Spiritual Hunger! By James Lantz

There are certain qualities and characteristics that are present when God manifests His presence and His power to help people. One of those characteristics is desire for God and His purposes. The psalmist declares, blessed is the man who fears the Lord and delights greatly in His commandments! Jesus stated that He will manifest Himself to those who really do love Him in their deeds and in truth.  John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  The Lord desires for everyone to come to Him so He can bring blessing into their life but He does not force Himself upon anyone. Spiritual hunger or desire for God was evident through Able’s offering when he brought God his first and his best. Enoch’s desire to please the Lord is evidenced by his prophecy of Jesus returning with ten thousands of His saints to destroy the enemies of God. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord for he was a righteous man. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Moses’ desire for God caused him to turn aside from his work to see the burning bush that was not consumed. Ex. 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. David was a man after God’s own heart and even after his great sin he cried out to God asking Him to not take His Holy Spirit from him. Hungering for God is hungering for the truth, for God’s word is truth. Destruction will come to all who refuse the truth, even to natural

Restore unto me the joy of your salvation!

descendants of Abraham, as evidenced by Jesus weeping over the destruction that was to come on the people of Jerusalem. Accepting the truth brings God’s favor on the Jew and the Gentile as seen with Rahab, Ruth, and Cornelius.  Acts 10:34 & 35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.  Jesus stepped into His public ministry declaring that men must repent and believe the gospel of the kingdom of God and eventually multitudes sought to hear Him and to be healed.  Luke 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.  Jesus completed His earthly ministry by sacrificing His life for us and suffering the penalty for the sins of the whole world and then arose to give new life to all who will believe. Many devout worshippers witnessed the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and heard Peter’s appeal to turn from their sins and save themselves from the coming judgement. Three thousand hungry souls gave their hearts to God that day and were filled with the mighty Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  God’s church was growing and soon there were multitudes of believers, both men and women, that were added to the church!  Acts 5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.  Paul’s ministry began to reach the gentiles and many more people heard the word of the Lord.   Acts 13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.  Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul,contradicting and blaspheming.  The devil hates it when people get hungry to hear God’s word. The week before the Jews seemed to be okay with Paul preaching Jesus and His resurrection but when the Gentiles came out to hear the gospel in droves they yielded to the spirit of envy and began to speak against Paul.  Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.  This reveals that the above mentioned Jews were hungering and thirsting for the praise and adoration of men more than the acceptance of God and eternal life.
Often we think of wickedness only as sins of commission such as lying, stealing, and killing and forget about the sins of omission, things we were commanded to do and didn’t do. Jesus warned us

Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength!

about caring more for the things of this world than we do about our relationship with Him and His church. Rev. 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. The only logical interpretation of these words of Jesus is that He will have none of that! This agrees with the word of the Lord given through the apostle Peter, how those who come to Christ through the knowledge of God and then turn back to the world are going to have greater punishment.  2 Pet. 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  The Spirit of God refers to this being like a dog returning to its vomit and a pig that was washed returning to its mire. Jesus warned us through the parable of the talents that we will be judged according to what we were told to do and not only by what we were to avoid!   Mt. 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Our desire for God, His word, and His church is quickened by the Holy Spirit and will increase and become greater as we yield to His leadings and feed on His word.  John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  The quickening of the spirit is what takes place as we abide in Jesus and His words abide in us, so that whatever we ask we receive of Him. God won’t make your choice for you but He lovingly tells us what to choose.  Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  Ask God to give you a greater desire and hunger for His holy word and the things of His Spirit as you do your part. Think about things that are true, honest, right, pure, lovely, things of a good report, things that are excellent, and praise worthy. This list sure does sound like we are to be thinking on the word of God and things that are above! If we do the very opposite and refuse to acknowledge God and give Him His rightful place of preeminence He will abandon us to foolish thinking and all kinds of sins.  Rom. 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  Don’t join yourself with those who drink with the drunkards or your senses will be dulled and you will slip backwards.  1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  The Good News Translation says, Do not be fooled. “Bad companions ruin good character.” We can not always choose who we have to work beside or those who we see on a regular basis but we must make our companions of choice those who love God and His church. God’s standard for His people to keep and to be good company is evident in the scriptures.  1 Cor. 5:11 . . . not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  Remember, he that walks with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God and continue to bear fruit in their old age.

God is at work in our land! These are not the days to be discouraged but rather to be thankful that our names are in the book of life! God has been so gracious to us and included us in His family and gave us a seat at His right hand to rule and to reign with Him. Remember the greatness of our God and His great love for us! If God wanted to withhold good from us He would have held back in giving us Jesus.  Rom. 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  God is calling His body to rise up and resist evil by our actions as well as in prayer. Faith without action is dead! There is not one scripture in the New Testament where God instructs His church to pray to Him and ask Him to get the devil off of us. There are four witnesses however that declare that we are to resist the devil and that he will go.

The apostle James said we are to resist the devil and he will flee from us! (James 4:7)
The apostle Peter said we are to resist the devil steadfast in the faith knowing that he comes after
all of us. (1 Peter 5:9)
The apostle Paul said we are not to give the devil any place in our lives! (Ephesians 4:27)
Jesus our Lord and Master delegated His authority over the evil one to His church before He
ascended into heaven and declared that those who believe would cast out devils in His name!
(Matthew 28:18-20 & Mark 16:15-18)

Remember, that we are commissioned to occupy until Jesus returns and the gates of hell will not prevail against us! Since we are a nation governed by the people, for the people, we have authority and responsibility to care for our community, our state, and our nation just like we care for our family and our property. Our prayers need to include, Lord, what is my part in this community.

Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Mt. 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The rock that Jesus is referring to is the rock of revelation knowledge that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God! Those of us that have this revelation are to resist the devil and his works and conquer in Jesus name!

Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: