BEHOLDING HIS GLORY
May 2003	Volume I Number 09

”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. Faithfulness is probably the second most important issue to God, after how we submit to authorities in our lives. Again, faithfulness is one of the greatest qualities of Himself He is trying to work in us, and if He cannot work this in us, He cannot use us, we have disqualified ourselves for His service.

Back in Luke we see another area God is looking for us to be faithful in,

”If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (treasures or riches), who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11) Unrighteous mammon. If we are not faithful in that which does not apply directly to God’s righteousness then He cannot and will not commit righteous things to us. We often think God is more concerned how we handle spiritual things, well God is more concerned how we handle the non-spiritual things He gives us. Things like money, car, things. He knows if we handle non-spiritual, non-righteous thing correctly He then can trust us with spiritual and righteous things. How we handle non-spiritual things will determine if you can handle spiritual things. Jesus here in Luke 16:11 is drawing the contrast between the spiritual and material. Jesus is saying if we have not been faithful over these unrighteous treasures and riches, “who” is going to commit to your trust the true riches? The word “true” is always used by Jesus when He is making a contrast. For example, when Jesus said, “I am the true bread” in contrast with yeast bread. Here He brings bread into the spiritual setting. The “true riches” in Luke 16:11 is a spiritual setting not a material. How can God trust us with His “true” riches; mercy, judgment, and forgiveness if He cannot trust us with unrighteous things? I really believe God is more concerned how we operate in unspiritual and unrighteous things then spiritual. One of the goals God desires to work in our life is to be able to bring us into a life of righteous living. We just live right. Just like breathing. We do not have to think to breath, okay I am going to breath, now, now, and now. We just live in a righteous way. We do not have to think or pray about it, we just do the right thing and not even know it. Living righteously becomes apart of our character and nature. If God cannot trust us to be faithful with the unrighteous and unspiritual things He gives us, then He will never give us His righteous and spiritual thing. At the same measure we handle unrighteous things we will be given righteous things. The more we behold His glory the more we will be able to see the “true” mammon. More on faithfulness and verse Matthew 16:12 next month.

ARTICLE REVIEW:

KNEEL AND BE COUNTED

Now that America and many other counties have entered into war against Iraq, I wonder how the church will respond? We must always remember we, the children of God, are the church. The church is not a building, a political group with an agenda, or a denomination belief. We must always remember, “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus . . . ” (Ephesians 2:10) I personally feel in the past the church, as a whole, may have greatly failed in the response God was looking for in His last few dealings. God always has a certain intention in mind when He makes His approach and He is looking for His intention to manifest in our life. We must individually ask ourselves what is God speaking to us, what is the lesson He desires us to learn.

After the horrible lose of over 3,000 lives on 11 September 2001, sadly many Christians joined in with America and gave a response of patriotism and not repentance, many Christians did not bow their knee and were not counted. Paul teaches, “For Godly sorrow worketh repentance . . . . . ” (2 Corinthians 7:10) God was drawing America to her knees, into a low and humble place where we all could hear God softly and plainly speak. Even back at the turn of the century many Christians bowed to fear and worldly pressure to stocked up with earthly treasures hoping to defeat the millennium bug, if it struck. I feel this was a divine time God gave the church to manifest it’s true belief in an ever faithful God. A time to for us to demonstrate our great faith, like Esther declared, “if I perish I perish.” But many Christians choose to save their life, they did not bow their knee and were not counted. Jesus said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:39) Thus, the spiritual order is losing first, then finding. There are not too many willing Christians who want to lose their life or even shut their mouth to emotional issues going on in the world today. Sadly they too will not be counted.

I see on television many people including Christians protesting the war. And they do in the name of “civil disobedience.” Disobedience in the Bible was always harshly judged by God. Some say the war is just and others say it is unjust, I really do not know. I even hear some say it is about righteous judgment. God is judging Iraq and the Arab world. Well, I am not so sure about all that. Righteous judgment is not always about right or wrong, but it is always about knowing the difference between something that is clean or unclean, righteous or unrighteous, holy or unholy, ”And that ye may put (know or understand) difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;” (Leviticus 10:10) God by His spirit and His word tells us what is right and what is wrong and it is up to us to know or “put” the difference between the two. And when we do that which He told us not to do (which is disobedience) He, in His love, must correct us. In John, Jesus tells us, ”Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) Often we confuse justice and injustice, which is man’s basis for judgment, for righteous judgment. We are not to make spiritual judgments according to what we think, see, and feel. I am learning in God if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, be careful in God it may be a chicken. We are to wait upon the judgment of the Lord, His judgment is always a knowing of the difference between two things. We are to wait and see what God has to say about things for His judgment is always righteous.

Yet, still I see Christians, denominations, and religions of the world drawing battle lines in the sand to prove their doctrinal beliefs or to have their voice heard on very emotional subjects of today. Jesus never once protested. Even when they were nailing Him to the cross, the Bible says, “He opened not His mouth.” All of this protesting is nothing more then self seeking to be exalted, screaming for its way. The church has no place in protesting any issue of today. The writer of the Hebrew commands us, ”Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Hebrew 13:17) God too is teaching me to keep my heart out of emotional issues that do not concern me. When we get our hearts near issues that do not directly deal with the things of God in our lives we often become double-minded, we are moved, our faith wavers, and we are easily tossed on the wind of world opinion and others judgments. Remember, when we justify ourselves before men we make them our judge. God is our judge. We are to keep our mouth shut and let Him do our speaking. When it is time to open our mouth He will let us know. Until then we must wait for God’s judgment, we must wait to hear what God has to say. At the heart of our words is our desires and wants. Often God’s desires and wants are not expressed through us because we have been unwilling to put off what we want to see come to past. As a church we will never ever be able to put on the things of God until we first put off our own will and desires. Our desires and will must not matter. We must finally come to a place where we like Jesus will be able to say, “Not my will, thy be done.”

Finally my Brethren, there is one thing we MUST all agree on. We must believe God is in control no matter what we see, feel, or believe. At the end of the day God MUST still be God to us and He is ever working an eternal purpose in us and in the world through this war. We may not be able to see His eternal plan, but it is there, right before our eyes, all we need is the right heart condition and we will be able to see it. I asked God to share with me what He would have for me in all of this and He gave me these verses. I would think they too would give you comfort and help you to know the difference between what God is doing and what you hear or see going on in the world. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel (the Church) hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever. (Psalm 130:1-3) The church’s place during this time of war is on our knees in submission before God. We must rise above the world by falling on our knees. The way up is really down. There in that quiet place on our knees before God we can be counted worthy to be used by Him to be the example He is looking for. To be counted amount the tried and faithful ones who has qualified and now can be trusted by God to take the message of the Gospel to a very troubled and confused world. The world has been shaken at it’s very foundation, and yet again God is dealing with His people. Oh my Brethren please kneel and be counted.

Written by Pastor Dave Stahl

CURRENT NEWS:

We continue in what God has asked us to do in the face of world situations. When I retired in Aug 2000 and God told us to stay in Germany I told my church we are staying in Germany for one reason. The reason we are staying is not because we love everyone or I because I enjoy the travel when I teach in other countries or because I like being a pastor (of which all three are true), but we are staying because God said too. We must always focus and maintain our direction to God’s words in our life. His words MUST be our true north. Nothing persuaded Paul to move out of the way God had for him. We are not to feel defeated when God changes our plans. My trip to Nigeria and Ghana at the last minute was cancelled. The Nigerian Embassy told me there was no room in my passport for a new Nigerian visa. This was not true, I had one and 3/4 page free for a visa. The truth, as they later said, was they did not what me to go and teach in Lagos for if I did the Muslim religions would riot and people would be killed. My response was, “the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Our response is always to be what was on a plaque on the wall behind John Wright Follette’s desk, “Yes Lord.” This is what God is listening for. He does not what to hear our excuses or fretting. He expects to hear, “Yes Lord.” Karen my “sweetheart” and the kids are doing wonderful and send their greetings and love. We really feel that our best years of ministry are head. As we walk in obedience to Him, He will make them happen.

FUTURE SCHEDULE:

May: Adis Abebe, Ethiopia with Pastor Esayas

June: (open)

July: New London, CT with Pastor Doug Price then Bukoba and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania with Pastors Israel, Swai, Andrew, and others

August: (open)

September: Nairobi, Kenya with Pastor Joseph Mutua

If God moves on your heart to bless the ministries I visit and share God’s love with them I would be honored to make it possible for God and you.

NEEDS NOT WANTS:

1. Items for the printing service and new church building in Bulgaria is still before us.

2. In Constanta, Romania Ciprian Bozdog, head teacher, at the Lighthouse Church’s Bible School has started printing Christian books. This is a very important area of ministry in Eastern Europe.

3. Bill and Charlene Pepper in Alaska still needs support to continue ministry efforts in Peru, China, Mongolia, and many more countries.

4. My special friend Pastor Joseph Mutua in Nairobi, Kenya needs your prayer and financial support. He has launched out to start a new work and has experienced loss to his home and land, there still is a price to pay for those who would share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God told Abram, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” (Genesis 12:3) If you want a blessing, then bless someone. Remember God is to you what you are to God.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

American Address

CMR 480 Box 517

APO AE 09128

German Address

Pastor David Stahl

Ulmenweg -5

71706 Markgroningen, Germany

++49-7145-931152 (Voice)

++49-7145-931153 (FAX)

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