hope fellowship spokane

Heart on Fire – Hunger and Thirst!
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Heart on Fire – Hunger and Thirst!

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Have you ever been hungry? Maybe its been a while since you last ate, and your stomach is grumbling. Your pizza from last night is long gone, and you forgot to eat breakfast. Rumble, rumble, it goes. And it’s all you can think about; you just can’t wait for lunch. You just can’t wait to test food again. Maybe you start imagining what you’re going to eat—what it will look like, what it will smell like, what it will taste like. You can almost taste it now. Maybe you’re going out to lunch at a favorite restaurant today and that is all that you can think about ordering your favorite meal. Your mouth even starts to water just thinking about it, and when you do eat it, it is delicious!!! The taste reminds you all over again why it’s your favorite, and even after you’re done, you know you’re going to have to eat it again—and soon!

The Bible says…

Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trust in Him!

The word taste is translated: Experience. “Oh, taste and see” you are literally saying: Try and experience, or try the flavor of the Lord because He is good.

You cannot see except by tasting for yourself; but if you taste you shall see, for this, like Jonathan’s honey, enlightens the eyes. “That the Lord is good.” You can only know this really and personally by experience. (1 Sam. 14)

The Lord asks us to “taste and see” that He is good. He wants us to hunger for Him and His presence more than we would hunger for anything else in this world. And just like your favorite food, when you get a little bit of Him, He knows that you’re just going to want more. Unlike the food we eat, there is never too much of God. We can never consume too much of Him, of His presence, of His goodness. We could taste of His love forever and ever, and we would never get enough.

How does revival come? It comes when men and women get desperate for God. Revival begins with spiritual hunger, when God’s people are no longer satisfied with man’s plan but they long for something more. Jesus told all hungry people to come to Him. He is attracted to hunger. 

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

There are many people who are not hungry to go any deeper. They like having God in a box. They want just enough of Him to feel better and possibly be blessed but they do not long for a deeper walk. God cannot fill those people in the manner that He desires. His promise is to fill the hungry. He is placing a divine hunger on the inside of men and women who will begin to seek Him for something deeper than what they are walking in right now. That is revival hunger!

Hunger Defined – The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food; To have a strong desire or craving.

One of the greatest challenges in the church today is that we have lost our hunger for God! My desire is to stir up your hunger —that you would seek Him with all your heart!

There are many people in the Bible who wanted to know God more. Here are just a couple…

Phil. 3:10a KJV

That I may know him…

Phil. 3:10a, Amplified Classic

(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly).”

The Apostle Paul wrote this out of His determined focus on knowing Jesus more. He didn’t have Jesus in the flesh to get to know, but like us, he was a seeker and longed to taste and know and experience more of Christ.

Psalm 63:1-3 AMP

A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You;

My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

David was a man after God’s own heart. He was hungry for God and to know Him deeper and to be in His presence. All throughout the Psalms David writes His heart of longing to be with God and that nothing satisfies his hunger or thirst but God. David wrote this when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 

Sometimes God allows us to go into the wilderness to cause us to hunger & thirst for Him! The wilderness is a lonesome place, a waste land, desert, desolate, solitary, a starving place.

There are times God allows us to be in the wilderness to get our attention. Sometimes our own choices places us in a place of spiritual starvation. Maybe you feel dry and famished? Maybe you are feeling all alone and not going anywhere. This may be your wilderness time. What are you going to do? Are you going to get bitter and mad that you are in a wilderness or are you going to seek food and water from the One who can only satisfy?

3 Things about Hunger and Thirst

  1. GOD ALONE CAN SATISFY OUR HUNGER AND THIRST.

John 7:37-38

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Are you hungry or thirsty for God? This verse is the answer. Go to Jesus and drink of Him. Spend time with Him in prayer and Bible reading. Worship Him 24/7, even when you are at work. Enter into the worship service on Sunday and drink from the fountain that never runs dry. (Fountains by Josh Baldwin)

John 6:35

“And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Jesus is the bread of life! In the natural bread sustains and nourishes and keeps us, so does Jesus. He is our daily bread, the air we breathe, the living water that quenches our thirst and satisfies. We no longer have to search for things in this world to sustain us spiritually. We have the best bread that has ever been made and that is Jesus Himself.

2. WE WON’T BE HUNGRY FOR GOD UNTIL WE TASTE HIS GOODNESS!

Ps. 34:8

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

Ps. 119:103

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

1 Peter 2:1-3

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

  • When you know how much God loves you, you will seek Him. We need a revelation of the Father’s heart of love for us.
  • Satan distorts our perception of who God is so we won’t seek after Him – this is a barrier to hunger that must be broken by God’s revelation!
  • Let Him love you—to transform you and wreck you for everything but His presence.

3. ONCE YOU’VE TASTED AND SEEN GOD’S GOODNESS YOU WANT MORE!

THOSE WHO HUNGER:  “God will fill them; and when he fills men with his fulness, they are full indeed.”  –C. H. Spurgeon

The verbs for hunger and thirst mean an intense desire, an ardent craving, and all-consuming pursuit. It is as though you are parched and nothing will stop you from getting to the water fountain to drink. Or, you are so hungry you will pursue food at all costs. It’s a desperate kind of hunger.

In a different context, to describe a person who is ambitious, passionate, and desperate to achieve or to succeed we will say “he’s hungry.” It is that same kind of passion and drive that should motivate the believer to pursue God.

Psalm 42:1 – 2 Amplified Bible

As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,

So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.

My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God.

When will I come and see the face of God?

I love these verses. It gives a visual that is so clear. You can see the deer panting for water and it brings a question to ourselves; “Am I longing for the Living water like the thirsty deer is for the water brooks?”

Hunger and thirst are intense desires. It is that same intensity that we need in seeking God. Do you have that kind of desperation for a truly Christian lifestyle that changes us from the inside out so that we no longer seek the praise of men but causes us to seek God’s approval above everything else?

Appetites aren’t filled until you do something about it. It is one thing to intellectually say I am hungry and desire food. It is quite another to take the steps to satisfy your hunger and to quench your thirst. At some point you have to go eat or drink.

By the way, a loss of appetite is a sign of illness. Physically, we know something is wrong when we have no desire to eat. The same is true spiritually. When we no longer hunger and thirst for time alone with God through Bible reading and prayer, or aren’t committed to the worship of God, or fail to get alarmed over our sinful condition and the sin of the world, we see clear signs of spiritual sickness. When we no longer take the appropriate action of developing and deepening our relationship with God, a warning light – like on the dashboard of your car – needs to be illuminated, signaling that something is wrong. We need help.

The action we need to take is to go to the source – the bread of life.

When we are spiritually hungry we will come to the source of spiritual life – Jesus himself. Our real hunger is for God. Saint Augustine was right when he said: “O God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”

Here is the problem; many people are going to the wrong places – pleasure, performance, or possessions; living on the junk food of another job, another marriage, another vacation; or thinking, “All I need to do is read the Bible every now and then, attend church and worship every once in a while, serve in ministry when I feel like it.” 

God says, “Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest” (Is. 55:2 The Message).

Many people today are looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places, trying to satisfy the craving of their hearts with junk of this world, or in the church and are spiritually malnourished. You need to come to Jesus – the source of life itself. You need to feed upon Him with balanced, daily diet of prayer and the study of God’s Word. You need to drink from His cup through life giving worship. You need to feast on His love and his grace, His forgiveness, and His power.

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Is it a continual pursuit? Are you coming back for more? I have discovered that hungering and thirsting for righteousness is like a narcotic. You get hooked. You become addicted. You need more. You keep coming back. Once you have encountered the living God nothing else satisfies. You want more and more of Him.

When you hunger and thirst after righteousness, when you want what God wants more than anything in the world, you will have it. You will be filled with Jesus himself!

There is power in hungering and thirsting after God and His ways. It sets you on the right path, it brings you to a close intimate relationship with God. It brings breakthrough and chains are broken that have captured you.

I close with this final thought. Jesus’ appeal is always personal. He never says, “Come and join the church” or “Come and be baptized” or “Come and give money.” He simply says, “Come unto me.” When Jesus says, “You will be filled,” He means “You will be filled with Jesus himself!”

If you are hungry, come and eat of the Bread of Life.

If you are thirsty, come and drink of the Water of Life.

If are weary and heavy-laden, come and find rest.

If you are guilty, come and be forgiven.

If you are far from God, come back home again.

Read Psalm 63:1 – 8 from The Passion Translation 

Psalm 84:2 Amplified Bible

My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalm 107:9 Amplified Bible

For He satisfies the parched throat,

And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.

Let me give you some good news. In the kingdom of God, everything begins with a seeking heart! Salvation begins with a hungry heart. If you are tired of the life you’ve been living, you can make a new start.

Whatever you want in the spiritual realm, you can have if you want it badly enough. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? If you are, you can be filled. This is the promise of God to hungry hearts and thirsty souls.

Take time right now and allow your hunger and thirst for God bring you into His presence. Desire to know Him more. Allow God to fill you to overflowing with Who He is!

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.WordPress.com 

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The Hope Series – “Where Is Your Hope?” (Part 2)

Hope Series part 1 graphicProverbs 13:12

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Hope Deferred

Delayed hope, or hope put off makes our hearts sick. It grieves our spirit. It zaps our energy and fills our hearts with darkness. God knows this. Don’t give up hope, God hears our cry for help! He will send us our cloud of hope, even if it is very small, it is something we can see and know He is working on our behalf.

Video: “While I’m Waiting”

Will we worship and walk in obedience waiting for God to bring hope and answers? Do you trust God? This is what the Christian faith is all about… faith believing God is there and this brings hope.

Far too often believers give up when their prayer is not answered or things don’t go according to your plans. We think God is mad or didn’t hear our cry. There is an element of faith believing every Christian has to walk through. Do we just love God when times are good, and then when times are hard we give up on God?

We have to be mature believers and decide I will trust God and hope in God no matter the circumstance.

Helpless but not hopeless! In our weakness God is strong. We can stand knowing when we are walking through a hard situation, in our helplessness, God sees our condition. Just like a loving parent sees and helps a helpless child, this is what God does with us. We have to realize this is humility and it is also strength. Humility in that we are not relying on our own abilities, and strength because we totally rely on God’s. This is what David did when facing Goliath. David’s brother, Eliab, thought David was arrogant when he came to the front lines of battle to find out what was going on with his big brothers and the nation of Israel.

Read 1 Samuel 17:1 – 11

1 Samuel 17:11 (NKJV)

“When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”

Remember one of the words for “despair” is “dismayed.” King Saul and all of Israel had lost hope. They didn’t believe they would prevail. Unbelief is trusting in your own strength. Unbelief is pride, the opposite of humility.

This world will tell you that being humble is to be meek and timid, but that is not humility at all. True humility is not relying on your own strength but on God’s. It is a knowing that God will prevail in spite of circumstances and fears. It is believing God is Who He says He is and walking in His power and insight.

Read 1 Samuel 17:12 – 18

David knew who he was. He was a Mighty Man Of God, yet even his father treated him as a child sending him to look after his brothers and report back what was going on. I am sure David burned in his chest the desire of being on the front lines in battle. Knowing David’s character, and Who He relied on in every circumstance, he wanted to show God’s power by annihilating the enemy. David wasn’t afraid of the Giants or what people thought of him.

David lived in his hopes. Saul, David’s brothers, and the Israelites lived in their fears. It paralyzed them from doing anything great. It put them in bondage and they couldn’t advance. If it weren’t for David, all of Israel would have been killed or turned into Philistine slaves.

Read 1 Samuel 17:19 – 30

Eliab’s view of David was skewed. Eliab believed he was speaking out of insight and wisdom, but Eliab’s pride got the best of him. He asked David, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle” (1 Samuel 17:28). Yet, right before all this happened, King Saul was tormented by a distressing spirit and was troubled. The servants of King Saul suggested getting a man who is a skillful payer on the harp to play and ease the king’s spirit. One of Saul’s servants already knew about David. He told the king, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing , a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).

No matter what our family or others think of us, there will be people who truly see us for who we are; “Mighty Men and Women of God!” David’s older brother, Eliab, never saw David as anything but his younger little brother, who he thought was a prideful, arrogant sheep herder.

Don’t listen to the “nay-sayers” in your life. They don’t see you as God sees you. David was facing Giants. Not only in the physical, but also mentally with his older brother and what he thought of him. If David listened to his older brother the battle would have never been won. The Philistines would have prevailed. David overcame the Giant of Nay-sayers when he turned from his brother and asked someone else what was going on and what was the reward for defeating Goliath.

Philippians 4:13 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This should be our motto! This should drive us daily to do all that God has called us to do. This is what we have to walk in every situation, trial, hardship, and fear.

Read 1 Samuel 17:31 – 42

The word “Disdain” means:  “lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike, a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient, look down on with disdain, reject with contempt.” Synonyms:  contempt, scorn, condescension, despise, reject, turn down.

How many times have you faced this very experience in your life? People who looked down on you and rejected you for some reason or another. They had disdain in their hearts. Remember that God is a god Who sees! God knows what you are up against. He knows the hearts of everyone involved. Trust that God will bring justice out of false accusations or mistreatment. In the meantime, keep on walking and doing what you believe God has called you to do!

Read 1 Samuel 17:42 – 43

The Philistine taunted David with his words. If David believed them, the battle would have been lost. But immediately David responded to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:45 – 47

“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword, and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

David didn’t cower after Goliath taunted him with condemning words. No, David came back with words of intimidation and faith. He looked at his Giant and spoke to his Giant the very words his Giant was speaking to him, but with God’s anointing and boldness, and authority. Don’t let the giant intimidate you, you intimidate the giant. Pursue and conquer!

Read 1 Samuel 17:48 – 58

Verse 51

“Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.”

David took Goliath’s own sword, which was still in its sheath, and killed him. The very sword Goliath should have used to kill David. The very words Goliath used to taunt David, was the very thing that happened to him. David used his enemies’ own weapon against him. Goliath didn’t even have his weapon out for battle. What was up with that? If one thinks they are heading into battle, weapons are drawn and ready. Goliath was so arrogant he didn’t even think he needed to defend himself. That is the mind-frame of the enemy. He thinks he has already won, but in reality, he has defeated himself. How? By disregarding the power and authority of God’s servants. We, as God’s servants, God’s warriors, can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We are more then conquerors through Him who loves us! God has already won, we just get in battle position and watch the hand of God annihilate our enemy.

David learned how to walk in hope in spite of any fear he may have had.

Hope prevails

This is how hope prevails in spite of circumstances we face. We have to learn how to find hope. Sometimes we are too weak to walk in hope, but we can stand in it. Stand, knowing God is fighting your battle. Stand, in the face of fear. Remember who is for you and not against you! After standing, God will give you His grace to start walking in His hope. Believe God for a small cloud of hope. Press in to God and expect Him to answer your cry.

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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Overcome Or Be Overcome – Part 1 (Are You A Hoarder?)

One day I came home with my daughters and opened the door to our house and smelled a terrible smell. We immediately began sniffing around trying to find where this bad smell was coming from. We sniffed until we found the culprit. It was coming from under our kitchen sink where we put our garbage. Quickly I took it outside and disposed of it into our bigger garbage can. I just could live with that terrible stench in my home.

We all have garbage.

We all have GARBAGE that needs to be taken to the garbage can everyday! We are consumers. We buy something at the store and after we use it, we throw away the package it came in. After our garbage container is full in our house, we take it out to the larger container outside and empty its contents into it. Then we take the smaller garbage container back into our houses and put more garbage back in it. This cycle goes on and on, week after week, month after month and year after year.

If we don’t take our garbage out to the trash, we will smell the results in just a matter of time.

►Well, guess what? We are all full of it too!

I want to look at the trash we have in our lives and see it for what it really is, and also show you how to get rid of it! We all have garbage that the Master Garbage Man needs to take away. We need to do some “Spring Cleaning” and get our trash out. If we do we will look better, feel better, and yes, even smell better to those around us.

Remember the smell in my home?  I just couldn’t live in an environment that smelled so horrible. Yet, we all do this in our spiritual lives. We walk around with excess rubbish from our past and try to ignore it thinking it will go away. Too much trash in our lives will stink up our homes, and too much fleshly garbage in our hearts will stink up our lives.

People will smell your trash because the stench leaks out. The reality is it will never go away until you “smell around” to find were the stink is coming from. This is not a fun thing to do. There will be pain involved. You will have to work at getting the “stench” out, but in the long run it will pay off and be well worth the house cleaning. The good news is that God is the Master Garbage Man and He is always there to help you get rid of your trash.

Video:  “Garbage Hoarder” (Viewer Discretion Advised)

 Garbage stinks! 

 What garbage do you find in your life?

Un-forgiveness?

Bitterness?

Judgmental attitudes?

Critical spirit?

Rejection?

Fear?

Let’s look at a few pieces of trash you may have…

1.  Rejection:

You know the scene. It is in the middle of the day. The children are out to play on the playground. They choose team members to play the game. One by one everyone is picked until it comes down to the last person. By now they really don’t want to play because they were the last to be chosen. The reject! The one no one wants.

Rejection! We’ve all experienced it. Not getting that promotion we were anticipating. Or not getting the job you interviewed for and someone you know did.

We all want to be valued and accepted. Being valued is a natural human desire. When we don’t feel valued we tend to draw back and isolate ourselves, or get mad and lash out. Maybe you have been rejected from a friend, or relative. How about wanting to go out with someone on a date and they said, “No!” Rejection can lead to un-forgiveness and then bitterness.

Why does rejection wound us so deeply?

Rejection is painful because…

●It attacks the very person who we are.

●It destroys our self-esteem

●It makes you think something is wrong with you

●It makes you feel like you are not valued or wanted

●It makes you feel “less-then” the one who rejected you

This is why it is one of the most common tools the devil will use to destroy a person’s life. God never wanted us to feel rejected or abandon. He desires for you to know who you really are, and realize how deeply God loves, accepts, and appreciates you, so that you can live out the fullness of what all God has ordained you to be.

Rejection has a way of destroying a person in which few other things can. The sad fact is that the number of people who are affected by rejection is staggering. If we want to be all that God has created us to be, then overcoming rejection and its affects is vital and absolutely essential.

Remember; God will NEVER reject you! He will always receive you.

We have to OVERCOME OR we will BE OVERCOME

2.  Un-forgiveness:

Un-forgiveness and rejection are truly a war that is going on inside of you. It is safe to say that everyone has experienced rejection or has un-forgiveness in their life. If you don’t overcome this WAR, it will overcome you! These are pieces of trash which can pile up and begin to make us stink! It becomes the “clutter” in our lives that prevents us from being who we were created to be, and to live our life free from the clutter, shame, and isolation garbage can bring.

Why do we allow this war to continue?

War: H1993: “to be in great commotion or tumult, to rage, war, cry aloud, be disquieted, rage, be troubled, be in an uproar.”

UN-FORGIVENESS IS…

1. Un-forgiveness is Disobedience

We are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross for us. We deserve damnation and hell, instead of mercy and grace and eternal life. But there is something further we have to understand about our forgiveness. If we forgive others what they did to us, then we are forgiven. But, if we don’t forgive what others have done to us, we are not forgiven either.

Look at your life and what has been done to you. Does it even compare to what YOU have done yet Christ forgave you?

Matthew 6:14-15 KJV

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” 

Why does God connect our forgiveness with forgiving others? It is easier to receive forgiveness compared to giving it. Dead people don’t have rights. We are crucified with Christ (Galations 2:20). Forgiving others has to do with laying down our rights.

It doesn’t make sense that we are forgiven and yet we don’t forgive. It doesn’t make sense that we are loved and yet we hate. We would be a hypocrite and so would God if we are forgiven and yet have un-forgivenss in our hearts. They have to be connected so we will see the depth of what Christ did for us on the cross. We are not forgiven if we don’t forgive others. Forgiveness is why Christ went to the cross. So you and I would be forgiven.

It is plan disobedience to God if we don’t forgive others. Disobedience is Sin!

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

►Un-forgiveness is something that can really hold us back from escaping the corruption of sin and living for God.

►Un-forgiveness comes in many forms, such as bitterness, hatred, malice, holding grudges and resentment.

►Un-forgiveness can actually block God’s forgiveness towards our sins and provides a foothold for the devil to influence our lives.

►Un-forgiveness is probably one of the biggest yet-unnoticeable sins in the world today.

►Un-forgiveness is not only a sin, but it’s a disease. It carries with it paralyzing and life-threatening symptoms that can end in spiritual death.

►Un-forgiveness can spread division and strife throughout our church as well as our home. Not to mention the chain of bondage it places on our lives.

►Un-forgiveness will start to spread throughout the mind, taking over the thought process interfering with what should be our focus, paralyzing and causing us to miss the important move of God.

►Un-forgiveness causes our responses, actions and body language to become inappropriate.

When we release the other person and forgive them, we release ourselves too.

We also release them to be forgiven by God.

2 Co 2:10 KJV

“Whom you forgive I also forgive, for if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ.

2. Un-forgiveness gives Satan an advantage over us.

2 Cor. 2:11

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 

One of the things we learn is that un-forgiveness is one of Satan’s devices, an instrument, a weapon, a plot, a scheme, a tool, which he uses.

People, who Satan couldn’t get to rob a bank or shoot someone, he gets to them through strife, bitterness, resentment and un-forgiveness… things that many people wouldn’t describe as awful sins. Some people look at some folks and say oh, they are a wonderful Christian, they love God, they read their Bible, they pray, and yet that person could be soaking with strife and un-forgiveness. Why? Because we don’t always identify it as one of the things that is a sin. Yet, the scripture says that it is a device of Satan. We have to remember that sin is sin. Sin is all the same. It separates us from God.

Un-forgiveness in our heart can give Satan an advantage over us, a way of controlling us, robbing us of our joy, our deliverance, our peace, our love, harmony in the home, the victory of overcoming, from possessing all of the promises of God, our prosperity, our salvation.

Wake up and understand that we are in a culture right now in the world that is fostering, festering, stirring up, strife, bitterness and un-forgiveness.

Talk shows are really into it, talking about how upset they are, angry, and how they are going to take revenge and get people back that hurt us.

News commentaries feed into this too. Are you watching the news during the Presidential Campaign? Mud is slung everywhere on both sides. It seems every campaign has to slander the other to make themselves look good. I would just like to see a campaign run without slander and pointing fingers, but not sure if that person would be elected. The world expects you to stand up and fight for yourself, even if it means to slander someone else.

Ultimately, bitterness and un-forgiveness will take people in that direction, and it begins with strife.

3. Un-forgiveness is Bondage.

We can get all bound up thinking about what happened to us to the point that it binds us up from growing in Christ. It prevents us from having healthy relationships.

If you don’t let go of un-forgiveness and bitterness you won’t just lose relationships, you will lose yourself! Forgiving others benefits you the most!

You will repel others away from you because of what un-forgiveness is doing to your emotions internally. Release them and forgive, then you will enjoy your life and others will enjoy you!

If we are bitter and resentful, it’s because we are allowing ourselves to remain that way.

Anyone can make excuses and blame the past for his or her bad attitudes, poor choices, or hot temper.

If you want to live in victory and overcome, you cannot use past emotional wounds as an excuse for making poor choices today. (The video: “I am going through emotional problems right now” to justify the garbage in her living room.)

You dare not use your past as an excuse for your current bad attitude or as a rationalization for your unwillingness to forgive somebody. It is time to allow emotional wounds to heal. It is time to put your garbage out for the Master Garbage man to take away for good.

Be looking for OVERCOME OR BE OVERCOME – Part 2

Pastor Kris Belfils

http://www.krisbelfils.com

http://www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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A Cry For Revival Series: “Revival of Our Spirit!”

The spirit of a person is interesting to look at. It deals with the inner make up of the person. How they think and function on the inside comes out as action, speech, reaction, etc., on the outside.

What we feed our spirit will eventually come out. We need to take inventory of what is inside of us. Are you fighting with feelings of insecurity or inferiority? Do you feed your spirit with good things or bad? What are you telling yourself on a regular basis? We have to learn to feed our spirit with good things and to spend time with God. Whom ever or whatever  you spend the most time with, that is whom or what you will become.

“Take inventory of who you hang around and what you involve yourself with. This is what you will become.”

Pastor Kris Belfils

Now to apply this thought to revival, we have to remember that dwelling with Christ brings intimacy and power. It brings satisfaction and contentment. Intimacy with Christ brings boldness and life to us.

Romans 8:11 (NKJV) “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” 

The same spirit that raised Jesus from the grave dwells in, lives in, and inhabits us. When you think about that, wow, it brings a whole new look at intimacy with God. I will do everything possible to have and keep a close relationship with God. My relationship with Him is a precious thing, it is my life! Our thinking can produce life or death. I was writing in my journal the other day and here is what I wrote:

“I sense a revival in my spirit, a turning from thinking dead thoughts to thoughts that produce life. Breathe new life into every area of me, Lord. Create and resurrect new thinking in my spirit. I throw away all the old thinking that only brought death. I decree new life! I decree hope and your promises! You are my Resurrection power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me!”

Keeping and maintaining a close relationship with God will change our way of thinking. We can bring death in our life by thinking thoughts that produce death. Our actions can bring death, not only to us, but to our friends and family, church body, co-workers, and more. Let me give you an example:

Gossip and Misunderstandings

We can “perceive” something was said by someone, or something was done by someone, and believe it to be truth. Once we believe the lie as truth, we act upon it and might even gossip to other people about what we thought was said. Then, the person we gossiped to tells someone one else, and in turn they tell someone else. It can go around a church like wild fire and hurt someone’s reputation in just a short amount of time. This blocks the Holy Spirit from moving in hearts. This also blocks any leader from ministering to people within the church if the church is believing a lie about them as a leader.

We need God to revive our spirits so we don’t look through the tainted glasses of gossip and misunderstanding. Always go to the source and find out if the information that was said is true. Better yet, don’t even believe for a minute the gossip in the first place. Gossip will prevent revival from coming in your life and in the body of Christ. God hates sin, and gossip is sin!

Remember that sin separates us from God. We need to be a people who are quick to repent and to make things right with those we hurt. We can’t go around causing hurts and cutsin other people’s lives and not expect any consequences to happen in our own life. Remember how we judge will be measured back to us.

Matthew 7:1 – 2 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

I like how the Amplified Bible states these verses:

Matthew 7:1 – 2 (Amplified Bible) “DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.”

Think about what you have been talking to others about lately. Has it been edifying to your spirit and to those that are listening? What have you been watching on the television or movies? What have you been listening to on the radio? Personally, I am very protective of what I watch and listen to as I know it can affect me in a positive or negative way. If you are longing to be revived but keep feeding your spirit with things that don’t edify you, it will eventually dry up your spirit and you will become indifferent to the things of God. You won’t become revived, quit the opposite, your spirit will start to die. Allow God to revive your spirit and your love for Him will grow more and more.

Revival of our spirit will affect all areas of our life!

It is easy to get caught in the mundane of life. We lose our first love of God and start going through the motions instead of living life abundantly (John 10:10), especially if you have been a Christian for many years. Remember this can be a trap of the enemy to prevent you from becoming all God created you to be. Don’t settle for less than what God’s word promises. Get a promise book out and read the topics that concern you. Allow God’s word to penetrate your spirit and sink in until you start believing it.

When you see a person who is dying and people are trying to resuscitate them, their body is lifeless. But when that person is resuscitated they start to move. They start to talk, they start to possibly get up and walk. This is what happens with our spirit. God is trying to resuscitate us. He knows what we need to come alive again.  Don’t settle for the “should of” and “Could of.” I should of written that book I was thinking about! I could of made something of my life but I became discouraged, or just was lazy. I should of married that person I fell in love with. I could of shown more love to my family and children. I should have applied for that job I’ve always wanted. I could of started my own business but I was too afraid.

Become alive and live your life! You are the only person who can enjoy your life. No one else can enjoy it, only you. Stop blaming circumstances or people for what you lack. Allow your spirit to be revived and watch how your entire life will change. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. God created you! Therefore you have a purpose on this earth. Plan to fulfill that purpose!

Job 32:8 (NKJV) “But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.”

The word spirit in this verse means: “Wind, breath, life, anger, air, blast, courage, mind, to blow, breathe, to smell, touch, make of quick understanding (the primative root).” Often our spirit has a lack of courage and is fearful to deal with things that are troubling to us. We might not even see areas in us that need change. It is like the “elephant in the living room” syndrome. Everyone else can see it but we can’t. Either we are choosing to ignore it or we are in denial.

The Elephant In Your Living Room

Elements To Courage

I took my daughters to school and both of them didn’t want to go. It was Monday, and Monday is the hardest day of the week after having two days off for the weekend. My daughters have always wanted to be with my husband and I instead of going. I can understand as I was the same way when I was younger. I would rather do anything instead of go to school. As I was saying, “Good bye” to them, I spoke out, “Be brave, and be strong and courageous!” I started to think about those words and what I was going through in my own life. Recently I have been facing my fears and walking through things I have avoided for years. God has been telling me to be “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6) as I face my giants and obstacles that come my way to get to the Promised Land. Fear of the unknown, fear of my past, fear of man, fear of failure, and even the fear that I missed the Promised Land altogether.

Being courageous is not an easy thing to do, especially when it has been marks of your character to run and bolt under pressure. The word courageous means: possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching.

The word courage means: “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc, without fear, and with self-possession, confidence, resolution; bravery.”

There are times when I do feel courageous and I face my fears, other times I shrink back and find a place of refuge. I believe God knows and sees this. He knows when I am weak or vulnerable. I also believe God will bring about encouragement somehow. It might be a passage of scripture you read that blesses you and gives you strength to continue. It might be a friend or loved one saying or doing something for you. It might be the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart in such a way that you realize you can keep going under fire.

There are several elements to courage that are always there. Courage is part of our spirit. When we follow through with what we need to do, even though we don’t want to do it, we will see all these elements come to pass.

ELEMENTS TO COURAGE

1. Courage takes boldness – Face your fearsFear, in it self, can rule us and paralyze us if we let it. Fear of the unknown is overwhelming if we allow the thoughts to take over our minds. One thing I have found to combat fear in my life is to remind myself of God’s faithfulness. I remember situations in my past that God has brought me through and I tell myself that He will bring me through this too.

We must remember that retreating from our fears only brings weakness. It also multiplies the fear in our minds and it becomes even bigger than reality. I know as I have done it in my life. Then, instead of facing something small and manageable, we face a puffed up illusion of the fear. This can only bring torment and pain. This is the enemies work. We have to recognize it for what it is. God is not a God of fear. He is a God of courage. So, if you face any fears in your life, realize God wants you to have courage. Pray and ask God what you should do. Should you confront the fear? Should you wait? Should you just let the fear go and trust God for the outcome?

This week I have had to look at some “scary” fears in my life. As I looked at them, I let them overwhelm me and I began to retreat and want to give up. Courage was not in me at all. This is rather hard to tell you as I have a fear of people thinking I am not a strong woman of God, or weak in the face of fear. But as I started to retreat, I turned around and looked at the fear. It became even bigger to me. I stopped and walked right up to it and saw it finally for what it was; fiction. Fear is fiction, at least the fear I was facing. It was not reality. I had allowed the fear of man, and fear of my past, to paralyze and prevent me from moving on with my life, and with ministry.

One of my fears is not measuring up to other people. I have always felt “less than” others. This fear has blown up so big in my life. I was shocked at the size I had allowed it to get. My insecurities and weaknesses were so huge in my mind that they seemed insurmountable. But the only way I will overcome them is to face them and push myself towards them. I am determined to not be in bondage to my fears. We all have them; it is how we deal with them that really determine what we will do in life. So I have made a determination in my heart to walk towards my fears instead of retreating or finding a place to hide.

A close friend pointed out some of my fears to me. It was like the big “elephant in the living room” syndrome. Everyone sees you have a big elephant in your living room, as matter of fact it is taking up all the extra space for anyone to sit down and fellowship with you. Yet, you have no clue that the elephant is there. I can imagine a comedy skit of a big elephant in the living room and people are sitting down on the couches or chairs trying to drink a cup of coffee and fellowship with you, but the elephant is so big that it is sitting in everyone’s lap. Still you don’t even acknowledge it being there and you try to strike up a conversation with people. Everyone else sees the elephant and knows what needs to be done, but you are totally ignoring the obvious.

It takes courage to face our elephants. 

2. Courage knows God is always there – Realize you are not aloneOften times we think we have to face our fears alone. That makes our fears even worse. We think we are the only one there to figure out what to do. We have to realize we are never alone, we always have God there. He is constantly speaking to our heart words of help, direction, encouragement, and peace. We just have to tune our spiritual ears into His frequency.

1 Samuel 12:22  “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” Hebrews 13:5- 6 “Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

God’s love can envelop us to overcome our fears. He is not expecting you to be strong and courageous without him. Our loving Lord will shower us with the confidence of His love to walk and face what we need to face. In His love we are transformed and changed. We see things from a different perspective. The perspective is from His loving arms looking out to the situation. Everything seems smaller and easily attainable and manageable from His arms. Let us remember that perfect love drives out fear.

1 John 4:18 states “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

God’s love for us is perfect. His love drives our fear away if we receive it. We know fear is not of God strictly because fear torments us. God is a God of love, not torment.

1 John 4:18 (Message) “There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life–fear of death, fear of judgment–is one not yet fully formed in love.” 

God is calling his people to be strong under fire. So many times we want the easy road out. We would rather find a more comfortable path to take in life then to walk through a rough trial. But if we walk through what is in front of us we will be stronger for it. We will receive a wonderful reward for endurance.

Joshua 1:6a “Be strong and courageous…” 

 3. Courage takes risks – Step out beyond what you know

Usually when you have to confront something, it takes an element of risk into the unknown. Joshua visited the Promised Land earlier under Moses leadership, and knew what was in the land he had to confront. Did he know how they were going to overcome the giants? No! But he did know God was with him and He was willing to face what was ahead in the security of knowing God was for him, and not against him.

The element of risk is challenging. What is your character? Do you cringe at the thought of risking something? If there is risk involved, it does mean you will have to let go of something to reach for something new.

The definition of the word, “risk” is, “the exposure to the chance of injury or loss,” so there will be a loss of some sort. The loss here is the loss of fear! It is worth the risk of stepping out in courage to confront fear. The more and more we step out and confront the fear, the easier and less threatening it becomes in our lives. The risk to the exposure of injury is always a threat. That is why we retreat when we see fear. We don’t want to get hurt. Our flesh will scream at us and yell, STOP AND TURN AROUND,” while our head and our heart is saying, “KEEP PRESSING FORWARD!” We really don’t have a choice when it comes to living life and enduring from day to day. If we stop, we will digress or self-destruct. There is nothing healthy about that. No, the only choice we have is to keep going and to press in to any fear and meet it head on to over come it.

4. Courage takes resilience – Enduring when you want to  give up

Resilience is “the power or ability to return to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. It is the ability to recover from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.”Courage takes resilience. It is a knowing that as you are walking in the face of your fears, you will be ok. It is continuing to move forward even though you see potential hazards around you. Remember that God is always with us,

Isaiah 42:3 “He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick; He will faithfully bring justice.”

God will not allow you to be bent to the place of breaking. He is with you and has His eye on you constantly. That’s His character. He knows what you can endure, which is more than what you think you can endure. Resilience is good as it brings healthy growth.

I heard about an environment scientists were trying to create in the desert. They created a dome structure that would grow all sorts of plants and trees. They would plant all types of wildlife. But as the trees would grow, they started to bend back towards the ground. The scientists were baffled over this. They gave the trees proper care, nourishment, and sunlight, but they still would grow straight for awhile, and then bend towards the ground. Finally one of the scientists realized there was no wind. The trees needed wind to face resistance to make them grow strong under pressure.

This is exactly what happens with us. We need the winds of adversity to make us grow under pressure. If we never faced anything that was challenging, we would never know what it was like to overcome.

James 1:12   “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

I want to be one who bounces back under pressure. I want to find myself strong after facing my fears.

5. Courage takes action – Step out; make a move!

Faith takes action. It is one thing to believe God will bring you to your promised land, and it is another to never step one foot towards that promise. We cannot expect to advance and take the land if we stay in one place. God is waiting for you to step out. The fear of stepping in the wrong direction is bondage. If you never step, you will never obtain. I believe if you step in the wrong direction, God will lovingly correct you if your heart is to do His will and to please Him. Stand in the confidence of Who’s you are. Step out in faith believing God will move after you move. Just like the Priests who had to step into the water with the Ark of the Covenant, once they took a step, the waters began to part. Before they took the step, the waters never moved (Joshua 3).

Hebrews 10:35 – 39 (HCSB) “So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For in yet a very little while, the coming One will come and not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” 

Take a step towards your fears

Retreating is the opposite of taking a step forward towards your fears. Let’s take a step forward in getting rid of the elephant in our living room and riviving our spirit! What does a step forward look like? 

  1. It can come in the form of casting down imaginations that try and exalt themselves above the knowledge of God in your heart (2 Cor. 10:5).
  2. It is bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
  3. Another form of stepping towards your fears can be doing the exact opposite of what your flesh tells you.

If you are afraid of man and what they think of you, then you need to function and walk where you think people are having a problem with you, and love them unconditionally. How about facing the very person that hurt you in your past and give them forgiveness? I have done this in my past and it has freed me from tons of bondage fear brought.

One of the biggest things we can do is confront the enemy and cast him down. We have let him have a stronghold for too long and it’s time for us to take our authority and command him to leave us.

Courage is a wonderful character trait if we let it be complete in us. Courage is nothing if we don’t act upon it. It takes boldness to face our fears. We can never overcome anything in our life if we don’t confront it and look at it for what it is.

Why allow the elephant to live in your living room any longer? It doesn’t belong there in the first place. Fiction will puff itself up and that is exactly what fear does. Remember you are not alone. God always sees and is constantly watching over you. You can walk through this with confidence.

Don’t get discouraged at what you see, but be encouraged as you step into the unknown.

If we want to experience more of God we have to step where we haven’t been before. Be resilient! Endure even when you want to stop, or retreat. I am sure you can think of some action you need to take to move towards your fears with courage. Ask God to show you what you need to do. Be brave! Don’t be afraid. Allow your spirit to be revived as you step out in courage to conquer what you finally need to conquer in your life.

Take your promise land. Will the land come to you? No, land doesn’t walk! You have to take the steps to obtain it. As courage is being developed in your spirit it brings revival. Your spirit is renewed and you can finally conquer what has been tormenting you for all these years. Take care of your spirit. It is who you are.

Your courageous sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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A Cry For Revival Series: “Revival Of Our Hearts” (Part 1)

Revival of our Hearts Part 1 (Click here for audio message)

Psalm 69:32 (Amp)

“The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, inquiring for and requiring Him [as your first need], let your hearts revive and live!.”

“…as your first need.” As your first love. We should be placing God as our priority above anything or anyone else in our lives. We need to go back to our first love. When we first met Jesus.

How do we fall in love with Jesus? If we are the Bride of Christ, shouldn’t we be in love with our Groom? Shouldn’t we show our love to our Groom? Psalms 91 really sheds some needed light on spending time with the Lord.

Psalms 91:1–16 (NKJV)

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor  of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the  pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your  side,  And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near  you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the re­ward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,  even the Most  High,  your dwelling place,  No evil shall  befall you, Nor shall  any plague come near your  dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep  you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you  up, Lest you  dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the co­bra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will   deliver him; I will  set him on high, because he has known My name. He  shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with  him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My Salvation.”

The New King James Bible states, “He who “dwells” in the secret place,” which is emphasizing  a time spent with. It shows a habitation, or a living or abiding in the secret place. What is the secret place? It is that place you spend time with God in. It is God Himself. If we wait and dwell in the secret place, we shall behold Him. It takes time.

It takes time to develop a relationship. Quality time spent with someone brings much reward. We can’t expect to have a close intimate relationship with our spouse if we never spend time with them. I know first hand as my husband and I can drift apart a little when we don’t spend time together. We end up going through the motions of marriage and being in love, but the intimacy is lacking. We don’t share in each others joys or connect with each other emotionally and physically. When we take the time to not only notice each other, but to actually show affection towards one another, it brings a bond that no one can sever. It brings a close intimacy that is very personal and rewarding. It brings security and acceptance. It is fulfilling. This is the same with our relationship with Christ. He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. “But  without  faith  no  one  can  please God.  We  must  believe that  God  is real and  that  he  re­ wards everyone who searches for him.” (Hebrews 11:6) One of the rewards of seeking and spending time with Him is feeling loved by an all knowing, all loving God.

Revival  of our hearts will bring a deeper love for our God.

“The human heart was made for passion. It was created for relationship.It was designed to experience the fullness  of God.”

S.J. Hill

We are designed and created to receive all that God has for us. We were created for intimacy with God. It is a natural thing to desire a close relationship with God.  This is filling the hole, the spot all humans try to fill in life. Some fill it with drugs or alcohol; others fill it with work or business, while others try to fill it with pleasures or riches. The only thing that can fill it is a relationship with God Himself.

Now, knowing that we were created for a relationship with God, we can pursue that relationship with all passion and fervor. Sometimes we might find indifference in our spirit about being with God. We might feel complacent or in a rut.

Sin Can Cause Indifference

If we settle for less than a passionate relationship with God, we will start to die and eventually fall into a rut or a pit. We become “grave tenders” of our lives instead of living life to its fullest. We see other people living life and enjoying it, yet in our own lives we are dead. We tend our very own grave, and often times we fight or force others to stay away from our grave. A. W. Tozer states in “Rut, Rot, or Revival” that we are in a “circular grave” when sin has entered our hearts. Sin will separate us from God. This is a fact.

A circular grave has no ending and no beginning. In other words, you can’t remember when or how you got in the mess you are in, and you can’t find a way out on your own. You are dead inside. You see no hope, and no way of escape. A dead corpse has no way of reviving it self. A dead  corpse  needs  intervention from a living source to bring life back. Don’t fool yourself by thinking you can get out of this circular grave on your own. Allow the Giver of life to breathe new life back into your dead places in your heart. Allow God to show and direct you out of your circular grave and bring you on solid ground to stand boldly in Him. It will cost you your control. It will cost you your pride, but it is well worth having new reviving life back into your spirit again.

Isaiah 59:2

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, sot hat He will not hear.”

We all have sinned and need a Savior. Receiving Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord is the first step to a revival in your heart, but there is more to repentance then just receiving Christ in your heart. If one is truly repentant they will turn 180° in the opposite direction of their sin.

Satan will try and trip us up in sin. This causes bondage in our hearts and spirit, and a barrier preventing our hearts to be revived. Being aware that sin separates us from God helps us to do our best to stay away and even run from the appearance of evil. The more you fall in love with God the more you want to obey Him and do what pleases His heart.

“Since only sin offends God, and sin  is  extremely  deceitful,  it  can  be  present doing  its deadly  work while the  people  may  not be  aware of it at all  until  it is  called  to their  attention.”

A. W. Tozar (Rut, Rot, or Revival)

Once you realize the sin that is causing you to feel separated from God, immediately  repent and  ask God  to  forgive  you. The short term pleasure of sin is not worth the long term separation from God. The after affects of sin is not worth the pleasures of pleasing God and being close to him. It is natural to be a better person when we are closer to God. It is natural to experience more of God  and His love when sin is not in the picture. Allow  God  to show you right now if you have sin in your life that is separating you from Him. Take the time to repent and walk away from the debilitating and crippling sinful action.

Romans 8:15 (MSG)

“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, “grave tending” life.  It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, “What’s next  Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirit and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us an unbelievable inheritance!”

Nothing is worth missing out on our inheritance from God. No sin is so good that it overshadows what we receive from God. No earthly pleasure is more pleasurable then getting closer to God and experiencing His joy and abundant life He has for us. The sacrifice of leaving our sin behind is nothing compared to the relationship we gain with God.

God’s Little Surprises

God likes to give little surprises or gifts daily to his children. If we look we will see them. He loves us. When someone loves another it is natural to give gifts to them. I remember one Valentine’s day, before my husband and I were married, I was living with my mom at the time. My “Soon-­to-­be-­husband” got up early and drove over to my house and left a huge Valentines box on my front porch. He had taken the time to decorate it and cover up what the original contents was. In it was all sorts of candy and chocolate.  I was thrilled when I stumbled on it as I walked out of my house to go to work. It made my day. All day long I couldn’t wait to get home and start devouring the sweet treats left for me by someone who cared.

I have found God will do the same thing with us. Out of the blue I will stumble onto something or receive something unexpected. It might be a loving verse in the Bible, or hearing from a long time friend. It might be something simple as walking outside and hearing the birds singing. I like to think God directed them to sing to me His love songs. It might be news of some organization wanting some of my writings. I remember one day I was walking in Wal-Mart with my two daughters. My cell phone rang and  on  the  other  line  was  someone  representing  an agent of Zondervan. They asked me for permission to use a quote from my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays” in their new “Today’s Devotional Bible” that was to be published several months later. At first I thought it was someone trying to play a joke  on me. I asked them to send me an email stating what they would  like,  and  the  quote  they  wanted  to  use.  Sure enough, when I arrived home in my email in box  was their email. I felt so thrilled and loved all at the  same time. To imagine God bringing this about in my life was tremendous as I knew why I wrote the book. I wrote the book mainly for my healing, and to hopefully help others going through a mistake in their life. God knows all about us and wants to show how much He cares by giving us personal gifts that only He can give.

Be open to surprises from God because they are always there. In turn, I like to give gifts to God. It might be taking the time to stop and thank Him for my life, or to worship Him for who He is. He is my life! It might be helping someone or giving to someone in need as the scripture states, “And the King will reply to them,  Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me” Matthew 25:40 (Amplified Bible).

The Lover of Your Soul

My relationship with the Lover of my soul is precious. He takes my breath away. I wake up in the morning and know I am going into my prayer time. I am excited and filled with love for the One I will be spending time with.

Every time I think about God, deep inside of me, I sense a love and respect for Him. What a joy, what a life to have a personal love relationship with the Creator of the universe. He desires intimacy with all of us. Our Creator longs to spend time with us like a lover should.

When we give God our whole heart, and treat Him like a Lover, it revives us. Our loneliness vanishes and is replaced with an awareness of His constant presence abiding every second of every day.

We are not alone. We have the assurance of knowing Jesus is always with us. This gives us hope. This gives us strength. You feel like you can conquer anything be­ cause the King of Kings is with you.

This is the conclusion of Part 1 of “Revival of Our Hearts” be looking for part 2 soon!

Pastor Kris Belfils

http://www.krisbelfils.com

http://www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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He Is Your Portion

When you think of the word, “portion,” what comes to mind right away? Portion in the dictionary means: “piece, share, or allot.” You can say, “His portion or share was larger than hers.” Or, “The mother gave each child a portion of the meal.” This would indicate that it is a part of a whole, but not the whole in itself.

Portion can be described as an amount of food for one person. Portion can also be described as a part or section of a whole. Portion can be described as an unavoidable event of, or part of someone’s life. You can say, “A portion of my life I spent going to school.” You can describe portion as part of an inheritance.

Luke 15:12

“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.” 

Here are a few synonyms to describe what earthly portion means: piece, part, bit, segment, section, fraction, scrap, slice, serving,   percentage, quantity, measure, or ration.

Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2). Elijah’s anointing or mantle was powerful and Elisha received double. This would indicate an allotment. When it comes to God being our portion, what does that mean for us?

Scriptures of God being our portion

 1.  Psalm 16:5 (KJV) “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.”

Here are a few translations of this same verse to help us get a better understanding of the meaning:

CEV “You, LORD, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.”

GW “The LORD is my inheritance and my cup. You are the one who determines my destiny.

BBE  [Bible in Basic English] The Lord is my heritage and the wine of my cup; you are the supporter of my right.

GNB  You, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.

MSG  My choice is you, GOD, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! 

This verse shows us that portion refers to: “All we want, An Inheritance, A Heritage, or My choice [first and only].

Also looking at the later part of the verse in those translations opens up so much more meaning of how God takes care of our future: “You keep me safe, The One Who determines my destiny, My future is in Your hands, You are the supporter of my right, I find I’m your choice.”

God is all we need for our every need, want, and desire. He holds our future in His hands. All we are and everything we will be is in His hands. This brings peace because we are trusting in Him and walking with Him daily, obeying His word. Our obedience brings favor from God.

2. Psa 73:26  (KJV) My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 

CEV  My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.

GNB  My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.

BBE [Bible in Basic English]My flesh and my heart are wasting away: but God is the Rock of my heart and my eternal heritage.

MSG  When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, GOD is rock-firm and faithful.

Portion is translated in the Hebrew as “inheritance, or allotment.” If you think of God as our inheritance, or allotment, it changes to a deeper meaning still. He is what we receive as His heirs. All of Him. Everything about Him. All His character attributes. All His power! All His love! All His peace! He is our best friend when we are lonely. He is…

3. Psa 119:57  (NKJV) The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. 

CEV You, LORD, are my choice, and I will obey you.

GNB You are all I want, O LORD; I promise to obey your laws.

MSG Because You have satisfied me, God, I promised to do everything you say.”

He satisfies our every need. He is all we want. The question is; “Will you receive all He has for you?” Another meaning in the Hebrew for portion is, “partake.”

4. Psa 142:5 (HCSB)  I cry to You, LORD; I say, “You are my shelter, my portion in the land of the living.”

Let’s place the word “partake” in this scripture. “I cry to You, LORD; I say, “You are my shelter, I partake of you in the land of the living.”

We partake of God. We taste and see that the Lord is good. We devour His Word. It is bread for our daily consumption.  We need to look away from our selves and focus on Him, the True Bread of Heaven, the hidden manna that is our portion everyday.  The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.

BBE [Bible in Basic English] I have made my cry to you, O Lord; I have said, You are my safe place, and my heritage in the land of the living.

GNB  LORD, I cry to you for help; you, LORD, are my protector; you are all I want in this life.

You are all I want in this life!

When Christ is our portion, any desire and want, other than Christ, seems to fall away. He becomes our desire and our heart cries out, “You are all I want in this life!”

We crave a lot of things:  Food, cars, jobs, friendships, certain drinks (Coffee), but do we crave, do we hunger for the Living God Who will fulfill all our longings? He is the Living Water. You can drink from the well that never runs dry. You will never be thirsty again. Just one moment in His presences changes you forever. You begin to see what you desired before was just rubbish compared to the fellowship you receive from Christ.

I remember a time in my life when I was praying one day. Many years ago I was striped of so many things after a bad choice I had made. I was feeling the pain of their lack in my life. I longed to have fellowship again with my previous friends. I longed to have my bad mistakes erased and go back to what I had. I ached in my heart and I cried out to God in the middle of that ache. Yet, it was my fault and I made the mess I was in. (Read more about this in my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays,” ) But I desperately cried out to God to have mercy.

As I poured out my pain to Christ, He came! Christ came and comforted me right there on the spot. He didn’t change my circumstances, but started healing me from the inside out. This changed my perspective. This began to lift the burden of regret and I saw Christ for who He really was in my life. Jesus is STRONG! He is ALL LOVING!, and ALL CARING! He is PEACEFUL, and ALL SURROUNDING! HE BECAME MY PORTION and I partook of Him. How did I do that? I worshipped. I took my eyes off of me and gazed at my beautiful Savior! I allowed Him to fill all the voids in me.

Soon, the pain of regret was not so painful because I inherited His presence and His love and forgiveness. Stillness and quietness came over me that settled deep within my spirit as I saw all my striving cease. I partook of all He had for me at that moment. Since then, He has given more of Himself, and more revelation of Who He is to me.

Why does God only give us a portion? If we partake of all He has for us, we would be so overwhelmed and our human minds could not comprehend what and who He really is. He gives us more than enough at the very moment we need it.

God is good and He only gives of Himself the portion we can contain at a given time. He has a never ending reserve just waiting for us to partake. It is our inheritance. This makes us want to go back for more and more of Him. This makes us say in Psa 73:26  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

He is what we need at a given moment. He is what we desire. He is always available. He is always willing to come and comfort us. He is always there.

When I desire something now, I measure it up with Christ and what I have in Him. The truth is, whatever it is, never measures up! Nothing, NO ONE can fulfill all my desires like Christ can.

What desire, needs, or wants do you have right now? Have you spent time in God’s presence? Do you have a hunger for God and the things of God? Ask God for the hunger, He will give Himself to you.

He is your portion!

If you need peace…

If you want guidance…

If you are lonely and desire friendship…

If you long for fellowship…

If you desire ministry…

If you long for healing…

If you need comfort…… He is your portion

Desire God more than all of these things and He will touch those areas you have lack in.

Let us partake of Him today! Let us lay down our desires and only desire what God wants. This will make us what God wants us to be and what we were created for!

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com