Deeper Truths for Hungry Hearts
January 2013 • Volume XI Number 05
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Thoughts for Consideration:
Greetings again my Brethren. Last month we looked at the people’s condition and the hunger of the people for God. Make no mistake often our hunger for God determines our condition. If we have a hunger for God the condition we find ourselves in will not matter. Rich or poor, prince or pauper things will not matter. What will matter will be our hunger for the LORD. And out from our hunger comes commitment and if we are committed to the LORD He will be committed to us. God is to us what we are to Him. This month we will start to look at the extent of the field in relationship to the call of God in our lives. In Luke we read, “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. 43And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” (Luke 4:42-44) There is something special about the desert and wilderness places when hearing the word of God. Some of Jesus’ most impactful words for our lives were spoken in the wilderness. The wilderness is a place that always takes care of our character issues and misgivings in our lives. It is the place we come to lean on and learn of God as our beloved. In Song of Solomon we learn this truth, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song of Solomon 8:5) It is a place we can endure the dealings and judgment of God and no one will be able to hear us scream. It is a place of stark contrast between life and death, between spiritual development and immaturity, a place where we come to know God or come to know not God. It is the making place for all who have heard the call of God for their lives and who desire to come up closer to the heart of God. The field is hard and rocky at times, but at other times it is well watered and flows with milk and honey. Oddly we think the well watered field is the field God has for us, but not so my friend I think God gives us the well watered field to keep us on the line. It is the hard and rocky field where God can get much of His work done in our lives. The extent of the field is as vast as the call and the better we hear the greater the vastness of the field, yes fields in Africa, Asia, India, Europe, and even in your heart.
As we look at the fields in our lives we must not overlook the harvest. Many Christians go for God for the sake of the going. I traveled here and there for God; look at me look how much I have sacrificed for the LORD, but sacrifice and going is not the purpose of the call, it is the harvest. The farmer plants and toils in the dirt not for the fun of planting and toiling, but for the harvest. Believe it or not God spends little time looking at the toiling and planting as He does at the harvest. John tells us, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”(John 4:35-38) Now John was NOT telling us to look at the fields as most people preach and believe, oh no John was telling us to look at the harvest. It is the harvest of souls Jesus was talking about NOT the field. God’s focus is the souls and this must be our focus. Both who sow and reap receives the same wage, but if our heart condition and focus is not on harvesting the ripe fruit then all will be for naught. We to must be concerned with what Jesus was concerned with; Jesus’ number one concern was doing the will of the Father and His second concern was for people, the ripe harvest. We must not miss this point. Next month we will look at the urgency of the hour and the critical need of the people. If the field is not gleaned the fruit and the field is laid waste. Do you hear Him now?
ARTICLE REVIEW:
Too Many Churches
Karen and I in the past had been looking for the group of Believers we are to assemble with. Now with so many churches out there one would think this would be a fairly easy process, but not if you really love God and desire to do His will. Ever since we left the church we were attending (for five years) Karen and I have been visiting many of the churches in the local Jacksonville area. The church we attended (for five years) was okay we made many wonderful friends, but five years of jealousy, presumption, and downright hatred by the Pastor fearing we were trying to take his church from him, well God said, “enough!” We thought we found another church where we could attend and just enjoy the people and the fellowship while God rested us a year, but the “he said she said” drama and the continued suspicions of the Pastor (checking us out because of our international ministry) became too much so we moved on again. Now some would say we should have endured, stuck it out, well I am not so sure about that. In the Book of Hebrews the writer encourages us to, “Follow (seek) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” (Hebrews 12:14-15) Sometimes we just have to move on to keep the peace in our heart. Often we blame others for our not making the right decisions. Karen and I are concerned about our holiness, seeking the Lord, and do not want “any root of bitterness springing up” in our relationships, especially our hearts. So this is where we find ourselves today looking for the place God wants us to attend. You know I really do not like using the word church because it is so over used and means so many different things. Never forget the building we go to assemble ourselves with like Believers in fellowship and to hear God’s word is not called the church it is called a building, a shack, or a hut like most Christians abroad gather in. Some of the most powerful services I have ever been in the building had no electricity or running water, no need they had God and God in a very powerful way. I have seen miracles time and time again in churches with grass flooring, walls made of mud, clay, or sticks, with no windows or doors. Never think we go to church to receive a blessing if you do your focus is wrong, self-centered, and self-seeking. We go to church to be a blessing to others. Jesus did not give His life for a building, but for people. My friend we (the people of God) are the “Church” please do not get that mixed up with all of the wrong thinking of the denominational religious advertising and marketing. I wonder why we spend so much time, energy, and resources on caring for a building, as if God will notice. No my friend I am afraid all of our grass cutting, beautifying, and decorating is for our benefit. I wonder how many more lives could be touched for Christ with all we spend on the care and feeding of our denominational complexes and campuses? I wonder if anyone is counting? We seem to count everything else do we not; how many were saved, baptized in water, filled with the Holy Spirit, attended Vacation Bible School or the men’s or ladies retreats. Why are we counting? And who for God? Do we really think God is impressed with our well manicured grounds and well painted parking lots and buildings? Is He not after our hearts? Do you really think God wants to see our churches? I think not, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2) God is not after buildings and complexes to worship Him in, but “to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Oh the buildings we visited were nice, clean, warm, well-lit, and well groomed, but not once in the 10 churches we visited (counting the one we attended for five years) did we hear, “Thus saith the Lord.” We heard a whole lot of singing (way too much) and watched a lot of dancing. At one church most of the people wore dance costumes (as regular clothing) and from the start of the service danced from the front to the back and side to side while getting their favorite flag, from the rack of dozens, but when the sermon (not a message) was delivered there was little to no attention given to the Pastor they were either exhausted from the dancing or occupied with other things. I remember some lady pirouetting like “Tinker Bell” in front of the altar while another lady was bowing down and worshipping a banner that said Jesus on it while spinning a golden stringed hoop in her hands. My friend this ought not to be. A message from God comes from God, a sermon in most churches today comes from the internet. I even had one Pastor call (as a part of their visitor contact program) us and told me he does a lot of internet research for his messages, well not for a message (that comes by way of the Pastor waiting before God), but a sermon (a lecture with morals and a good meaning) comes from the internet. Hearing from God did not seem to take much importance in the services or in the people we visited. This too my friend ought not to be.
What we did find a lot of besides the excess singing and dancing was the desire for diversity and tolerance. There seems to be a great push for diversity and tolerance in the church today. There seems to be a great push to accept everyone for who they are without any need to change. Let us all just come together and be tolerant of everyone’s feelings and worship God in their own way. Well, that is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) I do not read anything about singing and dancing in these two scriptures maybe the Holy Spirit just forgot them? When is now? “Now” is now (this very second a change) not the way they did things maybe in the Old Testament, but “now” we must change. And “now” our worship is to be “in spirit and in truth.” Not much of a desire to hear God’s word and worship him “in Spirit and in truth,” when we can sing and dance all over the church and call it worship. I am afraid the liberal’s usage of the words tolerance and diversity that is sweeping the world and its thinking has infiltrated the thinking of Christians and now anything goes. In most American churches today it is okay “now” to engage in sodomy and lesbianism, “it’s okay, no need to change, God loves you the way you are,” wrong! God still and forever more will call these people (not the act) an abomination, it is we the “Church” who has drifted from the truth. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, (sodomite) as with womankind (lesbian): it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.” (Leviticus 18:22-23) Maybe the Holy Spirit just got these two verses wrong. The tolerant reply, “we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, now this is true, but God killed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (both towns) after giving them a chance for repentance because He knew they do not breed, they recruit. And God also knew their thinking was extremely unnatural and perverse. And to think, in some denominations sodomites (what the Bible calls them) and lesbians are being ordained as Pastors and Teachers out from this ungodly rebellious thinking of the world. How the Church handles the homosexual life-style will speak of her revelation of God and her dedication to God. In most churches in America we are told to be tolerant (get along in peace) with other religions, well this is not what the Bible teaches. God’s way is not inclusive, but extremely exclusive not tolerant or diverse. It is God’s way according to His Holy word or the highway. In God we cannot do and say what we think is right, but must do what the Bible tells us what is right. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7) Jesus means it! Why do we not know the Father? That is easy, we do not know Jesus. We are trying to know everything else (other religions and traditions of men) in the world, but have not found time to know Jesus. Yet, we come to church and do everything within our power (in the short two hours most churches spend) not allowing God to speak to us and revealing what is in our hearts. Is the church of today form over function? I think so. The form of holiness is much easier to obtain than the real function of holiness.
I think one of the most disturbing things we have experienced along our search was the different spirits we felt in the different churches. This really ought not to be. But a church, like a person, cannot give what they do not have. Most Churches boast of how loving they are; well, my friend we have learned if a Church boasts of something they probably are not that. We are always amazed when we go to church and another spirit is present. Paul tells us, “For as the body (global gathering of all Christians) is one (unity), and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Well now, if “the body” and “the Spirit” is to be one, then why are there so many denominational churches in the world? If we are to be one in the Spirit how come we all believe different things? Maybe the Holy Spirit got this wrong too? I think why we have so many denominational churches in this world is because we all (even me at times) are in direct rebellion to God’s word. The more we try to align with God’s word without allowing God to kill our desires and fleshly plans and ambitions the more we get off track and birth another denomination in the world. Revelation is what gives man his understanding of God, but each of the major denominations believe or have a different understanding of who God is and how to worship Him. How can they all be right? Does not someone have to be wrong? Who are we trying to fool, God? Our neighbors? Ourselves? The many churches in the world (even in Jacksonville, NC) are an outward sign revealing man’s rebellion to God’s word. The answer is painfully clear we must submit our heart and lives under the mighty hand of God and not some bishop or overseer. Man’s wisdom and knowledge has ruled the Church (God’s people) long enough. Now is the time for God’s children to draw near to God, because if we do God will draw near to us. The world is watching and waiting. I really believe there are many lost people in the world today waiting for us (the Church) to get serious and make an eternal commitment of dedication to God. They are watching and if they never commit to the Lord it will be their fault not ours, but just think what if we did our part and they were saved? After reading back over this article I hope you do not think Karen and I were slamming the churches we visited, but enough is enough. We too get to speak for God. Too many lives hang in the balance (ours included) for us to play fast and loose with God, we must get serious. Karen and I will continue to pray and be led by the Holy Spirit to the places we should go, but until we find the local Body God has ordained for us fellowship with we will know and rest in knowing we, “have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
No Means No
No means no, at least it’s supposed to. In the Bible when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, they were not suggestions, nor were they open to debate, “well what about this situation” or “how about this.” When God says something that’s it! So too it is to be in the home. When the husband says no (as God’s indirect spiritual authority) it should be taken at face value—no means no. No arguing, no discussion (unless he deems it so). Should a wife disagree she should say her peace and if the answer is still no—LET IT GO, and follow instructions. Now my words come with a charge to the husband to take responsibility before God as the High Priest of his home and to lead and love His wife not allowing his wife to pull him down from the spiritual authority God has invested in him. Unfortunately most of us women won’t let it go and will do our dangedist to get our way. We’ll cajole, wheedle, needle, badger, nag, cry go through all kinds of maneuvers to get our way instead of just being obedient and going with our husbands program. It’s not right, and it’s not proper before God. It’s also not right to try to manipulate our husbands and family into doing what we want. This attitude of , “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about” or “he doesn’t know what he’s doing, so I’m going to change his mind comes from a rebellious I-know-better know it all attitude which unfortunately seems to be the American woman’s attitude. Unfortunately we miss that small little scripture that says “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1Timothy 2:14) We women don’t always know what’s best. It behooves us to keep that scripture in the back of our minds. Believe it or not, sometimes men see things with more clarity then we do. Gasp!
Ladies, we need to rein ourselves in now and stop this getting our way business because we’re not going to manipulate God at the judgment seat. No M’ am. Look we know it’s easy to get our way, inflate their egos, good cooking, and well we all know the third. But it is wrong if we do all of the above to manipulate our husbands to our way of thinking and not just letting things go when he says “no.” I knew a child that wanted something and when told “no” tried another tactic. When told “no” again tried still another tactic to get their way, apparently the child didn’t know that “no means no.” If we don’t teach our kids that right from the get go shame on us. Kids can be little manipulators anyway. If they can’t take no at face value from their parent or other adults in authority, well prepare for a life a grief. Because they sure aren’t going to take no from civil authorities, and certainly aren’t going to take no from God. Remember what doesn’t seem too bad in people’s eyes may be a big deal in God’s eyes. Best we endeavor to please God and not ourselves or society. I have seen if a woman will disrespect her husband (through manipulation and deception) who she can see then she will have no problem with disrespecting God who she cannot see.
Getting back to our husbands, our husbands don’t have to see things from our perspective because they’re not women! The sooner we drill that into our heads and hearts the better off we will be. They’re men. They aren’t supposed to think like us women. It’s taken me over two decades to learn this, after going nose to nose with my husband for years, to finally learn to shut up and go with the program. One time Dave said, “what gives you the right…..” and the revelation of that hit me (finally) that I’m really not anybody to lord anything over my husband. He was right who did I think I was? In God we have no rights. In the great scheme of things I was number two. What a great example of a submissive, obedient wife to my sons and daughter—not! The damage was done, I can only hope and pray that they learn what NOT to do by my poor example. It’s not our job as wives to show our husbands “the error of their ways,” it’s not our job to prove our point it’s not our job to run the show. It hurts me to see women treating their husbands like naughty little boys, because they haven’t learned that no means no, and the husband is the head of the home. God made women smart unfortunately we use our brains to manipulate our husbands, friends, co-workers (you name it) to the detriment of our own soul and relationships. All my praying and crying before the LORD cannot undo the bad example I was in front of our kids, shame on me.
Now you have a choice to keep doing things your way or God’s way. God’s way is always best. No means no. We don’t have to have our way. We don’t have to get our point across. We can’t “fix” our husbands. We don’t need our feelings or opinion validated. We just need to follow our husbands and God.
Written by Karen Stahl
NEEDS NO WANTS:
1. In Silistra, Bulgaria Pastor(s) Niki Marsov and Emil Nedelchev. Included now are missionaries from Romania Nicu and Elena. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
2. Constanta, Romania Pastor George Ritisan at Lighthouse Church, and Ciprian Bozdod at the Mission Bible School. They too are expanding making more room for God and ministry to Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Asia.
3. In Suceava, Romania Pastors Nicu and Pastor Marcel at St. Andrews Church. They are still standing by God’s grace.
4. Pastor Joseph Mutua in Nairobi, Kenya needs your prayer and financial support.
5. Pastor Mike Olufemi in Aveile, Nigeria. He needs our prayers and support to be a light in great darkness.
6. Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian in Sankaraguptham, India.
7. Pastor Metin Mintaz, Dan, and the members of Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
8. Pastor Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastors Isreal Mutaitina and John Balone in Bukoba, Tanzania.
9. Monthly financial support for Vivian’s Maternity and Child Care Clinic project in Aviele, Nigeria.
10. Pastor Tek Dahl at Gethsemane, Church (his church) and their radio station “Good News 105.1 FM” in Kathmandu, Nepal.
11. Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), and, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli, Rwanda.
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
January: Local ministry
February: Local ministry
March: Local ministry
I am still available to share what God has given me at churches and/or home groups. If God moves on your heart to support BHG or other ministries we personally know we would be honored to serve as a go between. Remember, if we want a blessing from God the spiritual principle is we must bless others. Remember, God is to you what you are to God.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address:
David and Karen Stahl
232 Everett Drive
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
Phone:
Home: (910) 741-0489
Mobile: (910) 382-9287
FAX: (910) 741-0489
Email:
Ministry E-mail: dstahl@beholdinghisglory.com
Personal E-mail: mtnebo@hotmail.com
Online:
Beholding His Glory Website
Beholding His Glory Blog
The AuthorHouse link below will lead you to our latest book, “Thoughts for Consideration.” Just copy it into your web browser and return. Also you can purchase two of our other books “Adventures with God.” and “God Still Performs Miracles: A Book of Personal Encouragement.”
http://www.authorhouse.com/AuthorCenter/Protected/BookHome.aspx?bookID=61464
Please take a minute and take a look, they all make for a great encouraging gift, giving hope and sharing God’s love through a deeper teaching that someone can enjoy again and again. All of our books can be purchased at all book stores like Barnes and Nobles, Borders, Book-A-Million, and etc., any Christian Book Store that orders, and all book ordering on-line companies like Amazon.com. Or if you are like me from the old school just contact us, we will let you know the price and then we will mail it out to your home address. Postage and handling is on a case by case basis.
If you know someone you think would enjoy receiving this newsletter or if you receive this newsletter and do not wish to please let me know. Contributions to this ministry is always appreciated and needed the more time continues. Please feel free to contact us with the above information. The cost is great, but the cost for not supporting to others is even greater. And remember, all donations are tax deductible.
