COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

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

GOD'S UNKNOWN NATURE

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

FEAR NOT

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

RECKLESS ABANDONMENT

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

OUR SELFISHNESS

Karen and I (and even Connie and Joshua) like Boxers as pets. Over the years we have had many boxers. When we moved to Germany in 1996 we brought two dogs: one named "Rocky" half Cocker Spaniel and Lhasoapso and the other of course a Boxer name "Annie." Both were great dogs and we enjoyed their company and affection, but over the seven years we lived in Germany Annie got cancer twice and had to have surgery. Both times she beat the cancer, but the third time it popped out on her it took her life. When we returned home from Germany we got another boxer named "Grimme More Bacon" or "Grimme" for short. And he too got cancer and it took his life, but when both dogs died I cried alike a baby. When my dad (2010) and mom (2014) died I cried. Any time someone we know dies especially if we are close to them like our parents (and that is understandable because we will miss them) or we lose something we cry. Now do not get me wrong here I am not saying we should not cry when our parents or our favorite animal dies, but we must recognize the source of our sorrow if we are to get over the loss. At the center of our tears is the realization of the loss we will experience in the passing away of our family and friends. The sorrow and tears are not based in anything, but our selfishness. Yes I loved my father very much, but he was an extremely sick man living a full life laying his life down for his family and seeing action in three wars. What else could anyone ask of a man? And my mom. Oh how I love my mom who was bedridden, had Alzheimer's, and a host of other medical problems: gave birth to six children (had 11 pregnancies in all), cooked and cleaned, cared for her husband and children what more could you ask of a woman? Yet my dad, mom, even my dogs died and I cried because of the loss I had experience. My tears were not about their death, but about what I was going to lose in those relationships. Now do not say that Dave Stahl how heartless can a man be, because this is true of us all. At the heart of all of our tears believe it or not is our selfishness. As a matter of fact it is our self-centerness that is at the center of our grief. And the sooner we realize this the sooner we will be able to prevent our emotions from taking over our thought life and our heart. The true Christian battle is not the devil (he is defeated my mom would not even call his name in any form) or our sin (Jesus died for that), but it is our thought life that must be aligned with what God has said about us and what He wants for our lives. In 2 Corinthians Paul tells the Church at Corinth and us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) God says we are, "a new creature old things are passed away; behold (or look at this) all things are become new" and we think "who me?" Yes you! Our salvation is not based on our good works or religious performance, but on what Christ has done for us on the cross. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open up our understanding to the truth about us and what Jesus did for us. My friend the battle is between our mind and our heart. In that we come to realize what Jesus did on the cross for us and that we really believe it. So too the sooner we realize the center of all of our grief is our self-centeredness the sooner we will be happy when the so called bad things that happen in our lives come our way. Often our inability to recognize it is our emotions and feelings (our selfishness) that are deceiving us and is based on our lack of judgment. Jesus again and again all throughout the Gospels tells us to judge. Judgment must be a part of our Christian walk if not then we will not have the ability to separate ourselves from things that are not godly, things that are unholy, and things are unrighteous. In John Jesus tells us to, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24) "Judge not according to the appearance" to what we think or feel (again our emotions and feelings), but "judge righteous judgment." Well how can we do this? First we must have a sense of righteousness within us and God must be able to put it there. Then we must exercise our ability to look at a situations and even certain people (their motives and intentions) and align it up with the word (both written and spoken to us) of God. Did you know there are some people you cannot be around and still serve God? Did you know there are some places you cannot go and still be called a Christian? There are some things and people you cannot stand for and be called a Child of God? Most Christians do not know this and are deceived and get over in many areas that get them off track in God. In Matthew Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5) Many Christians would say, aha see Jesus said not to judge so they stop reading and miss the message Jesus was sharing while running their lives into a deep ditch because of their lack of discernment and inability to judge . We must continue reading to find the message. Jesus was saying take heed to how you judge not what you judge. In Christ it does not matter what we do for God that counts, but what matters is HOW we do it. Do we do things for the right reason, with the right motives, and with the right intentions? How do we judge? Do we have the right heart condition to judge righteous judgment or are we judging things after the flesh? If we have the right heart condition then we will easily be able to see the speck in our brother's eye because we have allowed God to remove the beam from ours. Unless we allow God to judge and deal in our lives in our lives we will never be able to judge righteous judgment. And when we have under gone God's dealings and judgments to varying degrees we will be able to see even the selfishness in our heart that causes all of the grief in our lives. In the Proverbs we read, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.' (Proverbs 13:10) The word "pride" here talks about our selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-seeking. It is all of that selfishness that causes "contention" or Strong's #4683, all of our strife, debate, and self exaltation. Jesus was telling us to judge righteously and when we can do this our self will be put to death. We will have allowed God to give our selfish nature and character a death blow. Once our self is put to death we then will be able to see what is right and then be able to do the right thing. Paul knew where the battle raged, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." (Romans 7:18) Paul knew it was in our flesh (our emotions, the soulish man. our feelings, our selfishness, etc) where nothing good dwells, not our spirit because if we are a Christian the Holy Spirit dwells within, believe it or not. I do not know about you, but the older I get the more selfish I seem to become. The older I get the less grace I seem to give other people who mistreat or wrong me. The older I get the more I seem to be less tolerant I seem to be with people who do not agree with me. All this really means is the older I get the more selfish I am becoming and the more I need God to work the more in my life and kill my flesh. True happiness is not found in material things, a sense of well being and good health, popularity, and the list goes on, but true happiness is only found when we can abandon ourselves in God's all knowing hands where no selfishness can exist. Written by David Stahl

THE INTENT OF OUR HEART

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

SELF-WILL MUST GO

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