” WOW! The in between times a time of God searching our hearts, feeding Christ to each other, and time of soul searching and reflection. Now that is time well spent. Written by David Stahl