UNSEEN MAN

The longer I go with God the more I come to see the unseen man in me. At times this unseen man can me quite ugly and even mean if not checked by the Holy Spirit’s work in my life. Man’s attitude (I include myself at times) is earthly, carnal, and selfish wanting to get all that they can get. Often (even in church) we make our approach to our Christian brothers and sisters in ways to see what we can get from them. This ought not to be. There is a saying today, “he who dies with the most toys wins” so wrong my friends. He who wins in God is the one who does things in life lawfully. Paul told Timothy, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” (2 Timothy 2:5) In God the race does not go the strongest, fastest, or sure of foot, but to the one who strives within the framework of God’s rules and divine principles, but our unseen man within us wants to operate outside the framework, outside the limitations and restrictions God has established for our lives. This we must never allow too happen in our lives if we are going win Christ. Now God’s attitude towards man is quite different then man’s. God’s attitude is an eternal attitude towards all humanity and is one of a seeking God. Now we may think my friend we are seeking Him, but in reality He is seeking us. As we expose our hearts to Him, He responds. Now at times we may even feel as though we are invading Him or we have taken the initiative and are pushing in from every angle to discover Him, but this is not so, God in His Godly ways is just seeking that which is lost. In Luke Jesus tells us, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) The heart of God is always seeking man. From the Garden of Eden God sought after man not because of man’s sin, but because of God’s love for His most precious creation. I find it odd that God’s most precious creation (man) has hurt God the most. This is a thread that runs throughout the Scriptures a holy God is seeking an unholy man and wants to make the creation like the Creator. It is not the sin of man that stands in the way because sin was dealt with by Christ on the cross it is the contrary nature of the carnal unseen man that dwells within us. Paul knew this truth all too well. In Romans Paul shared his inward thoughts about his unseen man in his life, “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. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:18-20) We must allow God’s dealings and judgments (through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives) to put to death the unseen man or he will destroy everything we try to do, he will destroy every relationship: our sweetheart, our spouse and children, every church relationship we enter in, and ultimately he will lead us into spiritual death ending us in hell. “Oh wretched man” Isaiah declared; he too knew of the death that dwells within his unseen man. Now the good news is God is seeking man so that we can surrender to His work in our lives. Let us never forget (sometimes we forget) through it all and through all we experience God is still working, still seeking that unseen man to do the work in our lives that must be done. This unseen man takes on many forms both from foes and friends alike. I think when it is our friends that hurt us it cuts us deeper. Karen always tells me I use the word “friend” too loosely and as time goes on I discover the true intents, purposes, and attitudes of my “friends” I find they are not really “friends,” but acquaintances who I have wanted to be more in relationship then what they are willing to give. Remember a man cannot give what he does not have. I had a “friend” over 30 years (in my thinking), but when I woke up and saw as long as I looked up to him and stayed under this direction all was well. When I challenged him in having an equal relationship (as the Bible teaches) our friendship was over. He walked away taking others with him who were still under his spell. Sadly his life has left in its wake a significant list of folks (such as me) that he has turned from and walked away from. Oh well, no real loss I still have the wonderful memories of years of ministry and lives touched in many countries in the world something he cannot take away from me. I still am holding out for the time when we can once again eat, drink, and travel (as the Bible teaches) for God’s glory. The raw truth is we become acquainted with one another; but as for the real inner person, we know very little. In fact, we know little about ourselves at first glimpse. The LORD desires to fully possess us, to shape and mold us into the image of His Son. As we advance in God, the Holy Spirit will keep projecting before us unexplored territory in our lives that we have yet to move into and over which He seeks domain. We say, “He reigns and rules in our heart” and this may be true, but have we given the Lord absolute and perfect control and possession of all the realms within us that are yet to be possessed? We are but little cells within this mystical Body of Believers that has been developing and projecting itself down through two thousand plus years of history. In His time He will lift this Body out of time and present it to the Father. This is the great desire of His heart. He desires that He will have something worthy to present to His Father. Now listen closely here. There is no experience into which the Lord leads us, no matter how profound or revolutionizing that experience may be that will of its self mature us. Many are deceived because they think I have received now I have. We must never allow ourselves to come under the power of an experience and then build our life around it. This is not a question concerning the fact of our salvation, but of how we allow God to move and work within and through us while we are within this present life. Whatever there is of spiritual value within us (that which we will carry into the next age) must be acquired in the here and now; in reality there is no past or future only memories and hopes. All we really have is the here and now for God to work in us. We must ask ourselves has the LORD been able to accomplish within us all that He seeks to accomplish? After we have been released from this present realm (our present life) we cannot come back to choose or decide. We should not be disturbed if the LORD is not using us as a missionary or in some ministry. Unless He has given us this He is not expecting it from us. He had one Paul and one Wesley. He has one of you and you are the only specific edition of who you are. Since this is true He is desirous to bring forth all that the potential within us will allow. Thus our “works” are the technique or the method which He will use to accomplish this miracle of changing us into the image of His precious Son Jesus Christ and equipping us for a higher purpose. If He has called you to be a preacher then preach, if He has called you to be a plumber then be a good plumber. Whatever we are called to do, we are to do it to the “Glory of God” and sing in our spirit while doing it. We often become entangled in the mechanism and forget the objective. We must be careful to not lose sight of our objective. We are to keep it always before us our life surrendered and our whole being moving back again to the heart of the Father. We are being disciplined, educated, trained, and conformed to His image, by the thousand and one things that the LORD throws into our pattern of daily life experience. We may say this is holy and that is secular. To one fully committed to the LORD everything should be holy and sacred; there is nothing secular about it. That is common talk among people who do not know the things of God. Therefore they have categories into which they place certain experiences of life. We never should do this. If I am called to be a good plumber this is a sacred calling. What makes it sacred, the plumbing? No the will of God for my life. None of us have arrived we are in the process of “becoming” (a life-long process of testing, approving, and qualifying for God’s higher life) and we will be in that process until the LORD takes us home. When we were saved the LORD dealt with our sin nature. He can do that in very short order, but it takes a life time to deal with our character. God is more concerned about our character than He is about our talents, gifts, and abilities in Him. After we have gone through several dealings we may feel we have arrived. Then the LORD will say to us, “I have been dealing with your sins. I dealt with all that externally now I want to come within and get a hold of you. Get a hold of that unseen man within.” Did you know truth has a two-fold way of disturbing and moving? If allowed truth will slay us, yet it is the truth that resurrects us. There are two opposing forces and we swing back and forth between them. The LORD talks about death, but He also speaks of life. He not only talks about crucifying, but also about resurrection and life. We are to keep them together, not separated like we do with Mary and Martha. In Luke we read, “He entered a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) We should never separate Martha and Mary they are sisters in the same family, but having different vocations and talents. Martha has a valid place within us. She represents our activities, our good works, our ministries, and all the things we do. But Mary has a place also. She represents our spiritual aspirations and our desire to move toward God. For years I never understood why Martha got such a bad rap in this story because all we receive at the feet of Jesus must descend and find its place in the daily activities of our lives where it is to become a practical reality otherwise we will become unbalanced. Thus we are not to remain detached in even the most magnificent revelation of life and truth. Now whenever Martha gets up within us and busily hurries around we know that we will not receive a revelation from the LORD in all that activity. We must let Mary arise within us and sit at the feet of Jesus. Each has their proper place and time in which to function correctly in God. Both are essential parts of our spiritual development and growth and must be maintained in the right balance if not we get over in either revelation or demonstration and off track in both areas. Here are some other examples from the Scriptures: “And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, his disciples came to Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-3) and “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And, behold, a leper came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, you can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:1-3) Jesus went up into the mount and sat. His disciples came to Him and He taught them, but He did not stay there. Afterwards He went down into the valley among the multitudes, where He was met by a leper seeking help. Here in the valley of life the revelations of the mountain top became a practical reality in our lives. It may take the LORD years to bring us into this balance between our devotion and our works only then will we come into the balance of being and doing that God so desires for us. It is one thing to say we are in Christ, but it is another thing all together different to say we have Christ in us. The more we can allow God’s objectives and ways right of way in our lives the more we will be able to put to death the carnal unseen man within. The more we can operate in the balance of our devotion and our works the more we will be able to come into the things God has purposed for our lives. You know there are people who know not God at all. Then there are people (carnal Christians) who know God only though salvation, but may not know God because their unseen carnal man is alive and well. Their attitudes, motives, and character have not been transformed from the earthly to the heavenly. And then there are people who have allowed God to begin to kill their unseen man, who have allowed God to begin that process of “becoming” we call them Christians with a future because their unseen man is dying. Written by David Stahl

AN EASY WORD

Today in most churches in America not much of God’s word is taught. Oh I know every Sunday morning between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm people gather in church to hear God’s word, but sadly in most churches in America (and I would say most around the world) the people gather in vain, what they hear is a sermon with a good moral meaning or maybe an entrance level salvation sermon, but what is not heard is a “message from God” (God saying something to the people through the pastor) nor is any depth from the word of God taught. Sadly Christians who have been saved for many years sit on the pews year after year going to same church year after year because they are comfortable with the people, they like their Sunday School Class, or they like the pastor, but there has not been any spiritual growth or development in them. They sit there with a big toothless smile because all they have been given is salvation sermons or sermons that beat them over the head about sin knocking out their teeth. Now partly they have some blame in this being comfortable at the sake of spiritual growth and development it is almost as bad as sin. Sin ends us in hell, but not growing up in God ends us in heaven empty handed. I am not sure what God is going to do with those people who lived their entire life for themselves in selfishness and then at the last few minutes of their lives get saved or never come to any spiritual maturity. They will not know God. They will not know how God operates and functions, how He does things. They will not know how the Spirit moves and how they fit into God’s big picture. They will be invited to the wedding feast (our believing alone unto salvation does this for us) based on a last minute conversion and now at the feast they do not know how to act and function because they have never been taught. In Matthew we see this in action. Jesus was teaching the multitudes a parable and in verses 11-14 of Chapter 22 of Matthew we see this play out. Jesus said, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.” (Matthew 22:11-12) Now Jesus is the head of the wedding feast (the bridegroom) and He saw a man without a “wedding garment” on; now this garment is not salvation it is a wedding garment he is in Heaven at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (or the wedding feast) and the people are the Bride of Christ, but Jesus spots someone who is not wearing a wedding garment. John tells us of this glorious Supper, “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:5-9) Here the “fine linen is the righteousness of saints” it is NOT the wedding garment it is salvation and the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” is happening in Heaven. When understanding (especially parables) the Scriptures you must, by the Spirit of God, define the verses by the verses that is why the Bible is a Spiritual book it is the very words in the verses that make up the truth that define the spiritual principles and our daily concepts from which we are to die for. There are precepts; where we get our concepts from mentioned in the Scriptures like the Trinity not defined in a singular verse yet the concept of the Trinity screams out to man from each page of the Bible. My friend salvation gets us in the door, but our “wedding garment” is what we have learned of Christ, the spiritual maturity and development we have achieved, but here stands a man with no development, no spiritual growth because verse 11 says the man, “had not on a wedding garment” not an old and worn out wedding garment or even the wedding garment of another person, but NO wedding garment. Did you know all people will not have the same wedding garment when invited to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb?” Oh no we all will receive different rewards based on what we have learned and done for God, our wedding garment. Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) Here in verse 15 is the man at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” without a wedding garment. Now I am not 100% sure, but I believe those Christians at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” without a wedding garment on will need to be trained by God so that they will be useful to God in the things God has for them to do in the ages to come. Who would want to live their entire life as a Christian and end up in such a situation in Heaven? I believe there will be countless of billions of Christians in this situation. We do not get it all when we get to Heaven (as some Christians believe) if this be true then why live for God now when we could just live like hell now and right before we die repent. What does that say about a righteous and holy God? My friend this is not the way God operates and functions; God expects us to believe on His precious Son, repent (stop sinning), and then grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ, but my friend it takes two things to grow in God: a desire on our part and someone able in God to open the Scriptures unto us. I believe those who the LORD draws by His Spirit have that desire, God even builds (hardwires us) that desire in us “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalms 42:7) There is a call (by His Spirit) that comes out from the heart of God to all those who answer His call, but how do people end up in Heaven empty handed? Ah the second need; someone (maybe a pastor, teacher, friend, etc.) who can open up the Scriptures to where someone can partake of the life of God contained in the Scriptures. Today not too many evangelists, pastors, teachers today have the ability in God to open up the Scriptures; this requires time studying the Scriptures, time spent before God in retrospect and reflection of one’s motives, attitudes, and character (letting God shine His flashlight on our heart) to become the vessel for which the life of God can flow. You do not get this ability when you get saved, work around the church awhile, finish Bible school with some religious degree, or pastor for many years, but by allowing God to work dealing and judging in our lives. Not too many evangelists, pastors, teachers, friends are willing to endure this so every Sunday people sit on the pews (chairs now for the cool churches) and learn nothing because the speakers have nothing to give of God to the people. I have seen it time and time again. All the people get is some salvation sermon (every Sunday) and no one usually responds, but everyone is happy they went to church. Wrong, wrong, wrong my friend!! There must be more, God expects more. There must come a time when the salvation sermon stops so the people can move away from the cross into the resurrection life of God. Now the cross is wonderful please do not misunderstand me here. The cross is our beginning point in God a most blessed place, but not our ending point. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) Did you get that? Salvation is not for everyone only for those who believe. Paul did not stay at the cross in God he knew there was more. Where did Paul learn these truths; in all of his religious training when called Saul and in the wilderness (like anyone who wants to become something in God) by the Spirit of God as Paul. There he received revelation. Paul did not stay at the cross he moved on as he allowed the LORD to work in his life. We see that in Philippians when he said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3:10) Paul was not talking about the cross he was talking about knowing God and the power of his (God’s) resurrection. So too in our lives we must move on from the cross and desire to know Him and His resurrection power, but for this to happen we must have men of God who can teach us the deeper things of God. This is why the church globally is full of babies they have never been taught the deeper things of God. Now many pastors are smart enough to know the deeper things of God will raise questions maybe they will not be able to answer (because they have not studied the Scriptures or allowed the Holy Spirit to work in their lives) so why put up with all of this hassle I will just keep giving “my folks” a salvation sermon and everyone is happy, wrong. God is very unhappy this is NOT God’s intention for His people. Did you know if you want people to like you and give you money just tell them what they already know and what they want to hear. Many pastors have learned this all too well, to hell with spiritual growth and development. They say follow “the money” so true in churches today. Sadly “the money” to many times leads to selfish and self-seeking pastors and church leadership who want to keep their rice bowl intact at the sake of spiritual growth and development of the people. And easy word makes babies who always needs their diaper changed from all of the messes they make! A hard word (a deep word) makes mature men and women who can handle the responsibility and authority God grants to His children. Enough of this easy preaching and teaching! Enough babies in the Body of Christ! We must come to know Jesus Christ before His teaching has any real meaning for us other than that of an ideal which leads to despair out from an easy word, but when I am birthed from above by the Spirit of God I have come to know Jesus Christ did not come to teach us only, but He came to make us what He teaches we should be. And out from a deep word from God we come to know the Father and we come to know what it takes to become like the Son. The choice is ours: an easy word and appear before God empty handed or a hard word (a deep word) and have something to wear a “wedding garment” and something to give God. Written by David Stahl