Waiting on God the LORD’S Visits December 2022 • Volume XXI Number 04 ”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:
ARTICLE REVIEW:
THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
Greetings again my Brethren. Well, this month brings us to the end of 2022. Wow, where did the year go? I trust you all had a good year full of God’s graces and mercies, full of learning and growing in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus. You know if 2022 was not a good year for you then there must be change coming in your life. You cannot do what you did in 2022 and expect to get a different results. If you want (or need) different results in 2023 then the things that prevented you from pushing forward in God (or the definition of Biblical prosperity) in 2022 must be swept into the dust bin of time. You cannot keep doing the same things and expect to get difference results this is one of the definitions of insanity. And you and God know what must be left behind. Take some time before the LORD and before the clock strikes 2023 and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and show you what areas you need to improve in for 2023 to be a better year. I promise if you end the year looking towards God for improvement and spiritual growth then your 2023 will be filled with opportunities for God to work in your life and out from this work you will push forward in God and 2023 will end better than 2022.
Okay let us get back to the “Oracles of God.” Last month we started this new teaching looking at the four parts of the nature of an “oracle.” I am not going to review this so get the Nov 22 newsletter. So this month we will begin to look at the diversity of divine communication. And of course we know communication is both written and oral, thus we get the word “oracle” from one who speaks. In this case if the one (Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, etc.) who speaks is speaking for God then it is a divine communication. We see this stated in Hebrews 1. I believe Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews and writes, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2) Here we read where the LORD spoke to the people through the prophets, men of God like Isaiah, Nathan, Jeremiah, Daniel Amos, Mica, and all of the rest in the Old Testament. You know being a Prophet was not a glamorous life filled with wealth and ease, but it did have power and influence as they spoke “thus says the LORD.” Now also in the Old Testament there were other Prophets who said they spoke in the name of the LORD and when their words did not come true they were called false Prophets (like today), but still Prophets none the less. Their reward was usually being stoned to death. I guess if we today stoned the so called Prophets who spoke falsely for the LORD I am sure there would not be many Prophets around. As I said being a Prophet was not a good job most of the Prophets ended their life in prison. If the king did not like what the LORD as telling the people the king would have the Prophet thrown in prison till he changed his tune. Joseph spent some time in prison. The first judge over Israel and Prophet, Samson spent this last years in prison only to be let out to destroy the Philistines. Hanani the seer was put into prison (2 Chronicles 16:10) by King Asa. The list goes on and on. Strange we do not see false Prophets The ones of Christian TV and on the Christian social media sites going to prison today. As you may be able to tell I am not a big believer in Prophets for today. If the Holy Spirit came in the Book of Acts (and He did) and if the Holy Spirit dwells within Believers (and He does) then why do we need someone to say thus says the LORD? Kind of does not pass the common sense test. Anyway back in Hebrews 1:1 the Holy Spirit tells us it was, “in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.” Paul is saying yes, “in time past” the LORD spoke to the people in many ways by the Prophets. But. that is not the way the LORD speaks to His people today, or in Paul’s time. In Paul’s days according to Paul, the LORD is speaking to His people “in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” The Lord now speaks to His people not by the Prophets, but by the “Son” the Person of Jesus Christ. If this was true in Paul’s days then I feel sure the LORD did not go back to speaking to His people for our days through a Prophet. Be not deceived my friend. All of these folks you watch on Christian TV and Christian social media sites are no better than the false Prophets of the Old Testament and should receive the same reward, stoning.
Next month we will continue looking at the “Oracles of God” as we continue to look at the Diversity of Divine Communication by looking at the first three forms of communication . Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stahl
Greater Darkness
The longer I go in God the more I realize the power of darkness. Most Christians have been taught to be afraid of darkness; it is evil, of the devil, but if this is your thinking then you have missed out on all of the treasures God has for you in the darkness. “Secret places” that only God knows where He has hidden riches far beyond jewels and power. I have shared on this verse before “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3) usually from the positive vein of truth, but do you know there is another vein a negative vein of truth that darkness can occupy. Sadly most of the nominal church today is walking in this darkness because of their love for money, desire for acceptance, not wanting to offend, power, and authority. Now there are two different types of darkness with two different and distinct degrees. The first darkness is that which arises from sin. It is a darkness that is filled with unhappiness and leads the Christian to eternal death. The second type of darkness is darkness which the Lord allows within our inward part in order to establish and settle virtue. This is a happy darkness because it illuminates (revelation) our inward spirit, strengthens it and gives it greater light. This darkness is a place most Christians try to get to spiritually, but do not know it is found in darkness so they reject their unknown and unfamiliar environment. We must never rush out of the spiritual darkness (the unknown and unfamiliar) in which we can suddenly find our self in. It would be well for us to stop all of our frantic running, struggling, and searching and just wait before the LORD. There are some people who do not know God provides a light to walk through darkness they go stumbling on and stumbling on and falling into all kinds of unpleasant messes, getting cuts and bruised, and crying the blues. These times are out there just waiting for us, as matter of fact God has planned them for us not to make our way difficult, but to make our journey meaningful and instructive. They do not believe there could be a light in such intense darkness. They believe many things which are not true. How readily some believe the suggestions of others while being slow to believe the Word of God. Job wrote, “By His light, I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3) God gives us a light. We must see these times of darkness as a time we persevere in our inward pursuit. It is a manifest sign that God, in His infinite mercy, is seeking to bring us into the inward path. How good will be the results if we embrace these times with peace and with resignation. Such times are for our spiritual growth and development. As we persevere God will give us a light which grows and increases in the midst of darkness. Often it is in times of darkness wisdom and strong love are begotten. It is in times of darkness not in times of great outward spiritual joy that our self-nature and self-seeking is dealt a mortal blow. Images, ideas, wanderings, and other hindrances which give us a distorted view of God and His ways are consumed. Last of all the Lord uses darkness to purge us of our outward senses. This purging is necessary for our internal progress. Do not particularly try to seek a way out of darkness and most of all do not stop coming before the Lord as in our most faithful times and in those times when spiritual riches and blessing were at their highest. We must not try to look for some emotion or even a tender devotion towards God. We must only express our desire to do His will and to be His pleasure. Otherwise we will simply go in circles throughout our lives and take not even one step towards our inward goal. An emotional experience with the Lord must not be our goal for it is not His goal. In the other vein of darkness I spoke of is what I would like to talk about now. Jesus spoke with authority when He said men are by nature dark and in darkness the light will not always shine. Jesus taught the light will not always shine and that it is possible to reject the light and shut it out. Now there are two degrees of darkness according to our LORD. First is the darkness that is absolute where there has never been any light. That is the darkness of the heathen, but God has made a way to deal with this darkness through the death, burial, and resurrection (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ. But the second is another degree of darkness and more intense — the darkness that follows rejected light. The darkness that Jesus spoke of was not the darkness of man in the night who was waiting for the sunrise, but was the darkness of the man who has fled from the light of righteousness and truth. Once knowing the light now turns and walks in darkness. Where does Christianity destroy itself in any given generation? It destroys itself by not living in the light by professing a truth it does not obey. It destroys itself by ignoring the connection between coming to know God and the volitional (act or power of using one’s own will in deciding or making a choice) life for the Christian believer. What the combined forces of hell could not do the church can do. Love of money power, influence, love of this world, unconfessed iniquity, these and more are destroying the Church of today. Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single (focused and clear) , thy whole body shall be full of light.23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness (unstable and double minded). If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:22-24) In other words Jesus was saying if we are walking in darkness we are unstable and double minded. James tells us, “For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7-8) A man that is going in two directions of thought or deed is deceived and will receive nothing from God. And is unstable in ALL of their ways. The man has rejected the light of the truth and now walks in darkness. And, “how great is that darkness!” Now that is a question. Well, this darkness can be measured. The longer one walks in darkness the darker the darkness becomes. I hear people say, “who would have believed, say Jim Jones, told the people (and drank it himself) to drink the poison laced kool- aid, they did, and ALL who drank died? Jim Jones did not start off that way (nobody does), but the longer he walked in the darkness of deception to the truth the darker he got and the things he did until it ended in loss and death. We can even measure the darkness in years. In 1962 the light of the word of God was snuffed out in public school and today we have mass murders, rapes, and so much more heartache. For 54 years our kids have walked in darkness in the public school system in America. In the early 1970s the homosexuals in America started coming out (and the church went in) of the closet. For 46 years America has walked in ungodly acts of sodomy, lesbianism, and utter depravity. In 1973 the Supreme Court of America said it was legal to slaughter innocent life in the womb of mothers. For 43 years America has murdered over 52,000,000 babies and we think God will turn His head to this? Oh no our sin and the darkness we walk in can be measured and God is keeping record. As evil as these darkness’s are there is even a greater darkness and that is the willful turning away from the truth of the word of God a darkness God’s remedy for man cannot make whole unless they turn from their wicked, deceived ways. Sadly today in the church many Christians have rejected the light for other things (power, money influence, etc.) they think are far more important at this time, but have failed to realize the central truth that the failure of the church to walk in the light of the Gospel message is far greater than sin and it has affected billions of people on this earth. Folks (I have a hard time calling them Christians) that walk this way are unstable and double minded, “let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” Where is the balm of healing for the soul? Oh how the church needs to get back to the old-time message of Jesus being the light of world, but sadly in this technological driven age this message does not fill offering plates, pews (hard to find today) and seats (more modern). I wonder why we started counting how many people come to church? Does it really matter how many people come if they leave unchanged and in dire need of salvation? Does not God own the cattle on a 1,000 hills and even the hills? Does God not take care of His children? If so then why are we so concerned about such things? If God is behind something do not worry about the number of people, the money they bring, or what to do. If you build God a temple He will fill it. Now please notice I did not say a church. If you build a chapel, church, or even a denomination God is not obligated to fill it. Are we (as Christians) not the church, but the temple created in Christ Jesus? Friend if we become the temple of the Holy Spirit God will get involved beyond our abilities, finances. and whatsoever we put our hands to He will bless. When I think of darkness it shakes me to the core of my soul. Oh how I do not want to walk in deception and presumption (presuming to know right, but in reality not knowing the truth and doing wrong), but then I remember all I have to do is “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of my faith” there is no evil darkness there just the treasures, “hidden riches of secret places.” Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Get Loud
I know, what a weird title for an article. We recently went to a college football game complete with the tailgating experience. This was my first tailgate which was very nice, our son’s girlfriend and her wonderful parents secured parking for the event, put up a tent for shade, grilled some brots and hamburgers (we brought the meats), provided: all of the fixings, buns, the snaky snacks, and all of usual foods at a tailgate. Our oldest son and his family helped with the chips and other snaky snacks. It was a great time for us and two special friends that accompanied us Ted and Pastor Tek from Kathmandu, Nepal. This too was his first time to tailgate and his first time at a collegiate (any football game for that matter) football game. It had been some time since we’d been to a game. When our youngest son Joshua went to college he was on the football team and we tried to go more often. It’s a different experience going when you know someone on the team VS not knowing anybody. Anyway, once seated with the marching band, the huge crowd, and all of the lighted neon signs all around the stadium visible to the spectators our emotions were involved and with the anticipation of the game, well you can take it from there. But, when a play was going on the sign would say “GET LOUD” and the crowd would or they would play loud music and tell the people to dance then pan the camera around the stadium and catch the crowd dancing. I can’t believe people would be so “obedient” to a lit up sign. Yes, I know people were excited to be at the game and at times their team was winning, but it was sad never the less. The gambit of emotions over a game was stunning. Quite frankly I found it idolatrous. The same people cheering and carrying on for a football game wouldn’t cheer so much if Jesus himself walked out on the field. Do you think people would “get loud” for Jesus? John Lennon of the Beatles said as much in a March 1966 interview in a London newspaper, “we are more popular than Jesus.” Now he caught a lot of flak for the whole statement back then, but bless his heart he was right! We have so many things in our lives that are more important than Jesus and it’s sad, because all this is going to go away someday and the only thing left will be us and whatever relationship we have with the Lord. In 1 John the Bible tells us,
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (John 2:15-17).
The next day Pastor Tek spoke at a Church in Goldsboro and his message was Time Tithing. In other words (Readers Digest short version) out of the 24 hours in a day how much time do we spend with GOD? According to Pastor Tek we owe GOD 10% of 24 hours. Time spent not only praying, but reading the Bible and just waiting quiet before HIM. I’m afraid most of us don’t do that. And why? So many things take up our day, and if we’re doing what we want for most of the day, I think we need to rethink things. We all have 24 hours in a day, some work, some have little kids to take care of, some are retired, but we ALL have the same amount of time . I’d like to encourage you all to rethink your day and fit in time to be with the Lord. Paul tells us in Colossians,
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” (Colossians 3:5-6) In the next chapter verse five Paul encourages us to, “redeem the times.”
Folks time is getting short we don’t get another chance in this life or the next, let us take time for our advantage, NOW for Jesus. By the way the home team lost and emotions weren’t riding too high then. It was awfully quiet walking out of the stadium perhaps the lit up sign should have said “buck up there’s always next game.” GOD bless, read your Bible. Written by Karen StahlNEEDS NO WANTS:
- In Dobrich, Bulgaria Pastor Niki Marsov and in SilistraPastor(s) Yanko, and Marcho. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
- Constanta, Romania Pastors Luke and Jacob at Bethel Church and in Agigea Pastor Jacob as the interim Director for the Romanian Center for Cross-cultural Studies Bible School.
- Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian at Gospel Assembly in Sankaraguptham, India.
- Dan, Cathy, and members of Uskudar Son Buyruk Kilisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Pastor Elieti Msangi in Dar Es Salaam and Pastors Isreal Mutaitina and John Balone in Bukoba, Tanzania.
- Pastor Tek Dahl at Gethsemane, Church (his church) and their radio station “Good News 105.1 FM” in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Bishop John, Samuel Kamanzi (from the Congo), and, Emmanuel Ndolimana in Ruhengeli,Rwanda.
- Christian and Ina Kopjar Missionaries to the County of Liberia.
- Brother John Vlad, (serving as the Operations Officer), his wife Cristina, and three daughters aboard the international ministry ship Logos Hope.
NEXT HOME GROUP MEETING: 27 December 22 at 7:00 pm At 232 Everett Drive Sneads Ferry, NC 28460 7:00 pm please RSVP Home: (910) 741-0489 FUTURE SCHEDULE December: Local Ministry January: Local Ministry February: Kathmandu, Nepal Email: charliegolfone@outlook.com ROCK FELLOWSHIP ON THE RADIO: On WJCV Jacksonville, NC 1290 AM or 98.3 FM Every Sunday morning at 9:00 am 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: dstahl@beholdinghisglory.com Website:www.www.beholdinghisglory.com/ Blog: http://bhisglory.blogspot.com/ NEW OFFER Booklets on Spiritual Authority, Spiritual Leadership, Prayer, Body of Christ, and Righteous Living the Four Anchors of God are now available by contacting us and requesting one. You can see them on our home page. Get one now. The Author House 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.
