| October 2022 | Volume XXI Number 02 |
”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)
Greetings again my Brethren. Okay let us finish up looking at some circumstances in which the LORD has visited man as seen in some diverse situations and believe it or not this month we will finish up the entire teaching on “Waiting on God.” We have covered so much ground spiritually. If you missed any month please feel free to contact me and I can tell you where to go to get what you have missed. This has been a deep teaching not for the faint of heart, but for serious-minded and spiritual people who want to know the unbraided truth from the word of God. As with all of our writings our goal is to share the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Watchman Nee tells the story of a friend who saw a brother stumbling and falling out of the way in the LORD in sin, but was kind and did not want to confront the brother with what he saw moving in his life. This went on for months. Each time they would get together he would turn his head away from the known sin in his brother’s life to keep the peace and friendship, but the brother noticed the lack of the presence of the LORD in his life over these months. Finally, the brother went to the LORD and asked why the distance from him in the Spirit and the LORD told him it was because of his lack of concern for his brother’s spiritual welfare. He needed to confront his brother and let him know the LORD is not happy with his behavior. He did and what fellowship the brothers had. My good pastor friend Victor always says, “there is no person worth going to hell for” and he is so right. We are to speak the truth in love and truth at times can hurt, but it is what the Bible means when it says, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39) Now, the last section to “Waiting on the LORD.” We have been looking at some circumstances in which the LORD has visited man as seen in some diverse situations. Last month we looked at the journey, the month prior we looked at my favorite the wilderness, and this month we will finish up looking at in our home. Yes, Jesus comes to our home for a visit. My Mom without a doubt was the most spiritual person I have ever known, often the Lord would stop by for a visit with her. I am sure I have wrote about some of His visits, but here in Luke 24:28-31 we see where Jesus was constrained to stop by for a visit with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. We read, “And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went into tarry with them.30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:28-31) The two disciples were confused and filled with perplexities over the death of Jesus just three days earlier. All of their plans and hopes were nailed to the cross with Jesus and now they are wandering on the road to Emmaus over 20 miles from Jerusalem. Let us pick up the story from here. In verse 29 the disciples say, “abide with us.” Oddly enough these disciples did not know it was Jesus. Often times when Jesus shows up at our home we will miss Him. This was the case with the disciples who probably heard Jesus speak, who probably traveled with Jesus in the crowd, but here because of all of the perplexity in their lives could not see Jesus. But as they sat at dinner Jesus started telling the disciples about Himself from the Old Testament (there was no New Testament yet) and He (Jesus) started to develop a hunger in them. See verse 27, but it was not till Jesus took the bread and broke it did they recognize Jesus for who He was. Verse 30 and 31, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Now this is always the reason why Jesus comes for a visit especially in hard times and tough situations, to open our eyes so that we can know Him. The more we can know Him the more He can come to us and open our eyes. If not then we will be like the disciples who walked with Him (Jesus) and heard Jesus talk, oh I am sure how their hearts were moved, but due to problems in their lives they could not recognize Jesus when He was in their midst. It was one of three things: Jesus purposely hid Himself from them. No, He would not do that they were His disciples 2 of the 82. Two, the perplexities and confusion from their day to day life blocked Jesus from their understanding, well maybe. Or three, they never really knew Jesus as they walked and talked with Him. I think the answer is a combination of two and three, but this is why Jesus came to them. Fear not Jesus is coming to our home for a visit if we have eyes to see Him.
Next month we will start a brand new teaching the “Oracles of God.” In the coming months we will look at how speaking for God is only found in being an “Oracle of God,” being a “mouthpiece” for God, Prophets and what a Prophet is and is not, and many other spiritual topics. Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stahl
ARTICLE REVIEW:
The Kingdom of God
One of the great mysteries of God is His kingdom. It is sad to see and hear what many Christians have done to change Jesus’ original thought of what He wanted to do on earth (what He came preaching) into great presumption and even downright lies to manipulate people for money and power. The kingdom of God is nothing more than a submitted heart to the authority of God and His word in our lives (thus coming into the kingdom of God) whereby He sits on the throne of our heart as King and is the unquestioned ruler. No matter the circumstances and situations we face in life God’s rulership prevails in our lives and can we weather the storms of life. As I said many things have been said and written about the kingdom of God, so let us take a hard look. First it is God’s kingdom not ours. Like faith the kingdom of God is God’s and we cannot add one muster seed to it no matter how hard we try. We today in the church are trying to build God’s kingdom and you know what, God needs no help all we need to do is submit to Him and He will take it from there. Remember our submission of heart is the beginning of our salvation not the words we speak as we walk the aisle. Did you know there is a difference between obedience and submission. Submission is a matter of attitude while obedience is a matter of conduct. Thus submission is absolute, but obedience is relative. In God often times what we believe to be right or wrong does not matter. Obedience is related to conduct, it is relative. Submission is related to our heart attitude and is absolute. Only when we submit ourselves to God, His word, and His will for our lives can we come into the kingdom of God. Back in the 70s and 80s Christians foolishly would get into airplanes and fly above regions and cities so they could “cast” down principalities and powers (in the name of Jesus) or “bind” them, yet the evil continued and even increased. They twisted the truth of verses into something they were never intended to be. Matthew shares, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind (Strong’s #1210, to gather, tie, knit) on earth shall be bound (Strong’s #1210) in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19) Notice not the kingdom of God, but the kingdom of Heaven, there is a huge difference. They would “bind” Satan in the name of Jesus (the precious name above all names) on Wednesday and have to do it again on Sunday and then again on Wednesday. Did Satan have the power to get loose from God? Of course not this is all showmanship and kabuki theater. The word “bind” here means to gather, like gathering sheaves together to make them stand up. So now with this truth in mind, whatsoever is gathered to us on earth is gathered to us in heaven. And whatsoever is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. There is not a demon under every rock like some Christians believe. God has used me (many times) to cast out evil spirits (like recorded in the Bible) in people. I personally know Satan is real (after all the Bible talks about him) you are wagering your soul if you think he is not real, but there is no parallel kingdom of evil that Satan has set up with different levels of demons (word not mentioned in the KJV of the Bible) to do warfare against God. If you believe this then you have given Satan power and sway in your thoughts and life. Satan was defeated at the cross and is to be defeated in our lives. Now Satan is evil, he is a liar (the father of all lies), a counterfeiter, but he cannot get in our thoughts, he cannot make us do things, he cannot be in more than one place at a time. Yet Satan gets blamed for a lot of things he is not the author of. If we believe this drivel then Satan will rule and reign (be seated on our heart throne) in our lives. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus talk about or define Satan or his minions having power over us, He just dealt with them with power and authority and we must also. Sadly again the church got this wrong (you can manipulate people with this teaching) when they invented a doctrine/term called “spiritual warfare.” The concept is not defined anywhere nor do the words even appear in the KJV of the Bible. My word, just go out to the internet and look at all of the websites, the 1,000s of books, the DVDs, teachings (you can use at church or home group meetings), and all of the deliverance ministries that spin this doctrine/term. Again these folks have twisted verses like, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, (Strong’s #746, magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule) against powers, (Strong’s #1849, delegated influence, authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength). against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) If you look at the words (where the truth of the verse is found) you will find this verse has nothing to do with the spiritual realm, but more to do with the “rulers of the darkness” and “spiritual wickedness in high places” of the government, magistrates, and local leaders. Paul was not talking about Satan, but the Roman government who was evil and acting like Satan. The same in Colossians, when he said, “And having spoiled principalities (Strong’s #746) and powers (Strong’s #1849), he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15) You MUST follow the context of the verses and theme of the chapter to have correct understanding. Sadly many people are getting rich while others are being deceived. How greedy and misguided of the church. We must not make this walk with the LORD harder than it needs to be. Yes Satan is alive, but according to the Bible I read Jesus has given us all power and authority. Luke encourages us to know, “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils (Strong’s #1142, supernatural spirit (of a bad nature)) and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1-2) The “them”includes us too. We need not define or examine Satan or devils only deal with them with the power and authority given to us by Christ. The only power Satan or devils have in our lives is the power we give them. The more we think about or study them the more power we give them. This dangerous inquiry will even affect our heart condition giving us a dark perspective of the spiritual realm and of people. It will blunt or even stunt our spirit so that our spiritual focus will be on darkness and not on the glorious light of what Christ wants for our lives. And it will even affect our mind giving us a wrong thinking process to how God functions and operates whereby we miss the real truths of the word of God. I know of a church that built their belief around the so called spiritual warfare and deliverance (almost exclusively), that started off okay, but before they closed their doors in scandal and shame were drinking human blood during their communion service. The longer one goes looking for Satan and devils (and make no mistake my friend they will find them) the less they are looking for God. Anyway it is not Satan or his minions that causes us to sin and do evil in God’s eyes it is our own evil heart and the lust contained therein. James tells us, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.” (James 1:14-16) Not Satan, but it is our own lust that entraps us so. My dear mother would never even call his name, yet I have been in Pentecostal churches where they pray to Satan and even to Babylonian and Canaanite dumb idols in the name of spiritual warfare. How ungodly is that? We need not be so fast to concede or relegate the spiritual realm to Satan. God has so much more for us if we can just look away from Satan and his evil darkness, and gaze into the face and the glorious light of Christ. I wonder what the Bible says about the kingdom of God? Believe it or not, the Bible has a lot to say. Did you know the term “kingdom of God” has 359 occurrences in the KJV in 91 verses? Let us let allow the to Scriptures speak for themselves; Brother Paul helps us with what the kingdom of God is, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17). It does not sound like you can get a job in the kingdom of God as some preachers and teachers say. Luke helps us with where it is, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) Wow the kingdom of God is within us. In our heart. And our heart is the throne God wants to be crowned upon. Luke helps us if we want to see it, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:” (Luke 17:20) We cannot see it with our physical eyes, but we know it when we enter. Mark gives us a clue that it is waiting for us,“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) But Luke in Acts tells us, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) Tribulation is the price we pay to enter the kingdom of God whereby He deals and judges in our lives through life. Not too many people abide in the kingdom of God the cost is too great. I really like this one. Luke again helps us (Doctor Luke had much to say about the kingdom), “And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” (Luke 8:10) The kingdom of God is hard to understand unless you have the right heart condition. I like serving a God that is a mystery who I cannot figure out. Here is where we really get into trouble. Matthew tells us, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) We go seeking the kingdom of God and all of the “things” thinking they are found in the kingdom (power, titles, jobs, authority, money etc.), but they are not, so we make the kingdom of God something God never intended it to be. Luke again helps us what our status within the kingdom of God is, “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) The condition for entering into the kingdom of God is to be poor in spirit, spiritually bankrupt, where we see no value in our self. Maybe that is why there are not many people in the kingdom of God. Matthew tells us, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew7:14) The kingdom of God is life (God’s life) for those that find it. Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Why We Read It
To me the Bible is alive! Now, I know it sounds weird, but there are times when you’ll read something that you’ve read many times before in the Bible and you will get a revelation of what it really means or something will be applicable to what you are going through and you will find comfort or strength. Our brother Paul tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitablefor doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of GOD may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). GOD took great pains to make sure we have His word in written form, it was very important to Him to give us His written word and yet many people even from well respected mainstream denominations have tried their best to stop the spread of GOD’S written word, even going as far as discourage its reading and at the very least to marginalize it. I can think of three major denominations who although they say they believe in the Bible, do not follow the Bible. I’ve said it before; religions and denominations are to line up with the Bible NOT the other way around. Sacraments (oddly enough this word is NOT in the Bible), good works and religious rituals and traditions of the church will NOT save us. Only by us accepting the finished work of Christ on the cross are we saved. Way back in the old days of Moses, GOD told Moses before they even had kings, that the king before, “he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the lord his God, to keep the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandments, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children in the midst of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:18-2I). We heard a great sermon at our sons church and the part that stuck with me was when Pastor Jamin gave some statistics on Bible reading. He said 91% of Americans have a Bible in their home, but only 12% claim that they read it. This is one reason why America calls herself a Christian country. The statistics (I don’t know his source) were (I wrote them down) as follows: reading the Bible once a week there was NO change in a person’s life. If they read the Bible twice a week their lives were a tad better but still a pointless life. Three times a week saw a slight jump in their spirit and attitude. Now here is where it gets interesting, when a person reads the Bible four times a week there is a significant jump in their attitude; loneliness goes DOWN 30%, alcoholism goes DOWN 47%, feeling stagnant goes DOWN 60%, anger goes DOWN 32%, and bitterness goes DOWN 47%. I found additional info here is the website: www.faithalone.org written by Shawn Lazar, dated Feb 2020, as follow: there’s 57% lower odds of getting drunk, there’s a 68% lower odds of having sex outside of marriage, there’s 61% lower odds of using pornography, and there’s a 74% lower odds of gambling. Also when reading a Bible four times a week there’s a significant jump in sharing your faith with others up to 228%! Discipling others goes up 231% and memorizing scripture goes up 407%! From what— reading your Bible prayerfully at least four times a week. Folks if we have time to play on our computers, surf the TV, check our phones every ten minutes we have time to really read the Bible. It’s in our best interest, that is why we read it. Written by Karen Stahl
NEEDS NO WANTS:
1. In Dobrich, Bulgaria Pastor Niki Marsov and in Silistra Pastor(s) Yanko, and Marcho. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
2. Constanta, Romania Pastors Luke and Jacob at Bethel Church and Ian at the Romanian Center for Cross-cultural Studies Bible School.
3. Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian in Sankaraguptham, India.
4. Dan, Cathy, and members of Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
5. Pastor Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastors Isreal Mutaitina and John Balone in Bukoba, Tanzania.
6. Pastor Tek Dahl at Gethsemane, Church (his church) and their radio station “Good News 105.1 FM” in Kathmandu, Nepal.
7. Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), and, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli,Rwanda.
NEXT HOME GROUP MEETINGS:
18 October at 7:00 pm
At 232 Everett Drive
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
7:00 pm please RSVP
(910) 382-9287
BEHOLDING HIS GLORY ON THE RADIO:
On WJCV Jacksonville, NC
“Pebbles of Truth”
1290 AM or 98.3 FM
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7:30 am
FUTURE BHG SCHEDULE:
October: Local Ministry
November: Ukraine or Zimbabwe (projected)
December: 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:
Mobile: (910) 382-9287
FAX: (910) 741-0489
Email:
Website:
Blog:
http://bhisglory.blogspot.com/
FREE OFFERS
Booklets on Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Leadership, Prayer, Body of Christ, and Righteous Living the Four Anchors of God are now available by contacting us and requesting one. You can see them on our home page. Get one now.
The Author House 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
