Waiting on God the LORD’S Visits
June 2021 • Volume XIX Number 10
”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:
Greetings again my Brethren. Wow this year soon will be half over. I guess it is true the older you get the faster time flies by. Oh for the days of youth and lingering shadows when playing till our mom’s would call for supper time. Let us continue to look at the LORD’s visits. Who would not want the LORD to visit them? I am sure almost everyone would say yes, well, I will be honest I am not so fast to say I would like a visit from the LORD. What I read in the Bible the times the LORD (not the Lord or Jesus) showed up was terrifying and unmentionable things happened, but at other times pleasant and assuring things happened to let us know (in both cases) He is a sovereign and loving God. What I would like to do is read some verses through the eyes of the words interrupting how the people see God. After all out of our mouth speaks our heart. In 1 Samuel we see the LORD showing up in the form of answered prayer one of the greatest and assuring ways. Samuel writes, “And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.” (1 Samuel 2:21) Here Eli the priest blesses Hannah and Elkanah (parents of Samuel the soon to be Prophet) her husband and out from the blessing and the LORD’s visits three sons and two daughters were born. What a joyous occasion the birth of new life in the home. I mean what is nicer than a new born baby? Here we see an example of a wonderful visitation from the LORD, especially when we have the rest of the story about Prophet Samuel. Not much more is said about Elkanah, Hannah, and the kids I guess their purpose in the scriptures was fulfilled. Eli the priest prays, the LORD shows up and blesses Hannah’s womb a most wonderful visit from the LORD. But this story reminds me of a real life story from Turkey where the LORD showed up and the outcome of His visit was not as rewarding as Hannah’s. Years ago I would go to Turkey every two years. I was on a two year cycle visiting certain places, While in Turkey I usually met an Armenian lady, a Godly woman, maybe one of the most spiritual ladies I have ever met other than my Mom. It was a joy and pleasure to talk with her. Well, on one trip she came to me and asked if I would pray that she would have a baby. I said no I do not pray for such things God knows what He is doing, but in my spirit I felt the LORD saying to pray. So I said yes I would pray, I think it was the last day (probably a Sunday) of this trip in Turkey. It was not a powerful prayer no lightening, no thunder, no AHHHH, the building did not shake, or any that dramatic stuff. I prayed, LORD if it be your will please allow (her name) to have a baby as a desire of her heart and I left the next day.
Two years later I was making plans for my next trip to Turkey and was talking with the host pastor and he said he has some exciting news for me, well, I said, okay what is it and he said I will have to wait till I get to Turkey. Well, now my interest was really piqued, but I had to wait. You know waiting is the place of receiving from God? So when I got to Turkey I asked about the Armenian lady because I did not see her and her husband in services so the host pastor said we will go visit her and her husband after services. I said okay. Now something I forgot to mention is the Armenian couple was in their early 60s. So after the service we went to their apartment and they met us at the door with guess what? No not one baby, but twins! The LORD visited them with twins. What a wonderful blessing like with Hannah. Not because I prayed, but because God was working something in the lives of the Armenian couple. Every time the LORD visits He is doing a work in our lives then in the lives of others. They were so happy what a blessing in their lives. But, as we know time always moves on. As the twins (one male and one female) grew older less and less the Armenian couple would attend services, till they just stop coming. My host pastor asked why they stopped coming but, they would never really tell him. So on one of our future visits (I want to say maybe 6 or 7 years later) I made it a point for us to go by and see the Armenian couple. Well they said they would love to see us and so Karen and I visited. They met us at the door and we went inside and sat down in the very nice living room and boy did they unload on us. Their two darling little babies and yes a supernatural gift from the LORD has grown up to be holy terrors, controlling (Europeans raise their kids much different than Americans) their lives. As we talked they came home from school and it was like a whirlwind hit the place. Now I am not going to go into what happened, but they said as we were leaving the gift from God turned out to be a curse in the end. Here are two examples from a visitation from the LORD, both answered prayer, but the outcome was quite different. Was it God that caused the different outcomes? I do not know, but probably not. God expects us to take what He gives us and apply divine spiritual principles (found in the Scriptures) so that the outcomes will be according to His plan and purposes. Every time the LORD visits it is for a reason, for purposes (the Scriptures are full of examples), and He has intentions for those purposes, but whether God’s intentions and purposes are met depends not on God’s power or authority, but our obedience and willingness to follow His leading.
Next month we will continue looking at the ways we can say The LORD has visited us. Do you see Him draw near? Please know God is near to them who are near to Him. Do you feel His presence? Do you see His hand in your life? He is waiting on us to make our first move. Written by David Stahl
Holy Spirit Power
Karen and I recently attended a nice little local Pentecostal Church. The people were very friendly and warm, but there was not much Pentecost going on in the service. If you did not know the name of the church you would have thought you were in a mainstream denominational church: two fast ones, a slow one, take up the offering, mention a few announcements, a short sermonette, and out the door. Now I was raised in the Pentecostal church most of my youth and can remember the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly falling (tears streaming down cheeks, snot running out noses, people wailing then running to the altar repenting, and so much more), but it has been a long long time since I have seen this display of God’s power. I know it is not God not wanting to reveal Himself with such power He desires to open up the windows and heaven and pour out unto man His best, but maybe it is man who does not want to be bothered with the requirements to experience and handle the power of the Holy Spirit. For the most part the main stream denominations (including the eight or so Baptist churches have left the power (whether you believe in speaking in an unknown tongue or are miracles for today) of the Holy Spirit on the ground. To me this is amazingly sad. Did you know this power from God, this Holy Spirit power is ours for the asking? In the Book of Acts we read, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Act 1:8)This power is like the free gift of salvation, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18) What a wonderful thought to know salvation for us is free (but it cost Jesus His life) and power from on high is waiting for our request. But in that request is the obligation to be obedient to what God wants in our lives. Obedience is in the Holy Spirit. We are called upon by God to live and transcend above the carnal and natural. We are brought into the kingdom of God to operate beyond our human ability. No one in their own human ability can live a life for God and please God. God picks us up and sets us on a higher plane. He provides us with an ability beyond our own to operate and function on that plane which is higher than we. It is a level higher than our natural, human capabilities. God is after responses from us in the area of obedience. Our Heavenly Father calls for obedience in a certain situation. He has given the ability to respond correctly through the power of the Holy Spirit. The bottom line is are we going to use that power which the Father has provided and Him obey or are we going to turn from it and disobey. At times we are caught in certain situations where as far as our natural ability was concerned it would have been total disobedience. To move in obedience to God in that situation seemed to be completely out of our hands. But the Holy Spirit rushes in and lifts us up above our natural inability and into an ability we did not have. At this point we still have a decision to make; are we or are we not going to respond correctly to the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Only with help from our Heavenly Father is perfect obedience possible. Such a thing brings a tremendous sense of victory. We know that God won the battle we did not, we simply surrendered to the mind of the Holy Spirit. If we walk according to the Holy Spirit we shall not fulfill lusts of the flesh. Paul tells us, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) Why not? Because the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in leading and directing us. The Spirit is constantly bringing to us God’s desires. If (the most important word in the Bible always sets the condition for receiving from God) we surrender to His direction (at that same time) it is impossible to be fulfilling our own carnal desires, “we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” It would be quite impossible. Another wonderful benefit of this Holy Spirit power is our obedience becomes the manifestation of love. Jesus said, If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) The power of the Holy Spirit moves in us to bring us to obedience. Here is another power which also moves in us to bring us to obedience. The power of love brings to us the “want to” in obedience. There are those who do not “want to” obey God, but love comes in and there is a change. Now there is a desire to obey God. Obedience begins in the small, easy things in our Christian walk. We are first brought into obedience in our basic and undemanding babyhood. That is just a beginning for us. Speaking of Jesus Paul said, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) As we follow in His path obedience will grow in strength, in us. In its development it will carry us through our life into the fulfillment of the most difficult requirements that God has for us. In other words the longer we go in God and the more we learn the easier learning becomes. We grow into this we learn, we are not born again with this. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were? But we’re not. We disobey, we make a mistake. Failure is not failure unless you get stuck in it. Failure is nothing but a stepping stone from one classroom to another classroom on that higher ground. Progress in failure! Why yes in failure. The Bible is full of it. Failure is not sin. Sin is sin. Failure is failure. There are many differences between the two. Sin is wrong where as failure is just another opportunity to try again and get it right. Sin is wrong! Never condone sin. Sin no matter the situation is wrong in the eyes of God. Sin is always judged through the heart and eyes of God not through our eyes. What we would call sin God may not. We must always be careful what we call things, but never condone sin. One would say Abraham’s faith failed in his stay in Egypt and in regards to the son whom God promised him. But he went on and came to the complete faith which God intended for him. Jacob’s life seemed hopeless in its beginning. He went on and came to greatness. Saul’s life was a disaster. He wrestled and even fought the LORD. He even persecuted the LORD, “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4) But he went on from failure to become the great apostle Paul. We see them succeeding in God because they did not get stuck and swallowed up in their failures, even in their disobedience. They did not give up and sink deeply down into the thick mud and trapping mire. They allowed the Lord to; “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” (Psalms 40:2-3) We will never be able to survive the “horrible pit” and the “miry clay”unless the Holy Spirit has empowered us with His ability. They did not get down thinking that God had forsaken them oh no, they did not bog down over the question, “what must God think of me now?” They failed they knew it (the beginning of getting over failure). They learned. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16) Rather than sinking further into the hopeless mire of self-condemnation we can learn. Let us step up on higher ground where it becomes more solid. Let us allow our experiences to become learning processes for the LORD to develop us. Sometimes our experiences are costly. Since we pay we may just as well gain some benefit in return from our pain. The learning process is best found in humility and submission. “He humbled himself . . .” This is where the success of learning obedience is found. He became a servant. Paul again helps us here, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” (Philippians 2:7) He became obedient in humility and servitude. There will be success in humility and servitude. We cannot carry pride in our life and learn obedience. That is quite impossible. We may obey to a certain extent, as it pleases our whims and inclinations. The extent of our disobedience will be in direct proportions to the extent of the pride in our life. His Holy Spirit power is waiting for us.
Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
Self Aware or Self Absorbed
I Know what you’re thinking–doesn’t sound very Christian does it? For simplicity’s sake we will be using Karen’s definition of self aware: to realize ones frailties, weaknesses, stinking attitudes, and willing to change said stinkerness. Self absorbed: self-centered, defends their frailties, weaknesses, and their stinking attitudes, but not willing to change their stinkerness. So hear me out. Dave and I were walking one day and a little drama played out that was perfect as an illustration for this article. Now here is the disclaimer I don’t know the person, nor am I privy to the details of their life, so I really don’t know what went on in their morning. So here we go. This woman was putting a bike on the roof of her car while her dogs were carrying on in the house. Now her yard was full of yard debris maybe a statement about her priorities. So, she hops in her car blasts past us on the road, goes through a stop sign without stopping, and continues on her merry way. This lady appeared to be self absorbed. The yard needed picked up, dogs may’ve needed a walk, but she was bound and determined to get on her way and run the stop sign to do it. Self absorbed people can only see things their way. It’s them first and others last. I guess they think they’re special and in their own minds they are! Now a self aware person would’ve cleaned up the yard debris, so the neighborhood where they live doesn’t look bad. They would walk their dogs first (dogs have exercise needs too) then go off to ride a bike, run errands, or whatever. They would’ve stopped at the stop sign instead of blasting past like it wasn’t even there. Self aware people realize they need to improve themselves, know their motives, and know their strengths and weaknesses. So let’s change these two terms to more Biblical terms; carnal (fleshly) or spiritual. Let’s see what Jesus says, “And he spake this parable, unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: Two men went up unto the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather that the other: for every one that exaulteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exaulted. ” (Luke 18: 9-14) So we can see that the proud Pharisee was self absorbed. Whereas the Publican (who was self aware) knew in his heart he was a sinner and needed a Savior. Take the two men that were crucified with Jesus. Luke writes, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thy self and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” (Luke 23:39-41) One man wanted Jesus to free themselves off the cross (self absorbed), but the other guy knew they deserved the cross and Jesus didn’t. He was self aware. Our society today is so self absorbed, just look at all the TV shows that glorify people and their lives. Even the so-called news, heck I remember when the news just reported a story, with NO slant to it and let people think for themselves, but that was another time. So let’s see what the Bible says about the term carnal or fleshly. Paul writes, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft,hatred,variance,emulations,wrath,strife,seditions,heresies,21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:16-21) Ok, now the next verses are spiritual, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, (which is NOT going along to get along) longsufferning, gentleness, goodness, faith. 23 Meekness, temperance (self-control) against such there is no law, 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:22-24) Do you see that spiritual (self aware) Believers have allowed God to crucify the flesh in their life? Unfortunately religious people tend to be more self absorbed, carnal, fleshly, selfish, or self-centered. Believers realize that they NEED a Savior and are in tune with the Spirit. Folks until we as Believers get to a place where we see and know what sin has wrought in our lives we will continue to be self absorbed, carnal, fleshly in nature. As Jesus said in John, “It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)
Written by Karen Stahl
NEEDS NO WANTS:
- In Dobrich, Bulgaria Pastor Niki Marsov and in SilistraPastor(s) Yanko, Marcho, and Emil. Times are troubled in Bulgaria much prayer and support is needed.
- Constanta, Romania Pastors Luke and Jacob at Bethel Church and Ian at the Romanian Center for Cross-cultural Studies Bible School.
- In Suceava, Romania Pastors Nicu at St. Andrews Church. They are still standing by God’s grace.
- Pastor Joseph Mutua in Nairobi, Kenya needs your prayer and financial support.
- Pastor Mike Olufemi in Aveile,Nigeria. He needs our prayers and support to be a light in great darkness.
- Pastor S. J. Peter, Founder of DAWN Ministries in Hyderabad and Pastor Wilson and his son Pastor Julian 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.
- Monthly financial support for Vivian’s Maternity and Child Care Clinic project in Aviele, Nigeria.
- 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.
NEXT HOME GROUP MEETING:
29 June at 7:00 pm
At 232 Everett Drive
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
7:00 pm please RSVP
Guest Speaker will be Dustin Peters
Home: (910) 741-0489
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
June: Local Ministry
July: Local Ministry
August: Local Ministry
Email: charliegolfone@outlook.com
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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/
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