THIS WORLD

This world is an amazing place at times. It is a place of unforgettable beauty and goodness, but at other times it is a place of heinous shame and evil. In my short life I have seen the splendor of the ice capped mountain of Everest in Nepal and I have seen the throngs of wilder beasts running at break-neck speed along the Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, both sights to behold. I have seen waterfalls and trees that seem to almost kiss the skies. I have brought life into this world and sadly I must confess I have taken life out of this world. There is nothing more special in this world than to hear a new born baby cry for the first time as it comes into this world. With all of the beauty this world can offer yet at the same time it also offers great sadness, poverty, and despair. I have seen the swollen bellies of children around the world; the sickness, disease, and famine of biblical proportions and even the ravages of war in the eyes and lives of people around the world. Yes this world is an amazing place, but my friend if we take a liking to this world it will destroy us. We must keep our heart out of the world, we must never think of this world as our home. Yet we (I include myself at times) Christians do all we can to dig our heart and lives into the dirt of this world. Jesus told the disciples, “Heaven (Strong’s #3772 the universe, the world, the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced) and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) Now Jesus was not talking about “Heaven” our heavenly home for awhile, He was talking about the sky, the clouds, the stars, the planets, etc. Like the disciples then today many Christians get things here confused when the “world” is mentioned and if you get confused here my friend you are in great danger of losing your soul.

Now the Scripture often uses the word “world” to describe and explain things that affect our senses and human reasoning. For example in the most memorized verse in the Bible and even in the next verse we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) John had a lot to say about the “world” maybe because he spent his last days on earth in exile on an island; funny how the love for the world seems to grow dim in our thinking and heart as we get alone with God and separate ourselves from all of the hustle and bustle of life’s busy routine. In 1 John we read, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) In both examples the word “world” is used many times, but the same Strong’s translation word, Kosmos #2889, is used. How could God give His precious Son Jesus for the “world” in one verse, but in another verse tell us not to love the “world?” For us to understand this we must apply some good old common sense (that God gave us) and do what Paul instructed Timothy; to study the word to find thy self approved so that we would not be found to be in error. Never forget the truth of the word of God (both written and spoken) is contained in the words as the precious Holy Spirit gives us revelation understanding to the words and concepts contained in what God is telling us. If we look at the Greek meanings for the word “Kosmos” we find it has eight meanings:

(1) An apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.

(2) Ornament, decoration, adornment, the arrangement of the stars, “the heavenly hosts,” as the ornament of the heavens in 1 Peter 3:3.

(3) The world, the universe.

(4) The circle of the earth, the earth.

(5) The inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race.

(6) The ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.

(7) World affairs, the aggregate of things earthly: the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce us from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.

(8) Any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort.

Most certainly (and using our common sense) God would not give His precious Son for any government or earthly order, any arrangement of the stars, nor for the universe of which he made (Genesis 1:16) in five words. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus was talking about meanings, 2-4. In John 3:16-17, Jesus was talking only about meanings 5 and 6. And in 1 John 2:15-17, John was talking about all of the meanings, except for number 5 and 6. And do not make the mistake of thinking the earth is this world it is not. The earth (and the fullness therein) is what God made and gave to man that will never be destroyed. The world is an ungodly system, a way of thinking and doing things that is in direct rebellion to God’s word. To see this system in action all you have to do is turn on the TV and watch the news and popular programming. The world is the legal system that says it is okay to kill babies when God calls it murder. The world says it is okay for men to marry men and woman to marry woman, but God calls this an abomination. Almost every social issue and cause today that is popular in the world is in direct rebellion to God’s word. Also to see the world’s system in action all you have to do is go to a contemporary church and see how they have sold out from the Godly principles of the word of God through; Christian rock and roll music, interpretive dance, flag waving, permissive dress with no modesty or decency, and the folksy, hip-hop, liberal, worldly sermons that deny the authority, revelation, and power of God while exalting the world. God’s idea is for the church (the Body of Christ) to change the way people (the folks Jesus gave His life for in John 3:16-17) operate in the world, but today the opposite has happened the world system has been adopted by the church and it is changing the hearts and minds of Christians world-wide. We must go back to the tried and true principles of the Bible, the old ways lead to life. We most certainly are not to love this world (and be very careful how we love this earth), we are not to put our heart and soul into this worldly system (no matter how good it looks or how good it feels) we are to shun the world and all of its trappings. There is a direct correlation to our spiritual growth and development and the love we have for the world; the more we go after the world the less of God will be in us. I see this in the way we go after technology; everyone has a cell phone and are glued to them, we are addicted to social media (Facebook, etal), our lives revolve around technology and we seldom have time to be quiet and still before God to hear His voice. We cannot even get in a car (alone) and be still we must turn on the radio, put on a CD (at unnatural levels) or text someone, for most people (Christians included) technology has overwhelmed our lives and our relationship with the LORD (for most Christians) is non-existent.

Now do not think you are immune to this love of the world. The Lord really showed me how I am addicted to things from our past. As Karen and I began to look at the furniture, pictures, and the “stuff” we planned to move to our new home I could not believe how strong in my feelings I had for some of the old furniture we bought when we first got married. Furniture we shipped all over the country, from duty station to duty station, even to Germany and back. Furniture and things collected through the years that remind us of places and people from a time that has passed us by. You know we will never be able to allow God to bring new things into our lives until we can allow God to remove the old things from our lives. It was really strange the time we spent after we were told we had to move seemed like we were in limbo or in neutral. It was kind of surreal we were in a holding pattern (to be honest it was confusing at times) just waiting to close and move, but in us was a peace because we knew we were going to be moving and we were heading into uncharted waters in God. This my friend is the place where God can be God (in the unknown) and not some puppet on a sting to command at our whim, but a holy and capable God who cares for us individually and cares for the plan He has purposed and planned for our lives. We see this clearly in the life of Abram. In Genesis we read, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” (Genesis 12:1) Did you know God is a great disturber? He loves to disturb us and put us in a real fix so He can fix us. This is what He did with Abram. Can you imagine God telling you to leave your country, leave your relatives, and even leave your family? Talk about the unknown and then God says I will show you as you go where you are going, but Abram (in obedience) had to let the old things pass away in his life so that God could show him the land he was to go to and so that God could bring all of His precious promises (that God had for him) into his life. But before God can get us to a place where we are willing to leave our country, relatives, and family God first but be able to cut the world out of our heart and minds. In Matthew Jesus shares some very hard and often misunderstood words with us, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39) Jesus says, I have a sword and I am going to stick it in your heart (if you let Me) so that I can cut you out of this world and it is going to hurt and even cause strife and anger in your family; between your parents, brothers, sisters, and even your children, because if you love them all more than Me than you are not worthy of Me. God has a cross (our will laid against God’s will for our lives) for each and every one of us to die on, to crucify our love for this world and its pleasures. Count the cost my friend Jesus comes with a sword to cut our affections and desires for this world out of us and it will hurt (we will cry) and we will even die, but “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” The more we allow God to cut us out of this world the more of God’s life we will have in us. Two things I will promise you my friend and that is Jesus is good at wielding a sword at our heart, his sword cuts us coming and going and the second is it will hurt we will have pain, heartaches, and confusion, but if we allow Jesus to do His work in our lives at the end of the surgery we will be able to love the unlovable as Jesus did, endure the persecution and tribulation Jesus also promised us because we will not be of this world we will be birthed from above. Written by David Stahl

LIFE THROUGH DEATH

The longer I live on earth the more I seem to want to live to see our grand kids have kids and the more my flesh screams to be soothed and satisfied. Now do not get me wrong I do not have some death wish to leave this earth before God’s time and I know God still has much more for Karen and I to do, but I see within me lives a paradox that I battle and even struggle with dying so that I can live. Now you will not hear this spiritual concept taught at most churches (maybe 1 out of 10) most churches teach we are to live in the abundant life of Christ, be blessed in overflow, claim (concept not found in the Bible) it, just tune in to Christian TV and you can pick and choose the lie you wish to follow. But, it is the message of the Gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ) that is the power of the cross. The power of the cross is not about life it is about death. The power of the cross is not about abundance, but limitations. The power of the cross is not about freedom, but restriction because limitations, restrictions, and death to our flesh bring us to fulfillment and completion in God, not abundance, freedom, and life. Paul shares this stark, hard truth with the Church at Corinth and us, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18) Things have not changed in over 2,000 years, today preaching the preaching of the cross (the Gospel message, death to our carnal selfishness, our self-centered nature, and our religious self-seeking) is still considered foolishness and many still perish. The truth is the more we can die to our intentions, emotions, and desires the more we can live in the God type of life (Zoe) and the more God can use us. But here is the key, we must die. The progression in God is not into greater life, but into greater death. Jesus said, “The thief cometh (not the devil) not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11) Jesus came so that we may have life, but for us to be able to walk in the newness of life in Christ He had to die. The hallmark and crowning glory of Christ’s ministry on earth was not all of His parables, teachings, miracles, and healings, but when He died between two thieves. Jesus came for one reason and only one reason to die on a cross so that we might be able to have His life. Jesus was not talking about going to heaven as most denominations and religious groups teach, oh no Jesus was talking about going to die, “except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die.” The only place we are going to after we accept Jesus as our personal savior is to our cross (our will laid against God’s will for our lives) to suffer (soften our heart towards man and God) and die. Jesus takes us by the hand and leads us to places we do not want to go, but if we do go we can be raised in newest of life, God’s life. This too is a type and shadow of what God expects to happen in our lives. Please notice verse 11 says, “the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Jesus had to die so that we, “might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” the spiritual principle: life though death and the more death we experience in God the more life in God we can experience. Jesus shared this same spiritual principle (used other words) with the disciples and they scratched their heads again. You know the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying until the Holy Spirit came and yet many today say we do not need the Holy Spirit. It only shows us just how far we have drifted from the truth of the word of God and of the dark heart of the religious, humanistic, apostate (works focused) church of today. Jesus said in John again, “Verily, verily, (a double negative, strongest use of an imperative to express significance) I say unto you, Except (meaning: the only way there is no other way) a corn of wheat 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. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (John 12:24-26) So the only way, there is no other way to be fruitful in God is to “fall in to the ground and die,” but no I thought God has called us to “life and it more abundantly?” No my friend God has called us to death not to life, God is calling us to lose our life for if we can lose our life surely we shall find it. Jesus repeats this thought in Matthew and added some other qualifiers, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39) Please notice the losing comes first and the finding is second. Never forget order in God really matters. If we do not allow God to strengthen us with might in the inward man (we cannot do it on our own this is called religion) to be able to lose our life we shall never be able to walk in the life that God has for our life. How could we? It is God’s power, it is God’s life not ours! We have no faith, faith is owned by God He even gives us a measure (Romans 12:3) to be saved and live Godly, everything is owned by God.

Paul knew this spiritual principle and the progression of it all too well, “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) Remember truth is progressive and the more truth we can allow God to work in our lives the more it will cost us. And to the extent of our death will measure the extent of our life in God. Remember death in God has a purpose. The purpose of death in God is resurrection. No death no resurrection. We all want to experience God’s newness of life, well to experience God’s newness of life we all first must die, we all must lose our life so we can find it. Is our life in God lost? No it is on the other side of death, both spiritually and physically. We see this in Romans when Paul taught the Church at Rome, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:4-5) Did you get that? “We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.” And verse five brings it all home to our heart, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Never think God highly exalted His Son Jesus because He was God’s Son, oh no if you do you will be grossly wrong. God, “ . . . hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” not because He was God’s Son, oh no, but because He, “ . . . 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.” Our way is clear and our path is sure, as Jesus is our example we too must fall into the ground and die so that we will be able to be fruitful and walk in the newness of life God has for us all. But, no death no life it is as simple as that. Written by David Stahl

OUR CHOICES

Our lives are made up from the sum total of our choices and there is nothing in our lives that did not happen beyond our ability to choose correctly in God. This is an understanding we must embrace if we are going to “grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” because this is the understanding we must have to enable our dedication and commitment for God to be able to endure the consequences of our actions (dirty little words for most Christians today) and the many chastening, dealings, and judgments of the Lord. In these is where the Christ-like character conforming processes of God happens in our lives. It is not the cool waters and green pastures we relish and covet, but the inward retrospection and quiet times before God when He can open our heart and minds and show us our real character before Him. God is so concerned about our character. It is on the back side of the desert (in the wilderness) God’s people are tried and tested not in the well watered plains. I always thought it a bit strange that the good Shepard (Jesus) left the 99 sheep in the wilderness when He went after the one lost sheep. Luke tells us, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4) Now I cannot believe the good Shepard (Jesus) did not know where the lost sheep was. Does Jesus not know everything? I believe the good Shepard tarried and sought the one lost sheep a while so that the 99 could spend some time in the wilderness. The wilderness will work some things out of us if we allow God to do the work in us. There was a work in the 99 that could only be done in the wilderness and the good Shepard had to allure them there. So too in our lives the wilderness is the only place where God can get our attention so that He can do a work in our lives. In Hosea we find this happening, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” (Hosea 2:14) And why? Because the wilderness is the only place God can speak comfort to us; there all of the other voices are distant, no one to depend on, and we are all alone with God. God’s goal in leading us to the wilderness (our choice if we want to go) is so that we can learn to lean on Him, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song of Solomon 8:5) The longer we walk with the Lord the more we will discover the wilderness is a wonderful (if not the major) making place in our Christian lives. Any one that ever amounted to anything in God was sent to the wilderness to be tried in the furnace of God’s purifying fire, molded and shaped in the hands (as clay) of the Master until they were ready for service. But make no mistake my friend we will end up in the wilderness (God’s making places for our lives) based not on God’s will for our lives (it is always God’s intention for us), but based on the choices we have made. We see the impact of making right and wrong choices from the very beginning of man in Genesis and how his choices have impacted on all humanity. In Genesis we discover a divine spiritual truth that runs as a scarlet thread all throughout the Bible, the word “every.” Now when the Bible says “every” it means “every” it does not mean some or only a few, but it means “every” and here in Genesis 1:29, 2:9, and 2:16 it says “every.” God told Adam “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29) God meant “every.”And in Chapter two, “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant 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 2:8-9) Now please notice God used the word “every” again (and meant it) and even mentioned “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” I have always wondered why Adam did not go after “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.” God did not say Adam could not eat of “the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” But in verses 16 and 17 God reiterated Adam’s options of eating of “the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” but now gave Adam an opportunity to make a life or death choice. “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) Most if not all of the choices God gives us are life or death, but we most often cannot see the future outcome of our choices when we make them, oh thank God for His longsuffering. God was telling Adam you can eat of this tree and this tree and this tree and even this tree, but if you eat of this tree (and you are free to eat of it) “thou shalt surely die.” I wonder why God changed His mind between verses Genesis 2: 9 and 16. Did you know God changes His mind sometimes? In Genesis later we read, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”(Genesis 6:5-6) Wow this sounds like today.

Or was God setting something different into motion in the earth to help us walk in the truth of His words? And that thing God set into motion was choice, our choice whether to sever Him or not sever Him, be obedient or not be obedient to Him, be committed or not be committed to Him. Without choice in our lives we are no better than the birds of the air, the fish of the seas, or even the Angels. Choice in our lives gives us the opportunity to walk away from God (what a chance God takes on us) or to draw nearer to Him. The more we understand this option of choice in our lives the more God’s love will grip our hearts and we will see what a loving God we serve and the less selfish and self-seeking we will become. I do not know about you my friend, but at times I can be very selfish and want my way. Why do we think God is going to do all of the work for us or do what we want Him to do? Why do we think God is going make choices for us like save this person we want saved or curse this person we want cursed? One thing for sure “every” thing we get from God will not be because God made it happen oh no my friend “every” thing we get from God will be based on the choices we have made in our lives. Now some Christians would disagree with me here, but I will go even further and include even those things God has allowed in our lives that are not according to His best for our lives. Did you know God will offer us His second best? As I was getting out of the U.S. Navy (USN) in Stuttgart I received a phone call from my detailer (someone who arranges duty assignments for Officers in the USN) and he asked me if I would consider a four year follow-on assignment at U.S. Marine Forces Europe (a three star, U.S. Marine Corps Headquarter in the Stuttgart area) doing the very same job I was doing at U.S. European Command. I even had other Officers campaigning for me to take the job unbeknownst to me. We would not have to move, I could still pastor the church, everything would be as it was, except for God’s will for our lives. My friend God will check us out to see if we really want His best for our lives and He will do this by offering us something that makes perfect common sense to our natural man and satisfies our fleshly desires. Take heed here my friend when God presents you with such a choice. Now I am sure everything would have worked out fine: God would have continued to bless Family Stahl, God would have continued to bless the church, people would have still come to Christ and lives would have been changed, but the down side to this choice would be we (me, my family, and our church) would miss out on God’s best for our lives and we would have known it. Remember; sin is to know right and not do it, to miss the mark, and the mark here for our lives was for me to get out of the USN. We could have chosen to do good things for God and I feel sure good things would have happened, but the best things God wanted for me and my family would not have been done and out from that we would have experienced loss in God and suffered in relationships and God’s favor. Did you know our obedience or disobedience in God can be measured? There is a point along God’s spiritual continuum time-line for our lives where we find (reality) ourselves in relationship to God’s will for our lives and then there is a point along God’s time-line where He expects us to be. The difference between the two points is the delta of either obedience (moving further to the right of God’s expectation) or disobedience (moving further to the left of God’s expectation) in our lives, now experiencing loss is very sad, but after an undisclosed prescribed time of God while walking in loss things gets worse. God told the Children of Israel, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” (Deuteronomy 30:19) Strange how our bad choices effect others in our lives. The deeds of what was to be the “record” that God was keeping apparently came to an end and God said, “I have set before you life and death (a choice), blessings and cursing:,” but please notice what God desires we choose “therefore (because all that has just said) choose life.” God’s choice for our lives is always life, blessings, and victory, but again it is not up to God (this is His intention for us), but it is up to us will we do and say the things needed to walk in the things God has purposed for our lives?

No where do we find this truth so vital and critical than in Ezekiel. We read, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 11-11) This is God’s intention for us. But it is in verses 13 and 15 we read the real fall-out of our choices, “When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” (Ezekiel 11-13) What a sobering truth. Please notice, “if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity” then all of his righteousness shall not be remembered and he shall die for it. Our willful choice to “commit iniquity” (lawlessness or to move outside the laws of God) in spite of all we have said and done for God will cost us loss; first the work that God has been able to do in our lives) and then ultimately we shall die for it. But, “If the wicked restore the pledge (confess and repent), give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” (Ezekiel 11-15-16) Life and death is in the power of our choices; it always has been since Genesis and will always be. God has purposed and plans things this way and is watching and listening to our choices. Written by David Stahl

OUR HURTS AND LOSSES

One of the toughest things we must allow God to do for us is to get us over hurts and losses in our lives. Now no one is immune from hurts and losses and I promise you the more we walk with the Lord the more we will have to confront them and allow God to strengthen us with might (an inward ability to deal with issues of the heart) in the inward man. God is good at making our way constructive in life to make our living worth the while of learning how to function correctly with Him. Many Christians fail to allow God to deal and judge in their lives and they carry these hurts and losses all along their way and even carry them to heaven where God will have to deal with them at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Please do not think we will be able to sneak into heaven with some unresolved issues in our lives. Sadly the message of grace has cheapened the requirement for spiritual growth and development in the church today. The message we hear today in most churches is: God loves you and He will forgive you which is true, but it is not God’s intention for us to continually use His grace (as a crutch) to ask forgiveness again and again. God’s intention for us is to confess with our own words and then repent (about face or turn away from) of our sin so that we grow in the grace and the knowledge (both) of our Lord Jesus Christ. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9-10) God never intended for a bunch of babies with no spiritual ability, power, and revelation to lead His church. Remember at the heart of every issue is always an issue of our heart. And it is our heart (as God deals and judges in it) where our spiritual ability and character is developed. And guess what that brings us back to our hurts and losses.

Make no mistake my friend hurts and loss in our lives can be very painful. The sting of death hurts, even the death of a beloved dog. Recently our Boxer dog Grimme died, he was better than some people I know and even in this the sting of death was bitter to us. Now we understand he was a dog and not a person, but when our affections and feelings get involved in our decisions we hurt from our loss. We have always liked dogs. Karen has even taught our daughter Connie and others never to marry a man who would beat an animal, if he will beat an animal he will beat you, sound advice even for today. Do you know animals know love when they see it and when they do not see it? When we lived in Germany I pastored a church with people from all around the world who came to church with all kinds of different cultures and customs. One American custom I always liked (and still do today) is to invite people over for dinner. You learn a lot about people when you sit around a dinner table; do they fill their plate first or pass the food. Do they get the last piece of chicken or prefer it for their friends or host. But one thing I would notice was who our Boxer dog Annie (a very loving and humble dog) would go to for some affection. I noticed who Annie would let pet her, but more important I noticed who Annie would not allow to pet her, and time bore out those who Annie would not allow to pet her were real snakes in the grass.

One of the biggest areas we get hurt in is from our friends and our family. Karen and I can personally speak of this. Since returning from Germany in 2003 we have been excluded from our family because we have stood for the truth of the word of God. We have spoken out against the drunkenness and homosexuality in our family for this we have been vilified and marginalized. But that is okay I must answer to God not to my family. He will not thank me for compromising the truth of the word of God for the sake of family peace and togetherness, but I will have to answer Him for how I handled the truth of the word of God in my life, we all will. Now I will be honest I do not understand Christians some times. We understand sinners they cannot help themselves, but lately I have found sinners to be more truthful and with more integrity than most Christians, ah I forgot we have grace to fall back on. I can take you to five churches in Jacksonville (a Baptist, a Pentecostal, and three non-denominational) that Karen and I have been asked to leave or been given the cold shoulder because the pastor found out about Beholding His Glory (BHG). Two of the pastors (the Pentecostal and one of the non-denominational) invited us out to a restaurant to get to know us, but when the check came both pastors waited for me to grab the bill. One pastor (another non-denominational) and his wife we invited over to our home for supper and all they did was eat and grab three of my books not even asking me for cost to cover the books. And another pastor (the Baptist) never went out to supper with us nor even came over to our home even though we asked many times. Yet when all five pastors learned about BHG their attitudes and reactions did a 180 degree change towards us. All Karen and I wanted to do was attend their service, just come and go, give them some money, and not get involved, but once the people started talking to us and we opened up a little the pastors got defensive with us and started guarding their members as if we were going to steal members from them so we could start a church. We assured them this was not our intention, but the pastors poisoned the heart of the people against us and we got the cold shoulder so we moved on. Friend this ought not to be in the Body of Christ, but jealousy, anger, immaturity, greed, and plain old contention in the hearts of pastors and leaders will only yield division, jealousy, anger, immaturity, greed, and plain old contention in them and in the people. Never forget the closer someone is the greater the hurt they can cause in our lives. Just ask a divorce lawyer. We must guard our heart with great diligence, with the word of God, and even some good old common sense from such people who would want to manipulate and take advantage of us for their personal gain. The last time I went to Kenya we had a very busy and ambitious schedule. We spent three or four days in Mombasa (man was it hot and my air conditioner did not work in my room) and then we drove six hours up to Nairobi. Well on the trip our host pastor was getting tired (he is always a real trooper giving of himself and family) so my friend (I still will call him friend) suggested I drive since I had an expired international driving license. Now another name for an expired international driver license is no driver license, but my friend insisted I drive. Driving was not the problem, in the past I have driven from Mombasa to Nairobi, but then I had a license. I suggested we stop for an hour or two and let our host pastor get a power nap and then continue, but not my friend of 30 years he insisted I drive, well I said no, so he berated me soundly and took the wheel. He blasted off gunning the engine and I am not really sure what he did, but the entire time he drove the engine was not working properly and the brakes seemed to fail at times. This continued for some miles so we decided to stop in Sultan Hamud where our host pastor knew some folks who could take a look at our car. After about two hours and after our host pastor and the car (they could find nothing a wrong) rested our host pastor took off driving again for Nairobi. Now here is the best part of this story. When the conference started the next day one of the Kenyan pastors who served as my interrupter shared a story about how he was stopped, arrested, and taken to jail for driving without a driver license. In your country of residence it is important to follow the laws and rules of the land, but when you are a foreigner it is more important you follow the rules and laws. Just because we are doing the Lord’s work we think He is going to cover all of our little omissions of obedience to the laws of then land or following the rules in the name of the Lord, well this my friend will land you in jail just as fast as anyone else. We as Christians are held to an even higher standard of doing what is right and following the laws. I guess my friend of 30 years was not so concerned about following the laws or for my well being as he was about getting to Nairobi or resting our host pastor. But this is the same friend of 30 years who says he is eating up my sin against him (not a Biblical principle) for telling him the truth to a question he asked about his character and got greatly offended. Again take heed my friend it is your closest friends that will cause you the greatest hurts. Did you know God is more concerned about our character than He is about our ability to minister the word of God? Our revelation of God to minister the word of God must match our character if not we know not God because His words (the truth about ourselves) have not gotten down into our precepts and concepts that form our daily living, thus the manifestation of our character will always be fleshly and carnal, even though we can recite the Bible backwards and forwards or masterfully weave Scriptures to support what we are saying. Our character is God’s biggest area of concern in our lives. At the heart of all of these issues (even maybe some in me) believe it or not is pride. At the heart of our hurts and losses believe it or not is pride. Solomon tells us, “Only by pride cometh contention (confusion, anger, strife, bitterness, envy): but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10) Now many Christians do not believe this verse. They blame everyone else, even the devil for the contention at work, in their home, or in their lives, but the Bible says it is pride. And it says “only by pride,” there is nothing else that causes contention in our lives. When our pride get hurts we strike back with everything within us to seek our revenge and get our pound of flesh. Our carnal nature wants its way and will do and say anything it can to get even. Think not our flesh is not alive, oh no my friend our flesh is alive and well, subtle and sure waiting for every opportunity to get hurt and play the martyr.

Did you know for us to allow God to get us over being hurt in our lives there must be a constant putting off of things so that we can put on other things? This is a spiritual principle we must operate in to get over hurt and even offense in our lives. In Romans Paul encourages us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” (Romans 13:12-13) Now the spiritual order is, “cast off the works of darkness” and then we can “put on the armour of light.” No casting off, no putting on. No allowing God to work in our lives so that we can cast off hurts no putting on the new things that God has for us to replace the hurts. How can we receive the beauty God has for us unless we first get up from the ash pile? In our lives old things must pass away before God can bring new things into our lives. As we move from our present home to a new home and even our dog dying we must embrace these old things and allow God to work them out of us so we can walk in the new things He has for us. And again casting off hurts is painful, but please know when we get hurt it is most often our fault; we have opened up ourselves to people or things maybe we should not have. I was amazed to hear and watch the lies of Harold Camping when he said Jesus was coming back first in September 1994 and then recently in May 2011. It was not the lies of Camping that amazed me, but how the people who followed him were deceived. Millions from around the world believed him they sold or gave away their homes, cars, clothing, everything. I got emails and phone calls from Christians around the world asking my opinion if Jesus was coming back in May 2011. They all were hurt, but they all hurt themselves. No one held a gun to their head and said you must believe Camping’s lies. This is where knowing the truth will really save your life.

Now please let me turn to loss in our lives. We do not want to lose because when we lose we feel bad and cry, but this is nothing more than our selfishness coming through. When Grimme died we cried, we cried not because he died his death was a blessing due to his sickness, but we cried because we were going to miss him, it was out of our selfish nature that we experience loss and we do not like that. We all at the center of our will and nature are selfish and prideful, we do not want to lose anything and when we do our selfishness comes alive and causes us to hurt and our lives are now filled with pain and sorrow. But believe it or not God has a purpose for loss in our lives. Lose in our lives creates more of a place for God’s glory in us if we allow it. The more we lose the more God can come (if we allow Him too) and fill that empty place in our heart. If we never experience loss in our lives we will never be able to experience the spiritual gain God has for us. Did you know God measures our gain in Him not by what we can add, but by how much we can lose? The more we can lose of this world and our self the more we gain of God. This too is why God allows suffering in our lives to help keep our heart out of this world. But at the end of the day, no matter what hurt or loss we have experienced in our lives: death of a family member, an animal, our health, bankruptcy, whatever we must be able to trust them to God’s able and faithful hands, if not we will never be able to get over them in our lives. In our hurts and losses we must be able to say, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” while keeping our eyes on the Lord. Written by David Stahl

GOD'S DEFINED TIME

Over the last two or three years as God kind of slowed us down from going abroad six to seven times (that is every other month) a year and resting us I often thought about how we operate in God for a specific time while fulfilling a specific function (pastor, missionary, etc.) for a defined period. When we headed over to Germany back in 1996 we had no idea we would be pastoring a wonderful church and it would grow and many people would be changed by the word of God. We never thought we would be traveling in ministry to the four corners of the world sharing the good news of the Gospel message, but we did. We never thought Beholding His Glory would be birthed, we never thought we would see the failures and victories in so many lives, but we did. When I think back to all God did (the church in Germany, the traveling, the lives that were changed ours included) all I can say is, “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:23-24) Now this is the very thought “this is the LORD’S doing” I have been thinking about as I reflect over the seven years of ministry while living in Europe. Before moving to Europe we were faithful in prayer, studying the Bible, in church activities (attendance, leadership, and service), doing whatever we could do to draw closer to God, but there was no special anointing on our lives. I guess with accepting a special call comes the special anointing. To be brutally honest during this time I really struggled with my faith and with relationships within the church we were attending seeing the lackluster approach to God and the blatant hypocrisy in many lives (even in the church leadership), but in spite of all of this God had a plan for our lives and wanted us to move to Stuttgart, Germany. As I look back over my 24 years in the U.S. Navy I can see how God did many things (assignments, education, favor from seniors) to help lead us along the way He wanted us to go. I remember the church we were attending had a huge going away party (after Sunday service) for us and they even gave us a nice plaque, but while playing softball (at the party) from left field the pastor (he always called me elder) yelled to me in center field, “elder where do you think you will be attending services next Sunday?” And I yelled back, “I do not know probably a chapel on base.” Well little did I know (because of my faithfulness to church and God’s plan for our lives) going to the chapel on base would be the beginning of the unfolding of what God had for me, our family, so many other lives those seven years in Germany, and even all that God is still doing today with Beholding His Glory. Now all of this was not our intention; our intention was to travel to Europe and enjoy our years raising our kids like most American military families who move to Germany. My military intention was to be the very best Naval Officer in the world, but God had other intentions. When we started up (at the Lord’s wishes and on Karen’s birthday) Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart I naively and foolishly thought all of my co-workers in my office were going to join our church, but was sadly disappointed with they rejected me and me as a pastor. I found out quickly (and painfully) religion is much thicker than friendship. Karen says I am more loyal to other people than what they are to me and she is right I can name relationship after relationship of over 30 years, but that is okay with me I would rather err on the side of other’s presumption and give my friendship than not to be honest and forthright, God expects nothing less. When I think back to our seven years in Germany how could I not think of our four kids. They were raised a lot in their formative years during this time and I will be honest they endured many long church services (some four hours plus) and many things they did not really understand (an international church overseas is much different than a church in the States), but in the end today they all would say they are much better off for the experience living overseas and the lessons they learned in God. It is kind of funny how when we come to the Lord we do so because we have some intentions in mind for us well guess what, God too has some personal intentions of His own for our lives. Often we come to the Lord thinking we will have some kind of fire insurance from hell or we will get God to give us some things (like money, spouse, car, house, better health, etc.), but this all is wrong thinking, all wrong apostate religious thinking like a religious cancer that is destroying the Body of Christ. In Jeremiah we read his heart, “For I know the thoughts (plans or intentions) that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts (plans or intentions) of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13) Usually our plans, intentions, or thoughts are selfish and our motives are self-seeking, but God has eternal holy purposes, His intentions are for the betterment of our soul and a desire to bring us to an expected end, which is also another intention of His.

Now the longer I walk with the Lord and the more I see even in the lives of others in Christian ministry and leadership I am ever the more convinced God has specific jobs for us to do, for a specific time, and no matter how much we kick or scream we cannot start our mission until we qualify or have been approved for the next thing He has for us to do. I see now this was what was going on with us in the church we were attending and through the many years of service to God. Now we all have the duty and responsibility to share the good news of the Gospel message to everyone we come in contact with, but that does not constitute a ministry. Sharing the Gospel message with everyone we come in contact with is an expectation God expects of us. Doing or not doing this has nothing to do with our salvation, but it has everything to do with whether God can trust us to fulfil the plans, thoughts, and intentions He has for our lives. If we critically look at the lives of key people in the Bible we will see this spiritual principle in action. In the Old Testament we read about Adam serving God in the garden for a specific time and place, but after he sinned things changed significantly. For most of Noah’s life he was a man who just love and honored God; he was qualifying and being approved at this time to be able to build the ark and save his family (mankind) and the animal kingdom, but after that he was back to just loving and honoring God while living out his life. Abram who later became Abraham was the same way. Before he was called out of Ur of the Chaldeans and before he became the father of many nations, and all of the many wondrous things he allowed God to do in his life he just loved and honored God. After God was finished with him he went back to running his family and loving God. Moses’ life can be divided into three 40 year periods: the first 40 years he served in the courts of the Egyptian pharaoh (as an Egyptian Prince) mighty in word and deed becoming learned and wise in wars and affairs of state, in his next 40 years God had Moses on the back side of the wilderness shepherding sheep. Do you know how dump sheep are? And how they stink? It took God 40 years to get Egypt out of Moses and when Moses stood before all mighty God, “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.’ (Exodus 4:10). And his last 40 years God used him to lead his people out of 430 years of bondage and all recorded in the Scriptures that Moses allowed God to do. For two-thirds of Moses’ life he was being qualified and being approved for the last one-third of his life. Isaac and Jacob’s lives were the same in character and service. I really like Joseph’s life it followed this same spiritual principle. Before Joseph became Zaphnath-Paaneah (second only to Pharaoh in all the world) so that he could save the entire Hebrew nation (including the birth line of Jesus) and the world he first had to qualify and be approved in enduring ridicule and shame from his father and brothers, being sold into slavery in Potiphar’s home, and going to prison because of false charges. And us today? Now the Bible does not say how Joseph ended his days, but it does make a statement about his faith, “And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” (Genesis 50:25) In the New Testament we see this spiritual principle continued. In the life of John the Baptist John lived a normal life before he was called to be the voice crying in the wilderness, “to make straight the way of the Lord.” His life was lived to fulfill a certain time and a certain mission in God’s eternal plan. In the case of John he never stopped baptizing and never followed Jesus so God had to put him in a place where there was no water, prison. Even today in Israel you can find some of John’s disciples still baptizing in the Jordon River. The same held true in the lives of Jesus’ Disciples. Before their encounter with Christ they were fisher men, a tax collector, a doctor, all living their daily lives, but once they really met Jesus their lives were changed and they served for a specific time and all had a specific function in God’s plan. One of my favorite examples is Saul who later became Paul. Saul was in Bible School and God called him out (go figure) before God could use him. Even having a face-to-face encounter and Jesus speaking to Paul was not enough God still had to take him to the wilderness for three years (qualifying and approving him) to put his word in Paul’s heart. Even Jesus our Master and example was qualified and approved by the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. There is a specific time of ministry and during this time there is a special time of favor and even at times a supernatural anointing. I have seen it and I have felt it, now that does not mean after we pass through this specific time we will lose our anointing oh no just the contrary, we will receive of God what we need next (even by way of supernatural anointing) to do what He wants us to do. Why do we think God is just going to give us things so that we can store them up for a rainy day? God does not give us His power and ability to just have His ability and power, oh no my friend God (like His faith) gives us His power and ability to do the things He wants us to do when we need them during our specific time. And I am here to let you know when it is over it is over. When God closes a door it is best to keep the door closed. I have seen many Christian friends try to keep things going that God was doing in their lives, but God was not in it. One thing for sure, if it starts in God there will be an end time in God. Realizing this spiritual principle often will take a lot of the pressure off of people to perform. They identify with what God has done in the past or what He is doing now and cannot see themselves in any other kind of service for God. I still say God pours us out from vessel (function or ministry) to vessel and as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Christ Jesus He uses us and what we have learned of Him to share Him with the world and even uses us beyond our abilities and power. Paul speaks of the Church at Corinth, “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” (2 Corinthians 8:3-5) We will never be able to give ourselves to others unless we first give ourselves to the Lord. And how do we do that? In that specific time and place of ministry we often find victory and failure maybe both at the same time, but for sure we will always find suffering. And why? Because shared suffering always builds unity and comradeship within any army. Written by David Stahl

OUR SELFISH SELF

Lately Karen and I have been occupied house hunting. What a wonderful surprise from the Lord, our land lord of eight years informed us we (two weeks ago) had 30 days (but he graciously gave us 60 days) to find a new home because he was going to sell it. What a shock and bewilderment to our routine our world was turned upside down for awhile, but when we got our orientation back things just started to work out for us. Now when things like this happen in our lives (and they will God loves us that much) we must not be moved and run around like a chicken who just lost their head, but relax, slow down, and be not moved. I think the best example I can give for us to be is like a camel or maybe a turtle. Camels and turtles just lumber along, plodding on, and nothing really excites them nothing really moves them, but they get to their destination in due time without all of the stress and worry. We must keep our mind stayed on Christ to be able to have the peace in our heart to make correct decisions. Did you know when we get all stressed out over things in our lives it is really an admission of lack of faith and confidence in God? We are saying (because of our stress and worry) God cannot handle this situation in our lives. God is not able to take care of this circumstance it is too big I have lost my trust in God so I will lose my peace of mind. When we lose heart and faith in God we also lose our peace of mind. Our peace of mind is only found in our trust in God. Isaiah tells us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3) The word “stayed” here means fixed or focused, halting in one place. Our mind must be fixed on God as we halt in a place of trust and confidence in God. Did you know if we draw back from God at this time we will lose His presence and direction for our lives? It is not God has abandoned us, but we have left the place of staying and lost the perfect peace of God. You will never know what I am talking about until you for yourself drifts from this place in God and I promise you my friend serve God long enough and you have this to look forward to. Sadly we move or drift from God here because of our selfishness. We do not (I include myself here) want to lose what we want; our flesh screams to stay alive and will do everything in this world to live, but we must allow God to put our flesh to death. Even Paul had struggles in this area. In Romans we read, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:18-20) Success or failure in God does not depend on conquering the devil (Jesus has already defeated him), but depends on us allowing God to strengthen us with might in the inner man so that we can conquer our flesh. James tell us, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15) Now it says “his own lust and enticed.” This lust (and not wanting to lose what we want) is in our flesh, it is a part of our character, our attitudes, our motives, and we must allow God to strengthen us through His dealings and judgments in our lives if not we will not be able walk in the victorious Christian life God has for each and every child of His. By keeping our focus on God we will be in God’s perfect will and have God’s peace even though the storm rages around us the storm within us is stilled. God does not lead us into defeat oh no my friend God always leads us into victory. This is a divine spiritual principle we must learn to be able to come into the victorious Christian living God desires for our lives.

Often when we talk about God’s peace we often talk about God’s will for our lives. I cannot begin to tell you the number of people that have asked me to pray for God’s perfect will for their lives. Well . . . guess what, God’s perfect peace is God’s perfect will they are one in the same. Praying for God’s perfect will is nothing more than not really believing God knows what He is doing. We have already determined God does not lead us into defeat, His destination for our lives is always victory, if you are looking for defeat you will have to find it somewhere outside of God. Now follow me closely here. Where ever we find ourselves, as long as we are not over in willful sin (and we know it), then we are in God’s perfect will for our lives. All we need to do is continue in what we are doing and if God changes His direction for our lives we just flow with whatever God is doing. His peace is there, even though all hell is coming against us, and we rest in Him. His will for our lives is there and we rest in Him. There is no need to pray and fast for God’s will. How could it be anything different? No struggle or guessing just resting. All we have to do is to keep looking at Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” (Hebrews 12:2)

While house hunting I made a discovery that really surprised me. We looked at many houses, but we were looking for a home, there is a big difference, but in all of the new houses the master bathroom was grand and spacious: whirlpool or jacuzzi tubs, separate shower, double sink vanities, soft toilet seats, fancy lighting, all of the bells and whistles. But in the older houses the master bathroom was small and plain: usually a combination garden tub and shower, a base toilet and only one sink. I could not get over the difference, then it dawned on me how today the most important room in the house is the bathroom how we like pampering ourselves in the shower or soaking in the tub with music, candles, and perfume water. But not so in times gone by. In the past the most important room in the house was the kitchen and/or dining room. This is where the living of the day was discussed, where relationships were strengthened, where noses were counted, and where we would eat together, laughing and sharing. In new houses today the kitchen and dining room have been made smaller to make room for bigger bathrooms. I discovered in this how selfish we are today, how we want our time spent alone to be spent in luxury and ease. How we go after ease and comfort; in all of these pleasures our selfish self just screams to be pampered and pleased. All of this is nothing more than our selfish self wanting to exalt itself and push out from “under the mighty hand of God.” I wonder what the “mighty hand of God” looks like? Peter tells us, “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) The “mighty hand of God” for Joseph was his brothers, Potiphar, and the Egyptian prison. What does the “mighty hand of God” look like in your life? Do you even know? I doubt it is a huge hand coming off of heaven, but it is probably some situation or circumstance in your life that God wants you to humble yourself in. You know we have a hard time discovering what the “mighty hand of God” looks like because we like to add a “s” to “care.” Verse seven reads, “Casting all your care (not cares) upon him; for he careth for you.” Cares are things like houses, cars, money, a job, health, happiness all of the things we think we are entitled to and try to twist God’s arm into giving us. But “care” is the attitude of caring for things. Peter was telling us we are to cast the attitude of wanting things from God on Him because “he careth for you.” God knows what we want and God knows what we need. Our focus is not to be on what we want or even what we want God to give us, but our focus is to be on what God wants to give us. God knows we need a house. We do not have pray and fast about getting a house all we have to do is be fixed on God and allow His peace to grip our hearts to such a degree we will be in “perfect peace” and able follow His will. Our selfish self wants to do the religious things; pray and fast, lay prostrate on the floor before the Lord (Charles Haun told me many Bible School students would do this, but they were not before the Lord they were somewhere else), but that is not what God is after. God wants us to allow Him to kill our self our flesh so we can walk with Him. Micah helps us here, “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6-8) Our ability to humble ourselves will be the same measure we will be able to walk with the Lord. Written by David Stahl

COMPASSION, MERCY, AND GRACE

The longer I go with God the more I see how we easily substitute meanings of words and precepts. Now for some words this is not a big deal, but when we start talking about words that affect our concepts such as compassion, mercy, and especially grace our substitution can cause great problems with our understanding of critical Biblical truth and if this does happen my friend we will get off track faster than anything I know. Now I am talking from personal experience. Recently (say over the last two years) the Lord has opened my understanding to some teachings (that were not quite right) from some friends that may take me and God some time (with some heartache) to get me back on track with the right precepts. And if we get our precepts wrong my friend then our daily concepts (the basis of Godly character) will be wrong. This area seems to be a major battle for us in allowing God to form His character in us. We must be careful to who and what we open our spirit to. Also something I have learned over my many years, especially while living in Germany, words matter. The words we say reflect our understanding to certain truths and they reflect the intimate workings of our character. Here is where I often can have troubles. For example let us look at three words: compassion, mercy, and grace that are often miss used or substituted for each other, but in reality these three words have different meanings and their projects are different in precept development and application.

Now compassion is not mercy or grace, compassion is a human feeling or emotion of sadness or pity for someone (friends) or something (animals). Compassion is something that is most often self-generated that touches our emotions and can easily move our spirit and decision- making. Anything that moves our heart (especially quickly) we must be very careful with. Compassion is not necessarily a Christian characteristic. I know many non-Christians who are very compassionate, but know not the Lord. Mercy is not compassion or grace, mercy is a power of our self will to forgive (ah another word we often substitute) or to be kind. When Karen and I take our dog for a walk we have compassion and mercy on the earthworms (we call the Brethren) we find dying on the sidewalk by picking them up and putting them safely in the grass. Mercy is like compassion it is most often self-generated that touches our emotions and can make us feel good about ourselves when we do something right. Mercy can make us feel good, but mercy like compassion is not necessarily a Christian characteristic. I know non-Christians who can show mercy to people, even earthworms. Now please do not misunderstand me here compassion and mercy need to be a part of our character. Micah asked, “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah 6:7) and then answered his own question, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) What great advice for today knowing how the worldly religious church has forgotten, it is not about doing for God, but becoming something in God. Here we see it is not about working for God, but becoming (Ephesians 2:10) the work of God. Jesus was great at not talking about compassion, but being moved by it. In Matthew we read, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Fourteen other times in the Gospels we read where Jesus was “moved with compassion” and if the Master was compassionate should not His servants? And grace is not compassion or mercy, only grace is grace. Grace is the love and favor God shows toward undeserving man. Grace is God not giving us something we deserve. In Romans we read, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace (not our grace or good works) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:’ (Romans 3:23-24) The Gospel truth is; “we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (we all deserve to be found guilty and punished) and the rest of the Gospel truth is we have “justified (Strong’s #1344, to render righteous) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” God’s grace (His love and favor for us) renders us righteous (right relationship with God and man) and the more we allow God to work in our inward man and bring us to the spiritual place of seeing what sin has wrought in our lives and how sin destroys every relationship and every area of our lives the more grace we will be able to walk in. Grace and this deeper work of God (some call it sanctification, but few people teach it) is for everyone, but everyone does not receive grace and fewer Christians receive the promise of sanctification. Jesus died on a cross so that all can taste of the goodness of eternal life that is now on earth and into eternity, but sadly everyone will not “taste and see that the Lord is good” and will spend their eternal life separated from God and in hell. In spite of Jesus’ sacrifice many will be lost (their choice) and remember salvation is for only those who accept it. Here are two big differences between grace and compassion or mercy. Grace is a free gift from God “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23) And the second truth is before we can receive grace we must be judged and found guilty. A blameless or innocence man needs no grace. Isaiah tells us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) Grace is for only guilty people who stand in the way of God’s judgment, but we do not like to admit we are guilty. Never forget, great is the man in God who knows his strengths, but far greater is the man in God who knows his weakness. But God cannot look the other way to sin, He must deal with it. For God and us looking the other way from sin is not compassion, mercy, or grace oh no, sin must be judged and sentenced in our lives before God can extend grace to us, but who wants to be called a sinner? That is easy, only the one that want to be saved. My friend God does not just forgive sin as most denominational religions teach. Oh no, sin must be dealt with by God. Most denominations teach just walk the aisle, repeat some words (the sinner’s prayer may sound good, but the precept or concept is nowhere in the Bible), and God will forgive you of your sins, well that is not true and that is also why there are so many would be Christians who do not live a Godly life and do not reflect the character of Christ and why because they are not saved. They have been deceived by man’s plan of salvation. John tells us in 1 John, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9-10) The word “confess” here means to agree what God is saying about us is true and that is Romans 3:23. Our confession must be of our own words and out from a broken and contrite (crushed and ground to powder) heart condition not by another’s words. With the sinner’s prayer the one thinking they are confessing is just agreeing with the words of another person. And my friend, make no mistake this is a painful process (you may even cry) in our lives when we begin to allow God to show us our heart and what sin has wrought in our lives. Listen to the words of Paul, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:18-25) Do you hear the pain and anguish in his words? Do you hear the cry of Paul’s heart here? If not then you have missed the truth of his words and you have missed the work God was doing in Paul. Funny, how Paul answered his own question “who shall deliver me.” In verse 25 Paul tells us, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In Malachi we really see what happens when we get our precepts wrong or when we substitute the meaning of a word for another. When most Christians think of the Book of Malachi they think here it comes again; the pastor is going to beat us over the head, again, over our poor tithing, but Malachi is a very fascinating Book. It only talks about tithing a little bit, but the rest of the Book is about Godly character and what God expects of us. In Chapter one we find the people bringing impure sacrifices to God, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. 12But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. 13Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. 14But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.” (Malachi 1:11-14) Now some people would say that is okay; the people are having a tough time making it and God does not really expect unblemished and unspotted sacrifice as He commanded. The people and even the priest turned their heads to the truth of God’s words. Today many pastors are turning their heads to the truth of God’s words: so that seats and offering plates will be filled, so that their plans and agendas can be fulfilled, so that their church can climb up the denominational ladder, but just like in Malachi God wanted nothing to do with sin and folly. You can read what God told the priest in Malachi 2:1-9, it was not pretty. Believe it or not the priests were being compassionate and even giving mercy to the people, but that was not what God was after. We can be compassionate and give mercy all day long to people, but if what we do for people does not line-up with what God’s word says and what He expects of us then we are doing more harm than good. We must learn to “speak the truth in love,” if not we do not really care about people. Now I will tell you this is a very tough thing to do. In my family for the last eight years or so Karen and I have been holding the line with the truth of God’s word and it has cost us dearly, but that is okay. I believe my father is in heaven today because Karen and I held our ground with God’s word, a small price to pay for my father being in heaven. We must never forget grace was not free, it cost Jesus His life and for us to be able to have more (than just salvation) of this wonderful gift of God it will cost us something too. The more we can humble ourselves before God and man the more grace we can behold. Written by David Stahl