Last week-end Karen and I traveled up to Greenville, NC to attend David’s (our oldest son) college graduation. How proud we were to stand when the parents of the graduates were recognized. David has labored long and hard to get to graduation day. How proud we are knowing our son possesses the longsuffering, patience, and endurance to stick it out until the end with singleness of mind. Coupled with his impressive intelligence and warm personality how could he not excel in life. These are some of the qualities God is looking for in us. Man values not the inward qualities of the heart, but worships the outward beauty of the body and its abilities. Running, jumping, dancing, shooting, and singing far out weigh the importance of God’s work in our lives. It is no wonder many in David’s peer group have nothing to hold them when times get tough. David has learned many lessons in God that will carry him far beyond his college years. As much as we were pleased to be with David and his family during graduation we were sickened to see how God has been systematically wiped out of academia. In two days of graduation ceremonies God was mentioned once in the oath of office to three ROTC new 2nd Lieutenants. The country or college who forgets God will also be forgotten by God. We must never forget God is to us what we are to Him. Self-strength is always built on self-seeking and self-glorification, sadly this is the heart of the world of academia. I think we will hear more from Karen on this topic.
After the graduation ceremony we all (Karen, David, Kristin, Caleb Connie, Joshua, Jenna, and I) went out to lunch, my treat. When all of my brothers, sisters, and their families would get together and we all go out to eat my Dad would always pay (and still does) for the meal. What a joy it is to pay for my kids and their families now when we go out and eat. I kind of know some of the joy my Dad feels. While sitting at the table playing with Caleb (David and Kristin’s son age 2) I saw in him the magic, the fun, and the excitement of newness of life. But then oddly my mind was drawn to my Dad at age 83 (and his many medical conditions) and in between my Dad and Caleb is my son David at age 28 and me at age 53. Caleb just passed through his first life-gate while my Dad is slowing moving to and through his last life-gate, what a great contrast of life. In life there seems to be certain gates (what I call life-gates) we all must successfully navigate through to be successful at that specific period of development. If we do not make it through these life-gates we will not have the ability and skills to make it to the next gate. Of course our first-life gate is birth and our last life-gate is the door way we all call death that leads us all into the next life God has for us. And in between we have the life-gates of graduating from our educational institutions; high school for most, but college or an advanced degrees for others. Married is the next life gate. Then there seems to be many levels of life-gates over a long period of time (maybe 40-60 years) in our lives were we work laying our lives down for our families and giving back to those who have helped us along the way God has for us to go. Doing this time period we are to start writing down our thoughts that made up our life experiences and God’s dealings and judgments in our live so that they can be passed on to the next generation, more on that later. And last we come to death, our last life gate. This is true not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual. In God there are gates of learning, development, and obedience we must successfully navigate to be able to move in what God has for us to do for Him. We must make it through our salvation experience correctly to move on in God. Sadly many Christians do not lay a correct foundation. Paul encourages us, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:1-2) If not we will never be able to go on to the weightier things (Matthew 23-23) of God; “the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:” How can we do things for God if we do not possess the ability in Him? Many Christians are taught they can do all things, well the word of God does not support this thinking. Paul taught, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13) We can only do the things in God that we have been strengtheneth by God in. No strengthening by God no ability in God. When Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Jesus was not talking about being able to do anything we believed we could do. He was taking about us coming into the Father’s intention for us as we come into unity with the Father. When Jesus speaks it is always out from the Father’s intention for us and is dependant on us meeting the conditions of obedience we must walk in to be able to behold and possess what God has for us. My friend too many Christians flame out and crash on the rocks of despair because of wrong teaching. Do not be deceived getting back on track is even tougher than the crash. Unity in God comes by way of us allowing God to strengthen us in the inward man. If not we will have nothing to hold us in good times and bad. Paul shares, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Ephesians 3:16) What a great wonderful thought to know, the riches of God’s glory is “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” and not money, a big ministry, fame, wells we did not dig, cars and buses, or vineyards we did not plant.
Now I like the word “gate” in the Bible. It is very fitting to use the words life-gate together. The word “gate” (most often) written in the Bible does not refer to an opening in the wall with doors, but has a deeper meaning of the heart referring to a place of decision. Most often our heart is referred to as the place of decision. The “gate” in the Bible has always been a very important place in relationship with man to man and God to man. Man to man the gate was the place business and commerce was conducted, the place reconciliation was made, the place judgment and justice was given out to those who transgress the law, and so much more. The “gate” was the place life as we know it happened on a daily basis. God to man the “gate” is the place we stand before God in a relational need to receive from Him. It is no wonder Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait (narrow, limited, and restricted) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus was not talking about a physical wooden “gate,” but the place of a heart decision to where we can enter the strait (narrow, limited, restricted) gate (decision) and not the wide and broad way that leads to destruction. How many times have we seen how the narrow way leads to completion and fulfillment? Not many times, because most Christians (me at times) are on the broad and wide road of liberty and freedom. If we really desire to serve the Lord we must enter in or make the heart decisions through the narrow gate; there my friend is the door that swings open wide into the Father’s heart. In Proverbs we read, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7) In the Greek this verse is translated, “as a gate swings opens wide,” (For as he thinketh in his heart) so is he.” Our heart is the “gate” of decision that opens to certain things and closes to other things. Whatsoever we swing open our heart (our gate) to we shall be that. Whatsoever we allow behind our “gate” and into our heart we will be that. If we allow hatred, malice, perversion, and bitterness behind our gate we will be that, but if we allow love, truth, and justice behind our heart gate we will be that. It is important to know God does not control the “gate” of our heart. We (unlike the lie most denominations and religions teach) are in sole responsibility and total accountably in God’s eyes to whatsoever gets behind our heart. Make no mistake my friend, what we allow behind our gate we will be that. Let us take heed to what we allow into our heart.
After the graduation ceremony we all (Karen, David, Kristin, Caleb Connie, Joshua, Jenna, and I) went out to lunch, my treat. When all of my brothers, sisters, and their families would get together and we all go out to eat my Dad would always pay (and still does) for the meal. What a joy it is to pay for my kids and their families now when we go out and eat. I kind of know some of the joy my Dad feels. While sitting at the table playing with Caleb (David and Kristin’s son age 2) I saw in him the magic, the fun, and the excitement of newness of life. But then oddly my mind was drawn to my Dad at age 83 (and his many medical conditions) and in between my Dad and Caleb is my son David at age 28 and me at age 53. Caleb just passed through his first life-gate while my Dad is slowing moving to and through his last life-gate, what a great contrast of life. In life there seems to be certain gates (what I call life-gates) we all must successfully navigate through to be successful at that specific period of development. If we do not make it through these life-gates we will not have the ability and skills to make it to the next gate. Of course our first-life gate is birth and our last life-gate is the door way we all call death that leads us all into the next life God has for us. And in between we have the life-gates of graduating from our educational institutions; high school for most, but college or an advanced degrees for others. Married is the next life gate. Then there seems to be many levels of life-gates over a long period of time (maybe 40-60 years) in our lives were we work laying our lives down for our families and giving back to those who have helped us along the way God has for us to go. Doing this time period we are to start writing down our thoughts that made up our life experiences and God’s dealings and judgments in our live so that they can be passed on to the next generation, more on that later. And last we come to death, our last life gate. This is true not only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual. In God there are gates of learning, development, and obedience we must successfully navigate to be able to move in what God has for us to do for Him. We must make it through our salvation experience correctly to move on in God. Sadly many Christians do not lay a correct foundation. Paul encourages us, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” (Hebrews 6:1-2) If not we will never be able to go on to the weightier things (Matthew 23-23) of God; “the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:” How can we do things for God if we do not possess the ability in Him? Many Christians are taught they can do all things, well the word of God does not support this thinking. Paul taught, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13) We can only do the things in God that we have been strengtheneth by God in. No strengthening by God no ability in God. When Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) Jesus was not talking about being able to do anything we believed we could do. He was taking about us coming into the Father’s intention for us as we come into unity with the Father. When Jesus speaks it is always out from the Father’s intention for us and is dependant on us meeting the conditions of obedience we must walk in to be able to behold and possess what God has for us. My friend too many Christians flame out and crash on the rocks of despair because of wrong teaching. Do not be deceived getting back on track is even tougher than the crash. Unity in God comes by way of us allowing God to strengthen us in the inward man. If not we will have nothing to hold us in good times and bad. Paul shares, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Ephesians 3:16) What a great wonderful thought to know, the riches of God’s glory is “to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” and not money, a big ministry, fame, wells we did not dig, cars and buses, or vineyards we did not plant.
Now I like the word “gate” in the Bible. It is very fitting to use the words life-gate together. The word “gate” (most often) written in the Bible does not refer to an opening in the wall with doors, but has a deeper meaning of the heart referring to a place of decision. Most often our heart is referred to as the place of decision. The “gate” in the Bible has always been a very important place in relationship with man to man and God to man. Man to man the gate was the place business and commerce was conducted, the place reconciliation was made, the place judgment and justice was given out to those who transgress the law, and so much more. The “gate” was the place life as we know it happened on a daily basis. God to man the “gate” is the place we stand before God in a relational need to receive from Him. It is no wonder Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait (narrow, limited, and restricted) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus was not talking about a physical wooden “gate,” but the place of a heart decision to where we can enter the strait (narrow, limited, restricted) gate (decision) and not the wide and broad way that leads to destruction. How many times have we seen how the narrow way leads to completion and fulfillment? Not many times, because most Christians (me at times) are on the broad and wide road of liberty and freedom. If we really desire to serve the Lord we must enter in or make the heart decisions through the narrow gate; there my friend is the door that swings open wide into the Father’s heart. In Proverbs we read, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7) In the Greek this verse is translated, “as a gate swings opens wide,” (For as he thinketh in his heart) so is he.” Our heart is the “gate” of decision that opens to certain things and closes to other things. Whatsoever we swing open our heart (our gate) to we shall be that. Whatsoever we allow behind our “gate” and into our heart we will be that. If we allow hatred, malice, perversion, and bitterness behind our gate we will be that, but if we allow love, truth, and justice behind our heart gate we will be that. It is important to know God does not control the “gate” of our heart. We (unlike the lie most denominations and religions teach) are in sole responsibility and total accountably in God’s eyes to whatsoever gets behind our heart. Make no mistake my friend, what we allow behind our gate we will be that. Let us take heed to what we allow into our heart.
The older I get the more I see the critical need to pass along to the next generation of Family Stahl what God has done in my life. When we visit my father I so enjoy just sitting around and listing to him talk. His life is what I know as history and his sharp mind can still account details, names, and events that make my imagination come to life. So too in our Christian life we must have the ability in God to pass on what He has done in our lives. Every time we get together as family we must again and again share the oral stories of how God worked in our family. Getting together as family should always center around the things of God. John tells us, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11) What is the words of your testimony? The answer is what you know of God. We must always be ready to pass our oral testimony of how God brought us from defeat into victory. This is a critical revelation we must all possess. God and God alone is the only one who can snatch us from sure defeat and set our feet on a sure rock of victory. If we do not have this revelation of God’s (and God alone) moving us from defeat to victory we will never be able move and function correctly in Him. We must be able to see God doing this in our lives. Secondly we must have the ability in God to pass on our written testimony. The greatest thing we can do for God is write down things that He has done for us and share them with people. Is that not what the Bible is? One day I will pass through my last life-gate and go on to the next things God has for me. I do not believe our next life will be filled with floating on a cloud, playing a harp, or praising God for eternity, God has work for us to do. We must learn our lessons now so we will be able to function and operate correctly in God when we get into our next life. Someday when I am gone Caleb, Abigail, John, and whomever (our grandchildren) will be able to read how God did powerful things for Pap and Sweets (me and Karen). God has really impressed on me to start writing books that will some day speak of His goodness and glory to me. What else should we want to leave behind? Money? A statue of our self? A building with our name on it? Maybe an endowment for the sick? I think not. If we can leave behind the word of God to us for the next generation to share and benefit, now that my friend is something of eternal value. Before we know it our time will be over and we will pass through our last life-gate. Do not wait too long before you start thinking, praying, and writing. Time and life seems to get in the way of God. Start now with a small victory list and add details to each item and before too long you will have a book that is after the heart of God. The place we all are headed back to. Written by David Stahl
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