THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
Greetings again my Brethren. One more month and we will start our 20th year of service to the LORD and the Body of Christ. It only seems like yesterday we started Beholding His Glory back in September 2002, while living in Germany. God asked me to put a name to my travels, and Beholding His Glory was birthed for the glory of God. The millions of people we have met and the lives we have touched, well, Karen and I thank God for the opportunity to be of service and allow Him to work in our lives. You know many people think when we travel overseas we are sent to save the heathen, well all we find out as we go we are the heathen that needs saved. There is so much more I would love to say about 20 years of ministry, but I guess it all can be summed up by saying, “thank you LORD.” Okay let us get back to what we have been discussing. For the past few months we have been talking about some circumstances and diverse situations in which the LORD has visited man. Last month we looked at how God would visit man at night a special making place in God. Now that may mean the darkness of the day or it could mean the hard and difficult times of our lives the times when we cannot see God because of our blood, sweat, and tears we often leave on our pillows, but in the end we see where God was with us in spite of our unbelief. You know God is always seen best in the rear view mirror. I can speak of that in our 20 years of viewing. But this month I would like to look at another area, maybe a strange areas, and that area is the wilderness. Now I will be honest, the wilderness story has been one, if not the chief story in the Bible that has propelled my love for the Old Testament and my love for God. From the first time I heard my Bible teacher Charles Haun, (old prophet major, he would call me prophet minor) speak of the wilderness I was hooked. In my teaching on “Righteous Living The Four Anchors of God” I write of the “divine arrangement” of God for our lives found only in the wilderness and not in the land that flows with milk and honey. Now the wilderness is part of God’s physical creation; it is also part of His divine arrangement as applied to Christian experiences. Any critic can relegate these times of dryness, distress, and difficulties in Christian experience to Satan or to disobedience. Human logic can easily arrange Scripture to suit itself. However, Paul applies them as the wilderness experiences of Israel to the Christian experience. The entire setting of “these things” which “happened to them” is in the wilderness (verses 1-10). Two significant verses (12 and 13) relate the success of Christian living to understanding, learning, and applying the lessons of the wilderness. In the first of these two verses, Paul gives warning to one who is already standing, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (v.12) he would of necessity have to be standing in order to fall. The term “thinks he stands” does not refer to the one who is deceived in believing that he is standing while he really is not. He is standing. To those who are standing in a victorious Christian life, Paul gives warning to pay attention to what he is saying. Many believers learn nothing from the experience of Israel in the wilderness. Paul plainly indicates that without this learning there is the possibility, if not the certainty, of falling from victorious living. Understanding and learning from the failures of others brings us into an awareness necessary for the success we desire in our Christian life. Jesus warns us of unawareness in Luke; “Take heed to yourself, lest at any time your heart be overcharged with surfeiting(dissipation), and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unaware.” (Luke 21:34) Paul echoes this warning; “While they are saying peace and safety! Then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) “Suddenly” is from the same Greek word used in Luke 21:34 (translated “unaware”). The meaning is “unawareness,” as the woman is not aware of her moment of delivery until the birth pangs strike. The second significant verse immediately following Paul’s reference to Israel’s wilderness experiences is known by memory by most believers. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as it is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) In its context, this verse relates to the experiences of Israel in the wilderness as related and applied to our Christian walk today. Many believers have failed to recognize and therefore understand the lessons and purposes of the wilderness. As a result, some of these believers, if not most of them, continually fail in victorious Christian living. It is my hope these lessons will aid in preventing failure, and bring those already in failure out of it into victory. One of my most loved verses in the Bible is found in the Song of Solomon says and it says, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” (Song of Songs 8:5) The wilderness the place of hardness, dryness, difficulties, misunderstanding, pains, tears, and so much more is the place we go to learn how to lean on our beloved so that we will not fall from our daily Christian living.
Next month we will continue to look at some circumstances in which the LORD has visited man as seen in some diverse situations. Next week my favorite (not that I enjoy it) the wilderness. Do you see Him draw near? Please know God is near to them who are near to Him. Do you feel His presence? Do you see His hand in your life? He is waiting on us to make our first move. Written by David Stahl
First in Our Lives
Each of us has varying amounts of information about Jesus, and many are satisfied with this. But some (I wonder why not others) are being stirred to seek a higher level of spirituality in which they experience not only His presence or power, but have an active personal relationship with Him. Jesus desires to make Himself personally known to us. It is essential that we respond to this inner stirring of the Spirit especially at this present time as things seem to be collapsing while unfolding. Jesus said that we cannot enter the Kingdom (which is righteousness, love peace and joy in the Holy Spirit not a place or even a concept) except we first become as little children. In Mark Jesus tells us, “Allow the little children to come to Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” (Mark 10:14-15) Did you know little children are not that intellectual and unforgiving like most adults? Little children for the most part are obedient and can play (without causing problems) with about anyone. It is also important for us to understand that the LORD may move in ways that differ from our past expectations or experiences. The Children of Israel (In Exodus) never knew this and could not relate to God on Mount Sinai when He wanted to spend time with them. This means that our approach to this present stirring within our spirit must be with a child-like trust and faith. God’s ways are high above our ways, but at the same time God’s ways are foolish to the wise and strength to the weak. Paul tells us, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1Corinthians 1:27) The LORD’s response to our seeking may be in a way that is not familiar to us or that may appear offensive ( most often when we resist Him) to our intellect. The LORD may do this to see if we are really sincere and if we are willing to accept Him on His terms. Herein is the test of our child-like faith and trust, “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17) The LORD will respond to the expression of our heart’s desire to know Him. As we vocally express to Him our love for Him, “LORD, I love You” and you are first in my life He will respond to our heart and spirit felt approach. In the LORD’s approach back He will respond in a special way to those who seek Him “early” or “those that seek Me early shall find Me.” This “early”could mean we are to seek Him early in our lives as children so the years of our youth will not be lost in the stubble of misgivings and youthful waywardness we all seem to experience, but I think this “early” means that we are to quickly set aside “early” in the problems and circumstances we face in life, even “early” whatever we were doing and with a single purpose respond to His quickening presence in an unquestioning, unqualified anticipation of all that will follow without any attempt on our part to understand why or what. And when we put the LORD first and in all things acknowledge our utter dependence upon Him, then He will make Himself known to us. He then will work in our behalf and as a result we will receive a spiritual impartation from him which means that our lives will become a witness of His life. This is the “testimony of Jesus,” which is the expression of His life flowing out through the expression of our relationship to Him. Our primary calling as we put Him first (all else will follow in time) in our lives is to come to the LORD spending quality time in fellowship with Him. As we are faithful in our part He will be faithful in His part. This ministry may take many forms; from the expression of our personal experience as a witness to another, to our being called into some level (I shudder to call it higher) of ministry. In Matthew 13, a sower went forth to sow seed, which is the word of God and not money or abilities. Some of this seed fell by the wayside and was eaten by the birds. It is very important that the seed falls into carefully prepared soil if God has called us to be a teacher, if not scattering the seed as a sower broadcasts the seed will work fine with an Evangelist. But please know the distance from the hardened soil of the wayside to this prepared soil can be only one step. This step that we take into the place of preparation is very important, but while this inner work of the Holy Spirit is taking place, there may be no evidence of a harvest. This should not concern us as during this time of change, oh no the important thing is the changes that are taking place within us rather than what we are accomplishing. There have been times (I think we all experience them) when I have struggled to meet the LORD trying all kinds of ways, but getting nowhere. Then I became quiet and found that all the LORD required of me was for me to take one step to the side. When I did this He was there, He had been there all the time just waiting for me to wear myself out so I would yield and come His way. You see I had been trying to force the LORD to move as I thought He should. All I had to do was put Him first, yield, and come His way in child-like faith. The demands of our soulish desires are very real and ever present. To seek Him “early” requires of us a time of heart preparation. This involves a crucifixion of these self-centered desires with a determination to seek the LORD and spend time alone with Him. We must become serious concerning spiritual things. As we put the LORD first He will draw us to Himself and impart into us an adequate supply of what we need for our daily bread and what we need to build for the future. Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Graham Cracker Crumbs
No, we’re not going to swap recipes! I am just ever astounded how GOD helps us in teeny, tiny seemingly insignificant ways. Yes we “know” HE is always here and we “know” HE always hears us, but frankly we don’t always feel HIS presence, do we?. Our spouses are tangible, so are our friends and family. We can go see them or pick up a phone and talk with them some are even just a yell away. But GOD, nahhhhn! HE could be right next to us and if HE doesn’t want us to know HE’s there—then brother you won’t know! Back to the crackers. So our usual routine is to go to the commissary on Saturday morning. One day I needed graham cracker crumbs as I was making a cheesecake for my Mother. They weren’t in the baking aisle so I went looking for a store worker. Well, I just got to the end of the aisle when a familiar commissary worker was crossing my path. She had always been kind, friendly, and helpful in the past so I asked her about the graham cracker crumbs. She said, that she had seen them on a store display and wasn’t sure where, but she’d find them and bring them to me, how many did I want? So we continued shopping, shortly thereafter the nice store lady found us and gave me the graham cracker crumbs. I saw them later as we exited the last aisle. They definitely weren’t in the usual place. It hit me that had I asked someone else they may not have known where to look for them or even to bother to fetch them for me. I ran into that nice commissary lady at the right time and at the right place. She went above and beyond which reflects well on her. GOD love her. In Matthew, Jesus told the disciples, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31) Yes, God even takes notice of the little sparrows. Have you ever watched them? How they go about finding the food GOD provides for them, building their little nests, and feeding their little fuzzy babies. Are we not worth more than the little sparrows. Yes, I think so. For we are made in HIS image. It just amazes me how GOD is interested in the small, tiny things in our lives. In GOD timing is everything. HE is the Master of timing in all of our lives. How HE orchestrates our comings and goings is just staggering, and HE does it with all of us! Let us endeavor to be more cognizant of the Master of time, and how HE diligently works on our behalf to mold and shape us into the image of HIS Precious Son Jesus Christ. Study your Bible. Written by Karen Stahl
NEEDS NO WANTS:- In Dobrich, Bulgaria Pastor Niki Marsov and in SilistraPastor(s) Yanko, and Marcho. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
- Constanta, Romania Pastors Luke and Jacob at Bethel Church and Ian at the Romanian Center for Cross-cultural Studies Bible School.
- Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian in Sankaraguptham, India.
- Dan, Cathy, and members of Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Pastor Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastors Isreal Mutaitina and John Balone in Bukoba, Tanzania.
- Pastor Tek Dahl at Gethsemane, Church (his church) and their radio station “Good News 105.1 FM” in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), and, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli,Rwanda.
