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BEHOLDING HIS GLORY |
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November 2003 |
Volume II 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)
Greeting again my Brethren. As
we begin to behold His glory the eyes of our understanding will be able to
begin to see God’s purpose for our lives, at that time, and that His work is
being accomplished according to the “counsel of His own will.” On the
individual level our predestination, justification, call, and glorification fits
into a purpose far beyond what we can imagine.
It is as vast as God Himself is. And if we look close enough, off in the
distance we see the beginnings of our end.
Despite how high and glorious God is, He has “abounded toward us in
all wisdom and prudence.” (Ephesians 1:8) His love and grace overflow us
daily with intent of having us be holy and without blame before Him in
love. This same selfless love with
which He has loved us is to now be given back to Him and others in the church
by the effectual working of His power in the saints. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may
have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this
world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because
fear hath torment. He that feareth is
not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4: 17-19) When God first comes to us, He finds in us a
fear of Him and His holiness. Many
Christians have great fear in their lives because they lack love in their lives. The opposite of faith is fear, either we are
of faith or fear there is no middle ground here. The word “perfect” is translated
mature. When our love becomes perfect or
matures we will not be afraid, we will stand and withstand all that comes against
us. It is not an issue of fear as many
teach, but the lack of love in our lives.
Paul in Galatians tell us, “. . . faith which worketh by love.”
(Galatians 5:6) Now Paul was not talking about God’s love here, he was
talking about our love. This is why Christians have “torment”
(frustration, anger, and despair) in their lives they have not allowed God to
build in them His love. God’s love is
ever abounding towards us in the midst of our difficulties, weaknesses,
temptation, and trails. And as He comes
to us, He knows the thoughts that He is thinking toward us, thoughts of peace
and not evil, to give us an expectation and an end. However, in spite of God almighty coming to
us with His great love we still fear.
Sadly our fear is based on our desire to maintain our self-life. The greatest fear we have is not getting our
own way. For this reason many do not
walk with God. If we could only see what
God expects of us and His thoughts for us we would stay on track. For us to get rid of our fear, by having God
build His love in us, we must give up what we want and expect. He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit of
promise, which is the earnest, or evidence, which will keep us in Him until we
receive the promise. That promise
contains a command, a charge, and a direction to walk in a particular way that
would bring us to God’s intended end for us. More next month on this topic.
ARTICLE REVIEW:
Over the past four years God has destroyed my
once understood prayer life. He has
ruined my communication with Him but at the same time as increased our
fellowship and communion. He has killed
and at the same time made alive a greater revelation and understanding to what
I called prayer. Paul again and again
tells us this walk with God is full of mysteries, “And to make all men see
what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:3) And, prayer I believe is one of the greatest
mysteries of our fellowship with God.
Salvation by faith is understood, Jesus died for our sin. Our healing is because, Jesus took the
stripes on His back (Isaiah 53:5) But,
19 times Paul shares in the New Testament about the mysteries of God. I kind of like mysteries don’t you? I like
not knowing some things. We need to
allow God to know some things we do not.
I would like to share some thoughts with you and a few bits of
revelation God opened to me on prayer:
Prayer is always direct fellowship or communion with God. The word prayer is translated, from the
Greek, six different ways in the KJV, most often as direct communion with
God. Next prayer is translated as
beseeching or a quick asking thought out from a strong desire. Not in the sense of asking God for a new car
or house, but a desire expressed in thought, from the heart for God’s will to
be done. In Luke Jesus never prayed for
Peter as we think of praying for someone. ”But I
have prayed (beseeched) for thee, that
thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
(Luke 22:32) Here Jesus’ desire for
Peter was communicated to the Father, from His heart, quickly by thought. Another in James 5:15 as “vow” or a strong
statement or confession of faith. It is
the person’s strong statement or confession of faith that heals them not their
prayer. The word prayer is NOT in the
Gospel or Epistles of John, but prayer is tied into John's life more then the
other disciples. It seemed there was a
greater quality of love in John's life.
One cannot really be involved in prayer if there is no love in their
life. Prayer should be natural like breathing. We do not have to think or stop
doing something to breathe. Prayer must
be birthed in us. Prayer is communion with
God, it is the pathway back to the heart of the Father where we came from.
Now you do not have to pray,
you really don't. But if you do not pray
you will not get very far in God. It
should not be a duty to pray, but a joy.
We at first start off with duty prayer set in patterns, but in time God
will lead us out and into a deeper more fulfilling communion with Him. He will lead us by His Spirit from duty
prayer to where our life becomes a prayer.
What we call prayer today would be typical of a religious duty or
activity in the New Testament. Prayer
is not a duty or a religious activity, prayer is from the heart. It is of the Spirit of God. Prayer is communion with God. Our life is to
be a constant prayer to God, it (our life) is to become an expression of God.
In our prayer, God is after heart purity
in our lives! Prayer (communion with
God) not begging for healing or material things is what leads us to His highway
of holiness and His ways of understanding the requirements for heart purity.
Prayer is not talking to God. Our very best prayer has no words. Often our
best prayer is nothing more then groaning. Have you ever come to a point in
your life when the best you can do is groan?
Well if you walk with the Lord long enough I promise you will. God is not hard of hearing or long winded.
You do not have to scream and shout or pray for hours. He speaks to us in a small still voice, why
do we think we need to shout at Him? Our
prayers will never change His mind. Our
obedience to God is never substituted by our prayer. Prayer is quiet, deep, and still like a
rolling river. It is heart to heart, our
heart to God’s heart.
We must remember Jesus got
everything from His heavenly Father. He
did not do or say anything of Himself, only those things He sees the Father
doing and what His Father would be saying.
He (Jesus) got these things through prayer from His Father. Alone in the darkness and in the stillness of
the night, in quiet prayer Jesus received the things from His Father He needed
to fulfill His earthly ministry. Prayer is something alone, just between you
and God.
The direction of prayer is always to the
Father. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus said, “Our (Abba) Father
which art in heaven.” When He said this it was the
first time God was addressed directly in prayer. In the past they were taught to pray
"avie" or around to the Father.
Through the high priest or another who could get access to God. "Abba Father" means
"direct address to the Father."
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, now Jesus was not
teaching the disciples to say “Abba Father,” He was teaching them to
pray directly to the Father.
The proper attitude in
prayer is "Hallowed be thy name." God’s name is to be "hallow"
a most holy thing, purity, not hollow, and usable. God does not operate by formula and rules,
but by divine spiritual principles.
"In the Name of Jesus" is not a formula for God to jump
through the hoop for us every time we want something from Him, we must be
careful. God seeks worshipers not by
rules or saying, but in spirit and truth.
We need to allow God to be God. God then can gather us into Himself in
oneness with Him. 1 + 0 = 1 (we
together) not 1 + 1 = 2. Now God is the 1 we are the 0. Now we can have His desires in us, because we
are one we are in unity. Now we will
know the way He takes and we can then take the way He is taking. So we may walk in step in harmony with Him.
Prayer helps us to get close
to God. Many Christians do not want to
get close to God. Because they will have
to lose themselves. Not to many
Christians want to draw nigh to God, because He is a consuming fire. No one wants to be consumed. We would rather give God things, things we do
not mind seeing get consumed. God
promises if we draw near to Him He will draw near to us. (James 4:8)
Proper motivation,
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven." But if we do not draw
nigh then He cannot bring that oneness, He has no opportunity. How can God be God if we always want Him to
dance to our tune, to do what we want.
Prayer is the way into harmony with God in meeting needs not our alone,
but also others. It is the way to know what
God wants. What does God want? What do
we want? They are to be the same. We are to know what God wants so we can
harmonize in meetings needs with God. Prayer helps us see what the
Father is saying and doing. Healing the
sick then becomes so easy and not a struggle.
We need not pray for some ones healing, but just heal them in the name
of Jesus Christ.
Lastly, God's intention in
prayer is to bring us together in a knowing.
Together in a knowing what He wants.
God is God and He knows everything.
If He does not then He is not God.
He even knows what we pray for before we ask. “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for
you Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) Now it says “need” not wants. He (God the Father) “knoweth” what we “have
need of,” not what we want. So, if
God knows what we want before we ask, why ask?
Why does God want us to ask Him for things?
For example Jesus say, “Again I say unto you, That if two (or witness)
of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall
be done for them of my (avie) Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19). Well, God has a specific and eternal purpose
in mind. In our asking, God is
attempting to teach us how to discern and know His will and ways. We ask and ask, and even get over into
begging for a new BMW, but He does not give it to us. Maybe God does not want us to have a new BMW,
maybe an old one will do. Or if we only
need a car maybe a Ford or GMC is what God has in mind. When we align and adjust our expectations
with what God wants things just flow, they just work out, they just work
together out from our obedience. Then
the next time we ask and ask and do not get what we ask for, God expects us to
remember what happened the last time and to stop the asking and start flowing
in what God is bringing your way. If God
changes His mind to please our desires, we have not succeeded we have
failed. He knows His plan for our life
is in jeopardy of being lost and like a baby needing its way He gives it to
them. God expects us to learn from Him
saying yes and no. Just like our little
children.
Prayer helps us
adjust our heart and expectation to God’s will.
Prayer helps teach us how God operates and moves. God now is teaching us through prayer how to
operate and function with Him in the ages to come. He will not have to train us in the next
age. We will already know how to discern
God’s will and already know how to move, operate, and function with Him. I do not know what God is going to do with
all of those Christians in heaven who do not know how to function and move with
Him. Brethren, let us pray “Abba
Father.” Let us learn how to move with Him now. Let us open our heart, our thoughts, and our
spirit so we can have communion and fellowship with the Father. Written by David Stahl
CURRENT EVENTS:
Karen and the kids are doing
great. I daily thank God for a godly
wife (my sweetheart), four wonderful children, and a godly
daughter-in-law. As a matter of fact the
first people I pray for during my time of quiet prayer is for my family. How I love to lift my family up before the
Lord. How I love to thank God for Karen,
David, Daniel, Sarah, Connie, and Joshua.
It is the highlight of my morning prayer to repeat their names in order.
A godly family is “truly” a great inheritances from God. Knowing the things of God Karen and I planted
in our children, over the years of family devotions and being an godly example,
will grow and produce good fruit makes all of the trying times worth its weight
in gold. You know, I am not so concerned about feeling God. If
it be God’s will for me to never to feel His presence again that would be okay
with me. As long as He has me and I have Him that is all I need. You know it is one thing to say I have God,
but it is a far greater thing to be able to say God has me. As long as I am His
and He is mine it is well with my soul. When God’s presence “truly” comes to us
there is always a knowing. A knowing
often without words or thoughts to know what to do, what He wants in certain
situations, what is on His heart, and it usually comes before or after a
testing. And, righteous living is the
requirement to know the presence of God, but sadly not too many Christians
qualify for God’s presence. There is a
price you will play to know God’s presence as well as there is a separate and
different price you will pay to know His power and yet a great cost to know His
person. God will not make known His
presence, power, and person to just anybody. And God’s objective in giving us
His presence is to bring us into a place of rest to where we are able to abide
in Him. It is not to make us feel
good.
But, I am afraid most Christians do
not know what God’s presence really feels like, because of the intentional
manipulation of their spirit through music and their emotions through great
swelling words of sorrow that moves one to tears. Be careful around people that go after your
emotions. Many Christians drag themselves into church after being pummelled by
the world because of wrong thinking and the day-to-day struggles of just living,
and want to feel God, get their fleshed satisfied, get their spirits up. Well, God does not operate this way, oh
no. God does not want our flesh to feel
good and rise up, oh no. God wants to
kill our flesh. God wants us to
“mortify” (kill or put to death) our flesh.
The Greek word for “die” in Romans 8:13 is “mortify” This is
where we get the word mortician. One will never be able to “mortify” the flesh
if they think like the world and always want their spirit pointed up in the
heavenly places. Deep in God is down,
not up. Dead to our flesh in God happens
in moaning and uttering without words, alone in the secret place, alone on your
face just like Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane being crushed. The word Gethsemane means where oil is
pressed. All alone and being pressed by
God. Our focus needs to be on what God
wants. The burden of our soul must be
God’s burden. We must take on what God
wants, not what we want.
Work continues on book two, “Wandering
in the Wilderness: The European Years,” of
a three book series. God has really
opened up my eyes to many things that have happened over the last seven years
living in Germany and travelling the world.
Brethren, the end of whatever God is doing through you must yield
righteousness. Righteous living is His
goal in our lives.
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
November:
Pastor Nicu, Suceava, Romania (confirmed) AND Pastor Yanko, Silistra,
Bulgaria. (tentative)
December: Open
January: Open
I feel God is speaking to open up ministry to churches, home groups, and to enlarge my newsletter audience within the United States. To meet this end God has purposed for my life, I am available to come and share what God has given me. Also, if God moves on your heart to bless the ministries I visit and share God’s love I would be honored to make it possible for God and you.
NEEDS NOT WANTS:
1. Items for the printing service and in
Silistra, 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.
3.
Bill 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.
5. Pastor Mike Olufemi in the north of
Nigeria. He needs your prayers and
support to be a light in great darkness.
6. Pastor S. J. Peter in Hyderabad and Pastor
Wilson in Madras, both in India.
7. Financial support for the printing of: “God
Still Performs Miracles Today: A Book of
Person Encouragement” and “Wandering in the Wilderness: The Call to Ministry.”
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:
Address:
David and Karen
Stahl
141 Coke Place
Phone:
Home: (910) 346-1739
Mobile: (910) 273-5712
FAX: (910) 346-1739
Email:
If you know someone
who would enjoy receiving this newsletter or if you receive this newsletter and
do not wish to please let me know. Also
if you would like to contribute to this ministry please feel free to contact me with the above
information. And remember, all donations are tax deductible.