TO THE END OF THE WORLD

When Jesus was giving the disciples (and us too in many ways) their marching orders He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20) I wonder where and when the end of the world is? Now I can tell you a story (on a border crossing between Bulgaria and Romania) where had not Jesus been with me “lo, I am with you always” and a stranger took a severe beating for me my life would have been taken from me. Times like these we think we are at the end of the world, but not so. No matter when and where, we all shall come to the end of the world and it shall be seen through the eyes of the spiritual comparison and understanding in our lives. It is most often these comparisons in retrospect and understandings in reality where we can see God working in our lives moving us from one glory to the next glory.

But never forget beauty and glory is always in the eye of the beholder. What I would say is beautiful and glorious in my eyes may be ugly in your eyes. Man’s beauty and glory is comparable with something else man has made. But make no mistake only the glory of God is eternally glorious, beautiful, unique, and genuine in every way. In God’s scheme of things He desires to give us beauty for ashes. Strange how ashes come before beauty; we would think just the opposite. Well not so strange in God, it is like losing (John 12:25) first so that we can win. Man’s beauty and glory fades, withers as grass blowing the wind, but God’s glory and beauty last forever. Whatsoever man makes will rust, crumple, and even fall to the ground. Even a building to gather in to hear the preaching of the word of God and to pray will fall into the ground some day. We see this concept of beauty in our eyes moving in the Book of Ezra, but there is something much more critical to our spiritual growth and development here if we have the eyes of understanding to see it. “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:11-13) Here the “ancient men” (older men) saw both houses of the Lord. They had the opportunity to compare both houses of the LORD. Now their tears were not tears of joy, but tears of sadness. They compared the beauty and glory of the first house of the LORD against the beauty and glory of the second house of the LORD and the result of their observation was they, “wept with a loud voice.” Now please notice verse 13, “So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout.” The old men cried so loud the shouts of joy were muffled or almost drown out. I wonder what they thought when they saw the second temple? I bet they remembered the first temple, our mind works that may. In ways I kind of know what the old men were feeling. Unlike seeing a temple I remember how America and especially the power of God in church use to be. It has been years and years (maybe 10-15) since I have seen a genuine move of God’s Spirit in a church in America. I will be honest with you I really really struggle with the movement of America away from the conservative, traditional, and Christian values she was founded on to a liberal social progressive valueless society of today. And to make things worse these liberal social progressive values now are the bedrock of the church instead of the word of God which was the bedrock of the faith of our fathers. I gave 24 years of my life in service to the U.S. Navy and to watch America fade and fall from her “light upon a hill” as the late President Ronald Reagan would referred to America’s goodness and hope for the world gravely sickens me. I know this is Scripture being fulfilled, but in my heart I cry as the “ancient men” did when they saw the second temple. Please pray for me in this area. I even know America’s present administration has been raised by God to take her in directions to fashion her as a vessel for dishonor because of her continual waywardness and rebellion to God’s word. Just because the Supreme Court says something is okay does not change God’s word. Isaiah told Israel these words and my friend they are true for America today, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20) Only being "willing and obedient” to God’s word brings to a nation His blessings, protection, and peace, but I prophesy if we reject God’s word then we must walk in the truth of verse 20, “ye shall be devoured with the sword (of our enemies): for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Our willingness and obedience will determine how far we go in God not His gifts and blessings. Often times God has to bless us outside His plan for our lives to keep us moving and interested in Him, but sadly He has not given us anything of Himself.

I'm convinced that there's an epidemic that has infected the Western church of the 21st century. I'll simply refer to the epidemic as myopia. No, I'm not referring to the medical condition in which objects can be seen distinctly only when held very near to the eye. I'm talking about spiritual myopia – a kind of Christianity and life style that has become so focused on self that it no longer resembles the faith of our fathers. The side effects of this spiritual myopia can be seen and heard all around us. Christian bookstore shelves are lined with volumes of self help books that entreat us to live our best lives now and become a better you. We hear this time and time again when we do our book signings for “Adventures with God.” Much of the music that receives a substantial amount of airtime on Christian radio stations is devoid of any reference to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Gospel. Those references have been replaced with much more subjective ones that focus on me, myself and I. Songs are now intentionally written with a much more man-centered focus in the hope that they will receive playback on mainstream media outlets. Even preachers have not been immune to this debilitating epidemic. In some circles the sermon no longer is seen as the vehicle through which men of God seek to communicate the truth of God "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). Preachers increasingly have given in to the temptation to allow their congregations – and not God – to shape their messages. Consequently some preachers have traded substance for style and our congregations are showing the myopic effects of the exchange. The only cure I'm aware of is to take the focus off ourselves and to "turn our eyes upon Jesus." How do we begin to do that? I think we've got to start from the top. Pastors must stop allowing the culture and their congregants to determine their message. God's ambassadors must faithfully deliver the message of their King once again by preaching "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Preaching the whole counsel of God might not always draw large crowds, but if it is a huge following that the pastor is seeking, he is part of the problem and not the solution, and shame on him. Our churches need to recapture a passion for the vital ministry of prayer. When we have spent time humbling ourselves in prayer we are less likely to think about our own desires over the desires of God? My own experience has proven that I'm never more concerned about the things of God than when I am praying. As the old song says, "The things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." We must make the Father's business (not selling the Gospel) our business once again. We have all found ourselves asking this question: "Is God really satisfied with what I'm doing right now?" There are many details of God's will that can cause us to wonder about such things. Yet, when we attempt to fulfill the “Great Commission” the questions and doubts begin to go away. The one thing Jesus commanded us to do when He ascended on high was to "make disciples of all the nations" and He has not changed His mind. He said that we should be a people constantly committed to the work of going, baptizing and teaching. A cure for our current epidemic will surely be found as the local Bodies of Christ begin to turn their attention and “eyes upon Jesus" surely our lives, our families, and our churches will express this same manner of urgency as well. May God grant this healing in our churches and then in America. Again America’s hope is “willing and obedient” men and women God can count on. The transformation of our lives and the salvation of the lost is depending upon it. The hope and salvation of America is not found in her military power, politics, or prosperity, but in a repentive broken church worshipping on bended knees. A church that has rejected a money and purpose driven works mentality with a liberal contemporary social Godless Gospel and now clings to a conservative Gospel message from days gone by. For too long the church of America and around the world has rejected and walked away from the foundational truths of the Gospel looking for personal fulfillment and self expression. This self-centered emotional approach to God leads to a selfish and self-seeking spirit that has birthed the denominational division and strife in the world.

A few months ago as I was welcoming some friends to our home group meeting I said these words, I never thought I would ever be saying these words, but I feel I will be alive to see the return of Christ. I have always thought I would go to be with the Lord by way of the grave, but now I am not so sure. Things have accelerated it seems the minute hand on God’s time piece has moved a few clicks. Paul shares these words with us, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7) My friend does this not sound like today? You know it does. Yet we ignore God and His word to us to fulfill what we want to do, shame on us. We ignore God and His word to us to fulfill our religious agenda and programs, shame on us. Denominational religious programs span the world, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (from ocean to ocean), yet we attend services faithfully, singing and dancing distracting ourselves from the truth of God’s word and His desire to deal and judge in our lives, while believing all is well with our soul. The Disciples believed Jesus would return in their life time yet He did not, but they lived their lives in a hopeful expectation as if He was at hand to make His appearance. My friend we too must live our lives as if the end of the world is at hand, because you know it is. Come now LORD Jesus! Written by David Stahl

IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Karen and I just returned from being with our son Daniel and his wonderful family. When I see Daniel and his son John I see so many similar characteristics. From their red hair to their passionate personality I see how John was made in the image and likeness of his father Daniel, so too with our oldest son David and his wonderful son Caleb. When I see Caleb I see David when he was a little boy. I see his continual smile, good nature, and huge heart. They say when you see the son you see the father, well my prayer is that my sons (all three) will have a greater walk with the Lord than I and be conformed into the image of God. When we see our grandchildren we see how they were made in the image of their father. This continual process of being made in the image of our father is a spiritual principle that God has ordained for our lives. We must understand this process if we are ever going to come to the completed image of our Heavenly Father. Caleb and John were made in the image of their fathers, but they were not made complete in their development, they both still have to grow and mature if they are going to come into the completed image of their fathers, well this principle holds true for our lives in the spiritual realm. We see this truth of being made in the image of our Father in the Book of Genesis. In the first Chapter of Genesis we read, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Man was made in the image of God, but like Caleb and John man was not made complete and needs to grow and develop into a completed image of his Father. Here we see “And God said” another continual process in our lives we must come to understand if we are ever to come to the completed image of our Father. God said it and now it must come to pass. Anything God said is truth, there is no doubting or rejecting what God says. God’s spoken and written words are a continual revelation of our Father and reveals the critical need of being made into His image, that we must believe and mingle a part of our daily lives if we are ever going to come into His image. We see this truth of being made into the image and likeness of our father as something God wants in our lives as seen in the life of Adam who was made in the image of God. In Genesis Chapter five we see this process and revelation being carried out in the life of Adam, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:” (Genesis 5:3) But like Adam, Caleb, and John Seth was not born as a fully matured developed image of their father, they were only born in the likeness and image of their father and had to grow to become a completed image and likeness. And likewise when God created Adam in His image and likeness he was not made in the complete image of God, but had to grow and develop. Now the image of God was there, but it was latent. When talking a picture using film the image on the film is there, but it is latent. The likeness and image is there, but it is not developed and cannot be seen until the film is processed. As with Adam there was a latent image of God in him when he was created that had to be developed. So too in our lives when we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) created in Christ Jesus there is a latent image of God in us that God MUST be able to develop in us if we are going to look and operate like God. Now God begins to develop us by doing and providing certain things in our lives. It is important to know God provided everything Adam needed before what we call the “Garden of Eden” was created. Please do not miss this point. Adam had everything he needed before God put him into the garden. It is important to know I am strictly speaking from what the Bible says (by verse) and not some religious denominational doctrinal belief. So too in our lives God provides (and only God can provide) all we need to grow and develop to come to the image and likeness of our Father. In Genesis we read, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree (that would include the tree of good and evil and the tree of life), in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29) All that Adam needed for his physical growth and for his physical maintenance God had provided for him. Now after this God planted a garden and put man in the midst. “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (Genesis 2:8) Please notice God said “the man whom he had formed” drawing our attention to the forming process and not the creating (Strong’s #1254, to create, shape, form) process. The word “formed” (Strong’s #3334, to bind, be distressed, be in distress, be cramped, be narrow, be scant, be in straits, make narrow, cause distress, beseige) here has nothing to do with making or creating, but to cause to suffer distress. So now God planted a garden and put Adam in it for a greater forming process, well guess what my friend God too has a garden just for us. The physical Adam was already created and already provided for there was nothing God needed to add for Adam for his physical provision, but now God does something else, something different. For now God must provide for His spiritual being. After caring for Adam’s physical development God must now provide for Adam’s spiritual growth, maintenance, for his spiritual welfare and development. To do this God plants a garden and puts Adam into the garden in order to form Adam’s character, to development his spirit man, and to develop this latent image and likeness God has put within him. ”And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant (precious in the Greek) to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9) Maybe not precious to see to look at or behold, but precious for the vision and spiritual insight God wanted to bring Adam into, “and good for food.” But the physical food had already been provided (Genesis 1:29). This no doubt was for another type of feeding and goes well with the word following, “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” So these were provisions God has laid down for Adam to use to develop into the image of God. Do not ever forget God planted “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” The devil did not plant these trees God planted them. So now in Genesis 2:15, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress (Strong’s #5647, to serve or translated five different times in the Old Testament as worshipper) it and to keep (Strong’s #8104, to obey, observe (like keep My commandants) or take heed) it.” (Genesis 2:15) I wonder where Adam existed before he was put in the garden? I wonder where God took Adam from so that He could put him in the garden? Now the Bible does not say so, but I believe Adam was where he ended up in life. Where we all end up in life, the same place we start from in life, the heart of God. When God made man He contemplated (paused and thought) “let us make man in our own image and after our own likeness.” Here God is speaking these words out of a longing heart for man to know Him, but for this to happen man had to be developed spiritually to grow in understanding and in the ways God operates. There must be developed in Adam (and is us) an attitude of dependence and obedience. Remember the physical means for Adam’s life was already provided, but his spiritual life needed to be developed through a process of approving and qualifying so he could move from one level of obedience (glory) to the next level of obedience (glory). Our next level of usefulness in God depends not on our gifts and abilities, but on our willingness and obedience to endure God’s developing program. God cares not how well we sing, play an instrument, dance, how fast we can run, shoot a basketball, or preach and teach, but God cares about how obedient and willing we are to His word. For Adam the dressing and keeping of the garden was more an attitude of learning and worship then one of service and duty in responding to God’s approaches. Obedience was God’s goal in Adams’s life. Adam’s approach back to God was on a spiritual level and not sweat effort, because Adam did not till the ground (Genesis 3:19) until after Adam sinned. God would even come and talk with Adam (as seen in Genesis 3:6) in the cool of the evening. God’s first approach to man is always on a spiritual level to develop him into His likeness and image. So if God is developing Adam into His own image Adam will have to by necessity be brought into the power of choice and many other things in his life, ”And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) Adam’s development program was a garden of plenty and his approving test was whether or not he would believe God’s word. When God is working and developing us He will always come and inspect us and will expect to see in us a manifestation of the works He is putting into us. I find it amazing to know God expects certain things in us to grow and produce. God expects honesty, integrity, honor, virtue (strength), humbleness, gentleness, and so much more to grow and produce a harvest in us so that others can partake of God’s divine goodness in us. The seed that is sown in the ground is not money as many TV evangelists and preachers spin their lies of manipulation and control (they are so deceptive to those who know not the truth of the word of God), but is the words of God that has been planted in our heart. If this seed takes root and dies then we too can fall into the ground (John 12:24) and die to our selfishness and self-seeking life. Sadly we know the rest of the story how Adam failed and was not developed. From what we can read in the Bible God never saw His purpose done in Adam. But always know God’s purpose will be completed in time and by someone. After Adam God continued to lay foundations in many people until His precious Son Jesus Christ was born into the world to be the second Adam of which God’s purpose was completed. Jesus is the mature and completed image of the Father, solely dependent on His Father for everything. I wonder what impact the church would have on those folks lost if we (the Body of Christ) were solely dependent on God for everything? God’s goal (now and has always been) to conform us into the image (Romans 8:29) of Jesus Christ, thus we being conformed into the image of God. Jesus was God on earth to show us how His Father operates and functions, to show us His Father’s dedication (love) to us. God has no plan or objective in making us rich, happy, or popular (like most in the church today believe), but still desires to complete what He started backed in Genesis, to conform us into His image.

You know it is really easy to beat up Brother Adam, but guess what, God desires to develop us too. God too has planted a garden for our lives to be developed and matured in. Oh it may not have the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of life, but make no mistake my friend the consequences for failure is the same for us as it was for Adam – sin, a willful walking away from God, and an eternal separation from God if we do not repent. In life today failure in God is not an option, yet we play fast and loose with God. Oh Lord please forgive us! The price for us to pay to become conformed in the image of God is the same price Jesus paid, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:6-9) Never think the Father gave Jesus a name which is above all names because He was God’s Son, oh no my friend. Jesus was given His name, power, and authority because He willfully became (a process of development) obedient, the requirement to become the image of God. Written by David Stahl

THE CHURCH WITHIN THE CHURCH

My friend there is a religious denominational church (this includes large non-denominational churches) on planet earth and there is a God-ordained church within the religious denominational church that pleases God and meets His expectation of being called the Body of Christ. Now please do not think these churches are a part of the Body of Christ they are not. They are only a church in name and not in Spirit. We the people of God, the local Body of Believers (one presently and continually giving themselves to God in faith, living in a vital relationship to Him, which enables the Believer to be discipled by the Lord) are the church not a building, denomination, religious, or Christian organization.

Over the many years of traveling, teaching, and writing we have gotten many comments, none more often than thank you for telling us the truth. I am not a smart man, but I do know the truth when I read and hear it. My friend it has always been our aim to tell the truth even if means stepping on toes, our included. Karen and I do not want to have our ears tickled and you should not either. What we need is a strong word from God to bring us down in our self-life and self-seeking, a rich yet hard and revealing word from God that brings us to tears and leaves us on our knees before Him. They say, if you want people to like you and give you money just tell them what they already know and what they want to hear. This is what you hear in most churches today. Well my friend I do not need your money, God provides for me, my family, and our ministry. If you support Beholding His Glory I thank you very much, but we desire you do so out from a heart condition that has been touched and melted to support us by the Spirit of God. Please do not expect us to try to make you feel good, oh no my friend the last thing we all need is to want to feel good about our self, what the Bible calls deceitfully wicked. What we all need is a good kick in the butt from God, now that will get our attention. Our goal is to share with you thus says the Lord and stick His words in the center of your heart. For in doing so there is great life for both of us.

In our day we are witnessing, as never before in our memory, the nations of the world casting off restraint. Immorality and perversion have replaced the righteous standard of God’s word. In America God’s priorities have been replaced by the importance on money and meeting the needs of “me, myself, and I.” Our system of governing laws protects the rights of minorities from being trodden underfoot by mob rule, but we have lost our sense of boundaries. We as Christians cast votes for men and woman who feel the most innocent among us, the unborn child, should be sacrificed to excuse an undisciplined action. Our moral compass has lost its true bearing. In Proverbs we read, “Where there is no vision (revelation in the NKJV), the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18) The word “vision” here has nothing to do with future plans, but is translated from the Greek as limitations or restrictions. I do not know how many pastors, preachers, and teachers I have heard twist and pervert this verse away from the truth. The more verses like this one that are perverted and twisted the more the people move further away from God and His words for our lives. It is restrictions and limitation in our lives that bring us to fulfillment and completion in God. We will never be happy and come to completion as a country or in God if we cast off limitations and restriction in our day-to-day lives. It is in keeping the laws of God where true happiness and fulfillment is found not in having our own way to do whatsoever we want to do. Oh Lord please help us. In the church we have those who continually inform us that they are “the leaders” of the church declaring them selves to be the prophets and apostles of the end-time global movement. But when whatever these leaders prophesy does not come to pass they fail to repent and apologize. Instead, they continue on to the next new thing claiming God is now speaking something else. Many leaders have fallen into moral failure because of lack of relationship with the Holy Spirit and His work of sanctification in their lives. Often, gifting, revelation, and natural organizational skills are mistaken for the character and holiness the Lord demands from His Body, particularly His leaders. God said, “Be ye holy” guess what? He means it. No man shall see God unless he has clean hands and pure heart. David asked this question, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4He that hath clean hands, and a pure (holy) heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalms 24:3-5) Pastors have compromised the standard of the word of God for fame, riches, or to be esteemed by their peers. The goal is not souls for Christ, but can I get to a bigger church in my denomination there I can really make a difference, as if a bigger church and more people please God. All we hear at Christian bookstores when we do our book signings is how pastors and the churches have failed them so they come to a bookstore to buy the latest self-help book from the spiritual leaders of today. My friend only God can touch the issues of the heart. Never forget at the heart of every issue it is an issue of our heart. It is only the word of God and the Holy Spirit that mend our heart. Today we find the church in the same spiritual condition as the nation of Isreal. “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:4-6) Wow did you read that, “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” A few weeks ago I was on my favorite exercise machine at the gym (the stair-stepper treadmill) when a lady mounted the next machine. We started to talk (it always helps time to go by faster) and she started telling me how much she loves President Obama. She asked me what I thought and I told her I wish him no ill or harm, but wish he would give his heart to the Lord and be a Godly leader. She started to attack me. I said, I guess you are not a Christian and she said no she was a good Jew. I said oh good let us talk about the Torah (the Old Testament) and she said she does not believe in the Torah. I asked how she felt about abortion and she relied, she watched the abortion of a friend and it was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. I shuttered in my spirit. She went on and on talking about many other liberal topics (sodomy, lesbianism, global warming, etc.) that totally disagrees with the Bible. I tried sharing the Gospel with her, but she wanted nothing to do with the word of God, so I looked her right in the eye and told her she was sick in the head. Now some would say this was wrong to harsh to do, but this type of worldly thinking is what Isaiah was talking about when he said, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.” Her thinking is sick and her heart does not have the strength to received the things of God. She said my words were foolishness, but her words was just fulfilling the word of God. Paul shared with the church at Corinth, “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.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) When God speaks to us His intention is to heal our inter man. When God comes to us His intention is to strengthen our heart to be able to receive His words. I ended my work out on the machine and bid her a good day. Please keep this lady in your prayers as I do. In these verses of Isaiah 1 we read, “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores.” Here Isaiah is describing their inward spirit lack of righteousness and integrity. They have “wounds, bruises, and putrifying sores” these non-healing sores are from “wounds and bruises” received from the Brethren in relationships. These sores are seen in the lack manifested in broken relationships, in dullness of spiritual hearing and seeing, and in hearts that are hiding far from God. Isaiah was sent by God to rebuke the Israelites for their false worship. They hid their heart from God behind religious activities (like today) and did not have the power and ability to heal their wounds and bruises they both suffered themselves and inflicted upon others. Their remedy to heal these ailments was more religious practices, self-centered and selfish sacrifices, good works to make them feel good and holy (like today), but God wanted nothing to do with this (like today). “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;” (Isaiah 1:11-16)

What a condition in Israel then and what a condition today of the church. But please know this is the spiritual heart condition of the religious church today, but God has a remnant that has been cut out by the sword of the Spirit of God, who has not bowed a knee down to the gods of this world. Which church are you in; the religious denomination or the remnant the church within the church? In the Old Testament and recorded in Romans by Paul, Elias thought he was the only person who has not bowed a knee to Baal, but God opened his eyes and heart to the truth? “Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (our choice) of grace. 6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (Romans 11:3-6) A remnant established not by religious denominations or good works, but by grace. Often times we feel like Elias, but please know God will not allow man to totally destroy what He has intended from the beginning. In spite of all of man’s failures and shortcomings God will not allow man to totally fail. God loves man. When God made man He contemplated, “let us make man in our own image” and right then Jesus was slain for our salvation. God has a plan and a purpose for man and He will do whatsoever He needs to do to have it come to pass in spite of our rebellion, carnality, and wicked nature. It always amazes and scares me when I read how God used men like Samson. In spite of his desirous and rebellious heart God still got through all of his unfaithfulness and pride to accomplish His will for Samson’s life. God will bring all things to completion. And even in the church (religious denominations) today, God has a remnant that will be willing and obedient. The condition to have our “wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores” healed is to be willing and obedient to God’s words. Obedience is always the salve, the balm, the ointment that heals our heart spiritually

The question before us today is what church are we in? Oh we quickly say, the church within the church, but my friend the only way we enter that church is by dying to our selfish ambitions and self-love. I hear many preachers and evangelists manipulate the religious denominational church folks by saying put your seed into my fertile ministry, as if the seed is money, well my friend that thinking is just a bold face lie that seems to sell well because most Christians do not (shame on them) know the Bible. My friend our natural life is our seed not our money. If our natural life is sown into the ground then God can raise us up from the dead like He did Jesus. John said this way, “And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat (a seed) fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:23-25) Jesus was talking of His forthcoming death on the cross when he said, “the Son of man should be glorified.” Who wants to be glorified like that? The church within the church. Unless we “fall into the ground and die” we will not be able to bring forth fruit. The condition for being fruitful in God is not working or doing, but dying. But who wants to die? The church within the church. They have met the condition, they learned this spiritual principle and now they shall receive the promise, “he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” The church within the church is made up with folks who have lost their lives (fallen into the ground and died) so that they can live eternally. There is an expensive price we pay to be a part of the church within the church. In our hearts we know which church we are in. We may be able to deceive some people, but we cannot fool God. He is not mocked, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Again I ask you what church are you in? Written by David Stahl

PATIENT WAITING

Most of our time serving God is spent in the unknown and waiting. God wants it to be patient waiting, but that is not often the case in our lives. I do not know about you, but I often (even today) find myself so impatient. I remember when I pastored in Germany, God was doing so much in our lives and in our church yet I became so impatient. I wanted time too quickly pass so God could bring things He spoke to us to pass. But my friend, waiting on God is the place of receiving. If we never come to enjoy the waiting on God (the patient waiting) then the receiving will not be as glorious. It is not the receiving from God that is glorious, but the waiting and then the seeing Him move. God’s greatest things are not to be touched, but experienced in Him. But the most difficult task that we are called to do is patiently wait. We would rather be busy than to be waiting. This is our nature, to do. Today in the church we have a working heart instead of a waiting heart. Who wants to wait? No, we would rather be doing something for God (even if it is the wrong thing) instead of patient waiting, allowing God to conform us into the character and nature of His dear Son Jesus Christ. We can wait only so long then our waiting is not so patient. We can go into a doctor’s office and wait 30 minutes, but any more than that our waiting is not so patient. Or we can go into a supermarket and patiently wait in line three or five minutes, but after that our waiting is not so patient. So God really calls us to this particular area of our life for a particular reason. In the Psalms David (who was not a very patient man) wrote, “I waited patiently (in the Hebrew, I waited in my waiting for a long span of time) for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” (Psalms 40:1) Our waiting is not to be interrupted or spasmodic it is to be continual. God expects us to have a waiting attitude before Him. In Hosea we read, “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.” (Hosea 12:6) It is like prayer, we are to pray without ceasing, well how can we do that? Prayer, as with our waiting before God, is to be an attitude that continually comes out of us going to the Father. Back in Psalms 40 we find this place of waiting is in a horrible pit and miry (heavy mud) clay. Waiting is always a very uncomfortable place. It is not wet enough to get a drink or dry enough to be comfortable. So this uncomfortable situation will draw us in to focus on our discomfort and we do not want to wait long when we are uncomfortable. However, often this is the place God calls us to wait in. But, usually the reason for the uncomfortable situation is that we do not have the patience in us to wait. We cannot wait patiently therefore the uncomfortable situation. In Romans Paul shares with the Church in Rome who were being used as sport for the masses in the coliseum and target practice for the Romans soldiers, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience waiting;” (Romans 5:3 (Greek)) The uncomfortable situations in our lives is the thing God has designed and uses to produce the patient waiting in us. It is in these tribulations, trials, and tests that God personally brings into our lives that creates the ability to develop our waiting. No tribulations, trials, and test, no ability to waiting. Waiting, as God works all things for our good and works in us which allows us to patiently wait. God must be able to work in our lives so that we can learn how to wait if we are going to see the end that God has for our lives. We are brought into this place of waiting where we are put (by God) and must stay under a specific set of circumstances to be raised up in victory. God does not want our lives to be too attached to our circumstances this is why He allows what we call bad things to happen to us. Our lives are really centered around our situations, circumstances, the economy, etc., but God does not want us to be attached to the world system or our affections, even though in the world we are not to be a part of it. We are not to take our cues from the situations and circumstances in our lives. We are not to serve the monetary systems of this world. We are not to serve the material situations and circumstances in our lives. We are not to look, talk, and act like the world. We are to serve God, we are to be attached to Him, and take our cues from Him. We are to bow down before God and not our circumstances and situations. We often allow our circumstances and situations to get us down. I find it amazing when a preacher or teacher takes the pulpit and says, “how are you all doing today?” Who cares how everyone is doing today? Open up the word of God and share thus saith the Lord! Do we fall and wallow at the feet of our circumstances and situations or our heavenly Father? Unless we have allowed God to strengthen us with might in the inward man through His dealings and judgments (and develop this ability to patiently wait in us) we will allow our circumstances and situations to rule our lives. Now make no mistake my friend God knows just how to make a horrible miry pit for us. God knows just the thing that gets our goat. In Job (I would think Job knows something about bad situations and circumstances) said, “When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. 27My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented (Strong’s #6923, to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before) me. 28I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation. 29I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls. 30My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat. 31My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.” (Job 30:26-31) Job hoped for “light” (good) in his waiting, but only “darkness” (bad) came his way. Look at these circumstances, how would we like to endure such things? I think not. But after patiently waiting, we see Job learned the lesson and God lifted him out of his horrible pit and restored him not to what he lost, but twice what he lost. At the beginning of the Book of Job (Job 1:1-3) he lost all that he had even his sons and daughters, but at the end of the Book of Job (Job 42:10-13) God restored back to Job twice what he lost. It is amazing what God can do for us if He can teach us to keep our mouth shut. What a holy place in God when we learn to keep our mouth shut. As I travel the world I see and hear many Christians who never shut up, they talk and talk while saying nothing. This is an outward manifestation of them never allowing God to deal and judge in their lives. Little do they know their talkative and opinionated nature has disqualified them for service by God. Unless God can get us to control our mouth and keep it in the dust (shut) God cannot use us. There is not a lot of talking when we have our mouth in the dust. Jeremiah “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.” (Lamentation 3:22-30) The condition to see whether or not we are patiently waiting is seen if we are keeping our mouth shut and in the dust when going through tests, trials, and tribulations.

We are to be living in the overcoming power of God, but this power comes by way of us allowing God to work in our lives to such a degree that it grips our heart to the reality. When we learn the lessons God has for us to learn in the horrible pit God then and only then will bring us up. We must willfully submit and humble ourselves to those in authority over us and God to be raised up from our horrible pit or exalted. Peter taught, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1 Peter 5:5-6) I wonder what the mighty hand of God looks like? Make no mistake my friend, God’s mighty hands takes on many different forms and shapes. What in your life is causing you to patiently wait? In reality it is the “mighty hand of God.” David said, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3And he hath put a new song (words spoken of the heart not singing) in my mouth, even praise (words of thankfulness not singing) unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:2-3) David learned the lesson God had for him in the pit and now he was developed to the point in this area God could trust him to be delivered. Apparently good and religious works (singing, dancing, working for God, paying tithes, praying) was not enough to deliver him. “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.” (Psalms 40:6) Apparently David tried all of the traditional religious customs of his day (like most Christians today), but they did not work for David nor will they work for us today. God’s work in our lives is a heart issue. Remember at the heart of every issue is an issue of our heart. If we do not allow God to work in our heart then our approach to Him will be temporal, mental, or emotional which will never get us to Him. God desires us to willfully open our heart in truthfulness, integrity, and honesty allowing Him to reveal the innermost secrets and failures of our lives. God desires to strip us naked of our selfishness, self-seeking, and ambition. God desires (but our choice to make it happen) to be able to bring us face-to-face with whom we really are, not who we want to be or think we are, but who we really are. This revelation my friend will kill us, but if God can kill us then He can bring us back to life like He did with His precious Son Jesus Christ; the divine spiritual principle is: death before glorification.

But when it was all said and done to be brought up from his horrible pit David learned, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” (Psalms 40:7-10) Unless we allow God to write His words on our heart we will never be able to say like David, “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” Where do we learn this lesson? In the horrible pit not in the land that flows with milk and honey. Not in the time of plenty and excess, but in the valley of the shadow of death. In the place in God where we learn patient waiting is the key to being raised up and exalted. Written by David Stahl

THE VESSEL OF GOD

Did you know there is a big difference between a gifted speaker and a broken speaker? I do not see or hear any broken pastors or teachers anymore. Maybe this is the reason why people (in droves) are leaving the church in America. Even the secular media has picked up on this trend. A few weeks ago there was an article in our local newspaper and on the national news that discussed the desertion of people from church, but I thought it was a mistake until we started doing book signing for “Adventures with God.” During the signings I get a chance to talk with whom I would consider to be Christians at different levels of maturity. I would ask them what church they attend and most would say, “please don’t get me started on all that mess.” But, with a little prodding I get them talking and discover they have not left God, but they have left organized religion or what we today call the church. Never forget, the “true” church is not made with brick and morter, but is made of flesh and blood. We (people) are the church that Jesus gave His life for on the cross. Let us never forget this for when we do we get over into denominational traditions and religions of men that yoke and enslave the hearts of people Jesus came to die for. We must not be working to raise the Baptist, Pentecostals, Lutheran, Charismatics, Methodist, Presbyterians (you name the denomination or religion) name and numbers even to pay for churches and the programs that prop them up, but we are the work of God. We (God’s people) are His workmanship. Paul tell us this (and we must never forget it) in the Book of Ephesians, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Sadly we boast of our churches, programs, and conference affiliations that many work so hard to build, but God wants nothing to do with these things. My friend it is not about working for God this leads us nowhere in Him, but it is all about becoming His workmanship (beastella in the German language); allowing God free reign and sway to work in our lives through the trials and tribulations He allows to come our way. Those, “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” the trials and tribulations not the “good works.” My friend “workmanship” is the focus of the verse not the “good works” He is working in us more and more to make us more and more like Him. Then and only then can we do “good works,” but until then our works are deceitful, carnal, and vile of the heart. We boast of our human abilities, outward strengths, doctrinal degrees, and pastoral resume as we strut across our self-made stage, but God cares nothing for these things. God is after our heart. God is after a broken and contrite vessel. It is no wonder people are leaving the church they are tired of ambitious and egotistical pastors, teachers, and leaders who will do and say (even lie and steal) whatever they have to do to get to the next bigger church or their name up in lights. The condition to be used of God to minister His word is not Bible School or seminary training. The condition to be the vessel of God is not our political connections or denominational influences, but our broken and contrite (crushed and grounded to powder) spirit. Isaiah had this revelation when he said, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) David too had this same revelation when he said, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18) Why do we think today this has changed in God? We dance around the church singing, God changes not well guess what His spiritual principles changes not also. We will never be used of God unless we have a humble, contrite spirit, and a broken heart. Oh how this causes me great alarm to take heed. I see myself too often speaking and thinking not with a humble, contrite spirit, and a broken heart. Ever since returning from Germany (back in July 2003) I have seen a very very slow, but steady roll away from a more broken spirit I once had. Now I am still saved, read the Bible even more than before, and still have a wonderful walk and communion with the Lord the problem is not these things, but me gently going toward things of the world that can deaden my spirit. Things like technology: computers, the internet, the array of cell and data phones, and yes the biggest destroyer of the home today and in the past – the TV. I remember, in 1968, our Pastor Howard Reckley would not have a TV in his home so his kids came to our home to watch it. The church corporately (at that time) spoke out harshly against the TV, but time, apathy, and the people wanting a TV stilled their words. The more we go towards technology the less of God we will have in us. In Germany we had one station (Armed Forces Network) with six or seven channels. We did not have the channels of TV we have (basic cable) in Jacksonville. I find myself often putting on the mind of the news of the day instead of the mind of Christ. How can I be the vessel of God with the mind of the world within me? I cannot. How can I be the vessel of God for His word to flow through if I have put on the things of the world? I cannot. My friend it is the dealings and judgments of God in our lives that brings us down into a low, humble, and contrite place to be able to receive the things of God. If we are filled up with the cares of this world we will never be filled up with the mind and love of God. If we are filled with working for God we will never become the “workmanship” of God. We must allow God to empty us. The condition to be filled with the power and authority of God is first to be emptied of the world and of ourselves by God. This is something we alone give God free reign and sway to do in our lives.

The humble and broken alone are useful to God. It is the poverty of God’s ministers that makes the church poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). The lack of humble and broken teachers and preachers of vision deprives God’s people of the glorious light. Since God gives light (revelation) to the church through His ministers, our task is tremendous and almost impossible unless we allow God to strengthen us in the inwards man. Knowing the words in the Bible is quite different from obtaining the word from God. Today, (because we are not humble and broken) the best most can do is know the words in the Bible, because obtaining the word of God costs far more than what most are really willing to pay. But, never the less it is still the process we must endure to be able to obtain God’s word and only when revelation comes can God enlighten us. This is the starting point of the ministry of the word of God not church attendance, singing, dancing, and paying our tithes. And if anyone has been dealt with by God so that his outward man has been broken that person will have a humble, contrite spirit, and a richness of thought for the word to flow out from. It is the breaking that makes us useful. It is the death to our self-life that brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). It is our humbling that allows God to exalt us. These spiritual principles like God never change. Our ministering God’s word to the world is never merely a matter of doctrine, if such were the case, Christianity would be a carnal religion, but it is our lives being poured out of us as Christ poured out His. The word of God comes from revelation. The more humble and broken we are the deeper and more complete our revelation is from God. If a person is right in his life with God then his words will be right, but if the opposite is true then his words and life will be wrong. The words of a pastor or teacher who is not humble and broken before God will yield a lower quality, weak, immature, yet humanly clever and persuasive word, but not spiritual at all. Contrast this with the pastor or teacher who has been humbled and crushed (contrite) by God. The word of God that flows from them is first and foremost spiritual, accurate, of higher quality and able to touch the heart of God. Today God intends to have His words become flesh once more, that is, He still desires to speak through human flesh. That is why He must deal with this flesh of ours, hoping that through it His word may come forth. God’s words must be created within us, by God Himself. They are formed through our daily trials and tribulations which He arranges in our circumstances. We may go through various trials for days or even months sometimes we are victorious yet at other times we are defeated, but the entire time we are learning to become humble, broken, and contrite before Him so we can become a quality vessel for His word to flow from us. The word from a humble and broken pastor or teacher comes through discipline, since God creates the words in us through Him disciplining of us. Oddly enough missing discipline from God means we forfeit the possibility of receiving revelation. Out of our chiseled and chastised flesh emerges the word of God. How much we can speak will depend on how much we have allowed God to work in our heart and lives. As our words are based upon our experiences before God so too are we chiseled, chastised, and tested by God through these experiences to the point our words become Gods words. Never forget a man’s word is measured by his brokenness before God.

I was attending a Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church and was asked to greet the people (share a thought, but not preach a message). When I began to speak there was such a humble and broken spirit that suddenly filled the church. I spoke only a few words, most often much speaking is not of the Spirit of God. At the end of the service as everyone was leaving an usher handled me a piece of paper that was inscribed, “I, by chance stopped at this church today and your words were the reason your few words stood for great purpose, your few words explained years of shunned pain. I can accept now that I am broken for a purpose. I will let the Lord use me for I am broken and I will not self-pity for because I am broken, I am blessed. Thank you so much – God bless.” I believe there were two people in the church that day that knew exactly what the Spirit was saying, the author of these words (who I never knew) and me by the Spirit, both have been broken and poured out.

The broken alone are useful to God. Oh how we must come down from our lofty high places and allow God to pummel us to our knees. My friend I promise you troubling times are ahead. Please do not look to me, your pastor, your church, your denomination, or anything other than Jesus Christ. There is no other name in which man shall be saved! We must allow God to break us to the point where we too can say as Paul said, “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. 11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. “ (Galatians 1:10-12) Any other revelation will not create the vessel God can use. And in this all is lost. Written by David Stahl

BE CAREFUL IT MAY BE A CHICKEN

They say (whomever they are) if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and walks like a duck it is probably a duck, well this may be true in the natural realm, but not so my friend in the spiritual realm. The longer we go with God the more things we think we know and have figured out seem to change right before our eyes. Those ducks in the natural seem to turn into chickens in the spiritual realm. Things that seem one way in the natural often in God are not what they seem. Now I am not talking about truth. Truth always seems to change as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. It is not the truth that changes, but our ability to perceive and understand what the Holy Spirit is working into our spirit. Truth is always from God’s perspective and is always progressive. What I knew as a child of God has not changed it is still truth, but what has changed is my ability to understand the precepts (original bits of truth) of the word of God from where we get our concepts (guides to run our lives) for daily living. And what we once could handle as truth (limitations and restrictions in our lives that bring us to completion and purpose), as we grow in God, becomes the foundation on which the progression of truth turns. Truth is always from God’s perspective. So many Christians today are arguing and debating with people we are to win to Christ. How will they come to Christ if they see us as a threat or competitor? Jesus said, we are to pray for our enemies not debate or argue with them. No where in the Bible did Jesus argue or debate with someone. Now Jesus did go after the religious leaders and teachers of the His day (as we to are), but He did not go after the lost sheep who did not know better. Karen and I were talking with a pastor and his wife over a late night snack and he told us his son was in seminary majoring in debunking the Big Bang Theory and Darwinism, I asked him why and he rolled off the Pentecostal talking points and then I told him we need to tell them the truth in love, but we must love and pray for them instead of debating and arguing with them. Do you really think they care what we know? They say, no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. When it is all said and done it does not matter what you know, but it matters who you know. If you really know God it does not matter what they say. What does this religious thinking said about the Bible? Is not the Bible enough to open our eyes to the truth? Or what does this religious thinking say about the Holy Spirit? Is not the Holy Spirit powerful enough to change lives without a debate or a good argument? Why must the church always cram the last bit of truth down the throat of the lost, instead of praying for and loving them. I told him anyway the Book of Genesis is not about creation if it was God forgot a lot of the details. Oh no my friend, Genesis is about what God says and does. In the first Chapter of Genesis alone 10 times “God said” something and it happened. So too this is a critical revelation of who God is to us that must be moving in our entire life; God said it and it happened. God is the only one in our lives who creates things and if He said it then it will happen. I do not believe the pastor and his wife liked my answers, but I got the tab anyway. Truth changes not, our understanding and the way we handle it does. Did you know the longer you go with God the more He expects of us? Do we not expect the same of our kids? The older they get the more we expect them to do what we have taught them. The longer we go with God the more restrictive and limited our lives must become. Completion and purpose in God comes by way of being obedient to what God wills for our lives. Not doing what we want to do. I wonder how many seminary students are majoring in preaching against sin? Did you know “sin” was Jesus’ number one topic in the Gospels? Funny how the topic of “sin” is not spoke of in most churches today. All we seem to hear is; church doctrine or our destiny and who we are in God (mule fritters) . . . well I better leave that alone.

My friend a spiritual ability to judge righteous judgment is sorely lacking in most Christians today. Most Christians do not have the ability to, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (Strong’s #1381, to test, judge, examine, prove, scrutinize to see whether a thing is genuine or not) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) So many Christians have gotten off track because they do not have the ability in God to be able to discern the source of the spirit moving in people. And sadly many never get back on track and fall away. An ability in God to be able to judge (Strong’s #2919, to separate, put asunder, to pick out or to be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion) between righteousness and non-righteousness, holiness and unholiness is critical if we are ever going to be what God expects of us. Judgment in God is always followed by separation. Did you know we must separate ourselves from some people and some places if God is going to have a chance in our lives? This place is unholy, this person is unrighteous so I must separate my self. I cannot say enough about this critical need in our lives. Now I am not focusing on judgment in this article, but I am talking about something more deadly and confusing, presumption. My friend presumption is believing we think we know the truth, but in reality we are wrong. It is one thing to be wrong, but it is far worse not to know we do not know we are wrong. How can we recover from such not knowing we are wrong? Only God can open our eyes to this if we allow Him. Believing right or wrong is very powerful. How many people have gone to their death throughout the ages believing they were right when hey were wrong. This is why it matters not what we know and believe, but who we know. If we know God all else does not matter. Now it is interesting to know one in presumption always moves in an upward direction, from a place of great self strength of ignorance. Here Esther is moving in a downward direction in humility the opposite of presumption. “Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? 6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.” (Esther 7:5-6) Presumption is always a heart condition that moves opposite of God’s heart and His ways. Remember the way up is really down. You all know the story how Haman wanted to get Mordecai (Esther’s uncle) and kill all of the Jews, presumption wants its own way and is fearful of getting hurt or not getting it own way. Presumption is not judging, but it is not knowing the truth that leads us over into fear and loss in our lives. Most often presumption leads us away from Godly relationships. All throughout the Bible anyone that stood against righteousness and holiness went up or elevated themselves. Please notice what Satan (Lucifer) said, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14) This type of thinking is deadly and will kill the spirit of God in our lives. Satan’s sin was not one of pride, but one of exalting himself over God’s spiritual authority.

This my friend is an area I try very hard to take heed in and pay attention to what I am thinking. God has been very good to open my eyes in this area. Back in 1998, when Romania was still wild, I was traveling back from Suceava to Bucharest about a nine hour train ride. It was late at night and I was traveling alone with a large sum of money. The train stopped and two of the toughest men I have ever seen got in my six seat section of the train car. These two guys were filthy their clothes was nothing but rages. Their faces were scarred, gouges of their face was missing like they just got into a bar fight and lost. One was smaller than me, but the other the bigger of the two was bigger than me. I feared for my life. As they got settled in they started talking in Romanian, I thought for sure they were plotting my death. They would look at me and then turn away suddenly. The smaller one got a beer out of his bag and opened it with his teeth. I thought these two guys are the toughest guys I have ever seen they are going to kill me. So I started to pray. Presumption is always concerned with self-life. Esther prayed, “if I perish I perish,” now that is the best definition of faith. As I sat there wondering how I was going to get out of this fix; presumption always operates from a man made independence not a dependence on God. God spoke and said to get a Halls so I reached in my backpack, with their eyes following my every move, and found my Halls. God then said, offer them a Halls. I thought no they will kill me and I will never see Karen and my kids again. God a second time said offer them a Halls so I did. Presumption is always overcome by obedience to God. I extended my hand with the two Halls in them and the smaller of the two quickly grabbed them. I thought for sure this was it, when in the softest and most gentlest voice I have ever heard the biggest of the two said, “thank you.” I could not believe my ears. All of my fear and presumption wasted away into the night as I showed them a map of Romania. What fellowship we had. What joy filed my heart, a joy unspeakable and full of glory. I could not speak Romania and I guess their English was not so hot, but we had a communion between us that lasted the entire night until the morning when they got down from the train. What a lesson.

More recently and by way of confession (is not confession good) the Lord has reminded me of the danger of presumption. I often go to the fitness center on one of the many bases in the area. The price is right (free since I am retired) and they have a great sauna. I sometimes see my good friend Carl Sutton (always a highlight) and lately I have been sharing the Gospel with some of the other retirees in the sauna. I usually do around 35 minutes (2 miles) on one of the three stair stepper treadmills and then pump some iron on seven different machines. Well one day as I was pumping some iron I noticed a very beautiful well defined lady walking down the main passage way. You could tell she works out often. Her arms and legs were well sculpted and unlike me had no problem with her weight. She had a very lovely wholesome smile and a sure and steady gait. Everything about her seemed perfect. I thought she must be the wife of some big officer. Outwardly she was complete. What is she doing here I thought? Who is she trying to impress? As time went by I would see her (I guess God worked our schedules together so He could kill me the more) come and go, always smiling and cheerful. Well one day I just started my 35 minute stair stepper treadmill workout when the lady stepped up on the next machine beside me. I thought oh boy now I will get a chance to find out who this lady is. We greeted, did some small talk, and some how started talking about the politics of the day when she told me her husband had been killed in Iraq. Wow! How my heart dropped within me. To sacrifice a loved one in military circles is the highest sacrifice one could make for their country. Jesus said it like this, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Now I do not believe Jesus was talking only about laying down our physical life, but our spiritual life too when we put our friends and even enemies ahead of our desires and comforts. When we willfully take the humble place and allow others to be exalted over us. But here her husband laid his life down for his family and country. The thought cut me to the quick. I could not believe this outwardly perfect lady went through hell with the death of her husband. She told me a little of what she went through and man how foolish I felt. How I presumed she had no care in the world, yet her world was ripped out from beneath her with a phone call. All I could do was say I was sorry. Now she thought I was saying this because of the death of her husband, but I was saying I was sorry for my weeks of presumption of which she did not know. And now she knows as we later talked and as she reads this article. I told Karen about our conservation on the treadmill and she said she knows the lady is humble because she has just had her heart ripped out. When we endure such things it humbles us and gives us a better sense for the broken hearted and hurting around us. I did not judge her, but I did presume her and her life was something it was not. God is good at teaching us lessons if we have the desire, humility, and heart.

Yes our wondrous walk with the Lord is mysterious and the longer we go with Him the more mysterious He and His lessons become. But they should He is God. Who would want to serve a God we could figure out? Never forget God’s goal in our learning is two fold. The first, to train and teach us how to function and operate in our next life. If not on earth when will we have the time to know how God functions and operates? Did you know we will judge the world and even the angels? Paul tell us, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3) When will we learn how to judge angels? Now on earth as God leads, trains, and guides us with His Holy Spirit into the next reason. To be conformed into the character, nature, and image (icon) of God’s precious Son Jesus Christ. When does this happen? On earth as we open our heart and lives to His dealings and judgments. Make no mistake my friend, a spirit of discernment for righteous judgment is critical in our lives, but presumption has no place. If we see the many things we encounter in life as always being ducks take heed my friend God is good and longsuffering to open our eyes and teach us about the chickens also in the barn yard. Written by David Stahl

GOD MOVING IN THE EARTH

All you seem to hear on Christian TV (TBN and others) and in most big churches in America and around the world is we want to see God move in the earth. I will be honest (and shame on me) I do find myself at times watching Christian TV. Sadly it is like when driving past a train wreck or car accident knowing you should not look but you do. Well believe it or not my friend God is moving greatly throughout the earth, but sadly those on Christian TV and in most big churches in America and around the world are over into the prosperity teachings of the day which prevents them from seeing what God is really doing in this hour. The church is singing and dancing around the political Maypole alters they have built through ungodly political relationships while missing God drawing the real church (the people of God) within the church unto Himself. They have built their denominations along racial and political lines. Talking heads, pundits, and civil rights leaders in America talk about segregation and racism ad nauseaium, but Sunday morning (in America) in most churches is still the most segregated time of the week. What are we teaching in these churches that would cause this? I thought we were one Body of one Spirit? Paul taught, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-5) Is this true? “One body and one Spirit?” and “One Lord, one faith, one baptism?” No my friend who are we trying to fool, I am afraid when we take a spiritual look at the Body of Christ today we are so fractured and divided it would almost be impossible for God to move on the earth. Now I said almost impossible. The main stream denominational churches and ministries (seen on Christian TV) seem to be in competition with each other to see who can hold the biggest special event, seminar, conference, program (something for the people to do so they will think they are working for God instead of becoming the work of God – Ephesians 2:10), or movie with the biggest Christian celebrity (is that not an oxymoron? I thought Jesus was humble and lowly – Matthew 11:29) to corral the most people. They know the money is in the fish. They know if they can catch the fish (the people) they can get their money. Sadly all of these services and programs are sold under the appearance and marketing of sharing the gospel message. It is beyond me how someone could attach their name to the word “ministry,” what arrogance and pride. My friend, take your family and run from such churches and people. Now do not think I am blowing smoke tickling your ears I have talked to many pastors (I have been a pastor and did it) and religious leaders who have confessed to these selfish ungodly motives. It is not about how many people we can get into our church or how much money we can collect to feed a bank account, oh no God is after quality not quantity. God is after a people with a humble and contrite heart who love Him and are willing to endure His dealings and judgments in their lives to be qualified and approved for His spiritual authority and power. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) No where in the Bible could God or His precious Son Jesus Christ do much with large groups of people. And this is no different today, ambitious greedy pastors and religious leaders have sold their souls to governments in America and around the world for power, money, and influence. I get many emails thanking me for having the courage to speak out against topics in the Body of Christ that many today and in the past have turned their heads to. I am not trying to cause division or contention within the Body of Christ nor am I cynical, but am speaking the truth in love hoping and praying for a heart change in many churches around the world and in America. How long will we get to presume on God’s grace? How long will God allow the church in America and around the world to play fast and loose with Him? This message of cheap grace and prosperity the church in America is pedaling to the world will come to a sudden and deadly end my friend, I promise you this. Could it be the church in America and around the world is so ensnared in her political relationships, greed, and hard heartedness she has missed God’s moving in the earth today? I know so.

In the Book of Peter we read, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7) I wonder what the hand of God looks like? I think God’s hand can take many shapes and sizes. I wonder what the mighty hand of God looked like in the life of Joseph? Who would have thought the “mighty hand of God” (to humble Joseph) would take the shape of his 11 brothers who sold him into slavery? Who would have thought the “mighty hand of God” would take the shape of Potiphar’s chief servant or wife to prove and test his righteousness and integrity? Who would have thought the “mighty hand of God” would take the shape of being exalted to be called Zaphnathpaaneah where only Pharaoh sat in the judgment seat over him. The “mighty hand of God” takes on many shapes and sizes and is projected at God’s good pleasure. What does the “mighty hand of God” in your life look like? Well what is humbling you? Did you know the condition to be raise up or exalted is to first be humbled. And did you know it is our reasonable service, duty, and responsibility for us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. It is not God’s place to force us to humble ourselves, God’s place is to provide the humbling, our place is to willfully submit to His humbling so that “in due time” we shall be exalted. When is due time? How long do we have to be humbled? Well the next verse gives us the answer, “casting all your care on him.” God will humble us until we have learned to cast (throw or exchange) all of our care, not our cares on Him. Cares are things like cars, houses, jobs, our economy, our future and etc. We are not to cast our cares about not having things or our future on Him, but we are to cast all our care upon him. Care is our attitude (an adjective) of caring about things. We need not be worried why? Because, “he careth for you.” God will humble us until we learn to cast our attitude of caring on Him. After we learn this lesson then God can exalt and raise us up.

What do you think? Do you think the “mighty hand of God” could look like the melt-down of the financial markets of America or the global collapse of the world banking system? I do. And my friend I believe the worse is yet to come. Now please understand I am writing these words not from a political point of view or agenda I did not vote I know God is the one who selects the leaders for America. But I strongly believe, God has raised up President Obama to serve as a vessel of dishonor to humble America and even the world. How is God moving in the world? He is humbling the church around the world, America, and the nations for the years of open rebellion and disobedience to His word and found them both wanting. Just read the Bible, when God’s humbling comes to a nation saints and sinners alike feel His mighty hand of correction. Obedience to God and His word alone is what saves a nation from God’s humbling. We in America must get back to what God has said in His Holy word if we want to survive. How is God moving in the earth? He is humbling the nations. And what is the church doing? Sadly it has not recognized God’s humbling because times are still good people still have some money so they continue to sing their people further into a spiritual slumber. My friend God always goes after where it hurts the most and now God is hitting the world in her money belt. Take heed my friend conviction, chastisement, and even open rebuke has not worked to bring us back to God. Humbling always comes ahead of judgment and if judgment does not work then reprobation (total darkness) will be the end of the apostate church and the world. Take heed my friend God is not mocked, God always uses some ones enemy to bring reprobation to those who resist God and His ways, just read the Old Testament. Time and time again the kings, judges, priests, and the people of Isreal, “did that which was not right in the sight of he Lord” and God led them into slavery, destruction, and ruin for 100s of years. And times have not changed we serve a God who changes not.

Now please understand I truly wish no harm and wish him well, but still make no mistake, I believe, President Obama and his administration have been raised up by God to humble America (please see “Good Luck Mr. President of 21 January 09 on our blog ) because of her waywardness and open rebellion to God’s Holy word. The Psalmist tells us, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.” (Psalms 75:6-8) Now I will be honest, I do not like to see America in such a deceived spiritual condition. I really struggle in my heart and spirit when I see the church and America over in such deception and disobedience. I love America it is the best country in the world, I gave 24 years of my life in peace and combat service to her, but at every turn America and yes the church in America has rejected God and His word. God, whether you believe in Him or not, gets to fashion the vessels for His purposes. God gets the final word on the nations. We see this truth in the life of Pharaoh and the Egyptian (and paralleled in President Obama and the American people) people as recorded in the Book of Romans, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”(Romans 9:17-21) America and great men of God (from all walks of life, every color, and tongue) have been fashioned by God to spread the Gospel message around the world; democracy and freedom were just by-products of the Gospel message, but now America has changed her course she has rejected God and His word. The church in America is over in idol worship of men and money, greed and hunger for power and influence instead of hungering for God and His righteousness which has been left by the wayside. The church of America thinks just because our legal system passes laws and the Supreme Courts upholds these laws time and time again they over ride what God has said in His word, well my friend the Supreme Court is not the highest court in America or on the earth. There is a higher judge who rides on the wind, who inhabits eternity, and judges the nations. What we need in America is a leader and people like in the City of Nineveh. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”(Jonah 3:5-10) A leader and a people who can see the “mighty hand of God” stretching forth to humble them while longing to restore them if they repent. On the other side of repentance is restoration and protection for America.

Oddly enough God is moving on the earth like never before, but most Christians have not put on the mind of Christ nor have they had the eyes of their understanding enlightened so they will not be able to see what God is doing. Their mind has been deceived by the gods of this world and their hearts are full of themselves and a man-made system of religion. Oh Lord God Almighty, ruler of heaven and earth, please forgive me, please forgive the church around the world, and please forgive my nation. Forgive us this day so that we can once again be restored to the knowledge of the truth of Your word and not sin against You again. Help us, open our eyes to be able to see the need to be humbled by You so that we may get back on the right track and once again believe Your word and only Your word where there and only there is life forever more. Amen. Written by David Stahl