WHO REALLY CARES

Karen and I just returned from 16 days of ministry in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. Oh how God showed Himself strong in the ministry of the word and the many lives we touched. I just marveled as God provided more and more opportunities to touch lives and feed hungry hearts as we made ourselves available. We were sitting in a rented hall for the 20th anniversary celebration for the Farul (Lighthouse) Church in Constanta, Romania when Pastor Jacob leaned over and said, “you will speak next after this guy.” I tuned to Pastor Jacob and said, “you are kidding right?” He replied, “no I guess we should have told you.” As I walked up to the stage God gave me a word for the church that quieted all of the singing and dancing celebration. All of the previous speakers told warm stories of days gone by well I started weeping there was such a sweet and unusual presence of God in the room. There is a time to sing and dance and then there is a time to hear from God. God had prepared me in the morning hours when I awoke with the story from the Book of Ezra to share, “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:11-13) I ended by saying do not forget those who came before you because your foundation for success was built on their sacrifices. There was not a dry eye in the place (ours included), but as I went back to my seat I got this thought, “who really cares?” Now many people (me included) really care about the great struggle the Farul Church (and the Bible School I have taught in many times) has paid to share this wondrous Gospel message, but that was not the thought God intended. The thought God intended was much deeper and fuller: who really cares about circumstances, situations, the economy, our health, etc.? What does it really matter at the end of the day (even if we come from the States to minister in three countries) the only thing that matters is us following Jesus. In the Gospel of John is one of the most profound statements Jesus ever made. In Chapter 21 verses 20 and 21 Peter gets offended at John. Can you believe Peter got offended at John? Verses 20 and 21, “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Wow Peter got offended with John. Did you know offence is THE biggest obstacle in our lives that will keep us from hearing from God? God took me to a special needs orphanage outside of Suceava, Romania to teach me this lesson. There I met 10 blind girls who had soiled their pants and were extremely dirty; God called them “the least of the least” of the Romanian children. Earlier I made the statement that the special needs kids upstairs were the least of the Romanian children, but God told me I was wrong, these little 10 blind girls were the “least of the least.” And on our way back to Suceava the LORD spoke to me and said I could not offend those little girls because there was no offence in them. Did you know we cannot be offended if there is no offence in us? We get offended when our brothers and sisters (even our spouses) words and actions reach out and touch the offense in us and out of our mouth speaks our heart. Getting offended time and time again is a sign we have not allowed God free reign to His dealings and judgments in our lives which yields spiritual growth and development. God would desire to work so in our lives that He can bring us to a place of maturity where nothing will cause us to stumble and fall out of the way He has for us to go. In the Psalms we read, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalms 119:165) I wonder what we would give up or pay for this great peace? The price to be paid to have this great peace is the keeping of the law, the law of love one for another. When we keep the feast of love one for another we will have great peace in our heart and then nothing (in the Greek) “will cause us to stumble and fall out of the way.” In spite of the previous work Jesus did with Peter in Chapter 21, he still got offended at John. So verse John 21:22 Jesus plainly lowers the boom on Brother Peter and us, “Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:20-22) Did you get that, “follow thou me.” In other words what does it matter what John does? What does it really matter what happens in the world? Who really cares what happens, “follow thou me.” It does not matter what really happens, it does not matter what this church or denomination does or what this preacher says at the end of the day it does not matter, what matters is, “follow thou me.” We seem to get all wrapped around the axle with things that do not sit well within our understanding of God (and His ways) and doctrinal position, but what does all that really matter Jesus is telling us, “follow thou me.” What words to live by! My friend if we can allow this truth to grasp our heart God will be able to teach us anything. Nothing will be impossible for us, yes we will even be able to speak to the mountains (troubles or governments that rule our lives) and they will be cast into the sea. But till we come into such a divine place in God our continual focus and gaze MUST be on Jesus. The writer to the Hebrews knew something powerful that most Christians today have forgotten, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Most Christians today would rather do something for God than to become something in God. It is much easier building a big ministry and traveling the world than to have God reveal our heart to us. Our understanding of all we do for God must be from the perspective of Jesus being “the author and finisher of our faith” nothing else will do, because verse 3 says, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3) God will keep us humble and contrite and He will use the sting of our friends and family. We too will have to face our “contradiction of sinners,” but like Jesus we too can overcome if we can learn to keep the feast of love. Who really cares what this world says and does? Who really cares what governments and powers of this world does? We will if we keep our mind and heart on things of this world. John tells us, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) How many Christians and ministries are hooked on Facebook, twitter, and all of the technology of this world? Do you know how many times I have texted? Three times to my sweetheart Karen and I am proud of it. My friend we will love this world and more if we allow our minds to think on things of this world. We must not allow our mind and heart get ensnared we must keep our mind and heart free from such traps. We must, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9) These are things of the heart that affect our character. And yes peace the same peace that is promised in Psalms 119:165. Who really cares? Do you really want to know who cares? God really cares! Written by David Stahl