LED BY THE SPIRIT

As with all spiritual writings one MUST have an open heart and spirit or they will get offended and stumble on the truth and miss the understanding. Please miss not this point because if you do you will miss what the LORD wants said in this article. Pastor Julian from Sankaraguptham, India just left recently after spending 16 days with us while we preached him around eastern North Carolina and Virginia. What a wonderful man, 55 years old, how he loves the LORD, his father Pastor Wilson who founded Gospel Assembly a work God established in 1955 (when I was born), his family, and his people. Oh, the persecution even unto death Pastor Julian and other Believers face from their own government for sharing the Gospel. We had such a warm and rich time as we traveled over 1500 miles, ate many meals, well you can guess the enjoyment we had and the not so fun times sitting and waiting, but all in all the LORD was with us in a great way. There was much learned during these 16 days which is the LORD's idea and purpose any time His children come together to glorify Him. Did you know there are only three ways we can make our assent to the heart of the Father? That is right there are only three ways we can try to get to the heart of the LORD: through our emotions, through our intellect, or our spirit. Paul in Romans tells us, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:13-14) I hope you get that. If we live after the flesh, our emotions and intellect, "ye shall die," but "if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." It is the learning of Him, His ways, and His children (the good and the not so good children and their ways) and NOT the singing and dancing, the emotional assent or even the intellectual assent or approach to the LORD that matters to the LORD, but it is in the Spiritual assent we find the LORD's purpose and intention is discovered. So the last morning as we finished breakfast I turned to Pastor Julian and asked him after spending almost 40 days (he stayed 23 days at Calvary Tabernacle Campground in Ashland, VA) in the States what was his most favorite memory, without thinking he said mowing the grass. We cut the grass at our home twice while he was here and he did a great job both times. He ran the push mower, the weed eater, and the blower, he is not afraid of hard work. But I knew what he meant. I too enjoy cutting the grass because as I do, I think on the LORD or on spiritual issues, people, different things where I need the LORD to speak to me, and do you know what, often He does. I was quite surprised, but then again I was not. So then I asked him what was his worse memory after almost 40 days in the States, without batting an eye (he must have been thinking about this) he said, "the lack of spirituality and heart for God by the people in some of the churches. WOW, I shuttered, because I too see this and know of the great lack of genuine spirituality of people in churches in America. We had recently (about 1 1/2 month ago) came back from Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine twice, what a love for the LORD, what love for the things of God, what a real and genuine love for God's children, not for the money they can bring (they have no money), but for the unity and purpose they can bring to the local Body of Christ. I know what he was talking about, I too know about this. So, I would like to share a few experiences with some churches as we look at being led by the Spirit of God. I will not mention the names of all of the churches or some of the people so that I can protect the innocent, but if they read this article they will know who I am talking about and may the LORD use this article to show them, (like us all at times) where they missed it and were not led by the Spirit. I would like to set up this segment of this article with a few Scriptures: Paul writes to the Church at Corinth and us, "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." (1 Corinthians 2:13-15) Did you get that? "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." The natural man does not have the ability spiritually to know the truth or even know what God is doing, because he operates in the natural realm and has no spiritual discernment. This is a critical point my friend. Now, I have a very special friend, I love him and his wife very much and would give him a kidney if he needed one, but he twice shared with me how it is important for Pastor Julian to come to the States a few times, get known, be seen, get his name thrown around, then he will get invitations to speak. And sadly, at the time I said, well maybe, but you know I was dead wrong, it is not true in God. If we are TRULY led by the LORD, by the Spirit of God, it does not matter if you know the guy or not. Most pastors think they have something to lose if they let someone speak who they do not know Well, first of all they have nothing to lose, because the church that they wrongfully think is theirs, is not theirs, but the LORD's. Jesus said, "I will build my Church." Hey, pastors open your hand, let go, and let the LORD do His work in the lives of the people. When I pastored in Germany some of the greatest services we had with a special speaker, I almost missed it in the LORD, because I was afraid what this guy would say, I did not know him, and thought who is this guy? Well, I learned if God moves a man of God from one continent to another it behooves us to hear what the man has to say. But what should I expect, my dear friend tried hard to get an invitation for Pastor Julian to minister at his church. For months I tried and tried to contact my friend's pastor and time after time for months he blew me off never returning my calls or texts. I was told well that is the way he operates. So, I said okay LORD the folks there at that church has missed it, but the LORD said no go to the church and face to face ask the pastor. So, I did and we arranged a time for the pastor to meet Pastor Julian to see if he passed muster, but to the pastor's shame two hours before the arranged luncheon I texted him by way of a reminder and he replied, oh I am sorry (no he was not) he said he was driving back from New York and could not make the luncheon. I texted him back and asked, when were you going to tell me? No reply. This tells me all I need to know about this pastor's integrity, honor, and Godly character. Another local pastor I contacted through a good friend said they would love to host Pastor Julian and I thought WOW a real man of God led by the Spirit, but when I gave him the dates Pastor Julian would be in town he told me, oh sorry, I have a special friend coming to preach a three week series of messages on Wednesdays. I said okay maybe since we have never been to your church we will come by for a visit, he said great. Well, the Wednesday Pastor Julian would have spoken at the church we drove out to the church and found out they were having Vacation Bible School (VBS), no special speaker or even a service at all that night. I will leave this conclusion with you, but I know what the LORD told me. My friend do not follow such pastors who are NOT led by the Spirit. Be not deceived by their hyper-spirituality. Many pastors use their seemingly spiritual ability to control and manipulate their members. The church is full of such pastors who are naturally gifted speakers, seemingly spiritual to the novice, knowledgeable in Scripture AND in the ways of the natural world, a very ungodly, dangerous combination. I know 1,000s if not more, all nice guys, but they are lacking woefully in God when it comes to truthfulness, integrity, giving honor where honor is due, honesty, all character issues that the LORD holds far greater to be a minister of the Gospel than the natural, beggarly skills and abilities. Take heed not to learn the ways of pastors not led by the Spirit of God, if you do you will find yourself acting like them. Oh, they think they are being used of God and even fool many folks, but in reality their character flaws shine as a light in darkness to warn those people who know the difference. And being found lacking in character they disqualify themselves by God for His service. Oh, they may pastor a church, but in the end they too know the truth, God will see to that. Now let me tell you of a different experience, one where the pastor was led by the Spirit. As we were coming out of Ashland, VA we stopped by (another very special friend of mine who I would give a kidney) John and Trudy's home for the night. John lined up a Church of God in Bassett, VA for Pastor Julian to share in. Now, the church was in the country, plain, not fancy, but had a great Spirit. Pastor Jason (a fiery young man and quick Spirited) did not know Pastor Julian, me, or Karen from Adam or Eve. John knew Pastor Jason through a Bible Study during COVID times and contacted him to see if he would host Pastor Julian and he said, yes. Funny how things just work out when we are led by the Spirit. WOW what a service we had. The Spirit of the LORD was present in a great way. It has been some time since I have felt the presence of the LORD like that. This young man sitting in front us was freed from depression which I believe was going to take his life in few months. When we are led by the Spirit of the LORD He shows up and the broken hearted are set free and lives are touched, liberty is declared to those in bondage, but if not led by the Spirit then all you have is an emotional fleshly or intellectual (with our mind and knowledge) assent to the LORD which never reaches His heart. That night: Pastor Julian shared, the LORD really moved, Pastor Julian played a song on the piano and sang in his native tongue, and they took up an offering for the work at Gospel Assembly, and before we left (no one wanted to leave) Pastor Jason handed me a check for Pastor Julian for almost $900. This is what happens when we are led by the Spirit of the LORD His purposes happen, we learn more about His wondrous ways, and yes, we learn more about His children. Let me close with another experience we had. Since they were having VBS at the church we planned to attend that Wednesday night and since we were already dressed up we decided to drive back into town and attend probably the biggest church in the area. I think they have three services every Sunday of over 1,000 people per service. We got there a few minutes late and they were already up on the stage singing. From the parking lot I could already hear the head banging music boom, boom, boom. When we entered the church building there was an army of people all wearing different colored shirts greeting us. From the door about 15 feet was the welcome desk with two or three ladies wearing matching colored shirts. Another 15 or so feet was another echelon of people wearing matching colored shirts, but different than the ladies, directing us to the sanctuary, and at the sanctuary door another rank of people, that's right, wearing a different colored shirt opening the door for us. After we fought our way through all of the "so glad to see you all tonight" and NOT how are you doing or where are you from? I mean it was easy to see Pastor Julian was not from around here, but you know I really do not think they cared. So when we entered the sanctuary it was dark except for the insanely gigantic projector screen that changed colors and shapes with the sound of the music. In front of the projection screen on stage was a group of singers and musicians making all of that head banging noise, then they would strobe and flash lights around the auditorium, boy did that get your emotions running wild. Some of the people were up at the stage dancing and shaking their fist with the singers on stage, while others were in their seats getting their groove on. Pastor Julian leaned over and asked me why I took him to a movie house. We stayed hoping for some good preaching, but all we got was singing, dancing, and their leadership teams praying for church needs and programs. They (the church) were turned inward to themselves and not outward to the lost world. They (the church) was selfish and self-centered. Not one person mentioned anything outside the four walls of the church. One lady even thanked God they had such a wonderful building to worship God in. At the end of the service we fought our way out though the different colored shirts and still no one asked us who we were or where we were from, all we got was "thank you for coming." Sadly, these folks did not know God had NOT showed up that night in the service, yet they worked themselves up into a sweat. The Bible says, "He send His words and healed them and delivered them from their destruction." (Psalms 107:20) But, no preaching, so I guess no healing. On the way home I asked Karen and Pastor Julian if they felt the presence of the LORD tonight and they both said, not in that church. And the sad truth was the folks did not know the LORD did not show up they were too busy trying to get to the LORD through their emotions in their brand new God -- their church building, well this will never work. Written by David Stahl