Greetings
again my Brethren. When the Lord comes to minister to us He can
only minister to the glory that has been worked in us. When God makes His
approach to us He has purposed to either minister to the glory that we have
allowed Him to work or reveal in us, thus giving us more of His life and strengthening
the revelation in us. Or He will, by His
Spirit, search our heart and spirit to also reveal those things to us not of
Him. Paul tells us “But God hath
revealed them unto us by his
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the
deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10) God’s
revelation is first personal and focuses foremost on our character and nature. And as we walk in obedience to change and align our lives
with God’s will and purpose we will then gain a more corporate understanding
for what God wants in the local Church.
How can we be changed from “glory
to glory” if we do not see the need to change? God must be able to work in our lives,
through His dealings and judgments, and bring us to this place of understanding. God must be able to bring us into His
building program. Now God does not
build like most. God begins to build by tearing down. God will not build on
another’s foundation. He will pull down everything we are built on that will
not support Christ as the cornerstone.
God will go after everything in our lives we allow. Again Paul tells us, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after
the flesh: (For the weapons
of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ; And having in a
readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2
Corinthians 10:3-6) This work of God pulling down areas in our
lives is NOT done by “carnal” or
earthly means and ways, but by God’s mighty Spirit. No my friend God will not be able to cast “down imaginations and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” as we sing our favorite
Christian worship song or work around our local church. God’s intention is to
pull down areas in our lives (our strong holds), by His Spirit, through the revelation
He is able to get through to us. The more revelation we possess of God the more
understanding we will have. The more revelation
we can hold the more glory we can hold and be changed from the glory we can
behold of Him. Our changing into the
image of Christ will be according to the amount of revelation we can hold.
God will not support or build up our
disobedience. God does
not minister to our flesh. God has one
intention for our flesh and this is to put it to death. This is why God does not minister to our
soul. Our soul is our flesh; our emotions, feelings, our intelligence, everything
that is of the earth. All of these must
be brought “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” The word “thought”
here in this verse is translated from the Greek as “plans.” Every plan of ours must be brought “into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ;” even the “plans” God has spoken to us. When the Bible
says “every” it means “every,” not some or a few, but “every thought” must be brought “to the obedience of Christ.”
Now we find it easy to bring those thoughts not
of God, but how about the thoughts we think are of God and what we want to see
happen?
Without
revelation no one can minister the word of God from the Bible. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its special characteristics rests in the fact
that it speaks with human words, yet is truly God’s word. Though written by human hands, it is
nevertheless recognized as having been written by God’s hand too. God breathed on it and made it a living
book. It became a living word spoken by
the living God. This is the meaning of
inspiration in the Bible. Only though revelation will the Bible become living. What is the word of God? It is what God is speaking today, not what He
has once spoken. Once He spoke; and so we
have the past words of God. Now, though,
we need Him to breathe anew on His former word. God’s word is more than what He
once uttered; it is in addition the word which He speaks today. Revelation in
the Bible is God again breathing on His word.
Inspiration is given only once, but revelation is given repeatedly. Today God again breathes on His word, the
Holy Spirit imparts light to us; the anointing of the Holy Spirit is upon His
word so that once again we see what Paul and others understood in their
day.
Let us allow God to work in our lives
so that He will be able to bring to us His revelation. Revelation comes to us
during low and difficult places. I hear many Christians pray for revelation,
well Paul was praying to be relieved of the revelation he received from God. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the
messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8For
this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might
depart from me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-8) What a revelation to Paul. What
is urgently needed today is not to get people to admire our ability to receive
revelation and minister from God’s word, but to have them stricken by God’s
light. More next month as we are changed from glory to the glory.
ARTICLE REVIEW:
Sign of Spiritual Growth in Our Lives
As I travel the world many Christians ask me how they will
know when they have grown spiritually. Now many Christians think there is a
certain number of prayers they must pray, hours to fast, or even a certain
amount of money they must give to the church before they go up to the next
level in God. Many other Christians measure their maturity in God by the number
of Christian workshops, conferences, and seminars they attended. It seems the
I would like to share what I believe are three areas in our
lives that can reflect spiritual growth in our lives. The first is how we handle our earthly resources, those riches which
are not spiritual or righteous. What do we invest our money and time in? Jesus asked, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11) If
we are not faithful in that which does not apply directly to God’s
righteousness then He can not and will not commit righteous things to us. If we cannot be trusted to handle what we
call unspiritual things (like money, cars, houses, our time, abilities, and
talents) how can God trust us with spiritual things? How we handle unrighteous and unspiritual
riches will determine if God can trust us with spiritual and righteous things, “who will commit to your trust the true
riches?” Here Jesus is drawing a parallel between earthly and heavenly
riches. Here Jesus uses the word “true” which always takes something out
of the earthly realm and projects it into the spiritual. For example when Jesus said, “ . . . but my Father giveth you the true
bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) Then in verse 35 Jesus says, “I am the bread of
life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me
shall never thirst.” I am convinced God is more concerned about the
unrighteous and unspiritual things we do then the spiritual and righteous. How
we handle unrighteous and unspiritual riches determine if God can trust us with
righteous and spiritual things, the weightier things of God; His wisdom, mercy,
and judgment. If not God, then “who will commit to your trust” these
riches?
The
next area is easy to see because it has to do with our hearing. Our hearing (our understanding) often leads
us to a knowing of God far surpassed in our speaking. This is why it is better
to be quiet and still when seeking after God and knowing His ways. We know the
spiritual truth, out of our mouth speaks our heart, but it is the hearing of
our heart, through our many words, that reveals our “true” spiritual development or not. You know I can always tell
where someone is in God by how they pray. And in the hearing there is a knowing
of spiritual maturity. Often we tell God
what we want Him to do for us and we call it prayer. Well, that is not what God calls prayer. Prayer, “true”
prayer is always spontaneous and comes forth from the depths of our spirit, not
our emotions, wants, and desires. God
has a sovereign will in all things. And
if He has to change it for our benefit do not think we have won, oh no my
friend we have failed. God changes His sovereign will for our lives only when
His plan is in jeopardy of being lost and we must delivered. When I came back
from
And
the third and most important sign of our spiritual growth and development is
how we handle truth. What do we do when
we come face-to-face with something that is “true?”
Do we manipulate truth to support our beliefs and doctrines? Do we project
truth into the spiritual realm for our edification and our glory? Most
Christians want the truth that flows with spiritual gifts to be approved of
men. If this is our motive then we have failed in the functioning and movement
with God. Do we use truth in the natural
to develop us more and more into the character and image of Jesus Christ? Being able to handle and represent truth correctly,
when God brings it before us, is one of the greatest signs of spiritual
growth. My friend this is a big area to
God. If God cannot trust us to be
truthful, full of integrity, and honesty how can He use us in spiritual
matters? Handling truth, in the simplistic delivery of the Gospel, is the
hallmark of usefulness to God. One that
handles truth correctly is obedient and disciplined in their spiritual and
physical lives. One who handles truth correctly is trustworthy and God can now
trust them with His goods. Jesus talks of this type of Christian, “For the
kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called
his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) Please notice the servant did not get their
own goods it was the goods of their master.
The Master, the Lord, the King comes and He calls His servant and says
here are My goods, I entrust them to you, to your
keeping, to your working. You take these and carry them. These goods will be yours responsibly. My friend if God cannot trust us with
His goods then there will never ever be any signs of spiritual growth and
development in our lives. Oh we may
dance around, shout and sing, acting like God is using us, but in “true” truth we are not trustworthy we
are disqualified for service. Brethren let us not look for signs of spiritual
growth in our lives, but allow God to so work in our lives, through His
dealings and judgments, to such a degree that our very lives will be the
evidence on which to measure spiritual growth and development. Written by
David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Ambitious
Women
The Pentecostal Churches
have done more to sanction the rebellion of women, under the guise of religion,
than any other denomination or woman’s movement of the 60s. It is no wonder many Christian homes today
are in such shambles. Freedom and
knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives has spun out of control
with women who like the feeling of being “spiritual.” Unfortunately that is all it is, a
feeling. It is absolutely dismaying to
see so many women in the pulpit, spouting off.
Sadly, many women run to conference after conference or travel the world
thinking that they are doing the Lord’s work, while leaving their number one
responsibility before God, their husband at home. And why do we have a Ladies Conference? Where in the Bible did Jesus separate the
sexes or even little children for ministry? Sadly this separation of the sexes
and children are man-made gimmicks to get more people to come to church,
although well meaning, in God it is just plain wrong. Unfortunately for the
proud and ambitious women and some male charlatans on TV it is about doing and
working for God, not about becoming something in God. Please do not tell me that praying in
tongues, preaching, raising our hands in worship (now that is an oxymoron for
true worship brings us down to our knees) without their husbands around and
involved is God’s will for their lives.
God forbid these same women should stay at home and serve their
husbands. My husband was teaching at a
service one time and said people who act spiritual, who sing the loudest, wave
their hands the most, usually manifest less of God’s character and nature. A
woman setting next to me said, “that is not
true.” Sadly the woman was over in rebellion
and sadly mistaken. My husband was
correct. We have both seen too many fake Christians and most of them have been
women. And why?
Because they are deceived and operating under the mistaken notion that they are
in the Lord’s will. Paul taught women in church should, “But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works. 11Let the woman learn
in silence with all subjection. 12But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13For
Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but
the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1 Timothy 2:10-14)
Pretty cut and dry. In Titus,
Paul again teaches, “That they may teach
the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at
home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed.” (Titus 2:4-5) Please notice what the older women are to
teach the younger, “to be sober, to love
their husbands, to love their children, 5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their
own husbands.” This verse says nothing about having a women’s conference or
seminar. How can we be examples, when we
take off without our husbands to minister to other people.
This, my lady friends, ought not to be. “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world;” (Titus 2:12). Elevating
ourselves to positions that God does not want for our lives is “worldly lust.” Ambition is “worldly lust.” And operating without our
husbands or worse above our husbands is just plainly ungodly and sin. Unfortunately Pentecostal (and other)
Churches all over the world has sanctioned and even encouraged opposition and
direct rebellion to what God’s word says.
If only they were as quick to read His word and allow God to deal in
their hearts as they are quick to operate in half-truths and in great
presumption. Ladies this is not the time
or place to elevate ourselves. Our time
here on earth is to learn more about our heavenly Father and to walk in
obedience to His word. Very few of us
are mature enough in God to lead any one any where. Let us lay aside our
worldly ambition and learn to walk in obedience to our husbands. God has
created woman to be the “help meet”
for man. “And the LORD God said, It is not
good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
(Genesis 2:18) and God has not changed His mind. Our desires are to be toward our husband 24
hours a day and nothing else, even ministry. “Unto the woman he (God)
said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” (Genesis
3:16) Too many Christian women have not allowed their husbands to rule over
(by thinking they are more spiritual) them all the while presuming they are
under God’s plan for their lives. Let us
allow God to deal in our hearts so that He can show us just how critical our
role in the family and the Church is.
And most important let us allow God to mold us into the image of His
precious son Jesus Christ. And remember
the best is yet to come. Written by
Karen Stahl
POETRY
CORNER:
The Chapel of Life
By Edward Lawler
A little white
chapel it looks sometimes empty and bare,
But let me show you
step inside for your Lord Jesus Christ awaits you there,
Many speakers have
come and gone and they are blessed from above, For they profess wise and wonderful feelings all my people
they profess all my love,
Gather unto each
other all believers and leave no stone unturned,
For this is what
you have sought in life ad for what you have yearned,
Many times you will
be tested and sometimes you will fall,
But pick yourself
up wipe your self off and on my name you must call,
I shall give you
all the answers which in life you will yearn,
And of the
wonderful life I will offer if of my commandants you do learn,
I shall gather you
to my bosom and keep you safe and sound,
Whenever you need
an answer call and I will always be around,
Always in your
world there will come trouble and also strife,
But be of stout
heart my children welcome to the chapel of life.
Back in October I got an email from a
Christian couple that encouraged me to go to a Christian movie, so that it
would get good rating. I replied back to
them, what about truth? They never returned
my email. Dear Friends there does not
seem to be a big concern in the Church today for the truth. John tells us, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John
1:14)
Amazing, Jesus God with us in the flesh was, “full of grace and truth.” Imagine our Master (Jesus Christ) was “full” of truth. This thought can even be further expressed
as, He was nothing but the truth, His words were always truthful, every thing
He did was righteous and true. Over the year 2006 the Church lost many things,
some things were found and were restored, but I am afraid the truths of the
word of God has slipped like quick-silver through our fingers the more. Once truth
in a given situation or circumstance is lost it probably will not be able to be
found. You see truth is hard to wrap our
fingers around, but you know it when you hear it. Truth hits us in the stomach,
the same place fear lives. There is something special about truth, when we know
something is true we cannot deny it. It makes us naked (open and guilty) before
God. But at the same time is makes us
free. Jesus taught us this truth, “Then said Jesus
to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Now the key to knowing the truth which makes
us free is not found in doing and saying what we want to do and say, but in, “If ye continue in
my word,” It is important to know Jesus was not talking about the Bible for it
was not written yet, but was talking about the words He has spoken to the
Disciples and us today by His Spirit. Sadly my Friends in the Church today we
do not like to continue in His word. We have twisted and perverted His word so
that we can do and say what we want to do and say. So we can establish hellish
denominations and doctrines that strangle many Believers today. Dear Friends let
not the truth of this verse be true in 2007, “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every
man whatsoever is right in his
own eyes.” (Deuteronomy 12:8) Let us continue in
His word so we can break free of traditions and religions of men and come to
know He who is “full of grace and truth.”
NEEDS NOT WANTS:
1. In
2. In
3. In
4. Pastor
Joseph Mutua in
5. Pastor
Mike Olufemi in the north of
6. Pastor
S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor
Julian both near
7. Financial
support for the printing of: “Adventures with God.”
8. Pastor Metin Mintaz and the members of
Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in
9. Pastor
Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastor Isreal Mutaitina in
10. Major Rob McIntosh, Chaplin,
11. Vivian’s Maternity and Child Care Clinic
project in
12. Pastor
Tek Dahl, his Church, and the radio station project in
13. Pastor Sharief Ramsis,
14. The Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), Mashuli Etienne, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli, Rwanda, and the plans for the Bible
School.
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
November:
December:
January: 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 bless the ministries I visit and share God’s love I
would be honored to make it possible for God and you. 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
Jacksonville , NC 28546
Phone:
Home: (910) 346-1739
FAX: (910) 346-1739
Email:
dstahl@ec.rr.com
Website:
I am
pleased to announce “God Still Performs Miracles: A Book of Personal Encouragement” is now
available and
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 needed
the more time continues. Please feel free to contact me with the above information.
The cost is great, but the cost for not supporting to others is even greater.
And remember, all donations are tax deductible.
