A DISCIPLINED SPIRIT

In the early Church there was a manifestation of the life of Christ that was powerful enough to move an entire nation. Rome was greatly affected by it and nations ever since have been affected by it. Although the members of this early Church had received the Holy Spirit and were used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit there were “spiritual qualities” that permeated these gifts which caused this powerful impact upon nations. Jesus said that He would give us the power to become “His witnesses.” This includes the ability to do the works that He did, but there is to be more than this moving in our lives. He was referring to a quality of life, an element of the Spirit which would become a point for our lives to be moored and our walk with the LORD that transcends good works and miracles. The first factor that is common to building a Christian life is also common in the building of the Church. Thus, the tutoring that is directed toward the individual is also given for the whole body. In Acts Luke writes, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses (martyr) . . . ” (Acts 1:8) This is not speaking of a “power” to go out and witness for each individual needs or power from God to tell others about the good news of the Gospel nor is this a power to go out and cast out demons and devils they were already doing this, but this baptism is to be the dynamic power (Greek – dunamis; it is where we get the word dynamite ) by which the Church will be built and it is to be the power that governs the discipline for our spirit so that we do not get off track. God gives us power not to live and do mighty things for Him, but to die to our selfish carnal desires. Jesus said, “if you lose your life for my sake surely you shall find it.” Did you know it takes great power and strength to die? Here in Acts 1:8 God gives us power to be a martyr in all the world and for sure the disciples and those who followed Christ knew this all too well. I would think if God gives us more time we may get to experience the price the early church paid to follow Christ. What is a disciplined spirit? This is a military term. Paul often used many military terms. The word here is used in connection with a General who has been disciplined in order to give discipline. He himself is under discipline so that the authority he now exercises will have a backing. One may have both power and even love, but unless there is a “disciplined spirit” behind them they will accomplish little. If you are not discipled in the natural/physical realm you probably will not be discipled in the spiritual realm, now these are not mutually exclusive, but they have a correlated core of characteristics that parallel in the inward and external man. Over the years Karen and I have eaten healthy and exercised, but old age has a way of putting weight on, so Karen and I have determined to lose weight before we our weight kills us. Sadly most Americans are 15-25 pounds overweight and in the southern States there is an epidemic of diabetes caused by obesity that is killing 1,000s daily. So we are pleased to report (as of this article) Karen has lost15 lbs and I lost 30 lbs (for me 40 more lbs to go) which takes great discipline on our part. It is no difference in the spiritual realm. The LORD showed through us disciplining (and I have been a mad man here) our eating habits, taking great caution to our life-style, and our manners we will gain the benefits we seek of weight loss and a healthy more productive life. As Karen says, “eat to live not live to eat.” Well it is no different in the spiritual realm when we exercise our spirit by the Spirit of God, read God’s word, pray for others, watch our words and our attitudes we will ensure optimal spiritual health. I wonder why we think we can be sloppy in both the physical and the spiritual realm and still be found pleasing to God? We will never ever have a disciplined spirit until there is some spiritual growth and development in our lives. Spiritual growth and maturity is a fruit of a disciplined spirit and without it we will become sloppy and fat eating at the table of God, but never coming to any understanding, maturity, or capability in the things of God and His ways. To destroy someone’s all you have to do is let them come up with two visions. We must have a vision for what God wants us to do in our lives, it is the faith and belief in the vision is what keep us going in tough times. In Proverbs we read, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18) Now this vision is not some good idea to build a franchise or think what you want to be in five years, but a personal word spoken by God to you about something He wants you to do. And notice where there is no personal word from God, “the people perish.” The word “perish” here means to cast off restraint or know no limitations or restrictions. Why would we cast off restraint when Jesus talks about us entering into a yoke with Him? Because we have not allowed God to work a disciplined spirit into our lives a spirit that knows when to talk and when not to talk, a spirit that knows how to give honor when honor is due, a spirit that knows they cannot do or say something when others may, and so much more. Many Christians today are perishing (both physically and spiritually) because they do not know restraint, limitations, and restrictions in their lives. These Christians are double-minded, they may be nice folks and if they would die they may (God makes that call) go to heaven, but they do not know discipline, commitment, dedication, and do not have the ability to follow the Spirit of God in the things God has asked them to do. James said it this way, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-7) Now it says, “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways” not just the way the man has lost his way, but the verse says “all” and when the Bible says “all” it means “all.” In everything this man does his ways are unstable. This is why it seems he is tossed and driven by the wind he wavers on righteous decisions that would lead him to do the right things in God. In our September 2012 newsletter I talk about a young zealous preacher I met. At first things were on track (he was greatly drawn to the ways of the Spirit) and we talked often over email and the phone, but as I started to introduce him to the things of the Spirit he drew back and began to dispute my words and the project that brought us together fell by the wayside not because it was not God’s will, but because this young zealous preacher got side tracked thinking God had something else (that satisfied his flesh and family more) for him to do instead of doing what God has called him to do and in spite of two supernatural confirmations from God revealing His plan to him again, yet he wavered. My friend God rarely goes back to show us His will a third time. He expects us to be able to see what He wants and expects us to move in it, He then will take care of the details. In the end something God wanted to happen was set on the self at the cost of his own selfish desires. My friend God NEVER gives us two visions we are the ones that takes on the second vision that confuses us and gets us off track to what God wants us to do. Just read the Bible nowhere did God tell someone to do something and then give him something else to do; nor does God change His mind as if to say He made a mistake, oh no it is us who disputes God’s word to us so we can (most often) do what we want to do and satisfy our flesh. God is single minded and focused. God has a purpose and a plan He has an end in mind and no one ever reached His goal without a disciplined spirit. Did you know there is a fine line between working with someone and using someone to get something accomplished? If not careful in God we can use people while thinking we are working with them to achieve what God wants us to do. Guard your heart my friend and allow no one access that you have not observed for some time and then take heed many people (includes Christians) are skilled at manipulation. Not that I am all knowing and have made it, but I find such Christians and church leaders are insecure within themselves and not sure of who they are in God, not sure if God spoke to them, and not sure where they are going in God. These folks my friend are very dangerous to the body of Christ, but these are the folks that seem to be out in front leading the Body of Christ. But if the leaders are off target missing the mark then the followers will follow and miss the mark also. Churches are filled (I have seen them and I have taught in them) with Christians who have been led astray by their leaders and do not even know it. These are the same Christians who run to people for help instead of God. People who get off track in God seem to have a strange sympathy and tolerance for each other while running to this person or the next person to find someone who will agree with them, well God does not operate that way. Forgiveness is there if we get off track, but we must recognize we are off track and then we must get back on track and only God can provide that information since He was the one who spoke originally. Take heed to the people in your lives! Although Jesus teaches us the necessity of receiving this power, it is dangerous to allow its impact to overrule us. The same power that we feel when we are filled with the Spirit is the very power that can make us almost irrational with its moving. In response to a manifestation of this power, we feel that we must do something, but we are not quite sure what it is. Then we become agitated and confused because the result was not what we expected. We must come to understand that there is another element must be added – discipline. In the building of our spiritual life the field of motivation must be carefully thought about. There must be a right motivation behind each manifestation, as we respond to the power of the Holy Spirit moving within us. God gave John (one of the sons of thunder in Mark 3:15) a vision and in it He covered every element of the earthly realm: the world, all creation, the skies, moon, stars, animals, trees, people, cities, nations, floods, winds, thunder, lightening. The Lord was after John; He is after us, even more than He is interested in anything we will ever be able to do for Him. God took every tangible thing that John had ever known and used it all to make a most complicated, yet marvelous display. God has thundered in Revelation. But, did you hear John thunder in Revelation? No, all that was gone. What is the difference now? God is thundering through John. God did not call John because he could thunder. He did not want John's thunder. He wanted John’s “capacity” for thunder, so that He could thunder through him. A marvelous change has taken place within his spirit. When John came back from the Isle of Patmos, we read, “Little children, let us love one another.” There is a softness, a tenderness, a brokenness, and a graciousness that was not evident when John thundered. So it is with our development. We have this capacity for thunder within us, but He will let us move along, for awhile, in our own thunder. But someday God will come after us and say, “I am going to dry up your thunder.” He will put us on an “Isle of Patmos” and everyone will wonder what in the world is wrong with us. He is bringing forth a disciplined spirit within this one and unless we allow God to built this discipled spirit in us we will never be able to function in God correctly, we will be running wild in the Spirit; singing and dancing about liberty and freedom, but never coming to the freedom and liberty through His restrictions and limitations. When God begins to deal with us to accomplish within us His purposes let us not be fearful; He has not given us a spirit of fear rather He has given us power (to establish a disciplined spirit), love, and a sound mind. He has a purpose in view for us, both in time and in the ages to come. We are safe and secure in the hands of the living God knowing, “He who has begun a good work in you will also finish it.” (Philippians 1:5) Written by David Stahl

TRUE HEARTS EXPOSED

My friend did you know God has His ways of exposing truth and our heart condition for all in the world to see? Sadly this was the case at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). I am not sure if you missed it or not, but the Chairman of the DNC tried to reverse the original Democratic platform on two critical points; first to recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and the second point (which still baffles me today) to include the word “God” in what they believe. Now I am sure the Democratic leadership changed their position based on the potential loss of votes from Christians in their party and more important because of the Jewish vote in Florida which is huge, but both were wrong reasons to change. Jesus told us, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34) Whatsoever is really in our heart will come out our mouth and we will be exposed for what we really believe, this is how truth operates. My Christian brothers and sisters the election in November is really about what is in our hearts (for all in the world to see) not what we believe about politics or what political party we belong, but what we really stand for and believe before God and man. Remember our testimony is not what we say, but what others see us do. This election in November is a test for the Church in America to find out what it really stands for either the truth found in the word of God or will it be moved by swelling words of promise and a better day in the sweet by and by. This election in November will reveal the true heart condition of every person who calls themselves a Christian whether they be of truth or a liar, this is how integrity and honesty works. How can you call yourself a Christian and deny the written word of God in favor of politics? How can one support a party that gives credence to a society that endorses things God calls an abomination (which is open rebellion) and still call themselves a Christian? If you think you can you only deceive yourself and the truth is not in you. It is true in November we will decide what kind of country we want to be, but it will NOT be a vote about jobs, our economy, our foreign policy, it will not even be an ideology vote between candidates, but it will be a vote on what kind of country we want America to be spiritually. Do we want to be a country that values life or snuffs life out often based on selfish convenience? Do we want a country that supports marriage (the bedrock of every culture and civilization) or a country that says anything goes: two men, two women, one man and four women, what is next animals? The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it?” God and those who know God. Do we want a country that is founded on the God-given foundational truths and principles of the U.S. Constitution or do we want a country that is subject to ever increasing international laws and is governed by global consensus? You can vote and I encourage you to, but if you vote for a party that sanctions same sex marriage, glorifies the creation while denying the existence of the Creator, validates the indefensible murder of babies especially babies partially born, and does not even want to mention the mere name of God please do not call yourself a Christian it is an insult to the billions of Christians who have laid down their lives for the Gospel message throughout the ages and an affront and an open handed slap to the face of a Holy God. President Obama is our president, but he is not our king. As a Christian we live in a different kingdom, we answer to a higher power, we answer to the King of kings, we are measured NOT by our political positions, birth rights, or even the color of our skin, but our character, we are measured by God’s word and His laws. I am not a Democrat, Independent, or Republican I am a Christian and my faith in God and in His word compels me to vote for the truth. Do we want a country where God is some afterthought and not spoken in society I think not, but make no mistake my friend all hearts will be revealed, God will see to it. The choice is ours. Written by David Stahl

DIRECTION FOR OUR LIVES

When God formed man and breathed life into him, He placed within man an objective, a direction for his life. Now this objective and direction is like a prize that is placed before us, a goal to be reached. Paul told the Church at Philippi this way, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Sadly some Christians have made heaven their goal; others make a ministry their goal and focus their prayers and efforts on their work and themselves instead of others as God has purposed our prayers to be. Whatever we may do or accomplish for God in life is never to be the “goal” to which we are to attain. Rather, it is the means by which the Lord causes us to come through to the objective that He has placed before us. As a present reality this objective for our lives is calling out from deep within us to stir us to attain it. Thus Paul prayed, “But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) All of the things that we do for Jesus are splendid, but we are not to become so involved in them that we lose our perspective and sight. These things will eventually pass away therefore, we must only become involved enough to get from them that which the Lord intends. In a school room there are many books to study. But these are not the education we seek; they are merely the collateral that helps to produce it. We receive our education by becoming a reacting agent, and allowing all these factors to play upon us. It is like our ministry, for through it, the Lord is doing something creative within us. He will never ask us how much work we have done for Him, but He will ask what has that work done within us. All this will be registered upon our immortal spirit, and will do something within these marvelous beings that we are, so we will not be the same as we were when He first saved us. There is to be within us a progression; our spiritual development and growth toward spiritual maturity. I am saved, but how far have I come into this process of “becoming” that which Jesus desires me to be? If heaven or my ministry is not to be an objective then what is to be held up before us to which we can focus my living? Ah that is an easy question, “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31) and “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.” (1 Peter 4:11) The Lord has placed before us the “glory of God” as the objective that will require all that we are and have to submitted to Him. To glorify the Lord fully we first must come to know the heart of the God of the universe. The first vocation which was placed upon man when God created him was to know God and out from knowing God (our direction in life) we come to know the glory of God. We were made in God’s image and all that God put within man screams of God’s desire for man to come and have a personal intimate relationship with Him and the prize is God will be able to reveal His glory to man. God could only reveal a small portion of His glory to Adam and Eve because of their willful disobedience. Did you know our disobedience stops God’s glory in our lives? Our sin (carnal nature of earthly man) and our sins (individual acts of the flesh even after we are saved) were dealt with through Jesus’ death on the cross. God is not offended by sin man is. As matter of fact because of man’s sin God sent His son (Jesus) to earth to die for our sin and our sins. Sin is the occasion for God’s mercy and grace given freely to man. I hear many Christians say when Jesus died on the cross He cried out, “My God My God why has thou forsaken Me” and then God the Father turned His back on His only begotten Son because He could not look at His Son with sin, but in reality God looks at sin every day when He sees unrepentant men or women. Now please do not miss my point here; our sin nature is evil and we must allow the finished work of Jesus on the cross be the answer to our earthly, carnal nature and if we are sinning we must stop it, ask God (and maybe man) to forgive us, and never do it again, but what I am saying is our disobedience is far more evil than our sin to our soul. At the heart of our sins (our sin is our nature) is doing that which God told us not to do. The act of murder, committing adultery, lying, bearing false witness, etc. (even though heinous) does not make us a sinner, but doing what God told us not to do makes us a sinner, sin is to know right but do wrong. Adam eating the fruit was not the sin. Does eating fruit (even the same fruit Adam ate) today make us a sinner? No of course not it was Adam’s disobedience. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Adam became a sinner because he was disobedient doing what God told him not to do. Paul told the Church in Rome, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19) Please notice because of Adam’s disobedience and not sin “many were made sinners” and because of the obedience of one (Jesus’) “shall many be made righteous.” Again in Romans (8:35-39) Paul asks the question, “who shall separate us from the love of God?” Well the answer to this critical question is our own willful disobedience to God (especially when we know better) can separate us and cut us off from God’s glory. We will never be able to know God’s glory unless we come to know and understand Him. If we lose our way here we lose our direction for our lives. We are to know God personally and we are to “glorify God” in all we are and do. When God made man He placed him in a garden and set him apart to know Him and bring glory to Him not to help Him do something. Man was made to know God and give Him glory for who He is, not what He can do for us. But we are born into sin and come short of His glory. Sin comes from a Greek word which means, “to miss the mark” the failure to do that for which it was made. The arrow (man) was made and pointed to hit the bull’s eye (knowing God and His glory), but it has missed the objective for which it was designed. This is sin, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Why are we sinners? Because we have come short of knowing God and His glory, the things for which we were made. Whenever God does not receive the glory that should come to Him, we sin. Did you know my friend we can keep the Ten Commandments all the days of our lives and never come to know God and His glory and when we die we could (God makes this decision) go to hell? Many years ago Pastor Nicu Gramesc from Suceava, Romania (whom I love very much) told me something one day that has always stuck with me; there are three “Gs” of God we must never touch; God’s gold, God’s girls, and God’s glory. Man was made for a mark called the “glory of God” and we come to this mark by knowing Him. How then are we to glorify God? If we are willing to abandon ourselves in the very root of our being to Him, God will take us into His possession. He will cleanse us and bring us into an orientation around Him, instead of around our ego - “I.” You know I can tell where someone is in God by how they pray (self-centered), how they give (selfish), and how they use the word “I” (self-serving). We are born egocentric therefore He has to bring us into a new orientation of thinking and service. After God formed Adam He placed the benediction of His approval upon him being well pleased with His arrangement and creation, but Adam was innocent and had not yet functioned as God totally purposed being still “limited and dependent” on God. The instrument (man) was there, but it had not yet moved out where it could come to know God and glorify Him. The LORD says, I will now push you out into an arrangement here on earth and make a new law in the realm of your spiritual living (Genesis 2:16-17) – the law of testing and proving. This is the only way to develop and bring us to a place where God’s glory can be released. God’s nature is a gift. We become a partaker of the divine nature purely on the basis of a gift. He gives us salvation, but He cannot give us a Christian character. We have to build it; we are to grow and learn to subject our ego continually to all the arrangements which God has placed in our life activities to release us and set us free for the real thing that He desires. As we come to know Him and as we do the will of God He is automatically glorified for He is glorified whenever His will is done. Whenever God acts in a creative mood it is to His glory. He made the heavens and these declare His glory. What is our objective in living? It is to come to know God so we can come to know His glory. How can we do it, by accepting the will of God in for our lives. Therefore God knowing who and what we are places within our lives all the material that is necessary to reshape, recast, and make over that which He desires us to be. “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) He can take the most disturbing thing in our lives and turn it 180, making it become the means of His glory. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29) God’s objective is that through all the things that He subjects us to, He is conforming us to the image of His Son. He is approaching us because of His Son and what He sees in Him, He is tracing upon our spirit, that we may be “conformed to His image.” For one day He will take us not just to heaven, but to be eternally associated with the Son. When we see this we will be able to accept the trials, the discipline, the testings, and provings; for we see that this is the will of God and through it He will trace upon our immortal spirit the image and likeness of His Son. Only then will we find the satisfaction and fulfillment for which we were created and only then can we render the glory back to Him that is due and learn of the direction for our lives that will accomplish God’s purpose and intention for our lives. Written by David Stahl