COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

God's heart for us is to be able to have communion (our heart to His heart) with Him, but this communion starts out from our communication with Him. So the order is, no communication no communion. If our desire can focus upon the Lord communication with Him will be open. We have evidence that this moved in Moses early life. There must have been communication from God to Moses when he was young (40 years old) for he was aware then that God wanted him to deliver his brothers from Egyptian bondage (Acts 7:23-29). At the burning bush in Exodus chapter three we see a marvelous method of communication from God to Moses. At Mount Sinai God called Moses to Himself for the purpose of a very lengthy communication. Moses ascended, "And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud." (Exodus 24:16) God's call to us is always to "come up" and stand where He is. This extensive communication lasted 34 days probably without interruption day and night since Moses did not eat nor drink during that time (Deuteronomy 9:9). I also believe Moses did not sleep during this time since it would be hard to sleep with God that close. God called Moses and led him to the Wilderness of Sinai upon two different occasions to communicate with him. Sinai (means God's glory) is a place where God can communicate with man. He may call us to the mount to communicate or at times God may call us to the wilderness to meet with Him, but His intent is to talk with us. Communication follows the meeting. Suppose we fail to meet with God due to fear or some other personal reason? The communication which God intended does not occur. He stands at the door and knocks. If anyone hears and opens extensive communication can follow. Do we desire Him enough to open the door or go to the wilderness to meet with Him? If so communication is established and a messenger is born. The messenger becomes God's mouthpiece to those who have not met with Him. Jesus testifies of this, "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." (John 5:19-20) If there is no communication, how can Jesus know what His Father is doing? If he doesn't know what His Father is doing how can He do His Father's will? Communication is necessary. We need it. We must have it even if it means living in the wilderness. Communication is necessary for God needs messengers. He communicated through the angels (messengers) to the seven Churches in Revelation -- chapters two and three. He did not communicate directly to the Seven Churches. God uses messengers. It is the same today. We do not go to church sit down and wait till God shows up to speak in person to us. No we hear His messenger. He used prophets to speak to the nation of Israel. There will be no messenger if there is no communication. Today God still seeks messengers. But today they are getting as scarce as they were in Isaiah's day, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8) God desperately seeks those with hearing ears because He can put His word into them. His word can possess them and give a desire to meet with God to hear His communications. God spoke to Moses, "And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount." (Exodus 34:2) All things must be laid aside. God wants hearts ready to meet with Him and to receive that which He has for them. Yes the meeting and communication is necessary if people will be able to receive from God. God worked through human instruments and continues to do so. Therefore in order to accomplish the will of God there must be the meeting of the mind of God with the mind of man. Moses is called to the top of Mount Sinai in order to receive specific instructions from God for the children of Israel as well as God's foundational direction for mankind. God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle, Priestly arrangements, and so much more. The importance of this meeting between God and Moses goes further. God provided the wherewithal to prepare Israel for a successful conquest of the Promised Land. The means of preparing their hearts was presented to Moses, which he in turn, presented to the people. But they did not respond correctly. They were rebellious and had no faith in Moses or God. As the right relationship to God develops the desire to walk in the will of God grows. As obedience increases, faith does likewise, and conquest is certain.

GOD'S UNKNOWN NATURE

God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt across the Red Sea, through the Wilderness of Shur and Sin to have a face to face meeting with Him. We read in Exodus, "And all the people saw the thundering, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." (Exodus 20:18-19), but they had no desire to meet God because they did not understand His nature. Under the circumstances the Israelites had no desire to approach God. There are people who will approach God under certain circumstances yet will not approach Him otherwise. God may manifest Himself to certain individuals who will not respond. Here at Sinai God approached the people with manifestations which they could not understand and therefore they feared. When God does things to fit our understanding we more readily accept Him and His work. We are likely to feel uncomfortable with the unknown. Suppose we are walking alone and suddenly come up to a 5 foot bright blue creature with crumpled skin walking like a man. Would we readily and comfortably approach it? Doubtful. Most of us would avoid extremely strange creatures and probably shun totally strange circumstances. This is why some believes can not readily accept certain truths, truths that are foreign to them. If we can conveniently fit truth new to us into our present way of life, then understanding is not too difficult. In any given level of spiritual growth, the believer will meet truth which they cannot handle. They can find no place in their present life into which it will fit and they are not yet willing to have it worked into their life. Sometimes it is quite convenient for the believer not to understand truth. It is less troublesome not to understand certain things than to understand them. Here we can apply the oft repeated statement, "The truth which I do not understand does not brother me; it is the truth I do understand which disturbs me." There is one way in which we can approach the unknown without fear. The Lord at times will lead us in an unfamiliar way. All through our Christian life we will meet the unfamiliar, things we do not understand. We cannot afford to make our approach to the things of God on the basis of understanding alone. Doing so will head us nowhere. All we need is a desire to hear God, to obey Him and to know Him. These people whom Moses brought to meet God did not want to hear Him. In Jesus' parable of the sower hearing becomes the foundation of receiving. "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Exodus 13:23) Understanding comes later hearing always comes first. Some people want to understand all about it before, they make their approach. What are these thundering and lightning? What are the trumpets blowing and why all this smoke? If we do not understand all these things we cannot meet with God. Too bad, so sad. There is no faith. Where there is no faith, there is no approach to God! Can God Himself be understood by mere man? No! He must be approached by faith. God is eternal. Eternity cannot fit into man's small mind. The extensive greatness of God's love and grace cannot be contained in the restricted human understanding. God will always be drawing man into the unknown, the unfamiliar. Man, responding to God, will always be learning. No matter how far into the unknown we are taken to experience revelation and understanding, we will always have the unknown in God before us. The unknown is frightening to most individuals. In the case of the spiritual; realm, any approach by God which is not understood frightens most believers. At these times we must be still and know. Charles Haun tells this story of his Bible School class of 200 students. The entire school body became still and silent although the Lord could not be seen, He was heard walking in the chapel, up and down the aisles, they could hear His garments rustling, this happened until a girl screamed in fear. She could not understand what was happening. That ended that manifestation of the Lord. The Lord cannot bring very much from the unknown to the believer fearing it! The Lord can visit us with an usual manifestation. If there is not a proper and correct response in such a visitation, the Lord will not hang around for long. Not all manifestations of the Lord are dramatic and spectacular. Some are so dull or ordinary that most believers would not recognize or respond to them as a manifestation of God. But, revelation will be brought to that one who wholly seeks and desires the Lord. Care must be taken not to place our desires in the wrong areas. A wrong area may be to desire God to do something for us, to give us something for self-satisfaction, or to know and understand certain things to satisfy our curiosity about the Lord. The right area is a desire for Him alone! Remember we are to: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) Desiring the Lord will be the foundation upon which revelation is brought to us. God's heart responds to the heart desiring Him. A hunger and thirst for righteousness characterizes this desiring heart. The heart of God desires this same thing, righteousness in human hearts. Thus, kind is answering to it own kind. Remember this basis principle, since it will determine the extent to which we will progress in God. Kind is attracted to kind. This principle is true, not only true in the spiritual realm, but also in the social realm and animal realm. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me." (Psalms 42:7) As much as we desire what God desires to that extent God brings us into Himself and we become more like Him.

FEAR NOT

I just returned from a ministry trip to Bulgaria and Romania as always the people were so giving and kind. I find those who have the least give the most and this trip was no exception. All along the 17 days we (Darrell Pope and I) were gone as I beseeched the LORD He would respond "come and go as planned all is well." What an assurance I would get as we faced trying things along the way. God speaking a word of encouragement goes a long ways in settling our spirit, calming our nerves, and removing fear. Have you ever experienced fear (I have) in your life? It hits you in the pit of your stomach. This world is in a mess and if we allow this world to affect our thinking and heart we too will be in a mess. This is why John said, "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. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ,is not of the Father, but is of the world.17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17) Now notice it says "the things that are in the world." Most Christians are so stuck on the things in the world that they do not really miss a genuine relationship with the LORD. Their carnal relationship is based on knowing God through all of the technology driven church. We were sitting in Paris at Charles De Gaul Airport and I looked and everyone in the two rows (of 15 seats) behind us and in front of us were glued to their hand held electronic devices. A bomb could have went off and they would not have unplugged from their mesmerized state. Our love for the world will prevent us from knowing God in any meaningful way and maybe prevent us from going to heaven. Our love for the world is kindled in us because we do not want to experience loss in our lives. We want what everyone else has and more. As Christians we must never allow the fear of loss in our lives move us out of God. The loss we should want to experience is the loss of our love for the world and our flesh. Did you know God measures our gain in Him by what we lose? We think God measures our gain in Him by what we can gain to our self, even spiritual things, but that is not true. God measures our gain in Him by how much of the world we can lose, how much of our: selfish, self-seeking, religious nature we can allow God to kill in us, and in that same amount of loss God can fill the loss with His goods. Fear of loss is rooted in greed and arrogance. We must never allow fear of any type control our lives. Prophetically speaking God's message to His children today is fear not. This has always been God's message and God changes not. From day one at Jesus' birth the angels said, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10) Fear not, no matter what the world is doing, fear not no matter what the news says, "fear not for behold (stop and look) I bring you good tiding of great joy." The angels brought the good news of Jesus' birth and a word to remove the fear. Lack of fear in our lives enables us to understand God's plan for our lives. This is why it was important for the shepherds to "fear not" so they could understand the plan God had for His dear Son. So many Christians today operate in fear (in so many areas) and know not the plan God has for them, yet are praying and begging God to tell them what is going on. Well, God does not operate like that, oh no, He expects us to be in control of our emotions and thoughts so we will be able to function and flow with Him. Again it is our love for the world and for ourselves is what keeps us in fear, believe it or not God has the remedy for our fear and that is affliction and darkness. Did you know God will put us into a fix so He can fix us? Jeremiah found that out and God brought him through the refining fire of darkness and fear. In Lamentations we read, "I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer." (Lamentations 3:1-8) I am sure Jeremiah was not full of himself when God finished with him. Jeremiah goes on for 54 verses to what God is doing to him. And then in verse 55 Jeremiah gets it, "I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. 56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. 57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not." (Lamentations 3:55-57) Fear is not God's best way of getting our attentions, but please know God is not above using fear in our lives to get our attention and shut our mouth. I can personally speak of three times God used fear in my life to get me back on track. Fear will fill us (in this order greatest last) when we: lack time in service to Him and His people, lack time in studying the word of God, and most important lack time in communion (not communication, praying) with Him. When we lack in these areas there is a void in us (which once was filled with God) and now the lack in us is filled with fear and not the things of God. Fear fills us when we lack the things God has for us and of course our lack is based on us choosing not to do what God has asked us to do. Because we are nearing at the end of the Church Age (I believe this with my whole heart) many are going through difficult and trying wilderness experiences which is a very good thing. These wilderness experiences are for a purpose that we must understand, if we are to be fully prepared for the outworking of our calling and ministry. When I was sharing in Silistra, Bulgaria I told the church that I never thought I would see the second coming of the LORD in my life time, but now I am not so sure. Things are moving at such an alarming rate in the world, that people (sinner and saints alike) cannot comprehend what God is doing so fear fills their lives, but this is not what the LORD wants for His children. Troubles and sorrows in our lives often begin in a wilderness experience - in the privacy of our personal relationship with the Lord (where separated from all else) we interact with Him alone. Jesus Himself was called apart into a desolate place for a very specific purpose and is the servant greater than the master? His response reveals the deep work of preparation that had taken place during his time in the wilderness. Jesus told us, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) The same thing the angel said, but this is a promise from God. Paul encouraged us, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) They meant it. The purpose of these wilderness experiences is to bring to nought our natural ability and fears into the place of complete dependence upon the LORD. Our greatest human ability can never accomplish the work God desires to do in us. We have to come to a place of emptiness, but this too can cause fear in us. God's answer is His dealings and judgment in our lives as He is able to open up to us how much different His character and nature is so much different than ours. After all He made us and He knows our frame and infirmities. Now make no mistake my friends bad times are coming our way just read the Bible and if you do not agree you have been deceived (like the humanistic church who believes a great end-time revival is coming) by the gods of this world, but we have an assurance He will never leave us or forsake us when the tough times come our way. In Isaiah we read, "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:1-2) We cannot stop the floods and fires coming our way they are coming no matter what we believe or say, but what matters is will we be full of fear when troubles comes our way or will we be full of faith knowing God is with us even if the floods overwhelm us and the fires scorch. This is the message I shared at Bethel church in Constanta, Romania they got it that night I could see it in their eyes and I could feel it in their hearts the only place that fear matters. Written by David Stahl

RECKLESS ABANDONMENT

Some people say (and I strongly agree) we are not really ready to live unless we are ready to die. Did you know losing our life is the heart of Christianity if we desire to become what God wants us to become? In the Gospel of John we read, "Verily, verily (a double imperative or there is no other way), I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:24-25) Do you know how much faith we need? Just enough to believe God too can raise us from the dead as He did Jesus. The condition for fruitfulness in God is not activity and good works, but separation and death. And please notice losing comes first then we have "life eternal" which is not living forever, but knowing God. Again John helps us here. Jesus tells us what "life eternal" is, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) We often get things mixed up like with the Kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17) not a place (it is within us) in the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of Heaven which is an abode for God and us someday. To be able to abide with God someday and enter the Kingdom of God (which we must do first) we must be "all in" totally sold out to what God wants for our lives. We must totally abandon all (all of our dreams, wants, ambitions, intentions, etc.) to really walk with God in the way He wants and needs us to walk with Him. It is strangely odd how I know this yet I resist this, but the more we are alive to what we desire and want for our lives the more troubles we will experience in allowing God to bring the things in His heart out into the light of our lives. The LORD ever seeks to change us as He desires to bring us into a cooperative relationship with Himself and into the outworking of His higher Kingdom purposes. Before we can go with Him, we must first come to Him. Therefore, the LORD waits for us to reach out toward Him and invite Him to come within and the place within is achieved by a reckless abandonment where we see nothing of our self and can totally trust on God's goodness and mercy. Each day we should come into a set apart place to worship Jesus with a thankful heart acknowledge His goodness concerning us. We should come into the LORD's presence in an attitude of submissive dependence as being a branch that is attached to the "true vine" as we give expression of audible worship and as we partake of communion and fellowship with Him. As we faithfully do this, day after day, an impartation of our willingness towards obedience will slowly develop in us so we can live and walk ever increasingly closer to Jesus and ever the more give our life away so that we may be able to take on His life. It is essential that each day we set apart time to be in His presence. Our assembling and fellowshipping one with another should not be neglected, however, this should never become a substitute for our devotional times alone with the LORD. The more we spend time with the LORD the more we will develop a reckless abandonment. Total abandonment will throw caution to the wind to save our soul and flesh, we put our lives totally in the hands of God. Funny how we do all we can do to save our self and God is trying His best to kill it. Like Queen Esther when she said, " . . . and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16) This is a statement of reckless abandonment and of true faith in God knowing He knows best for her and no matter what comes her way she will be content with whatsoever the LORD brings her way. A special Christian friend I was in the Navy with Val Castillo (PILA) and I were talking with my Bible Teacher Charles Haun at a Macaroni Grill (Charles favorite restaurant) one night. At the time Charles had cancer and was being treated for it. Val turned to Charles and asked, "have you prayed for God to heal you of this cancer?" Now I know millions of people prayed that God would heal Charles of his cancer. I prayed again and again to heal Charles of his cancer, but Charles looked at Val (in a way that only Charles could look) and said no, I am willing to endure whatsoever God brings my way. I shuddered in my shoes, what faith in God. Another example of reckless abandonment that is often over looked (because we call, not God calls the entire 11th Chapter of Hebrews the "Hall of Faith") is the end of Hebrews. We read, "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea ,more over of bonds and imprisonment:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:33-38) I am not sure if these verses are from past experience or will be what Christians in the future have to endure. At any rate it will take total faith in God and a total abandonment to God's mercies and care for someone to overcome in this time. So also today there are those who are searching for something more, who likewise are being called apart to be alone with the LORD in order to receive from Him. Therefore it is very important that we respond when the LORD knocks on the door of our heart. Each one of us should come to the place in which we also can make this statement, “I am the voice of one who is crying in the wilderness of our day.” There is an urgent need for this voice to cry out in the midst of the spiritual confusion, frustrations, and accelerating dangers in our day for us to totally abandon ourselves to God, but today there is a misplaced emphasis on methodology, which instead, should be placed upon divine revelation, guidance, and enabling grace. Therefore, the need is not on more flesh or more methodology, but rather a turning aside to stand in the presence of the LORD to be prepared to become the voice of one crying in the wilderness of our day. Toward the end of his life (I believe it was) A. W. Tozer was asked what he would do if he had his life to live over again. He said in response, he had spent seven years in preparation for forty-five years of ministry. Instead he would spend forty-five years in preparation for seven years of ministry. The LORD is seeking to bring us to the end of our abilities so we can tap into His ability. This requires that we recognize His presence and turn aside to stand before Him. Only then will we be enabled to become the expression of His voice and heart to a lost and dying world. Today we sing songs about being free, freedom in God is the drive, the drum beat for personal fulfillment in Him, looking for their destiny, but sadly most Christians never come to that place of freedom because it is only found in the restrictions and limitations of God. As the horse must endure restrictions of the bridle and limitations of the saddle to be useful we must endure God's limitations and restrictions if not we will have no able to minister the life of God. My friend it is our total abandonment to God of all of our earthly and heavenly resources will enable us to be free enough to fall into the ground and die so that we can "bring forth much fruit" a very painful death indeed.

OUR SELFISHNESS

Karen and I (and even Connie and Joshua) like Boxers as pets. Over the years we have had many boxers. When we moved to Germany in 1996 we brought two dogs: one named "Rocky" half Cocker Spaniel and Lhasoapso and the other of course a Boxer name "Annie." Both were great dogs and we enjoyed their company and affection, but over the seven years we lived in Germany Annie got cancer twice and had to have surgery. Both times she beat the cancer, but the third time it popped out on her it took her life. When we returned home from Germany we got another boxer named "Grimme More Bacon" or "Grimme" for short. And he too got cancer and it took his life, but when both dogs died I cried alike a baby. When my dad (2010) and mom (2014) died I cried. Any time someone we know dies especially if we are close to them like our parents (and that is understandable because we will miss them) or we lose something we cry. Now do not get me wrong here I am not saying we should not cry when our parents or our favorite animal dies, but we must recognize the source of our sorrow if we are to get over the loss. At the center of our tears is the realization of the loss we will experience in the passing away of our family and friends. The sorrow and tears are not based in anything, but our selfishness. Yes I loved my father very much, but he was an extremely sick man living a full life laying his life down for his family and seeing action in three wars. What else could anyone ask of a man? And my mom. Oh how I love my mom who was bedridden, had Alzheimer's, and a host of other medical problems: gave birth to six children (had 11 pregnancies in all), cooked and cleaned, cared for her husband and children what more could you ask of a woman? Yet my dad, mom, even my dogs died and I cried because of the loss I had experience. My tears were not about their death, but about what I was going to lose in those relationships. Now do not say that Dave Stahl how heartless can a man be, because this is true of us all. At the heart of all of our tears believe it or not is our selfishness. As a matter of fact it is our self-centerness that is at the center of our grief. And the sooner we realize this the sooner we will be able to prevent our emotions from taking over our thought life and our heart. The true Christian battle is not the devil (he is defeated my mom would not even call his name in any form) or our sin (Jesus died for that), but it is our thought life that must be aligned with what God has said about us and what He wants for our lives. In 2 Corinthians Paul tells the Church at Corinth and us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) God says we are, "a new creature old things are passed away; behold (or look at this) all things are become new" and we think "who me?" Yes you! Our salvation is not based on our good works or religious performance, but on what Christ has done for us on the cross. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open up our understanding to the truth about us and what Jesus did for us. My friend the battle is between our mind and our heart. In that we come to realize what Jesus did on the cross for us and that we really believe it. So too the sooner we realize the center of all of our grief is our self-centeredness the sooner we will be happy when the so called bad things that happen in our lives come our way. Often our inability to recognize it is our emotions and feelings (our selfishness) that are deceiving us and is based on our lack of judgment. Jesus again and again all throughout the Gospels tells us to judge. Judgment must be a part of our Christian walk if not then we will not have the ability to separate ourselves from things that are not godly, things that are unholy, and things are unrighteous. In John Jesus tells us to, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24) "Judge not according to the appearance" to what we think or feel (again our emotions and feelings), but "judge righteous judgment." Well how can we do this? First we must have a sense of righteousness within us and God must be able to put it there. Then we must exercise our ability to look at a situations and even certain people (their motives and intentions) and align it up with the word (both written and spoken to us) of God. Did you know there are some people you cannot be around and still serve God? Did you know there are some places you cannot go and still be called a Christian? There are some things and people you cannot stand for and be called a Child of God? Most Christians do not know this and are deceived and get over in many areas that get them off track in God. In Matthew Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5) Many Christians would say, aha see Jesus said not to judge so they stop reading and miss the message Jesus was sharing while running their lives into a deep ditch because of their lack of discernment and inability to judge . We must continue reading to find the message. Jesus was saying take heed to how you judge not what you judge. In Christ it does not matter what we do for God that counts, but what matters is HOW we do it. Do we do things for the right reason, with the right motives, and with the right intentions? How do we judge? Do we have the right heart condition to judge righteous judgment or are we judging things after the flesh? If we have the right heart condition then we will easily be able to see the speck in our brother's eye because we have allowed God to remove the beam from ours. Unless we allow God to judge and deal in our lives in our lives we will never be able to judge righteous judgment. And when we have under gone God's dealings and judgments to varying degrees we will be able to see even the selfishness in our heart that causes all of the grief in our lives. In the Proverbs we read, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.' (Proverbs 13:10) The word "pride" here talks about our selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-seeking. It is all of that selfishness that causes "contention" or Strong's #4683, all of our strife, debate, and self exaltation. Jesus was telling us to judge righteously and when we can do this our self will be put to death. We will have allowed God to give our selfish nature and character a death blow. Once our self is put to death we then will be able to see what is right and then be able to do the right thing. Paul knew where the battle raged, "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) Paul knew it was in our flesh (our emotions, the soulish man. our feelings, our selfishness, etc) where nothing good dwells, not our spirit because if we are a Christian the Holy Spirit dwells within, believe it or not. I do not know about you, but the older I get the more selfish I seem to become. The older I get the less grace I seem to give other people who mistreat or wrong me. The older I get the more I seem to be less tolerant I seem to be with people who do not agree with me. All this really means is the older I get the more selfish I am becoming and the more I need God to work the more in my life and kill my flesh. True happiness is not found in material things, a sense of well being and good health, popularity, and the list goes on, but true happiness is only found when we can abandon ourselves in God's all knowing hands where no selfishness can exist. Written by David Stahl

THE INTENT OF OUR HEART

No matter what we do (even for God) does not matter if the intent of our heart is wrong. All of our service and good works in the church, money given, even our perfect attendance will not matter to God if our motives and intentions are impure. It is the intent of our heart God is looking at and nothing more. Now the performance based religious folks will doom me to hell for such words, but that is okay because deep in their heart they know I am telling the truth yet they lack the heart to speak the truth. The Son of God (from the beginning of eternity) held a position of equality with God. Nevertheless He willingly set this equality aside that He might take on an identification with mankind in order to pay the penalty for man’s sin. It was through obedience and suffering that He experientially entered into this position as Saviour yet the intent of His heart was never to ascend above His Father will for His life. In Philippians we read the heart intent of Jesus Christ, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) His intent of His heart was settled and established not on the cross, but in the Garden of Gethsemane (which means where oil is pressed) where the Father pressed out the life and heart of Jesus. I am reminded now of the story from Bill Pepper who shares of the Chinese father who attended an underground church until he was caught by the authorities. The entire family was arrested and the authorities said they will kill each one of his family members, starting with his wife, unless he told them who the leader of the church was. The father with tears in his eyes looked at his wife and family and said, "I will see you all in the morning." The father had an established heart and his faith was settled in believing though God or the government would slay him (or his family) yet I will trust Him. Willfully Jesus submitted Himself to the disciplines and the testings of life so He might qualify through experience as well as by His identity as our Savior. The writer of the Book of Hebrews writes, “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9) Is the student greater than the Master? Jesus had settled this issue within His being and His heart was right toward God. Inwardly He was determined to pay the full price for the outworking of the will of God though it would cost Him His physical life. We often say brother or sister give me your testimony well guess what no test no testimony. Jesus now had a testimony because He endured the test. Because of His obedience to the will of the Father Jesus humbled Himself and became the Lamb of God upon Calvary’s cross and then died in our stead shedding His precious blood that our sin might be cleansed. Because of this the Father brought Him forth in resurrection life and then highly exalted Him. Again Paul in Philippians helps us here, “Wherefore, God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess He is Lord.” (Philippians 2:9-10) God cares not of the stature of a man, his abilities, skills, or talents. I find it sad (wrong thinking) when sports players point up to the heavens after they score as to give God thanks for their ability to run the football or shoot a basketball, well God is not looking at their sports ability God is always looking at the intent of their heart. We see this truth painfully play out in I Samuel, “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he (Samuel) looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him. But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:6-7) Samuel would have chosen the one who outwardly appeared to meet every qualification. However the Lord revealed a different method of qualification -- the intent of the heart. This principle is exemplified in God's rejection of Eliab and in the selection of David for the throne of Israel. But later David was severely tested when Saul turned against him; but under extreme pressure David chose the LORD and His ways. His experience (his test for his testimony) during this time of testing is recorded in Psalm 27:1-4. God saw that David would choose Him in the difficulties that he would face and later declared him to be “ . . . a man after His own heart.” (I Samuel 13:14). Another example of this principle is revealed in the choosing of Jacob, a deceiver over his Brother Esau. “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13). At first glance this Scripture seems to indicate that divine approval is an arbitrary choice made by God. However the LORD’s choice is based upon a divine principle. Outwardly it appears that Esau should have been the right choice. He was the firstborn and when his father requested meat he willingly went to get it for him (Genesis 27:1-4) But previously when under the pressure of intense hunger Esau despised the blessing of God and sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup and received a present temporal satisfaction (Genesis 25:29-33). Jesus faced this same test of hunger in the wilderness, but refused to turn stones into bread in order to feed His hunger when He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) a continual truth that must grip our hearts today. While Esau was seeking meat for his father Jacob deceived his father into imparting the blessing to him rather than to his brother. But later when Jacob was under intense pressure the true quality of his character came forth. Jacob had fled from Esau and was now returning home with all of his possessions. In Genesis 32:6-8 he was told that everything that he owned was in jeopardy as Esau was coming with 400 men toward him. Then Jacob humbled his heart before the LORD and asked for His help (Genesis 32:9-12). He sent all of his possessions toward Esau in two separate companies and then remained alone to see what would happen when the first group came to Esau. His plan was that if Esau destroyed the first group he could take the second group and escape still the deceiver, but in the end after wrestling with an angel (some people say it was man and others say it was even God) Jacob received a change of nature, along with position, and power. The Bible says he "wrestled" well if it was God why would you want to wrestle with God? I wonder what Jacob would have gotten if he would have not wrestled, but submitted to God? Maybe God had something much better than a name change One thing for sure he would not have received a limp he carried with him all the days of his life. Make no mistake my brother any time we wrestle with God we will come out on the short end of the stick. Make no mistake my friend any time we wrestle with God He will have to break our heart to get our attention so that we can align our intention up with His intention. In the end Esau who had sought rather to satisfy the present hunger of his stomach lost out, but there was a change of his heart condition towards his brother (over the years of separation) Jacob now called Israel. I want to believe even though the Bible really does not say it, but I hope there was a real time of reconciliation between Esau and Israel. God's heart is never for brothers to be at odds with each other even in the face of their heart condition towards God and God's heart condition towards them. Funny how God deals with us according to the intent of our heart, that is according to what we truly desire to be. The present state or condition in which we find ourselves will be changed by the LORD if we truly put Him first and then trust Him. The Bible is full of examples like with David and Israel. At the end of the day is does not matter what you do for God it matters how you do it and the intent of your heart. Written by David Stahl

SELF-WILL MUST GO

Obedience is found in denying self's will. This was so for Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He (Jesus) became obedient. He (Jesus) humbled Himself. He (Jesus) became a servant. He laid aside His own will. Thus, we must suffer death to self before we can take up our cross and follow this wonderful man and savior from Galilee. Jesus said. "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39) Here the work of salvation was settled in the heart of Jesus so now He could go to the cross on Calvary. Jesus had to die Himself before he could be brought to the cross. Did you get that? Many believers will fight the cross for the sake of their own self-existence, but once we become willing to die to self and our desires then God can bring us into the sacrifices which lie along our paths of obedience. Do not rush too far ahead of the Lord's will. Training and learning are first necessary before coming into some aspects of His will. There must be a denying of self before there even can be a learning. Jesus said, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) The denying of self is necessary for your learning. Taking up your cross is necessary for your learning. All three: denying, taking, following are indispensable to fulfill the learning process. "Disciple" means "pupil" -- one who is a learner. Self-will does not function in revelation whether it has it or not. So why should the Holy Spirit introduce revelation into such a condition. Insisting to push forward in self-will lowers the possibility of Holy Spirit revelation. Elisha learned this when dealing with the sons of the prophets, "And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 18 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?" (II Kings 2:15-18) There is a direct ratio between obedience and victory. The more laying aside of self-will the greater the learning of obedience. The fuller the obedience, the more numerous are the victories in Christian living. Obedience brings victory. There are many examples in the Bible which reveal the truth that obedience brings victory. Along with these examples of obedience bringing victory, there are also the injunctions, an order or command, of the Lord. "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:" (Isaiah 1:19) Obedience carries to victory and victory carries to fulfillment. Obedience must move with the cooperation of man's will. "If ye be willing" In willing obedience there is an appetite being created, "Ye shall eat the good of the land." The appetite is for fulfillment. Therefore the extent of willingness is also being increased. Obedience keeps you on the road to greatness in God. Why did not the children of Israel possess the promised land after two years in the wilderness? Why did they die in the wilderness? Disobedience. By obedience, fulfillment, and possession finally were achieved, by the next generation and they moved into the things, the promised land, the Lord had prepared for their fathers. After generations in the promised land, the Israelites went back into disobedience and became servants to those who they were to rule. "Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:" (Nehemiah 9:36) Instead of possessing and ruling that which God gave them, they were conquered and ruled. Obedience must be constant if victory is to be constant. "But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries." (Exodus 23:22) God will oppose those who oppose you. He will afflict those who afflict you. Obedience aligns you with God. In that relationship He will relate to others just as they relate to you. Obedience is far reaching. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19) What is the extent of the results of our obedience. We will never know in this life on earth. In our obedience to the Lord small things become big things, big things become bigger things, but all things in obedience to the Lord have eternal consequences. The extent of the results of obedience becomes a very serious factor. Because of the disobedience of some, others will suffer. Many attempt to gain some self-comfort by inventing doctrine which they believe relieves them of their responsibility before the Lord. Nevertheless the Word of God still speaks, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." More sobering than that are the words recorded in Ezekiel, "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." (Ezekiel 3:18) Again, "By the obedience of one, many shall be made righteous." By the obedience of one, a person comes to Jesus. By the new convert's obedience, two persons discover the Christ who saves. Then four come. How far does obedience go to which God has called us? Unto eternal life! Obedience is so very important that God will take us through extreme difficulties to instill it in us by hard knocks or bumping our heads. Who can fathom the importance of the life of obedience to which God has called us? This training is to project us into awesome fulfillment. If we are to get there we must learn obedience in our training program. Where the Lord has to speak only once to us. Do not despair in your rigorous training circumstances. Remember their purposes. Always keep in mind the goal, to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ, and then, plod on. The race is not to the swift, but to those who are faithful in obedience win the prize. Written by David Stahl

FEAR GOD OR FEAR MAN

When I grew up in West Virginia life was slow, quiet, and safe. Fear was not eve on our radar. My father would pull up in the drive way and toss his keys onto the hood of the car, leaving them over night, and in the morning he would get them and head out. We never locked our doors or windows at night. The cool breeze (we did not have air conditioning) through the open windows was a great memory, but as I grew and as America slipped further and further away from God we found ourselves locking our car and doors at night. No longer were our windows open, oh no we were locked up, sealed up tighter than a drum sadly we feared man because we were losing the fear of God. As Karen and I travel around this days visiting churches we are awe struck by the fear we see and hear in the lives of many Christians. We see the fear that man gives to the world through his evil acts of hatred, racism, arrogance, religious rituals, and worse selfishness. You know fear is one of the most debilitating inward emotional forces we contend with. Strange how on one hand fear can be good for us keeping our senses sharp and resilient where we can respond to dangerous situations in our lives, yet on the other hand fear can paralyze our thoughts, spirit, emotions, even our physical health. We all like to laugh in the face of fear, but I am here to tell you my friend fear usually gets the last laugh. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have laid on Karen's lap before a trip overseas and wrestled with fear. I think fear is the last enemy we must conquer before God can use us in what He has planned for us to do on this earth now and in the next life to come. At the heart, at the center of fear in us (believe it or not) is selfishness. We hate to lose anything. Pastor Jacob from Romania told me one day no one is afraid to die, but what we are afraid of is how we will die not wanting to suffer. But my friend to conquer fear we all must die. Death in us is the only way to conquer fear. The death I speak of is our spiritual (maybe physical) death where must die to our selfish emotions and ambitious. As long as our "self" is alive there will never be any resurrection life in us. In Romans Paul tells us, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" (Romans 6:3-5) Did you get that? Newness of life, resurrection life (where we can conquer fear and do the things God has asked us to do) comes out of us being baptized into the death of Christ not being the strongest, bravest, most spiritual Christian in town. Now that is not what most preachers and teachers share. Oh no most teachers and preachers today share a humanistic, performance based religion doing things to get God to do things for us. using our faith to get God to move on our behalf instead of using our faith to align our expectations with God's will and plan for our lives. Strange, but when we are alive to our "self" and when God's plan comes to us it can cause fear to develop in us. At this time we must relinquish our thoughts, ambitions, and yes emotions, we must abandon our "self" to God's loving hands. Strange how it is God's word to us that can cause us to be uncomfortable and fear, but if we can push through our emotions and all of the phony religion we seem to embrace on the other side is a satisfaction and contentment that only God can give. I see in so many lives a running around in God (zealous, workative, and showy) trying to do things for God when all He wants is for us to die. He does not need us to be a conquering warrior only a humble servant. He will take care of the battle we need no battle axe, oh no all we need is a sling. And at the end of the day either we will fear man or God. If we choose man we then shall fear or please (translated persuade) him because of our selfishness, worrying more to what man says then God. Paul helps us here, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10) Sadly today there is not much of a fear of God. Seemingly respect, civility, and wisdom has been flushed from this world leaving most people (Christians included) stuck (narcissistic) on themselves and self-centered not fearing God. You know God does have a big stick, He is not the old man upstairs, and yes He loves us, but He will only put up with us for so long, then He will draw back his love (his stick) to modify our behavior in more with what we must become to be able to do that which He has asked us to do. God cannot and will not use untrained, unapproved (to His ways) children. We must have a fear of God or we will have a fear of man and this my friend will destroy the work of God in our lives and God's plan for us. We must come to a place in God where we value God's dealings and judgments over man's In 1 Chronicles we read of King David's transgression when he numbered the people of Israel. "And God was displeased with thisthing; therefore he smote Israel. 8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee 12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. 13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man." (1 Chronicles 21:7-13) King David knew it would be better for him and the nation to fall in to the hands of God than the hands of man. King David knew he if he feared God he would not have to fear man. Let me say that again, King David knew he if he feared God he would not have to fear man. Somehow King David knew the truth of the New Testament that there is torment in fear. John tells us, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) That is the fear of us losing something we hold near and dear to our heart. That is the fear of us not getting what we think we want. When we fear we are troubled in heart and our mind does not work right. I have learned when our heart is not right our head is not right. When we fear man (even our self) our thinking does not align with what God wants for our lives and we find ourselves doing and saying things we would never say and do. In Proverbs King David's son King Solomon) shared, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: . . " (Proverbs 23:7) Or as our heart is so we shall be. If our heart (where we spiritually think) is wrong we shall think wrong spiritually. In the Greek these words are translated, "as a gate swings open wide." Our heart is that gate to our thoughts and our soul and whatsoever we allow behind the gate (our heart as it swings wide) we shall be that. All throughout the Bible the heart has always been a place of decision. In Revelation 3:20 we read, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20) What door is Jesus knocking on? Our heart of course. And whatsoever we allow behind the door of our heart we will be that. Do we fear man or God? You know the older I get the more fear of God I have. When I was younger I seemed to have this invincibility about me and feared nothing, but now that I am older I see my frailty, the older I get the more I see I am as grass and someday will wither away. The older I get the more I see my weaknesses and understand what King Solomon was talking about when he said, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7) You know the Book of Proverbs really scares me. We read the Proverbs written by King Solomon from his father King David, but the sad thing about Proverbs is King Solomon NEVER learn the lessons from his father. All we have to do is read the Book of Ecclesiastes to see this truth. Yet in the end we see the conclusion as the whole matter is exposed. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) The conclusion is "Fear God" first (order in the Bible matters) and then "keep His commandments." Make no mistake my friend you will either fear God and be at rest with Him and man or you will fear man and not have one moment of peace in your life. Again fear has torment. Not only King David and King Solomon knew this truth, but Brother Job, "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28) No fear of God no wisdom and no wisdom we will not be able to depart from evil. The fear of God is our all in all in God. I do have some good news. I do not want to close out this article seemingly down in the mouth, but please know fear not! No matter the situation and circumstance fear not -- fear not, God will be with you! It is the folks who do not fear God are the ones who live in a world of ungodly and unrealistic phobias. It is the one who do not fear God who fear man. Man rarely gives mercy and certainly is not longsuffering. When we are wrong and are caught we all want mercy not judgment, but man does not have the capability or heart condition in him to give real mercy and then righteous judgment. Man can only give what he has and if not dealt with by God he can only give of his "selfishness. " Make no mistake we will either fear man or God it is our choice. Written by David Stahl

HOLY SPIRIT POWER

Karen and I recently attended a nice little local Pentecostal Church. The people were very friendly and warm, but there was not much Pentecost going on in the service. If you did not know the name of the church you would have thought you were in a mainstream denominational church: two fast ones, a slow one, take up the offering, mention a few announcements, a short sermonette, and out the door. Now I was raised in the Pentecostal church most of my youth and can remember the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly falling (tears streaming down cheeks, snot running out noses, people wailing then running to the altar repenting, and so much more), but it has been a long long time since I have seen this display of God's power. I know it is not God not wanting to reveal Himself with such power He desires to open up the windows and heaven and pour out unto man His best, but maybe it is man who does not want to be bothered with the requirements to experience and handle the power of the Holy Spirit. For the most part the main stream denominations (including the eight or so Baptist churches have left the power (whether you believe in speaking in an unknown tongue or are miracles are for today) of the Holy Spirit on the ground. To me this is amazingly sad. Did you know this power from God, this Holy Spirit power is ours for the asking? In the Book of Acts we read, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Act 1:8) This power is like the free gift of salvation, "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." (Romans 5:18) What a wonderful thought to know salvation for us is free (but it cost Jesus His life) and power from on high is waiting for our request. But in that request is the obligation to be obedient to what God wants in our lives. Obedience is in the Holy Spirit. We are called upon by God to live and transcend above the carnal and natural. We are brought into the kingdom of God to operate beyond our human ability. No one in their own human ability can live a life for God and please God. God picks us up and sets us on a higher plane. He provides us with an ability beyond our own to operate and function on that plane which is higher than we. It is a level higher than our natural, human capabilities. God is after responses from us in the area of obedience. Our Heavenly Father calls for obedience in a certain situation. He has given the ability to respond correctly through the power of the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is are we going to use that power which the Father has provided and obey or are we going to turn from it and disobey. At times we are caught in certain situations where as far as our natural ability was concerned it would have been total disobedience. To move in obedience to God in that situation seemed to be completely out of our hands. But the Holy Spirit rushes in and lifts us up above our natural inability and into an ability we did not have. At this point we still have a decision to make; are we or are we not going to respond correctly to the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Only with help from our Heavenly Father is perfect obedience possible. Such a thing brings a tremendous sense of victory. We know that God won the battle we did not, we simply surrendered to the mind of the Holy Spirit. If we walk according to the Holy Spirit we shall not fulfill lusts of the flesh. Paul tells us, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16) Why not? Because the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in leading and directing us. The Spirit is constantly bringing to us God's desires. If (the most important word in the Bible it always sets the condition for receiving from God) we surrender to His direction (at that same time) it is impossible to be fulfilling our own carnal desires, "we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." It would be quite impossible. Another wonderful benefit of this Holy Spirit power is our obedience becomes the manifestation of love. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) The power of the Holy Spirit moves in us to bring us to obedience. Here is another power which also moves in us to bring us to obedience. The power of love brings to us the "want to" in obedience. There are those who do not "want to" obey God, but love comes in and there is a change. Now there is a desire to obey God. Obedience begins in the small, easy things in our Christian walk. We are first brought into obedience in our basic and undemanding babyhood. That is just a beginning for us. Speaking of Jesus Paul said, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) As we follow in His path obedience will grow in strength, in us. In its development it will carry us through our life into the fulfillment of the most difficult requirements that God has for us. In other words the longer we go in God and the more we learn the easier learning becomes. We grow into this we learn, we are not born again with this. Wouldn't it be nice if we were? But we're not. We disobey, we make a mistake. Failure is not failure unless you get stuck in it. Failure is nothing but a stepping stone from one classroom to another classroom on that higher ground. Progress on failure! Why yes on failure. The Bible is full of it. Failure is not sin. Sin is sin. Failure is failure. There are many differences between the two. Sin is wrong where failure is just another opportunity to try again and get it right. Sin is wrong! Never condone sin. Sin no matter the situation is wrong in the eyes of God. Sin is always judged through the heart and eyes of God not through our eyes. What we would call sin God may not. We must always be careful what we call things, but never condone sin. One would say Abraham's faith failed in his stay in Egypt and in regards to the son whom God promised him. But he went on and came to the complete faith which God intended for him. Jacob's life seemed hopeless in its beginning. He went on and came to greatness. Saul's life was a disaster. He wrestled and even fought the LORD. He even persecuted the LORD, "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9:4) But he went on from failure to become the great apostle Paul. We see them succeeding in God because they did not get stuck and swallowed up in their failures, even in their disobedience. They did not give up and sink deeply down into the thick mud and trapping mire. They allowed the Lord to; "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." (Psalms 40:2-3) We will never be able to survive the "horrible pit" and the "miry clay" unless the Holy Spirit has empowered us with His ability. They did not get down thinking that God had forsaken them oh no, they did not bog down over the question, "what must God think of me now?" They failed they knew it (the beginning of getting over failure). They learned. "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." (Proverbs 24:16) Rather than sinking further into the hopeless mire of self-condemnation we can learn. Let us step up on higher ground where it becomes more solid. Let us allow our experiences to become learning processes for the LORD to develop us. Sometimes our experiences are costly. Since we pay we just well ought to gain some benefit in return from our pain. The learning process is best found in humility and submission. "He humbled himself . . ." This is where the success of learning obedience is found. He became a servant. Paul again helps us here, "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" (Philippians 2:7) He became obedient in humility and servitude. There will be success in humility and servitude. We cannot carry pride in our life and learn obedience. That is quite impossible. We may obey to a certain extent, as it pleases our whims and inclinations. The extent of our disobedience will be in direct proportions to the extent of the pride in our life. His Holy Spirit power is waiting for us.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE

Belief is a power tool in our lives. History is full of examples of men enduring countless moments of death, mighty armies, unbelievable odds on their shear faith of believing something that was spoken or written that was divinely received. So too is the way of the Bible. Jesus told the disciples, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23) Now I will be the first person to admit I do not have the total revelation on this verse I do not have the ability to "whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22) nor have I ever met anyone in my entire life who could "ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive," asking yes receiving always no. Maybe someday I will be able to operate in these verses, but for now I am content in walking in the revelation I understand that God has given. You know we will never get more revelation from God till we walk correctly in what He has already given us. Yet in my spirit I am troubled. Within me there is a struggle between my desire to see America be the light and salt to the world (spreading the wondrous Gospel message around the world) as I believe God created her for. America was not created by God to spread freedom and democracy around the world oh no in God there is no freedom or democracy only our total obedience and unflinching commitment to our king. Some of my friends say America was birthed in rebellion, well this may be true America did break free of England, but if we take a good look at England spiritually she was the light bearer of the Gospel till around the middle 1700s when she began to slip into humanism which she still thrives in today. God needed a new light bearer and America was birthed in His heart and today we celebrate our 239th birthday. Sadly America too has slipped into humanism (because of the humanistic message the church now preaches) and so much more over her many years and today she is no longer the light bearer of the Gospel in the world as God ordained. The other side of the struggle I see play out in the scriptures and I know (somewhat) what is going to happen before Jesus comes back. When I do not know, it is not important, but what is important is He said He is coming back and we must believe it. The struggle in me manifests my belief or maybe my unbelief in His word. For example do I believe such a verse as: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13) Do I really believe I am a "pilgrim" and "stranger" on this earth, if so I would think I would not be so concerned about my home car, my retirement, all of the eases life can afford, oh no if I really believed this verse I would be more concerned about doing the things God wants me to do. Maybe my TV watching would be cut way back maybe completely cut off from my life. The TV is not our friend. How many Christians watch more TV, spend time on the internet surfing for ungodly websites, and playing ungodly sci-fi computer games than they do in prayer or reading their Bibles? How about this verse? Do we really believe, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Do we really believe God promises us tribulation in the world? Who would want to believe that? And then He says, "be of good cheer" really? To believe all of this one must believe Jesus has "overcome the world." Do you really believe (I do) Jesus overcame the world? How about a verse like this one, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) Do you believe there will be a great falling away? But that is not what I hear on Christian TV oh no I hear there is a great end-time revival that will sweep the nations, but that is not what the Bible says. I guess the writers of the word of God did not have a TV program to pay for. Notice "let no man deceive you by any means." You know we will never be deceived if we know the truth that is why the truth is so dangerous to people (like on Christian TV) who are not honest and full of integrity. Here we go again with another promise from God. Who would believe, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) "Suffer persecution" oh no God must have made a mistake, I do not want to "suffer persecution" I want to know what my destiny in God is. Well my friend our destiny in God is to die to our selfish, arrogant, carnal nature, and the best we can ever hope for is to be a servant just like Jesus and to die like John of an old age, anything else is presumption. Now we must not get moved out of God by the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage. The church reacted in panic (same way we are acting today) and outrage in 1973 when abortion on demand became the law of the land, but in time they forgot the spiritual damage done to the country and marched on with life building bigger barns and storehouses. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open up our eyes of understanding to the devastation this ruling is bringing to America and to the whole world. This way we will know why things are happening. It is amazing how soon we forget, but before God can give us mercy He first must judge us, judgment always comes ahead of mercy. God was not moved by the SCOTUS's decision. He was not taken by surprise, nor has it changed His plans for America. As a matter of fact I would believe it plays right into God's hands for America. Do we believe God knows the beginning and the end for America? Better yet do we believe God knows the beginning and the end for each and everyone one of us? Who would believe God would send us out into the world (even in ministry) like this, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.:" Matthew 10:16-24) Well is the servant (us) greater than the Master (the LORD)? Do we believe this? If they vilified (so they could marginalized Him) and then killed Jesus do we believe we are going to get any better from the world? The evil spirits then are still in the world have not changed, there is nothing new under the sun. In Genesis when the men of Sodom wanted to commit sodomy (a homosexual act between two men) with the Angels Lot offered up his two virgin daughters, but they replied, "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door." (Genesis 19:9) In other words, Lot who are you to judge us watch out we are going to get you. The same thing the sodimites of today are saying to God and anyone that stands up for the truth in the word of God. The world is lost and the things we seem to love in the world will destroy our Christian witness and our lives. All of those things that seem harmless, fun, and even makes sense, but in the end will put us out of God. Christians hear me loud and clear take great heed to your soul get off of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) before it is too late. They will use social media to round Christians up in the future. They are already using social media today to track us why do we think they will not use social media for other ungodly purposes? What else in our lives have such sway? Let us face the truth the "nominal church" has not engaged nor has it effected the social culture of the world. And why? Because she has willfully given up the moral high ground (we have the words of life) to politicians and other liars for political favor and financial gain. They (the nominal church) have allowed men and women who despise our God stand behind the sacred desk for popularity and worldly acceptance. They (the nominal church) have supported and encouraged ungodly spiritual truth by calling evil good and good evil compromising the word of God deceiving many. I asked the LORD what must America (the government and the people) do for Him to turn His wrath away from America and quickly and with a resounding roar in my spirit I heard these words, "the government and the people must humble themselves before me, put prayer back in school, stop murdering their children, and overturn the abominable ruling on same sex marriage, and then I will heal them and their land. Now here is the good news fear not my friends God has always had remnant and today is no different. Yes it is true America is a sinking ship spiritually and you better be in the life boat of His protection and safety bad times are coming our way, but all though out the Bible God has protected those who (how about you?) put their faith and trust in Him. Their times were tough, persecutions, tribulations, many have died for their faith, but God has always had a remnant He could build on to see His intention done on earth as it is in heaven. My friends in the last days Christianity will continue to break into two. There will be the apostate false church (better run out and take your family now before it is to late) and that which remains true to the Gospel and a biblical worldview, which one are you in? The true Church (remember we are the church) will boldly speak the truth on moral issues while the rest compromise and fold into the lies and half truths of today's multi-cultural world. At the beginning of the age we had an anti-Christian pagan culture that persecuted believers well it is back. We are at a pivotal point this new period of total lawlessness and apostasy in which whole Christian denominations are falling in line with the world’s changing view of marriage (and other things God hates) is only the latest symptom that the world and the Church are racing in different directions. Friend we are watching the gradual shift and in some cases a total change of tectonic significance. You know I always thought I would never be alive to see the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, but now I am not so sure do this increased rate of ungodly change. I feel in my spirit we are living in the most exciting times know to man and we are standing on the threshold of the greatest event ever known to man. God has a plan for us all and He will bring it to pass, yes our God reigns and we shall reign with Him if we only believe. Written by David Stahl

ALL IN

Now I am not a poker player nor do I watch poker (Texas Holdem) on TV, okay maybe as I surf I will stop and hear a player say "I am all in," now this gets my attention. When you are "all in" you are betting all of your chips (money) that you have the best hand and are totally committed. You have nothing left to play with; sink or swim, fish or cut bait, your future in the game all depends on the hand you are betting on. Now the rewards are great usually you double or sometimes triple your chips (money) if you win, but the cost is high. If you lose it means you lose everything. As I look at our walk with the LORD this is where we all need to be, "all in," but that is not what I see or hear today and sadly even in myself at times. I will be the first to tell you my brothers and sisters that I have not made it, I have not forsaken all to follow the LORD, but that is where we must be to receive God's the best for our lives. Brother Peter said to Jesus, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" Matthew 19:27), if so where did he get the boat to go fishing in John 21:3? It was not about the disciples fishing, but about the disciples going back to a previous revelation (fishing), they were not "all in" as they had said and thought since Jesus died (in their eyes) better go back to what we used to do before we heard of Jesus. My brothers and sisters we must be "all in" now and more important in the future. The LORD has satisfied our spiritual hunger to some extent, however, no one of us should be totally satisfied. Rather we should be holding our spirit before the LORD seeking more. There is so much available to us from the One who is the source of all life and truth. There is yet before us an expansive field of spiritual reality and we are to venture into it with our eyes closed (into darkness) and our heart open as the Holy Spirit leads us into new discoveries. Our present attainment of spiritual life and experience is the place to which we have been brought through Jesus Christ our LORD. As I have been teaching at our Home Group Meeting the process is: training, exercising, and obedience and the more we are trained by exercising in our lives the more we will be obedient to God and yes also to man. Now God has a reason for all of this. All of this is a preliminary training school for the ages yet to come. It is in the here and now that we make certain qualifications and are approved for our placement in the eternal ages. These qualifications will not be given to us spontaneously when we get there oh no rather, we are being qualified for them here during this present time. Then in the eternal ages to come that which has been acquired through discipline and training through the surrender (by going all in) of our old life to the resurrection of the new all of this will be projected upon another (higher) plane of living in the ages that are yet to come. Our present life is a test it is only a time to qualify for our next position in Christ. These are the treasures Jesus was talking about when He said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Matthew 6:19-20) Jesus was not talking about money or gems He was talking about the "true" treasures that will enable us to move and function with Him in our next life. Whatever we build up of spiritual value, vigor, and vision during our lifetime this is all that the LORD will take of us into eternity. We who have been touched by eternal truth and are seeking to go further, must have a correct perspective and goal. The LORD is very busy building His Body, of which we are a member, training it and doing a thousand things within and for this to happen we must come to place in God where we are "all in," no matter the cost. The day is coming when we will cast our crowns at His feet, but before then we must count the cost to acquire the crowns. Each of us has a certain degree of spiritual hunger. This hunger rests on certain levels of spiritual obedience and experience, ever seeking to take us further. We do not belong (I must keep telling myself this time and time again) here; we are here for just a few fleeting years of training and discipline and then we will be taken. We are to continually move from one level of spiritual understanding and experience to another. This is determined by the amount of spiritual revelation that we have obtained through our responses to the LORD's presence and His workings within us. Because we are reacting agents, we learn our lessons through these experiences. We were made this way in the structural law of our being so this might be possible. I have discovered that I must carefully order my steps as I walk with the LORD. I must be continually sensitive to His voice and responsive to His presence. Then He will guide my path, as He disciplines and trains me in order to push me up into a higher order of spiritual reality and life. You know we become spiritually hungry on different levels, according to our commitment and dedication toward the LORD. Sometimes people say, “oh I know that as I heard it before tell me something new.” But first we must experience the depths of the word we heard. We must come to realize that there are a thousand facets of truth in this glorious treasure of redemption, which radiate from it continually. All revelation is purely a progressive matter. It is eternally moving and is inexhaustible. Anyone who tries to pull it down and label it into a fixed doctrinal pattern will only hinder and frustrate its full outworking. We must always remember that spiritual truth is a progressive revelation which continually expands and moves upward, as Job said, "as the sparks fly upward." (Job 5:7) The truth I have for us today is, "are we all in" with God? It is wonderful to gather other truths, but commitment and dedication will never be a truth that God overlooks in us nor will they be a truth we will never have to pay for. In my spirit I am troubled by the way Christians (especially in America) handle the things of God, but I know God has a plan and He will bring it to an end no matter what we say and feel. Take heed, hear me Christians of America: look at the world you live in, look at your neighbors dying and going to hell, look at your lesbian and sodomite friends who shake their fist at God in defiance calling lust love, good evil, and evil good. Look at the Supreme Court with each major ruling contradicting God and His word moving America further and further from the truth of God's word and closer to all out debauchery. So now God has given us leaders and rulers after our own heart, vile and reprobate. My friend God is looking to see who is "all in" and who is willing to sell out. The rich young ruler was not. God is looking to see who will stand up for His truth and His word or who will compromise the truth wanting to be politically correct, not wanting to offend. Looking at those Christians who have sold their soul to a political party (the donkey or elephant) saying, "if we just can get our man in the White House" thinking their man will lead them to the land that flows with milk and honey when in reality they have been deceived duped, and taken advantage of for more political gain, fame, and money. Oh Christians please look at what once was and what is now. Look at how far we have fallen in knowing the truth and morality (shamefully setting aside the things of God) in the last 10 years. Has our God lost His power and ability or have we sold God out for other's powers and authority? James 1:8 tells us this type of Christian "is double minded and is unstable in all their ways." When the Bible says "all" it mean all. In all of their ways these Christians are unstable. Oh I warn you my Christian brothers and sisters God is NOT mocked! When I heard the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage He brought these verses to my attention, "The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalms 9:15-17) Scoff and laugh at me all you want. Shake your fist at God all you want, but in the end God gets the final word whether you believe Him or not. Take heed my Christian friends God is watching to see who is "all in." My friend America is a sinking ship spiritually you better be in the life boat. Written by David Stahl

TRAINING FOR OBEDIENCE

Note:  Article taken from teaching outline for 23 June 15 Home Group Meeting

 

The Children of Israel was brought to the Wilderness of Sin by God to learn obedience and to learn how to fight in the wilderness and for the promised land, but they failed time and time again. They were brought there to be given weapons for warfare, the right diet, the manual, even tactics of warfare, but they did not learn they were disobedient. Obedience seems to be one of the hardest things for Christians to do. Now do not misunderstand me here I have not made it always being obedient to the LORD, but I have learned the more obedient to God we are the easier being obedient to God becomes. So too is the learning process in our lives: learning, experiencing, and obeying. The more we learn of the LORD the easier learning becomes and the easier learning becomes the more we will experience in greater depth His nature and character which will cause us to willfully obey. The Prophet Samuel said, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (I Samuel 15:22) Our training begins on an elementary level, nothing too difficult. As we progress, we are brought to more difficult levels and on to more difficult levels. As we continue in the LORD proving or testing us we will also increase in His rewards as well. The LORD would not prove a babe at the same duration and intensity He would a father in the LORD. He wants to get from us the greatest degree of fulfillment possible. Obedience is an extremely important area very very important. Samuel said, "obedience is better than sacrifice" and God means it. It has such far reaching implications that it defies the imagination. Obedience is certainly necessary in our lives in order to function properly in God. How can we function properly in God's intentions if we cannot and will not obey? We will function as properly as we obey. We cannot function properly in God if we are disobedient. God attempts to bring us to obedience which is immediate and without reservations. Hopefully, it becomes automatic. We do not have to think to breathe, breathing is automatic, so too is God's idea of obedience in our lives, but it is not put into us automatically. Our training and learning is to become so ingrained in us that we just do it without thinking. God is after perfect obedience -- full, complete, immediate obedience without taking the time to think about it. Perfect obedience is far reaching. It is necessary among other reasons for the purpose of functioning properly in the millennium and more. Learning obedience now is a necessity to fulfill God's intentions now and in the ages to come. How do we expect to know how to function in ages to come if we cannot be obedient in the here and now? Here are a few reasons why obedience to God the first time He speaks is so critical in our lives. Obedience works purification into us. Peter gives us a clue about the importance of obedience as it relates to our soul. Brother Peter says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" (I Peter 1:22) Learning to obey purifies our soul in honesty, integrity, and righteousness qualities greatly lacking in most Christians today. Most Christians see no importance in being people of their words and actions, thinking God understands their dishonesty and His grace will cover them, but without learning to obey we will never be able to love "one another with a pure heart" in other words we will want to love people with an impure heart trying to get over on them in all we do. Our motives and intentions will be vile, corrupt, selfish, and self-seeking. John tells us, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (I John 1:7) Did you know the word "if" is the most important word in the Bible; it always sets the stage for receiving a reward -- something from God have it be good for us or what we would consider bad for us based on our behavior. The result of that obedience is "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." How can we have fellowship with our brothers and sisters if we are always trying to cheat and defile them? Obeying the truth which we have is quite important. There are believers who do not walk in the light which they have. Some will neglect one area of light which God gave them, in order to fulfill a certain desire or ambition. We cannot do that and still come to the fullness which our Father has in mind for us. We have to obey that which He brings to us; we have to walk in the light which we have; we have to obey the truth which we know and understand. Some folks will worry so much about the truth which they do not know or understand. Walk in the truth, rather than neglect it. We will not get any more truth until we walk in what we have. Obedience to the truth is necessary for the work of God to continue in us. There are two directions we can follow. In obeying the truth, there is a growth in obedience. This means that one grows stronger and is more deeply rooted in God. His obedience becomes more habitual and complete. In disobeying the truth, there is a growth in disobedience. This means that there is a stronger inclination to follow one's own will, ever drifting further and further from living in the truth. Obedience to the will of the Lord will enable us to abide for ever . Again Brother John helps us here, "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (I John 2:17) Plainly said, no obedience no abiding forever. Now please notice I am not talking about eternal life that is something totally different. Eternal life is not living forever. John tells us, "Now this is life eternal that we may know God . . . ." (John 17:3) Eternal life is coming to know a holy and loving God now on earth and in the ages to come. Man since time eternal has been chasing his tail when looking for the fountain of youth where they would live forever while all of the time it is found in the Bible and all you have to do to find it is just read the Scriptures. Everyone alive or have ever lived will live forever; eternal life in that sense is for everyone, but the question still stands before everyone who has ever lived where will they spend their eternal life in hell or with a loving and caring God? The choice is not God's nor the devils, but ours. This way he that does the will of God is woven into the eternal purpose of God that He purposed in Christ Jesus. As one does the will of God they remain in God and continue on in the purposes of God. He that is obedient and does the will of God is transformed by that will which is one of God's goals in our lives to be transformed from the earthly to the heavenly in thinking. Transformation and conformity to God's will enables us, "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;" (Philippians 1:10) We then can make the proper choices not only for today, but also for tomorrow. Thus our ability to choose correctly tomorrow is based upon our choices today. We say God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8), but really there is no yesterday nor is there a tomorrow there is only today. Our choices today dictates our tomorrow (which will be today when we get there) out from our obedience to God today. Just how important is our obedience today? Our future depends on it.