Deeper Truths for Hungry Hearts
October 2013 • Volume XII Number 02
“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. Situations and circumstances in our lives define and refine our character. I hear Christians ask, why do bad things happen to me, well in God’s eyes they are not bad things they are the “good things” in Ephesians 2:10, “which God hath before ordained (or created for us by God) that we should walk in them.” The word “works” mentioned in verse nine was not God working on us, but all of our good religious works we do for God that we think will save us from our sin or affect the betterment of our character in some way. For a change in our character to happen God must be able to get His “word” (His spoken (Rhema) and (Logos) written word) by His works to our heart and “as a man thinks in His heart so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) It is God working in our lives during tough and hard times, hardships, interpersonal experiences, sadness, disappointments, setbacks, failures, victories, bad situations and circumstances is when our character is affected and there is maturity and spiritual growth in our lives. Now it is NOT the hardships, bad times, failures, disappointments, etc. that cause the change, they in themselves will do little for our spiritual growth and probably will make us angry at God. Oh no it is the work God does in our heart out from the situations and circumstances. This is why Paul says we must be strengthened with might in our inner man, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,” (Ephesians 3:16-17) Without this strengthening by God, through His good works Christ will not, cannot dwell in our heart by faith. We see this truth in the lives of Matthew and Saul. In Mark we read of Matthews call to follow Jesus, “And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus (Matthew) sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.” (Mark 2:13-14) Matthew’s call was not as exciting and impactful as Saul’s, “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:3-6) The call was made and they responded and their lives were never the same. Matthew’s call was not so dramatic, but never the less his life was changed. Some Christians experience life altering events in their lives that accompany God’s call like with Saul while others are called while sitting on the back pew of a church. The experiences from the call are not the primary concern to God, but our reaction, did we answer or not. Many Christians have been taught wrong and this is why they think (again Proverbs 23:7) wrong. Many Christians have been taught (by the apostate church leaders) God is using all of His “riches in glory” to make us happy, rich, connected, attractive, and prosperous, well that thinking is dead wrong. Many Christians believe the greater sin God brings one from the greater the salvation and call well that my friend is rubbish. God calls us all from sin no matter the depth, we are the ones who define the depth of sin in our lives we are redeemed from. God is doing everything we will allow Him to conform us into the icon (original and expressed image) of His precious Son Jesus Christ. The type of call does not matter. The situation or circumstance God calls to us from does not matter they all are His “kick against the pricks” to sharpen our ears and goad (prick in the right direction) to help move us in the direction God is calling us.
Next month we start to look at how the instrument of God is accomplished in a variety of ways. Do you hear Him now?
ARTICLE REVIEW:
The Vessel of God
Did you know there is a big difference between a gifted speaker and a broken speaker? I do not see or hear any broken pastors or teachers anymore. Maybe this is the reason why people (in droves) are leaving the church in America. Even the secular media has picked up on this trend. A few weeks ago there was an article in our local newspaper and on the national news that discussed the desertion of people from church, but I thought it was a mistake until we started doing book signings for “Adventures with God.” During the signings I got a chance to talk with whom I would consider to be Christians at different levels of maturity. I would ask them what church they attend and most would say, “please don’t get me started on all that mess.” But, with a little prodding I get them talking and discover they have not left God, but they have left organized religion or what we today call the church. Never forget, the “true” church is not made with brick and mortar, but is made of flesh and blood. We (people) are the church that Jesus gave His life for on the cross. Let us never forget this for when we do we get over into denominational traditions and religions of men that yoke and enslave the hearts of people Jesus came to die for. We must not be working to raise the Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Charismatic, Methodist, Presbyterian (you name the denomination or religion) name and numbers even to pay for churches and the programs that prop them up, but we are the work of God. We (God’s people) are His workmanship. Paul tell us this (and we must never forget it) in the Book of Ephesians, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Sadly we boast of our churches, programs, and conference affiliations that many work so hard to build, but God wants nothing to do with these things. My friend it is not about working for God this leads us nowhere in Him, but it is all about becoming His workmanship (beaustella in the German language); allowing God free reign and sway to work in our lives through the trials and tribulations He allows to come our way. Those, “which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” the trials and tribulations not the “good works.” My friend “workmanship” is the focus of the verse not the “good works” He is working in us more and more to make us more and more like Him. Then and only then can we do “good works,” but until then our works are deceitful, carnal, and vile of the heart. We boast of our human abilities, outward strengths, doctrinal degrees, and pastoral resume as we strut across our self-made stage, but God cares nothing for these things. God is after our heart. God is after a broken and contrite vessel. It is no wonder people are leaving the church they are tired of ambitious and egotistical pastors, teachers, and leaders who will do and say (even lie and steal) whatever they have to do to get to the next bigger church or their name up in lights. The condition to be used of God to minister His word is not Bible School or seminary training. The condition to be the vessel of God is not our political connections or denominational influences, but our broken and contrite (crushed and grounded to powder) spirit. Isaiah had this revelation when he said, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) David too had this same revelation when he said, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18) Why do we think today this has changed in God? We dance around the church singing, God changes not well guess what His spiritual principles changes not also. We will never be used of God unless we have a humble, contrite spirit, and a broken heart. Oh how this causes me great alarm to take heed. I see myself too often speaking and thinking not with a humble, contrite spirit, and a broken heart. Ever since returning from Germany (back in July 2003) I have seen a very very slow, but steady roll away from a more broken spirit I once had. Now I am still saved, read the Bible even more than before, and still have a wonderful walk and communion with the Lord the problem is not these things, but me gently going toward things of the world that can deaden my spirit. Things like technology: computers, the internet, the array of cell and data phones, and yes the biggest destroyer of the home today and in the past – the TV. I remember, in 1968, our Pastor Howard Reckley would not have a TV in his home so his kids came to our home to watch it. The church corporately (at that time) spoke out harshly against the TV, but time, apathy, and the people wanting a TV stilled their words. The more we go towards technology the less of God we will have in us. In Germany we had one station (Armed Forces Network) with six or seven channels. We did not have the channels of TV we have (basic cable) currently, but often I can find myself putting on the mind of the news of the day instead of the mind of Christ. How can I be the vessel of God with the mind of the world within me? I cannot. How can I be the vessel of God for His word to flow through if I have put on the things of the world? I cannot. My friend it is the dealings and judgments of God in our lives that brings us down into a low, humble, and contrite place to be able to receive the things of God. If we are filled up with the cares of this world we will never be filled up with the mind and love of God. If we are filled with working for God we will never become the “workmanship” of God. We must allow God to empty us. The condition to be filled with the power and authority of God is first to be emptied of the world and of ourselves by God. This is something we alone give God free reign and sway to do in our lives.
The humble and broken alone are useful to God. It is the poverty of God’s ministers that makes the church poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). The lack of humble and broken teachers and preachers of vision deprives God’s people of the glorious light. Since God gives light (revelation) to the church through His ministers, our task is tremendous and almost impossible unless we allow God to strengthen us in the inward man. Knowing the words in the Bible is quite different from obtaining the word from God. Today, (because we are not humble and broken) the best most can do is know the words in the Bible, because obtaining the word of God costs far more than what most are really willing to pay. But, never the less it is still the process we must endure to be able to obtain God’s word and only when revelation comes can God enlighten us. This is the starting point of the ministry of the word of God not church attendance, singing, dancing, and paying our tithes. And if anyone has been dealt with by God so that his outward man has been broken that person will have a humble, contrite spirit, and a richness of thought for the word to flow out from. It is the breaking that makes us useful. It is the death to our self-life that brings forth much fruit (John 12:24). It is our humbling that allows God to exalt us. These spiritual principles like God never change. Our ministering God’s word to the world is never merely a matter of doctrine, if such were the case, Christianity would be a carnal religion, but it is our lives being poured out of us as Christ poured out His. The word of God comes from revelation. The more humble and broken we are the deeper and more complete our revelation is from God. If a person is right in his life with God then his words will be right, but if the opposite is true then his words and life will be wrong. The words of a pastor or teacher who is not humble and broken before God will yield a lower quality, weak, immature, yet humanly clever and persuasive word, but not spiritual at all. Contrast this with the pastor or teacher who has been humbled and crushed (contrite) by God. The word of God that flows from them is first and foremost spiritual, accurate, of higher quality and able to touch the heart of God. Today God intends to have His words become flesh once more, that is, He still desires to speak through human flesh. That is why He must deal with this flesh of ours, hoping that through it His word may come forth. God’s words must be created within us, by God Himself. They are formed through our daily trials and tribulations which He arranges in our circumstances. We may go through various trials for days or even months sometimes we are victorious yet at other times we are defeated, but the entire time we are learning to become humble, broken, and contrite before Him so we can become a quality vessel for His word to flow from us. The word from a humble and broken pastor or teacher comes through discipline, since God creates the words in us through Him disciplining of us. Oddly enough missing discipline from God means we forfeit the possibility of receiving revelation. Out of our chiseled and chastised flesh emerges the word of God. How much we can speak will depend on how much we have allowed God to work in our heart and lives. As our words are based upon our experiences before God so too are we chiseled, chastised, and tested by God through these experiences to the point our words become Gods words. Never forget a man’s word is measured by his brokenness before God.
I was attending a Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church and was asked to greet the people (share a thought, but not preach a message). When I began to speak there was such a humble and broken spirit that suddenly filled the church. I spoke only a few words, most often much speaking is not of the Spirit of God. At the end of the service as everyone was leaving an usher handled me a piece of paper that was inscribed, “I, by chance stopped at this church today and your words were the reason your few words stood for great purpose, your few words explained years of shunned pain. I can accept now that I am broken for a purpose. I will let the Lord use me for I am broken and I will not self-pity for because I am broken, I am blessed. Thank you so much – God bless.” I believe there were two people in the church that day that knew exactly what the Spirit was saying, the author of these words (who I never knew) and me by the Spirit, both have been broken and poured out.
The broken alone are useful to God. Oh how we must come down from our lofty high places and allow God to pummel us to our knees. My friend I promise you troubling times are ahead. Please do not look to me, your pastor, your church, your denomination, or anything other than Jesus Christ. There is no other name in which man shall be saved! We must allow God to break us to the point where we too can say as Paul said, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. “ (Galatians 1:10-12) Any other revelation will not create the vessel God can use. And in this all is lost.
Written by David Stahl
THOUGHTS FROM KAREN:
A Blast From The Past
Recently an old high school friend sent me a lovely letter right out of the blue. We haven’t communicated in over 35 plus years! I was so excited as I dug out my old high school year book to see her picture, yep that was her. Fortunately we were able to get in touch over the phone and had a nice chat. We exchanged a few emails, but her original letter was so wonderful and up lifting that (and I know this is going to sound weird) I thought, wow what if this had gone the other way. What if someone wrote that I made their life miserable and they hated my guts for that. I really didn’t want to go down that road. I know I could’ve been nicer to some folks and stuck up for others, but I didn’t to my regret. I can only hope they can find it in their heart to forgive me.
At this stage in my life all I seem to do is tick people off. My friends seem few and far between let’s face it I am not Mrs. Personality—I’m not. The older I get the more emotionally aloof I get. I feel more estranged from people now then I’ve ever felt before in my life. Yet on the other hand I’m trying harder to know God in a deeper and greater way. When we really choose to walk in the ways of the LORD our family members, acquaintances, and even friends who have NOT chosen to walk with the LORD will not understand the required emotional and in some cases physical separation leaving ground for strife and bitterness to creep in, but even in this God can work in their lives if we allow Him to by standing our ground on the truth of the word of God. Oddly when we do not tell others the truth in the word of God or sugar coat it we are rejecting the truth for them. Our earthly friendships are nice, but the real friendship we NEED is with Jesus Christ and if we follow his commands He calls us friends. Jesus said in John, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends.” (John 15:12-15). We are to “love one another” to such a degree that we tell them the truth. Did Jesus love everybody by NOT telling them the truth? No His words are truth and He told His family members, acquaintances, and even friends the truth so that they too can come to know His Father. Oh to be friends with the precious Son of God. Oh to be like Him. Folks time is getting short we need to be thinking about and desiring to move towards a holy and righteous God NOW before it is too late. You know there is a time (when I do not know, but the Bible is clear on this) when it will be too late for people to come to know a forgiving and loving God. We NEED to take the time to read our Bibles and get our alone time with Him now. Once in eternity we’ll have all the time in the world—literally, for other things, but we won’t have the opportunity to get ourselves right with God then. Now is the time for salvation.
To Toni who sent me the letter, thank you for the kind, uplifting words you don’t know how refreshing your letter was to me. For the readers, as excited as I was when my old friend contacted me imagine how excited we’ll be when we see Jesus!!! God Bless you all, read your Bible, and let us continue to run our race, it ain’t over yet.
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.
Next Home Group Meeting:
Our next Home Group Meeting will be 21 October 13
232 Everett Drive
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
Home: (910) 741-0489
at 7:00 pm, please RSVP
FUTURE SCHEDULE:
October: Romania/Bulgaria
November: Romania/Bulgaria
December: 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.
