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BEHOLDING HIS GLORY |
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November 2002 |
Volume I Number 03 |
”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. The best we can ever do is behold God’s
glory. Oh yes, we made big plans
thinking we are doing great works for God, advancing His kingdom, but when we
have finished with out plans, when it is all over hopefully we will see the
real work happened in our heart. A truth
we must hold near to our heart and never forget is; it is not important what we do for God,
but how we do it for God. They are
all His works, but “we are His workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10) Do we do them for the right reason? Do we have a right motive? A right attitude? It is amazing to me often times we can do
things for God; minister the word, pray for the sick, and on, for the wrong
reasons, yet God will be glorified, see Matthew 7:22-23. These believers here in Matthew moved in God
in “iniquity” or in “lawlessness” they moved outside or without
the law God established through His Son Jesus Christ. They knew Jesus, they even had a relationship
with Him, they even used His name to move in God, but still they ministered
outside the way God operates, thus God did not know them. Not they did not know God, but God did not
know them, why? Because they operated, they worked outside God’s laws. With having all they knew and touched I
wonder why they operated in iniquity,
without the law, in lawlessness? The
answer to this question is easy to see, for they operated out from what they
beheld. We always move toward or in
what we behold. This is why we must
behold God’s glory, thus we will move toward Him and His glory. It is a
spiritual fact we will move toward what we behold. Even in the physical realm what we look at,
what we read and focus on is what directs our path bringing us to a certain
destination and end. Either we are
beholding God’s glory or we are beholding some other glory. Glory of others and
things cause us to look. But, we are to behold God’s glory, all glory is His.
This is God intention for us for the more we look at God the more we will move
toward Him and the more we move toward Him, the more we will become like Him. We always become what we look at. We are to
become like God. “Be ye holy for I am
holy” (1 Peter 1:16) Well guess what, God has not changed His mind. We are to become like Him. The only way we can become like Him is when
we have a heart like His. The only way
we can be holy like Him is to behold His glory and the more we behold His glory
the more we will move toward Him more and more.
More next month on this topic.
ARTICLE REVIEW:
STAY ON TRACK
Now is not the time to get off track. I just returned from ministry in Nairobi, Kenya hosted by Pastor(s) Joseph Mutua and J. B. Masinde from the Deliverance Church Umoja, what a powerful two weeks in God. As we were driving out to Waithaka for the Deliverance Church’s monthly Pastors Prayer Meeting Pastor Joseph Mutua used a term I was unfamiliar with, “churching.” This is a term often used in South Africa to describe one’s Sunday worship activities as they go from church to church to yet another church. It would be very easy to go “churching” in Nairobi. I have never in my life seen so many churches in one town, 1000s of churches dot Nairobi’s landscape, yet many people in Nairobi, just like in America and around the world, are off track. The Holy Spirit must have been thinking of Nairobi when Paul wrote, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20) I have personally seen the great impact the Deliverance Church collectively has made to the maturing of the Body of Christ in Nairobi an around Kenya and Uganda, over the last 20 plus years. This does not happen by accident, but by way of willful men and woman obediently falling into the ground and dying.
Now is not the time to get off track. There seems, to me, to be a big push for
prayer for the healing in America and around the world in regards to the events
that happened on 11 Sep 01, in New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington
D.C. Yes, healing for many people both
physically and spiritually is needed.
Pulling down the stronghold of fear sponsored by the media is one of the
greatest healing people in America and around the world needed today. Paul tells us to, “think on things that are
good and pleasant, things of a good report.”
We need not be afraid. John
Hamrick has it right when he said in an email, “live free, die free.” And, yes
healing for the soul of America is needed this I do agree, but what I see is
many religions, from all over the world, gathering together in a consortium to
pray. The Jew, the Muslim, the Christian,
the Hindu, and many more. I even see many main-stream denominations gathering
together on the same stage and for awhile kind of side-step their doctrinal
differences, their beliefs, to made this “apparent” unity work, but at the
close of the evening it always seems to boil down to them defending what
separates them instead of what unites them.
Our individual doctrinal beliefs are the stones that make-up the walls
that divide and separate the Body of Christ.
What I do not see is the truth.
There is a big difference between praying for and healing someone. The last thing I need (when I cannot pray for
myself) when I am sick is to have
someone pray for me. What I need is
someone who can touch the heart of God on my behalf whereby I am healed. As there is a big difference between coming
together to pray for the nation out from our beliefs and doctrine and the
nation being touched by God, saved, being healed through “godly sorrow”
and even “repentance.” Paul
tells us, ”For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) Repentance is always the first step of being
healed. There is a big difference
between praying for America and God touching America, one way seems right, the
other ways is right, is correct. The
Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the
way of death (Proverbs 14:12). The
truth is always right, always correct, the way, and the difference. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
(John 14:6) The way to
healing and life for America is through the truth, through Jesus and through
His teachings. The teachings His Father gave Him, and not what we believe. You know Jesus never did anything unless His Father told Him to, what
obedience (please see John 5:19). The truth does not change no matter the
reason, the cause, the good idea, or the
ultimate goal in mind. Unless the basis
for coming together in prayer for America is in Spirit and truth we are wasting
our time, deceiving ourselves, because the truth in not in us. The truth is
always the truth. And, the truth is
still, “and no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Unless we go this way it will not work, sadly
then the sorrow from the events on 11 Sep 01 will work death and not life in
American and around the world. Now is
not the time to get off track. I hear so
many people say the events of 11 Sep 01 has triggered the “beginning of the
end,” the end days are upon us now,
well, I will be honest, I do not know.
But that’s okay, because I do not need to know. All I need to know is God, and know He is in
control. You know often our worrying and
needing to know everything only magnifies our lack of faith and trust in
God. Many say there will be great loss
of freedoms with more governmental controls added to our lives, greater
censorship, and even restrictions in movement around the world, well to all
that I say, I do not know. However, if
anything was triggered on that day, I would hope it would have caused us in
retrospect to stop and re-prioritize our lives some what. Allowing things not really important, not of
God to fall by the way-side. Allowing us
to stop and look within our plans, our intentions, our thoughts, even our
dreams, deep within our hearts so we can rest in not knowing, as we rest in
Him. Yes, rest beyond faith and trust is
the ultimate place God desires to take us, so stay on track. America bless God! Written by Pastor Dave Stahl.
CURRENT
NEWS:
My trip to Opole, Poland was a great success, it was wonderful to see Piotr and Christine Cieslar, and their children again and it is always a pleasure to share with Pastor Garbowski and his church. For the last 12 years the church in Opole has been building as they get the money a big beautiful church. They are in a critical three month window due to the cost of building material in Poland and political concerns. If you can help meet this great need, please send what money you can and I will forward to them or I can put you in direct contact with them. My trip to India had to be moved to 2003 due to the violence and unrest in the country. Please keep Pastor S. J. Peter, his family, and DAWN ministry in your prayer truly they is in harms way. In place for Nov I will be with Pastor Esayas from Ethiopia. Together we have opened a TB clinic in Addis for the glory of God. It has helped to save many lives. Karen and the kids are doing well and send their greetings.
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
November: Addis Abeba, Ethiopia Pastor Esayas
December: Constanta, Romania with Pastor George
December: Silistra, Bulgaria with Pastor(s) Yanko and Niki
If God moves on your heart to bless the ministries I visit and share God’s love with I would be honored to make it possible for God and you. The need for the items for the printing service and new church building in Bulgaria is still before them. Pastors Yanko and Niki still needs your help. 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.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
American Address
Pastor David Stahl
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)
(Church Website)