THE KINGDOM OF GOD

I was strongly disappointed on 28 June 2012 when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on two long awaited decisions. The first one was when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s healthcare bill and the second decision (which was more troubling to me and not really discussed on the news) was the Courts found the Stolen Valor Act (where you can lie about your military service) unconstitutional. Now to be totally honest (honesty really is the best policy) the thing that was the most troubling to me was my disappointment and my attitude about these rulings. I spent 24 years in the military (in combat and in peace time) and of those 24 years, over 22 of those years were spent in either direct health care delivery as a Field Corpsman and working in the operating room in hospital administration and as a medical planner serving as a Medical Service Corps Officer. I know the grave damage President Obama’s healthcare bill has done and will continue to do to America (unless President Obama is voted out in November) in the future far beyond 2014, but of more importance to America is how can God bless the nation whose leaders say it is okay to lie? Who say free speech is more important than the truth. Well here is the truth from God’s perspective, “Woe unto you America your candle stick has been lifted and soon will pass away if there is no repentance back to Me in your land,” thus says the LORD. Who gets to speak for God in the earth? As His beloved son I too get to speak for my Father. The Bible says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) Make no mistake (as I have said) I gave 24 years of faithful, dedicated service to America she still means a lot to me, but as much as I love America and know (I have been in 83 countries of the world) she is the greatest country in the world I as a Christians MUST never get so rooted and entrenched into the American dream. We MUST never forget this earth, this world, this country is NOT our home. When it is all said and done 10,000 years from now only the things we have done for God will matter. Even all of the ministry and all of the good works we do, that we think are so important, will be done away with, but what will remain will be our relationship with the Father based not on what we have done and said, but based on HOW we have done and said things for Him. When it is all said and done the only thing that really matters is how much we have allowed the Father to conform us into the image (icon) of His dear Son Jesus Christ. But when I heard the Supreme Court’s decision (I will be honest) I got angry and almost cussed. I could not believe how the Supreme Court got it wrong again for America in both decisions. America has two high courts of the land or kingdom: the U.S. Supreme Court governed by its laws (which is the highest earthly court in America) and in my humble opinion a higher court God’s court governed by His divine Spiritual principles not laws. In almost every case in the last 50 years the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in direct contradiction to God’s divine Spiritual principles. This is no accident my friend. To discredit or even deny there is a God there must be a higher power that can govern the affairs of man in a country, in the world, and on earth. God’s word says do not kill yet we abort millions of babies for convenience each year. In 1973 Roe v Wade the U.S. Supreme Court said killing babies was okay. God’s word says homosexuality and lesbianism is a sin and even an abomination to God yet the U.S. Supreme Court again and again has tried justifying by legally sanctioning this ungodly immoral life-style. And the list of ruling goes on and on. These laws are not meant to govern civility in the American society, but are meant to be an open challenge to the very existence of God. Now please hear me loud and clear we must be obedient to the law of the land. Jesus said, “render unto Caesar’s that which is Caesar’s” and He meant it. In all respects we must be obedient to the laws of the land unless they come into direct contradiction of God’s word. This topic often came up with the Disciples. In the Book of Acts we read, “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20) So where do we stand when these two courts collide in option? Here is the divine Spiritual principle we as Christians MUST follow: Obedience is related to conduct, it is relative. Submission is related to our heart attitude and is absolute. God alone receives unqualified obedience without measure, any person lower than God can only receive qualified obedience. And should another court issue an order clearly contradicting God’s command, we give submission but not obedience. We submit to the court (thus submitting to God in reality because God originates all powers), but we MUST never disobey the word (orders) of God. When delegated authority (men who represent God’s authority i.e. judges police, your boss, etc.) and direct authority (God Himself) are in conflict, one can render submission, but not obedience to the delegated authority. When Jesus stood before Pilate there was great resistance in Him. But the Bible said, “He opened not His mouth.” In silence He gave great resistance. He submitted, but did not obey Pilate. This type of understanding and reality goes far beyond the religious and denominational doctrinal circles that most Christians find themselves in today. Now the more the media outlets digested the decisions the angrier I got. After about 20-30 minutes of this I had to get up and walk away, but like driving by a car or train wreck I slowed down and had to look. After some time I mustered up enough common sense and the Spirit of God within me, apologized to God, and turned the TV off. I do not want this article to be about the two decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, but about something far greater of importance my reaction and attitude to the Supreme Court’s decisions. But wow what a bad and ungodly attitude I had over these decisions. I guess this anger was in me all along maybe caused by daily watching America slip further and further from God in spite of 90% of Americans saying they are Christians. I guess it was always there and the love that I hold for my country and God squeezing it out of my heart it came out my mouth. Now I have found out we will never agree with everyone, especially our Christians brothers and sisters, but that does not mean we have to be disagreeable. Make no mistake whatsoever is in our heart will come out our mouth. In Proverbs we read, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) My friend, walk with God long enough and you will really find out what is in your heart. Miriam sung and danced through the Red Sea being led by her younger brother Moses singing a song of victory, but held ungodly feelings and attitudes towards Moses in her heart. “And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea,” (Exodus 15:21), but Miriam’s true heart toward her brother was exposed, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” (Numbers 12:1-3) and God had to deal with her in a harsh way, “And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:10), but in the end God’s mercy was extended, “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. 14And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.” (Numbers 12:13-14) Make no mistake my friend God will see what is in our hearts and whatsoever is there will come our mouth. You know I find the ones that dance the longest and sing the loudest in church are the shallowest and easily stumble and fall out of the way. Now most Christians are trying to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth through good works and even Christian ways, but as a man cannot give what he does not have one cannot bring something to earth that is already here. When Jesus came to earth as a child He brought with Him from Heaven and established His kingdom forever, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) yet some Christians keep trying to build Jesus a kingdom on earth, but in reality they are building their own kingdom. All you have to do is turn on Christian TV (what an oxymoron) and see all of the kingdoms in the earth being built by man, for man, but in the name of Jesus. The kingdom of God is not a building or a denomination the Kingdom of God is within us. The Pharisees wanted to know when the kingdom of God was to come they were great (like religious folks today) at building their own kingdom, “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: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21) Did you get that, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” God is more concerned about my heart condition to the Supreme Court’s decision than the decisions, His kingdom is already established. Paul tells is in Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17) Did you get that the kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We are not of this world, but when we allow things like the ungodly Supreme Court’s decisions to steal the “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” that we have allowed God to build in us we leave the kingdom of God and enter the kingdom of the world. And the mode of travel from one kingdom to the next is our heart response to whatever is happening to us at the time. 10,000 years from now what will it matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides? What will matter is how we reacted and responded to the decision made. The kingdom of God is the difference in our lives that enables us to walk in the life of God. Let His kingdom come in our hearts as it is in heaven. Written by David Stahl

OUR SELF SEEKING

You know Satan gets blamed for many things in our lives that are not his fault. Did you know our biggest enemy is not Satan he is defeated in our lives if we really believe the word of God and understand how much God loves us. In Colossians we read where Jesus defeated or “spoiled” all “principalities and powers” and that included Satan, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15) Please know it is not Satan or even the world that is our biggest enemy, but it is our “flesh” our self that wars against the Spirit and just like with Satan we get to choose who wins. Paul in Romans said it well, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18) My friend our flesh (our self) will do and say anything to glorify itself and keep it alive, but that is not what God desires for us. God desires to kill our self. Our self is subtle and can easily deceive us from the truth while projecting a religious and holy picture. My friend our flesh, our self must die if we are ever going to walk after the things of God if not then we will always be of the earth and walk after the earthly things. We can easily see how much our self is alive by the things we seek. Do we seek after the things of God or do we seek after the things that our self screams for. It is easy to see who follows the LORD or who follows their self. I can always tell where someone is in God by applying three metrics: Do they pray for themselves telling God what He is to do for them or do they pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Number two, how they give of themselves to others especially those who cannot give back to them, and three how often they use the pronoun “I” when speaking. The LORD really convicted me on this: I did this, I know this, I will do this wow, I sounded like a Mexican hat dance song. It is not I it is we did this, we know this, we will do this, I is always selfish and always self seeking. And the result of selfishness and self seeking in our lives and in society is always seen void of God and His word. Today most teens and young adults in America are so narcissist they are self centered self seeking having to have the latest gadget; I phone, I pad, I whatever and the results are alarming. Ages 18-22 suicide rates in America are skyrocketing. In the US military (of all places) between 1 January and 8 June 2012 in the same age group there was more than one suicide per day each day. (DoD) Now the experts blame the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not so these disturbing suicides rates (also for non-military teens and young adults) are the result of their self seeking and not being able to find the answers in their shallow selfish egocentric lives. The same with controlled substances like drugs. Use of drugs (marijuana, cocaine, LSD, etc) in American in the 18-22 age group is up 40% as well as deaths. (CDC) Every hour in America over 4,000 kids run away from home. (CDC) Our self is a powerful force in our lives and our self seeking drives us on and on unless we have allowed the LORD to kill it in us if not we will have no inward peace and strength. We will be frustrated, unfulfilled, and lonely. Sadly this self seeking has infiltrated the church for years. Instead of the church being salt and light, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:13-14) influencing the world unto Godliness and righteousness the world has influenced the church. This self seeking has even become a part of the way we preach and hold services. We have special services for ladies and men. Where in the Bible did Jesus do this? Jesus never divided out the sexes. On Father’s Day and/or Mother’s day we have special sermons to extol the values and virtues of our Father and/or Mother now we love our parents, but this is nothing more than our self seeking to please our parents and our religious nature and attitudes. We sing songs telling God how much we love Him and how holy and righteous He is. Do we not know God knows how much we love Him and how holy and righteous He is? Are we so far removed from the truth and over into our religious self seeking that we do not know God knows all things and that God knows our heart? So much I could say here. Recently in the paper there was an article I quote; “The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) just elected the first black president in one of its biggest steps yet to reconcile the 167 year old denomination’s troubled racial past and appeal to more a diverse group of believers” (The Associated Press), but whatever happened to selecting a spiritual leader based on God’s desires and His requirements? Is not racism an ungodly heart condition of man? As the article continued it seemed the only real credentials the candidate had to be President of the SBC was he was black and had a big church in New Orleans that was started after Hurricane Katrina. With 100s of complicated issues facing the church today should racism be the deciding factor to elect someone to such a spiritual place of leadership? I think not. Do we really believe God knows all things? Or do we disregard these verses in Isaiah? “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:6-7) Is not racism evil? Do we really believe all things work together for good according to His purpose? “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) or do we just give lip service to these truths in the Bible? Does “all things” and “evil” include racism? Whatever happened to God and His divine principles? Now if there is racism in our hearts we must allow God to remove it because God cannot do much with people who are racist, yet the truth of the matter is many churches today (both the black and white churches) are full of such people. Are we foolish to believe by merely electing a black man to a place of leadership will remove the racism in the heart of the people he leads or forgive the past of 167 years? This is all self seeking to glorify the SBC and cover its self seeking with a religious veneer of doing the politically correct thing. The leadership and delegates of the SBC should be ashamed of themselves for selling out to the way the world does things. There is no democracy in God (it is His way or no way) leaders in the church are not voted on, but men of like mind, full of the Holy Spirit (not 1,000s of people in a convention party) come together to seek God’s will and purpose and I guarantee you my friend being against racism is not in the top 100 qualifying credentials to be selected into God’s leadership. One does not have to go too far to understand why a black man was elected president all you have to do is go to a Southern Baptist Church and count the number of black faces in the congregation. We attended a Southern Baptist Church (some of the people were great) for about 5 years and in the congregation of about 350 to 400 we had two black members. But sadly now folks in the biggest evangelical denomination in America (the SBC) are leaving in droves no wonder they voted in a black leader now they can reach out to the black community where there is a greater desire for morality and truth. I have said this before and I will say it again, if a mighty revival breaks out in America it will come from the black church. Now it is not just the SBC many other denominations in America are floundering due to the fact that they offer nothing of the Spirit of God to the people. My friend programs, parties, meetings, and functions does not meet the longing in our heart to know the true and living God, but programs, parties, meetings, and functions do satisfy the self seeking in our heart and soul so many denominations, like the SBC, feed our self with things of the world because they lack the ability to give their people the things of the Spirit of God. As Spiritual leaders we must give the people the Spirit of God in a real, meaningful, and powerful way good sermons and stories are not enough, singing in the choir and working for God is not enough, if not they will be just going through the motions and when their self seeking is not satisfied they will fade and fall away. Did you know there is even a self seeking in seeking God? God loves not the believer who does the most, who feels the most, who thinks the most cleverly and best, not even the one who shows the greatest love, but God loves him who suffers and sacrifices the most. Suffering and sacrifice are the building blocks of the church it is the glue that binds us all together. I am aware that in discussing our self seeking even our deepest prayer is a prayer that does not depend on our outward senses or on those things which are pleasing to our self, but requires the martyrdom of parts of our self and our inward man. Our deepest prayers are reached when we have no self involved. When there is no emotional experience or intellectual assent to God. We reach this place in God when we discover God is not impressed with a multitude of well spoken words. He is impressed with the purity of the intent of our heart. He wishes to see our inward parts humbled, quiet, and totally surrendered to Him and to His will. We may not find emotions to produce such a relationship, but we will find a door by which we will enter into our nothingness and His all. Now that is a place of rest and a place of us ceasing from our labors. There are people who do not allow God to kill their self and turn away from Him almost immediately because they did not find any pleasure in it. Pleasure and our self walks hand in hand and when our self is being put to death we find no pleasure in whatever is killing our self, even if that is God. There was no sense of God, there was no power, there was no sense of being pleased with their own thoughts, or even being impressed with the way they formed their words and do things. In reality all of these approaches to God are nothing more than a hunt for sensible pleasures in God which to God is nothing more than self love and self seeking after our self. It is really not seeking after God at all. It is necessary that we suffer a little pain and a little dryness to kill our self. Death to our self will always kill us. The more our outward man delights in some sort of pleasure the less delight there is in the LORD. But the less we care for the outward man (our self) and the thrills even for spiritual pleasures, ah now here is something which delights the LORD. Written by David Stahl

WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE

I wonder why we think we can do and say things in God and not be held accountable for our words and actions? Well, the truth is God does hold us accountable for what we do and say especially when we speak for Him. It is an awesome thing to be able to speak for God, but take heed and make no mistake my friend measure your words when you get a chance to speak for God much is at stake especially things pertaining to our well-being and future in God, but of more importance is the well-being of others. Our words and actions have greater bearing and impact on the lives of others more than it does on ours. I have seen it time and time again our quick tongue often can leave us short of what God really wants to do in a given situation or complicate things for us and God. James gives us guidance here in the way we are to keep our tongue even in a trial, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19) We often get over in being swift to speak and slow to hear when we think we have some skin in the game, when we think we are responsible for something in God. That is the same concept and thinking Satan told God when God offered up Job to be tested, “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” (Job 2:4) It was not Job’s earthly goods Satan was talking about, but about a concept of being responsible for the many things in Job’s life. Man will do and say whatsoever it takes to save his hide and to save his very life. My friend we are not responsible for anything in our life. We owe everything in our lives to God why our very breath is not ours, but is the property of God and He graciously gives us breath so the purposes of His will can come to an end in our lives. We came into this world with nothing and we shall leave with nothing so why do we thing we are responsible for things in between our nothingness? I think the closest we can come to be responsible for something, while on earth, is our attitude out from our reaction to life’s many problems, situations, and circumstances, but even in the situations, circumstances, and problems we have little to nothing to do with them. Now I have many Christian friends who quickly tell me God does not cause or originate problems, situations, and circumstances in our lives it is the devil who makes all of these dark and evil things happen in the earth and in our lives, well that is not what the Bible says. In the Book of Isaiah we find the real origination of problems, situations, and circumstances in our lives, “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.’ (Isaiah 45:6-7) Who would believe God creates darkness and God creates evil? Not too many Christians, maybe that is why not too many Christians really understand God and why they are confused between God’s grace and His longsuffering, why they are confused between God’s holiness and His judgment, and why they are confused between God’s responsibility and His accountability. To understand we are not responsible, but accountable we must understand that God can create evil and darkness, it is a side of God’s character that man seldom sees, but is the majority of His character. The only way we will be able to come to this understanding is when we allow God to walk us though darkness. Did you know there are two types of darkness? The first darkness is that which arises from sin. It is a darkness that is filled with unhappiness and leads the Christian to eternal death. Now the second darkness is a darkness which the LORD allows within our inward part in order to establish and settle virtue in us. This is a happy darkness because it illuminates our inward spirit (it strengthens it) and gives it greater light. There is nothing more enjoyable in God than to have God take us though a dark and unknown time in our lives where we can see or feel nothing, seemingly all we can do is grope our way along in the dead of night, but deep within us God is building a trust in us that is far beyond faith. This is the progression in God: faith, trust, and rest. It is in the darkness in the blackest of times we truly come to trust in God. And God creates this for us. Who would believe God creates evil? Well, all you have to do is look at the Bible and see all of the things God did out from His sovereignty that a religious man would say, “God would not do that.” In Exodus 4:21, it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart how evil of God to do this right? Well, God is God and we are not. God does what He desires to do to make His plans come to an end in our lives. The only way we will be able to come to this understanding is when we allow God to walk us though evil. When all around us is evil and we can turn not to the right or left for help, evil on all sides, yet God is with us in the mist of the evil and we pass through the evil without being touched. Even in the Valley of the Shadow of Death God is with us, what a wonderful place to take a break and rest in. Please take heed my friend the things we call darkness and evil may be the hand of God in our life. I wonder what the hand of God looks like? Maybe at times it is darkness and evil. It was for Joseph when he was thrown in a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, and sent to prison. As in Job’s case who would have thought God allowing Stan to test him so was God’s perfect will for Job’s life and the way God wanted to repay him back twice what he lost. In our many years we have known many churches who are looking for a pastor by a pastor search committee and some actually think they are responsible for finding a pastor for the church. And when things do not happen as they plan their quick words are spoken and offence takes root. As a matter of fact a wonderful Church in Holly Ridge NC has asked me to consider pastoring them at first my heart was to help fill their pulpit, but after speaking a few times and getting to know their heart God may have me (it would be a grand privilege and honor) pastor them, but at any rate it is not the pastor search committee’s responsibility to find a pastor it is God’s responsibility, it is God’s church not ours. I wonder why we think the church we attend is ours? Now we may pay the bills, cut the grass, and paint the parking lot, but the church is not ours. Jesus paid a great price for His church and He is not going to give it up. Here we have confused the difference between responsibility and accountability. We have the accountability (being held to a certain standard) not the responsibility when it comes to leadership over churches, ministries, denominations, and religious organizations. We often think we are responsible to make things happen, see people come to the LORD, but not so in God. In God we have the accountability not the responsibility. God and God solely alone is responsible for His church and His good name in the earth. Jesus told Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:13) Just a thought: what is the church doing at the gates of hell? Jesus told us He will build His church (it is His church not ours), building His church and kingdom on earth is not our responsibility, but in the building process God holds us accountable in those areas He has given us stewardship and care. Do you see the difference? But there is an even deeper thought moving here. Most Christians get over into areas that are not theirs to handle. In God we must handle the things God has given us (to the best of the ability we have allowed Him to work in us) and leave the other things to God and those who have qualified for them. But the deeper thought here is we are the church. The church (Jesus said He is going to build) is not a building or organization, but a living temple of humanity? And did you know God has a building program? Solomon in Psalms said, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Psalms 127:1) We are the house of the LORD and unless we allow God to build us we will labor (even though the building of brick and mortar may be beautiful and well groomed) in vain in all we do. For us to allow God to build us we must enter into God’s building program and my friend God begins building by tearing down everything in us that is not of Him. Every foundation and every structure we depend on for strength and support God must tear down and bring to naught in our lives. The more God builds in us the more we will be able to handle God’s truths and see Him as He really is. The more God tears down strongholds (we are built on) in our lives the more we will be able to understand the difference between God’s responsibility and our accountability, because it is the work of God in our lives that opens up our understanding and illuminating our mind giving us revelation to the knowledge of God. Not too many Christians have or really want to possess this knowledge the cost is too high of a price to pay, so many Christians continue in their religious pious ways content with the form of God and never getting to the heart of God. The Body of Christ (made of human flesh, humanity) is built one block at a time on sacrifice and my friend it is the individual’s sacrifice from each member is the individual building blocks that Jesus uses to build His Church. We can see this accountability and not responsibility by the way we comply with what God wants for our lives. The Bible is full of areas we are to comply with God in. Now we think God really looks at His commandants to see if we comply with them and He does. But God also looks at the optional things in our lives that are up to us to obey. We think when we comply with God’s commandments (obeying the letter of the law) God is happy with us, well this is true to some degree, but I think God is happier with us when we obey those optional areas where our compliance with God’s options shows a greater willingness to do the right thing than complying with God’s commandments. This is why God gave us a free will instead of making us serve Him. The responsibility thinking makes following God a commandment, but understanding we are accountable to God for our actions, words, and the things God has given us to do for service shows our willingness to be obedient without being forced by God to do something. Anytime we do things for God out from our heart’s desire we have recognized we are accountable because we have come to know our actions is well pleasing to God. You know when our children grow up and understand they are accountable to their parents it is not a responsibility they feel oh no, but it is a desire to do the right thing being accountable for one’s actions and words because of the love and respect they have for themselves and their parents so too with God. We are accountable to God. Written by David Stahl