Deeper Truths for Hungry Hearts
August 2016 • Volume XIV Number 12
“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. It is hard to believe I have been writing this section in the newsletter for almost 14 years. God has been good to give me the things to share. Let us continue looking at Isaiah by looking at the second of the five elements, a revelation of service in verse Isaiah 6:2-4, but as a side note if you really want to get a good picture of the church in her relationship with God (especially in America) all you have to do is read in church, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:2-9) Brother Isaiah was not PC as God is not PC. It would be good to meditate on these verses. Back to Chapter six. Here we are looking at the qualification process as it relates to the nature of ministry for Isaiah. Most Christians think there is no qualifying or being approved for ministry, well my friend that is dead wrong and that too is why many Christians get in real trouble with man and God. Yes God has a plan and purpose for all of our lives, but for those who God has called into the ministry there is a process in God whereby we must be approved by God. And if we fail this process we will not be a minister of God even if we have a big church, big organization, and have gathered many people. This month we will look at a revelation of service in three areas: humility, reverence, activity, and worship. First humility, God’s requirement to attain the lofty places in God which are low. Remember the way up is down. In Isaiah verse two we read, “Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.” This is a picture of the heavenly posture of a created being before God. Standing in a lowly humble stance and in reverence (which is the second qualification) awaiting instruction from God. How often do we wait to hear from God? I can speak for myself, sometimes I move thinking I know what God wants, but as I look in the rear view mirror I can see God and what I missed. This is a sobering place in God if we have a heart for truth. What a picture of lowliness a quality lacking in most people (I include myself sometimes) today. Make no mistake my friend we will never be a minister of God (even if called by God) unless we have a heart of humility and reverence. Humility is the one quality God is looking for in us. Paul told the Church at Corinth, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 11-12) These two verses are the genesis of our Wilderness Truths for Modern Times series I have been teaching for the last 34 months (that is right once a month for 34 months) in our Home Group Meeting. Here Paul said, “let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Standing in the only place of falling in God. You cannot fall if you are already down. There should be a great fear for falling in God in us, but sadly most ministers in God never get this revelation until they fall. This is what Paul was trying to get through to the Church at Corinth, which Paul said of them, “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.” (1 Corinthians 11:17) In other words Paul was saying they were worse off in God after they gather to worship than before they came to church. Paul wanted the Church at Corinth to learn the lessons of the failures of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Those who thought they stood, but in reality they fell. So too in our lives, for those who think they are standing strong in God take heed to yourself lest you fall. Humility is the safe factor and reverence is heart attitude with our face covered like the “Seraphims.”
Next month we will continue to look at the two other qualifications in the revelation of service: in activity and in worship verse Isaiah 6:2-4. So Please take a good study and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. And listen closely my friend do you hear Him call now?
Written David Stahl
ARTICLE REVIEW:
Did I Not Say to You
Over the past years my back has gradually gotten worse. Back in 2000 my 980 pound top secret safe containing 65+ years of paperwork fell on me (a wonderful story of God’s mercy, protection, and faithfulness maybe I will write about the accident) and now I have Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) all along my spinal cord in disc spaces from: Cervical-3 through Thoracic-12, Lumbar-2 through Lumbar-5, and down in Sacral-1. Unless God does a miracle my DDD will continue to the point someday I might be paralyzed, but if that is what God wants for me I trust I will be able to say glory be to God. But for now I am able and strong to plod on for Christ. I always say this is just another way God wanted to add more money to my military retirement and now He could be adding more. Now many would say, God would never do this, well my friend if you serve God long enough and come to know Him in different ways you will come to the conclusion that God does things far above our thinking and for reasons of His own purpose and good pleasure. But more recently my lower back has really been paining me. So I called my doctor and to make a long story short he scheduled me for a MRI. After the MRI the technician told me (on a Thursday) the results would be emailed to my doctor the next day. The next day we were driving from the middle school where I work at on board the U.S. Marine Corps Base and my doctor called me on my cell phone in great alarm (I could hear the fear in his voice) imploring me to come directly to his office because he wanted to discuss my MRI results. So we did. Now I have had many MRIs most just talked about my DDD and listed the disc levels, but this one was much different. The usual discs were discussed, but of note they increased in degeneration and now some have herniated, but what got my doctor so spun up was the radiologist saw something new at the L-5 S-1 spaces. He was not sure what it was so he recommended I undergo another MRI, as soon as possible, this time with an imaging contrast dye that would light up the significant abnormal findings. So two days later I got another MRI this time with the imaging contrast dye. And the next day I got a call from my doctor with the bad news. The MRI report said, “I believe this most likely represents a neoplastic process rather than extruded disc tissue and this would most likely represent a nerve root sheath tumor or (another really nasty type of tumor) a Schwannoma.” I was stunned! I thought a tumor in my back? I also knew how deadly these two tumors are. Karen looked at me and I threw her a big smile. I thought what is going on? At these times we usually run down the typical questions we ask ourselves in our minds, usually ending with did I sin? Again I was stunned. Now I do not care where you are in God or how much faith you say you have, but when your doctor says you have a 10 mm deadly tumor growing in your back and it is growing at an alarming rate fear will grip your heart and soul. Now if you are thinking, “I would never be afraid” you are either dead (and it does not matter) or just lying to yourself and God. We all love life, we do not want to die. Our life is one of the most precious things God has given us and no one in their right mind wants to lose this most precious gift from God. I will be honest I was shaken and bewildered. I thought of myself is this the man who wrote a book on eight miracles God performed in his life? Is this the man who has laid hands on people and cast out demons? Is this the man who has prayed for God to open up wombs and twins were born (not once but three times), has laid hands on people and seen God open eyes and ears, strengthen and heal limbs and hands, who God used to touch lives and hearts where countless 1,000s have been made whole. The answer to all of these questions was yes, yet all of these weird thoughts started running through my head, but at the same time in my heart and in my spirit I heard, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) There was a battle suddenly raging in me, a battle for my soul and my sanity, but through it all I maintained my composure as I allowed God to strengthen me with might in the inward man where it really matters in times like these. We as humans seem to be so outward focused, most if not all of our efforts in life seem to be projected in providing for the care and feeding of our outward man at the determent of our inward man where God communicates with us. As I get older the more I seem to want to make this earth my home. The more I want to have a big comfortable home, a nice truck, a lot of money in the bank, well that is not God’s idea nor plan for us. But anybody who thinks this way is greedy, selfish, and knows not the God of the Bible. The writer of Hebrews tells us we are to have the confession of being a “strangers” or “pilgrim” on this earth, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” (Hebrews 11:13) We must not dig our heels into the earth as we pad our bank accounts and lay up treasures here on earth, but be kingdom focused and too “declare plainly that they seek a country.” I do not know about you, but when I become concerned about my ease and welfare God’s voice becomes faint in my ears and heart. And the more I go towards myself and my needs God seems so far from me, distant in my thoughts and prayers. So our meeting with my doctor ended by him telling me he will schedule me for an appointment with the best neurosurgeon in Greenville. I thought great we can go see our two boys Dave and Joshua after the appointment.
After we left my doctor’s office we returned home and later that night I went to the Lord in prayer about what we were told about my MRI results. Now I will be honest I was shaken, but I was not moved. There is a huge difference. A tree sways and at times bends in all direction (shaken), but still stays firmly planted in the ground (not moved) and is not moved. And why? Because it is anchored into something that is able to hold it and not anchored by something that the tree is able to hold on to. Do you see the difference? So too in God, we must be so anchored in Him so that He is able to hold us and not so much that we are able to hold on to Him. There is a huge difference. As I waited before the Lord in my spirit I asked God, “do I have one of these tumors as the doctor said” and He so clearly, like a bell ringing in the stillness of the night, said, “no my son, all is well.” My heart leaped within me and my mind should have been at rest and that should have been enough to remove all fear and put me at complete rest, but it was not so. Now I heard God clearly speak to me (in my spirit), yet seemingly that was not enough for me. In the Psalms David tells us God knows our frame and I think we most often think God is talking about our physical body, but remember our mind and spirit is also included in our frame. And, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Psalms 103:13-14) God pitied me and knew what I needed to be strengthened beyond the words of my doctor or beyond the possible cancer that was growing in my back. As I opened up my Bible the Lord directed me to the Book of John and then to one of my favorite verses in the Bible and what I believe is the format we must flow and operate in for God to be able to bring His good things into our lives. The Bible, God’s word in written form is always something we can count on to hold us in confusing and bewildering times. In John we read, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Here in this single verse we find the rule of threes how faith operates in our lives. Of course we know the settings and the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, but there is much much more moving and operating here for us to understand and learn. Troubles like these are nothing but lessons for us to learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Here we find Jesus speaking and establishing the first rule, “Said I not unto thee.” In God whatever we are believing for God must speak it and we must hear it. My friends, faith is not hoping or claiming the promises (as many Pentecostal denominations teach), but hearing. Remember, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Faith cometh by hearing! I really like the Greek version of this verse and believe it is much more accurate and correct in application of what the Holy Spirit is looking for in us, “So then faith cometh by hearing a word of God.” (Romans 10:17 (Greek)) Hearing what? Your favorite Christian song or someone read the Bible on tape, no we must clearly hear God speak a word to us and in the word God speaks is contained all the faith we will ever need to believe, which is the second rule. Hearing is a must, but hearing is not enough. Many people go to church and some truly hear the word of God, but go home unchanged. After we hear from God we must believe what we heard God say. Did you know the word “faith’ can be interchanged every time in the Bible with the word “believe”? They are the same word in application and function. Please notice the biggest word in the Bible is “if.” “If” thou believe, believing is not up to God, but up to us. “If” always pongs the ball into our court and puts the choice and action of receiving, not on God to deliver as most teach, but squarely on us. It is always God’s intention to give us His good gifts, but it is always our responsibility and duty to believe, what God has told us when He speaks to us, so we can move in the third rule, “thou shouldest see the glory of God.” What is the glory of God? Well, what did God speak to you and what are you believing for? In the story in John 11 many Christians think the glory of God was to see Lazarus come forth from the tomb, but I would believe it was for Mary, Martha, and all who stood around the tomb to believe Jesus could do what He said He could do. So too in our lives miracles and such are great to see (usually for non-believers), but God is more concerned about the inward quality of our heart and our character. God is more concerned about our heart condition than the service we can provide Him, the money we can give Him, or the work we can do for Him. If God cannot get us to value our heart condition over our service to Him He really cannot use us, we will disqualify ourselves and be found as unfaithful servants. I know this critical point is not taught in most churches today, but maybe that is why there are so many unfaithful and untrusting stewards in the local Body of Christ. Oh how I see this point time and time again in my life and how I can be so woefully lacking, Lord have mercy on me. Anyway when we really see God’s glory all of the other things in our lives just seem to melt away.
When I asked God about cancer possibly growing in my spine He lovingly spoke, “no my son, all is well” now I had to believe to see the glory of God. It is funny (well maybe strange) when we need to see the glory of God we seem to see everything else, but God’s glory. This is when we must learn to fine tune and focus our spirit to God’s voice and be able to shut out the distractions of the world and other voices that would take the word of God from our heart and prevent us from dwelling on and in Him. Oh by the way, the neurosurgeon in Greenville told us the neoplastic tissue the radiologist saw on the MRI was an old hernia that healed over another hernia and probably is just extruded disc tissue, but it absolutely was not a tumor. I smiled and in my heart as I said under my breath, “Said I not unto thee that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” What my friend are you believing for? Did you hear Him speak? If not, draw near to His heart, there and only there we can hear His words to us.
Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Close Your Mind
I used to think being open minded was a good thing, but I realize now how wrong I was and how bad it is to be “open-minded.” Sometimes things are black and white or sometimes they are varying shades of gray for a reason. Sometimes things are good and sometimes things are not so good. But do we have the mind of Christ in all matters or are we stuck in our own thoughts and personal beliefs? Does our thinking go along with what’s in the Bible or do we think our denomination “knows better” than GOD and we go along with denominational doctrine–EVEN if it’s contrary to the word of GOD? Excuse me but how crazy is that? Folks our churches and denominations are supposed to line up with GOD’s word not the other way around!!!! We are supposed to line up with His thinking. We have gone astray from what the Bible says and we’ve watered down the scriptures and GOD’s commandments. If you are going to a church that supports an adulterous pastor—–get out, if your church supports homosexuality in the pulpit or in authority positions—-get out! Have you no common sense???? If a person (especially a church leader) has these sins in their life and does not REPENT (do an about face from sin) and make JESUS Lord of their life (and sit on the throne of their heart) they are doomed to hell and taking all that agree with them, just leave!! Now I have no doubt that there are people who have indeed been set free from the clutches of sin, be it adultery, homosexuality, murder, lying dang you name it, but they HAVE CHANGED and NO longer do those things. GOD expects us to CHANGE. It’s in the Bible. Brethren our society is corrupt and is hell-bent towards destruction and quite frankly so are some churches! We must NOT even be tempted to even think and act as the world does. If we’re not right in the heart we’re not right in the head—our thinking will be totally off. GOD said in Isaiah, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ” (Isaiah 55: 8-9) Folks it’s past time to get on board with GOD. Either you believe what’s in the Bible and what GOD speaks to your heart or you are just are going to keep on trucking in the denominational quagmire (still in sin as the day is long) and risk your very salvation on what man says is right and wrong. Geez do you want to go to hell while ignoring what God says is right or wrong? What are you going to say when you stand before a holy and righteous GOD to give account of yourself and He asks why you stayed in your church or denomination when it clearly didn’t line up with the Bible? What can you possibly say . . . you were loyal to the pastor—-that’s dumb! Our loyalty is to Jesus not man, again wrong thinking. I was scared to let go of my religion because that is all I know—really??? GOD is interested in a relationship with YOU, through His precious Son JESUS CHRIST and you put a denomination/religion that doesn’t line up with the Word of GOD in between that???? That’s lunacy, that’s wrong thinking. Dust off your Bible and start reading it and if you don’t agree with some verses in the Bible guess who has the problem you do and it is your heart condition, not GOD’s. You need to repent! Start spending quiet time with GOD, and ask HIM to get you into right thinking. If you’re not right in your heart—you won’t be right in your head.
Written by Karen Stahl
NEEDS NO WANTS:
1. In Silistra, Bulgaria Pastor(s) Niki Marsov and Emil Nedelchev. Included now are missionaries from Romania Nicu and Elena. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
2. Constanta, Romania Pastors Luke and Jacob at Bethel Church and George Ritisan at the Romanian Center for Cross-cultural Studies Bible School and the Faru (Lighthouse) Church.
3. In Suceava, Romania Pastors Nicu and Marcel at St. Andrews Church. They are still standing by God’s grace.
4. Pastor Joseph Mutua in Nairobi, Kenya needs your prayer and financial support.
5. Pastor Mike Olufemi in Aveile, Nigeria. He needs our prayers and support to be a light in great darkness.
6. Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian in Sankaraguptham, India.
7. Pastor Metin Mintaz, Dan, Cathy, and members of Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
8. Pastor Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastors Isreal Mutaitina and John Balone in Bukoba, Tanzania.
9. Monthly financial support for Vivian’s Maternity and Child Care Clinic project in Aviele, Nigeria.
10. Pastor Tek Dahl at Gethsemane, Church (his church) and their radio station “Good News 105.1 FM” in Kathmandu, Nepal.
11. Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), and, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli, Rwanda.
12. Money for an industrial strength potato peeler at the Mission School in Romania.
Next Home Group Meeting:
Our next Home Group Meeting will be TUESDAY 23 August 2016
232 Everett Drive
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
7:00 pm please RSVP
Home: (910) 741-0489
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
August: Local Ministry
September: Local Ministry
October: 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:
Home: (910) 741-0489
Mobile: (910) 382-9287
FAX: (910) 741-0489
Email:
Ministry E-mail: dstahl@beholdinghisglory.com
Personal E-mail: mtnebo@hotmail.com
Online:
Beholding His Glory Website
Beholding His Glory Blog
The AuthorHouse 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 needed the more time continues. Please feel free to contact us 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.
