SPIRITUAL INITIATIVE

Not all initiatives are inspired, but all Godly initiatives are inspired and they give life. Many of our initiatives sound right, look right, but in God are not effective because they are not inspired by God. No matter the idea, plan, goal, objective, or initiative if not inspired by God degrees of failure can only be the end result. The old Yiddish proverb, "man plans and God laughs" is so true as it relates to initiatives for God. Over the years of my travels I have made plans and initiatives in many places of the world (and to be honest) some were inspired by God (the ones that brought the life of God to the people) and some not so much inspired of God (that were not bad or evil and did bring goodness and knowledge), but for ministry to be of God it must be inspired by God (His idea) and it must be spiritual. If we function in the spiritual initiative then we will see spiritual results. Sadly over the years spiritual results have not seemed to be important in the church or as a sign of the LORD in the world. It is far easier to fake a miracle then to allow God to do the work in us for a miracle to come forth from our ministry. One of the first times I went to Nigeria I was hosted by a pastor of about 40,000 members and before our first service he asked me if I wanted him to stage some miracles so the next night we would have some really big crowds. After all if they can get some photos of a white man of God from the United States opening blind eyes, lifting up Africans out of wheelchairs, folks coming off of a sick beds, well the news would spread like wild fire and the next night we would have massive crowds: more people means more money, bigger crowds means more influence in town, a bigger name among the folks, and so on, but it all means nothing with God. I told the pastor no thank you if God is not planning to do a miracle tonight then I do not want to change what God wants in the service. The pastor was unhappy, but that was okay with me. Sadly the church around the world has settled for parlor tricks, slight of hand, and manipulation instead of seeing real moves of God and even real miracles because they have not allowed God to work in their lives to any degree where God could trust the pastor not to seek the glory and benefit for the supernatural work God did in someone's life. They have not allowed God to deal and judge in their lives where He could strip them of their ambition and spiritual arrogance, dressed to the nines, strutting on stage like a peacock, professing of their power, education, ability, and influence. I have seen this, I have been this, so I know this. As I said some of my initiatives (although good and well intentioned) were not inspired by God. I would even say God blessed them and was involved to a degree, but not at the same measure if they were His idea. You know it is the humble and contrite minister God stands to His feet for. God's superstars names are not written in lights or on the credits of Christian TV programs or movies, but on the hearts of people who have allowed God to work in their lives to receive His life and then in turn they can minister His life to others. Now the remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life comes after we do our part. God does not give us overcoming life, but He gives us life as we overcome. Our part is allowing God to do the work in us to the point we will just take God at His word (the best definition of faith I have ever heard) so that we take the initiative. Not a taking away from God where we do our own thing like most ministers do, but taking up our responsibility and duties as He has them arranged in our partnership. We must get up God does not lift us up, nor does He do all the work, but it must be done in the right heart condition if not then it is not a spiritual initiative it is our own initiative and doomed not to project the life of God like most humanistic, seeker sensitive, or hyper-spiritualism projections that the church of today is infested with. If we will do the overcoming we shall find we are inspired of God because He gives us life immediately. Now this life of God can be found in a message (from God), a crusade, a conference, even in an act of love, or a single thought. The whole mystery of this spiritual initiative is it is God inspired so it is God's idea for His purposes, thus we have little to no understanding why God wants it to happen and then we should not want to grab any of God's glory. Most real spiritual things in my life have been small and personal. Now I am not talking about the books and booklets, the article writing, BHG crusades and conferences or the 1,000 of churches and the Bible Schools I have taught in, but I am talking about the intimate understanding that we get when God opens up our heart and mind. I can say I have only had a few of these experiences in my life, but they have changed me forever and they are what God uses to get me to endure the work He desires to do in me that enables me to move in a spiritual initiative with God. I am thinking now of a Turkish Fort in Silistra, Bulgaria, painful, but oh so rewarding spiritually. Again they can even be a thought. Last night God woke me up at 2:00 am and impressed upon me to write about Belinda Koehler. Wow what a wonderful lady. We met Belinda in Germany after I had my 950 pound cast iron, five draw, Top Secret safe fall on me. Yes it was very painful, but this was just God's way of getting us extra money in my retirement. Belinda was a medic (E-6) in the U.S. Army her specialty was physical therapy. She was a lovely lady, but at the same time she was very sad. My heart went out to her as we talked and as she laid hands and other medical devises on my neck and back during therapy. She was very kind and intelligent, but I could see great hurt in her life as she would shy away from some topics. You have plenty of time to talk during two hours of therapy. The more often I went the more she trusted me and opened up to share more personal things about her life. Her life was a train and car wreck all in one. Abused as a child almost all of her early life and when she left home at 17 to join the U.S. Army her life did not get any better. One abusive relationship after another ended her in confusion to her sexual orientation. When we met (I believe) she was coming out of this darkness. To make matters worse she came down with breast cancer and lost both breasts. She wore different wigs and did a good job at hiding the deformity, but the scars of years past and her battling cancer took a great toll on her spirit. I would look forward to my treatments because I would feel better and because I began to notice so did Belinda. One day (she asked about Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart (CGS) our church) then she started to talk about the LORD. Ah an opening. I could not bring up God and religion (the old Officer and Enlisted familiarity rules), but she responded in great interest. She asked about coming and I invited her. She came and the LORD touched her. So the next treatment this was all we talked about. Now did God allow my Top Secret safe to fall on me to see Belinda saved? I do not know maybe, but the end result was Belinda was a new lady. I never said the "sinner" prayer" (not sure where that is found in the Scriptures) with her, but I could tell there was a great change in her and her life. She was faithful at attending Sunday service and our home group meeting on Wednesday. Then she really opened up about her breast cancer and the shame she felt, well we just loved and accepted her the more as she like a new flower blossomed. One treatment she said, "I had not paid my tithes in a long long time could she pay them at CGS?" I said yes. So she said, "great after work please come by the clinic and I will give you a check." So I did as she asked, obedience is better than sacrifice. She said, "here is the check and next week I will give you another." I said, "okay as you wish." I put the check in my pocket and headed for the bus back to Robinson Barracks where we lived. On the 30 minute bus ride I looked at the check it was for $700, wow I could not believe it. So next week after my treatment she handed me another check so I am thinking $700 + (maybe) $300 = $1,000 would make a good amount and round number, but again Belinda surprised me. The check was for $1,300 for a total of $2,000. I was floored. A few days before the first check I got an invitation to go to India, but did not have the money so now it was worth my while to inquire about the fare, so I called counting airport taxes, everything included is was $2,000 to the penny. God provided. It was God's initiative for me to go to India and He provided through Belinda as a leading to let me know this was His idea. In all of the years (since 2002) I have never twisted arms, begged, or manipulated people for money. If God does not provide when the need is made known then I do not go. Belinda rotated backed to the States before we did and moved to Texas with a friend, but she never forgot us in Germany. Every month faithfully she would send BHG $250 until her death. The cancer came back with a vengeance and she went down hard, but when she died I was told by her family especially her sister (who she was estranged) she had a smile on her face and love in her heart, it was a Tuesday. More than the money I missed Belinda knowing the work that was done in her life preparing her for her death. We want to see miracles (we even prayed for Belinda's healing), but the greatest miracle is the change of heart condition one must receive to really be saved. Before she died we talked on the phone a few times and oh the strength I received from her. In retrospect I see now we were preparing Belinda for her death another spiritual initiative of God. Is she in heaven well . . . my hope is to say yes I believe so and if so I will see her again. In the Scriptures we read of another spiritual initiative of a lady who had a medical issue. In Matthew we read, "And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." (Matthew 9:20-22) In other accounts in the Scriptures it said she spend all she had, all her money, but did not get well. Many people read this story and think the miracle is when she was healed, but not so. All that she went through for 12 years, spending all of her money, enduring the shame and separation of being unclean, yet she still had faith to believe Jesus could heal her, "If I may but touch his garment." The miracle was not the physical healing, but the spiritual initiative to endure the pain and heartache for 12 years believing (like Belinda) someday Jesus would heal her. Hoping and believing in the LORD for things at times can far exceed the physical touch of God when we do not receive our healing. This is how I reconciled (1,000s maybe millions of people prayed for him to be healed) the death of my Bible teacher Charles Haun in 1996. This often is the difference between a physical and spiritual initiative of God. Written by David Stahl