hunger for God

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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Open Heaven

open heaven_wide_t_nvHave you ever longed to be in God’s presence? Do you hunger for more of God and receive more of whom He is in your life?

I believe God is pouring out His precious Spirit upon all flesh and this out pouring will bring more and more souls into His kingdom. More lives will be transformed by just one moment in His presence. But there is a longing in my spirit for even more. You see, unlike our natural hunger that is satisfied after we eat, our spiritual hunger becomes more intense after we eat and partake from God. The more you spend time in God’s presence, the more you want to stay there. You want more and more of Him. He is so beautiful and loving. His joy will fill your very being. You will know that He has everything under His control.

It is a precious place to be in the everlasting arms of God. This is the beginning of an open heaven into more of God.

Open heaven happens in the natural as well as the spiritual and God’s glory is revealed…

OPEN HEAVEN IN THE NATURAL:

Deut. 28:12 NKJV  

“The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.” 

His good treasure, the heavens! Wow, The heavens are God’s treasure waiting to be

poured out to you and I as we obey His Word! How awesome is that? In this case it was in the natural. God was telling the Israelites that if they obeyed His commands, and followed His ways, He would open up the Heavens, where His great treasure was, and pour out a blessing they couldn’t even contain.

How many want the Lord to bless the work of your hands? The Message states that verse this way:

Deut. 28:12 Message

“GOD will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations but you yourself won’t have to take out a loan.” 

Here God is speaking to the Israelites concerning the many blessings God will give to them as long as they obey His commandments and stay close to Him. These blessings are available in the natural as well as the spiritual.

Too often people see the blessings part and ignore the condition of the blessing.

The conditions for the blessings promised:

1.  They diligently hearken to the voice of God 

Deut. 28:1 – 2 NKJV

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set your high above all nations of the earth.”

God was speaking to them and they were to do their utmost in obeying what He was telling them.

Deut 28:13

“And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.”

We are the head and not the tail. God has raised us up above our enemies and we will be eating at a table prepared for us in front of our enemies all because we love the Lord enough to obey His Word and walk in His ways.

2.  They observe and do all his commandments 

Not only do them for once, but keep them for ever; To set out in His ways and walk in them forever. God wants to see faithful people. Faithfulness is doing the right thing over and over and over and over again.

3.  They should not go aside either to the right hand or to the left 

Deut. 28:14 NKJV

“So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or he left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

It is so easy to be swayed by the things of this world, even false teachings. We must be diligent in our relationship with God and following His word. The United States use to be a nations under God, but today, there are so many critics of the Gospel. Be strong and stand up for what you believe in. Don’t be swayed by becoming “Politically Correct.”

People get offended by the truth, yet the Truth will set you free! ~ “And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 AMP)

Jesus offended many by speaking truth. He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can go to the Father except through Christ. Let’s be a people who make a stand for the Truth. We will be honored and blessed because of it.

“…they should not go after other gods (Deu_28:14), which was the sin that of all others they were most prone to, and God would be most displeased with.

What is an idol in your life? People? Things? Position? Past hurts? If we focus on them more then God, they are “other gods” in our life. Don’t give power to your past hurts by playing and replaying them over and over again.

Blessings follow obedience!

When we obey we are blessed

First, and foremost, we make good decisions when we choose to follow God’s Word. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Obeying God’s word will help shine light on the next step you should take. We can look to God’s Word for any situation we may be facing in life. God has the answers for us. Are you willing to look?

Second, when we obey God, our life has less trials then one who disobeys and continues to make poor decisions for their life.

Proverbs 4:18 – 19 (The Message)

“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of the wrongdoing gets darker and darker – travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.”

“Right living = Right Results!” If we choose to live right, and follow God’s word, we will achieve right results in our life. Isn’t it awesome that God gave us His word to help bring right results and success in our lives? This makes me want to obey God even more. It shows His love for us.

Proverbs 3:35 (The Message)

“Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.”

I don’t want anything except the very best from God. If my choices of obeying God brings good results, I will all the more obey Him.

Third, When we obey God’s word we choose life!

Deuteronomy 30:19 – 20 (NKJV)

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may life; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

We choose good health when we choose to obey God and His word. He is for us and His word has life. God will not lead us astray. No! God’s direction is always the right direction to take. We can trust God with our life. He created us in the first place. Surely the Creator knows what is best for His creation. He has given us a blueprint, a roadmap for our lives with His word if we choose to follow and obey it. We will live a prosperous, productive, successful life when we do.

What are some blessings when the heavens are open?

READ Deut. 28:1 – 11

1.  The Lord will Make your businesses and your farms successful.

2.  You will have many children.

3.  You will harvest large crops

4.  Your herds of cattle, flocks of sheep and goats will produce many young.

5.  You will have plenty of bread to eat.

6.  The Lord will make you successful in your daily work.

7.  The Lord will help you defeat your enemies and make them scatter in all directions.

8.  The Lord your God is giving you the land (territory)

9.  God will make sure you are successful in everything you do.

10. Your harvest will be so large that your storehouse (bank accounts) will be full.

11. God will make you His own special people.

12. Everyone on earth will know you belong to the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.

These are the promises of an open heaven!!!

God opens the Heavens spiritually too. God’s rain is more than just stuff but also revival and the bread of His presence. he is the true hidden manna of heaven.

OPEN HEAVEN IN THE SPIRITUAL

One of the most common manifestations of living under an open heaven is constant revelation.

Here are a few examples:

1. Ezekiel 

Eze. 1:1 

“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”

2. John the Revelator

Rev. 4:1 – 2 

“After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit:”

Rev. 19:11 

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

3. Jacob

Gen. 28:12 

“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.”

4. Peter

Acts 10:9 – 11 

“Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners.”

5. Paul wrote…

Eph. 1:15 – 23 (Amplified Bible)

“…[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him. By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, (Heaven opened) so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength…”

…of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him… This comes as we gaze into Christ’s beautiful face.

Hebrews 12:2

“Looking unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” the word “looking” is translated to Gaze or stargazer.”

Gaze: to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something, properly, to stare at, to see with the eyes, to see with the mind, to perceive to know, to become acquainted with by experience, to experience, to see, to look to or study intently. (Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).

As we gaze into Christ’s face, we begin to see how beautiful He is. The more we seek Him, the more He will reveal Himself to us.

6.  Isaiah 6:1 – 5  (I saw the Lord sitting at the throne…)

Isaiah was given a vision through an open heaven of God on His throne. It was a powerful vision. After he saw the vision he couldn’t help but say, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

We become “undone” when we experience an Open Heaven of God’s glory. Yet, we long for and crave for more.

Isaiah 64:1 

“If only You would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at Your presence.”

God is here today and wants to His glory to be revealed in all of us. We are precious to Him.

WHAT IS AN OPEN HEAVEN?

Definition: When the heavens are open we have free access to everything in heavenly realms, a free flowing of Gods abundant graces and ministry power. Ministering under an open heaven is like toiling the soil without labor or sweat on the brow. When heaven is open for you God will be near and heaven will be manifest in the natural “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

OPEN: to be let loose, be thrown open, to loosen, to open oneself

Strongs Concordance states:   pâthach, paw-thakh’, A primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically to loosen,  break forth, let go free,

HEAVEN:  BDB (Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Definitions) – H8064, shâmayim  /  shâmeh, heaven, heavens, sky, abode of the stars, as the visible universe, atmosphere, heaven as the abode of God.

We can safely state that “Open Heaven” literally means: To open wide, throw open or loosen oneself, let go free the sky or atmosphere where God dwells!

How do we receive an open heaven? 

What opens the Heavens? 

What stirs the Heart Of God?

Intimacy is the key to unlock an open heaven. 

There is an intimacy that God longs for but, it will cost us something. The cost is dying to our flesh. We have to decrease so that God can increase in our lives. I know you have heard that saying before but let’s look at it more closely.

How do we receive an open heaven? 

1. We must decrease so God can increase

From the beginning of when we were born we have centered on ourselves. We are a selfish people. It is unfortunately natural to think about ourselves and look out for #1. That is why we have to teach our children to share and be nice to others. We have to teach them to think about the other person’s feelings. We never have to teach a toddler to think about themselves. One of the first words they learn, besides “no, is “mine.”

So it takes some deprogramming to change our thinking and to look beyond ourselves and focus onto God and what He may want. The first step in decreasing is brokenness.

a.  Brokenness

In our brokenness His love pours into our hearts and flows out to those around us like never before. Weeping and even wailing come forth in the pure presence of His sweet life giving sustenance of love. When we think that He has abandoned us and life has turned dark, the light of His pure love reaches us and flows like a river into our lives changing us forever. In brokenness our values and priorities are greatly changed. The things of building and doing become of little value and the reality of being in His presence becomes preeminent.

Acts 14:22

“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 

It seems through brokenness and trials and tribulations God prepares the soil of our hearts to receive from Him. They awakened us from our self-sufficiency and our spirit can respond in humility to the drawing and whooing of the presence of God.

Pride must go! Leaning on our self-sufficiency must go! We have to come to a place where we rely on God and God alone for our everyday needs. When pride is broken, God can move in our hearts in a real and powerful way.

Our self-sufficiency will destroy us and our pride will prevent God’s favor and blessing in our lives. The flesh is hard to tame. The only thing that will tame it is to lay it down at Christ’s feet and say, “Have your way in me.”

Christ said it well in Matthew 26:39b Amplified Bible,

“…My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire.”

Even Jesus gave up control to the Father when He literally laid down His life for His Father’s will.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” Philippians 1:21 (NKJV).

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

These passages of scripture show how we are to view our lives. It’s all about what He wants. When we give our hearts to Christ, we are not our own but His.

You need to deal with your flesh immediately. Your flesh doesn’t want to die. It will scream out at you to stop. It will scream out in self-pity to have its way. Be aware of it when the time comes for you to let go of your control to God.

If self-pity wins, sin has won. 

Press through the pain of letting go of your will.

The world will tell you to look out for yourself, stand up for your rights, but God requires us to be broken and have a contrite heart, these sacrifices God will never despise (Psalm 51:17 NKJV).

It’s never fun to die. It costs us something. Our will has to die. Flesh wants to run when it is costly or painful.

We must die to our flesh, our pride, and self-sufficiency, because they can rob us of a close relationship with Christ, and prevent us from being what God created us to be.

Amy Wilson, with the Christian Literature Crusade, expresses this thought well;

God, harden me against myself,

The coward with pathetic voice

Who craves for ease and rest and joy.

Myself, arch-traitor to myself,

My hollowest friend,

My deadliest foe,

My clog, whatever road I go.

Our flesh will scream for us to have its way. We are only deceiving our self if we let it win. Part of our flesh is our pride. Pride comes in so many packages. One big package was my stubborn will.

I had to lay my dreams and goals at Christ’s feet. They were my crowns, or the precious things I had carried all my life, and really they amounted to nothing compared to God’s plans for me. Laying down my dreams and letting go of my self-sufficiency was making me decrease, and giving God back control and allowing Him to transform my life was allowing God to increase in my life.

When I decreased, it was no longer about me, but God. When God increased, He not only became the center of my life, but He increased Himself and His presence in me.

He increases areas of my life as I walk in obedience to His word. 

It is a fail-safe plan to decrease and have God increase. It is a “win – win” situation.

B. Obedience – Is also needed to experience an open heaven. We must obey His commands and we must obey His promptings we sense in our hearts.

C. Submission – Submission and obedience go hand in hand. We have to submit under God’s and possibly other’s authorities that God has placed over us. This kills pride on the spot and creates a broken, humble heart.

All three: Brokenness, Obedience and submission bring decrease and allow God to increase.

How do we receive an open heaven? (Cont…)

2.  Praise And Worship

As we praise and worship the Lord, it frees us to start focusing on Christ and not our problems or situations.

Worship is the atmosphere of Heaven

Brokenness is the currency of heaven.

When we worship, we bring Heaven’s atmosphere to earth, right where we are. Being broken and humble and coming and adoring God is the only place to be when wanting an open heaven. This creates an open heaven.

3.  Waiting and Soaking in the presence of God.

This quiets our spirits so we can hear God’s voice. Just taking the time to wait in God’s presence will create that atmosphere for receiving.

We get too busy and distracted. Soaking in God’s presence (laying down or humbly sitting) helps us to be still and to recognize who we are compared to God. He brings rest and peace. So many voices pressing to be heard from our jobs, family, responsibilities, and more will scream at you for attention. Soaking in God’s presence, with worshipful music on, will bring you right where God is. He is peace and rest. He is the lover of your soul.

4.  Being like King David, “A Man After God’s Own Heart.” – We need to chase, hunger, and long for time with the Lord. Intimacy is the key to an open heaven! David wanted to please God’s heart. He not only wanted to please God’s heart but he was after God.

Don’t be afraid to be intimate with God. Do you know He longs for this? He created you for communion and companionship.

Something happens when we allow God deeper into our hearts. We see things differently and we approach our daily life differently because we have a Savior Who is so intimate and real and Who cares about our everyday life. It brings change in our thinking an reasoning. Intimacy with God is a beautiful thing.

I have always known that God longs to be with His people in close fellowship, but to experience an Open Heaven first hand has changed me forever. 

I had an experience with God during prayer. My eyes were closed but saw vividly a vision and wrote it in my journal several years ago and wanted to share it with you today:

Atmosphere of Heaven

By Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

7/19/05

Revelation 22:1 (Amplified)

Then He showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

I was praying this morning and sensed the Lord’s presence right away. I sensed a very sweet drawing in my spirit to come. As I was seeking the Lord, I saw a River and walked up to it. Soon I found myself swimming in the River and Jesus was with me. He looked at me and said, “Come with me and let me show you more!” He held me with one arm and we flew up in the air towards the clouds. Higher and higher He took me through the clouds until we came to an opening where a gate appeared. The gate was open. I looked into the field where the gate opened to and saw an immense structure. As we walked up to the structure I saw and heard a river flowing from the structure. Actually, the river was part of the structure. I looked at the River and followed it up with my eyes to see where the birthing of the River came from. It came from within the throne of God Almighty. It was the throne of God. It was so bright in appearance and glowing with beauty and strength. I found myself on the side of this great structure, listening and watching the River flowing from the throne, realizing the vastness and watching the water fall and flow downward to the earth. I could hear the strength in the water. As I watched where the River flowed I could see it flow down from Heaven, through the atmosphere of earth, into houses and places filling them with the River of God. People were drinking and swimming in their homes from this enormous River. Healing came from the River. Laughter came from the River. Peace and health came from the River. Any need the people had was met in the River. My eyes went back to the huge structure in Heaven and I longed to be in it. I heard Jesus say, “Jump in!” I don’t remember jumping, I just remember diving into this flowing, Mighty River. Jesus was with me and we flowed through the waterfall and floated to a calm and peaceful area of the River. Jesus splashed me and I splashed Him back. We laughed and played some more. As we laughed, Jesus took His tender loving arms and wrapped them around me and held me close. How did He know I wanted to be close to Him? I didn’t even realize my need for intimacy until He held me. As He held me He swayed from side to side. He placed His head on mine and just held me and swayed. He stopped and looked intently into my eyes and stroked my hair and said, “I love you, Kris.” “You are so precious to Me.” I wept and whispered, “I love you too Jesus.” Knowing my life and my imperfections, and knowing Who was holding me brought a sense of value into my soul. All my imperfections in my life washed away and I was perfect in the arms of Christ. I thought to myself, “The River was His love flowing from the throne of God.” Then I thought, “Shouldn’t Jesus be sitting on the right side of God?” As I thought those words I looked and beside the enormous structure was Jesus sitting on the right side of God. He was glowing with an orange yellow glow. He looked different to me then He looked when He was holding me in His arms just a few seconds earlier. He was a mighty warrior ready for battle. His eyes were surveying the land in front of Him. I knew He would win every battle. Defeat was never an option. I felt safe and secure gazing at this Strong Tower of strength. I looked and thought, “Where are the twenty-four elders and the creatures flying and crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy?” Before I could even finish asking that question I heard a screech and looked up above the throne and saw them flying, hovering over the Lord with grace and beauty. I looked down to the throne again and realized the twenty-four elders were a part of God’s throne.  All were giving glory to God in constant worship. I too was compelled to worship and realized I was worshipping all along from the instant I walked through the gates. It wasn’t even a thought to think about. It came naturally from within me. It was the atmosphere of Heaven.

Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

by

A Cry For Revival Series: “What Is Revival?”

“A Cry For Revival” series is based on Pastor Kris Belfils’ book: “Revive, Rebuild, and Restore.” You can listen to Pastor Kris preaching this message here: “What Is Revival?”

Psalm 85:6 (Amp)

“Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”

Recently God has been talking to me about spiritual revival. I have always longed to see revival in my own church. As a little girl, we were taught about revival, and were told that revival was coming. All I knew was how hungry I was for God, and that hunger continues to burn in me everyday.

It is hard to imagine my life without being intense about God. I received Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior at the age of nine. I remember I wanted to tell everyone I knew about God and what He can do in their life. Passion grew in me to see people transformed and changed by the power of God. Now, as an adult, I still feel the same, but that passion has grown immensely and my desire to see people changed sometimes overwhelms me.

What about you? Do you have a hunger, a passion for God? To what extent are you willing to satisfy that hunger? If you don’t, maybe you need to be revived in your spirit.

What is revival?

When you desire to see His name glorified – you are desiring revival. When you seek to motivate the Church – you are seeking revival. When you are burdened by sin within the Church – you are burdened for revival. When you ask the Lord to fan the flame within your own heart – you are asking for revival.

A revival is not the Church deciding to do something and doing it. It is something that happens or is done to the Church by God. It is an awakening to who God is and a longing to be close to Him and follow His word.

Psalm 119:159 (Amp)

“Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to Your loving-kindness!”

If we were to start experiencing revival, what would it be like? Are we in revival right now?

Revival is…

1.  A spontaneous outpouring of the presence and power of God that moves the people to respond.

Only God woos and draws the heart to Him. His Holy Spirit pricks the heart to respond to His drawing. It is God who pours out His spirit upon all flesh. Something happens when you are in the presence of the Lord. Once you have experienced it, you are never the same. True signs of revival are people longing and lingering in the presence of God.

2.  A heart of repentance and obedience.

Repentance and obedience is another sign of true revival. Throughout the history of the church and the revivals that have taken place, repentance is one of the main signs that have been manifested. People can’t help but repenting and asking for forgiveness when the presence of the Lord has saturated the place.

3.  A hunger for God, and the things of God. 

Revival is an awakening of hearts to God and the things of God. It is an awareness of our need for more of God. Hunger makes one do desperate things. Desperation makes one run to the source to be satisfied. With God, He will always satisfy those who hunger and thirst after Him. We shall be filled!

4.  A desire to go deeper in Him, and to excel to a higher level spiritually.

Once we repent, and taste and see that the Lord is good, we want more. Natural hunger is satisfied after you eat a meal. Being spiritually hungry builds to more hunger and a desire to go deeper with God. It really makes you want to give your all, un-abandoned to your Creator. Complacency is not present in revival. Satisfying the flesh is never an option when true revival has come. Only satisfying and pleasing God is the main desire.

5.  A realization of our humanity and our need to repent.

In true revival, we see our humanity and our need for a Savior. We lose our dignity for His deity. We decrease with our desires to please our flesh and God increases in us. We see that God is God and we are not. Pride and arrogance is gone and humility and brokenness is present.

6.  It is seeing souls saved. It is seeing lives changed, not changed for just a few days, but changed forever. 

Seeing souls, people, come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior should be fruit of true revival. The revivals in history all have the common factor of people coming to Christ.

7.  It is bringing dead things back to life!

Remember during Easter 2012, I preached a sermon: “You Are Never Too Dead For A Resurrection!” Remind yourself there is nothing too dead that God can not resurrect in your life.

We all need to be revived! 

Maintaining and advancing in our relationship with God is a daily nurturing. We can get beaten down by the enemy because he doesn’t want us to have a relationship with God. His job is to bring division between you and God every chance he gets. The key is to not give him any chances. How do we do that? We guard our hearts and protect our relationship we have with God every second of every day.

Psalm 138:7 (Amp)

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.” 

You might be in a place where you are worn out or complacent in your walk with God. It is easy to get there. Little things every day can bring a separation between you and God. Remember one of the biggest peace robbers in our life is business!

Today, the church needs to be revived. Revival is desperately needed in any church to cause an awakening to what God is doing and wanting to do.

Are you dead spiritually? Are you dead in your heart or spirit? We are starting a revival series called; “A Cry For Revival” that will span the next few months at Hope Fellowship. This will help bring an awakening to all hearts. It will usher in the freedom of God’s spirit to have His way in all of us. By the time we are finished with this series it is my prayer for more freedom, more growth, and more of Jesus in all of us! AMEN!

A Cry For Revival

Revive, in the dictionary, is: “To activate, set in motion, or take up again; renew, to restore to life or consciousness, to put on or show again, to make operative or valid again, to bring back into notice, use, or currency, to quicken or renew in the mind, to reanimate or cheer (the spirit, heart, etc., or a person), to return to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, or a flourishing condition, to recover from financial depression, to be quickened, restored, or renewed, as hope, to become operative or become valid again.”  (Dictionary.com)

Wow, what an awesome look at what revival is! We need to be activated in our faith. Let faith arise in us. The enemy knows if he can put doubt in our hearts it will paralyze us from doing anything for God. It will put despair and discouragement in us and we become defeated. It is imperative for us to activate and celebrate our life in Christ. To walk and experience life more abundantly then ever dreamed possible. This is obtainable and available for all of us right now!

A Cry for revival is something that comes from deep within us and can’t help to come out and be heard by the ears of God. Crying out to God brings Him instantly to us. As we all cry out to God we become one voice, one cry and God is compelled to respond. In an orchestra, when all the instruments are playing at the same time, it is called a “full cry.” The listener is moved and it gets the attention of all who are present. It makes a statement that will never be forgotten. This is the same when we cry out in one voice to our creator to help us revive and become fully awake to Him and His presence.

There are many forms of revive; “Revivable, revivability, revivably, reviver, revivingly, revival.” Looking at these thoughts and the possible related forms makes me ask, “Do you have revivability? You might ask yourself, “Am I revivable?”

Do you feel dead? Are you struggling with life? Do you feel like you are doing the same thing over and over again and not feeling fulfilled? If so, maybe you have developed wet wood. I know a wet piece of wood is impossible to light on fire until it has dried out. We can get so immersed in this world and our hearts can grow wet and cold, and we feel very little when it comes to God, and the things of God. We can get so use to being in church and “churchy” things we don’t even see our flame has died. But if you put a bunch of combustible things around the wet wood and under the wet wood, and light it on fire, the wet wood will eventually dry out and ignite and burn. This is the same when it comes to lighting the fire of God in our hearts and catching fire to hearts of those that seem cold or dead around us.

Revival Is…

Revival is releasing any un-forgiveness, bitterness, or past hurts to God and allowing Him to bring a refreshing in your soul. It is walking humbly with God, hand in hand, and watching Him reveal areas in your life that needs attention or change. You see, revival is bringing dead things back to life. We can have dead relationships, dead finances, dead dreams, and dead emotions. We need revival spiritually, we need revival over our past mistakes or past regrets. We need revival for our future too. God breathes life into dead things. This is revival.

Revival comes in so many different forms, but the bottom line is; something was dead and needs life again. It can be your old way of thinking and God brings a new revelation of thought. It can be spiritual blindness and you couldn’t see God working, and God opens your eyes to see His mighty power at work.

Revival Feels Like A Fire In Our Hearts

Scripture talks about a burning in our heart or a flame. Does your heart burn when you talk about God, read about Him, or hear testimonies about what He is doing? Do you long to be in His presence? This is revival. Does your heart ache to see lives changed and transformed to be more like Christ? Do you have a passion and a deep love for God? This is revival.

The bible refers to a burning or being on fire in our hearts.

Luke 24:32 (KJV)

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

I like how the Message Bible states it, “Back and forth they talked.” Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?” It is a burning in our hearts and spirit to know more of God.

I know when I have spent time with God, or talked about God, or have been in an awesome worship service, I can’t help but feel on fire. There is a burning in my chest and an overwhelming sense that God can do anything. It seems I have to share it and help others, or I will explode. Have you ever felt that?

If you have no desire to be revived, or even see the need to be, ask God to give you a tender heart towards Him. Sometimes we have to let go of the way we think in order to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our intellect can get in the way and lead us astray when it comes to our relationship towards God. Let go of common sense and allow your faith to arise.

Common Sense vs Faith

Common sense says: I don’t have enough money to pay my bills.

Faith says: My God shall supply all my needs.

Common sense says: I better stay home from church today and catch up on my sleep as I have had to put in many late nights at the office.

Faith says: I will go to church and know God will invigorate me and empower me to get through my week!

Common sense says: There is a mountain in my way.

Faith says: Mountain be moved in Jesus mighty name!

Common sense says: I have failed before and will fail again, so I better not try.

Faith says: God is a God of the second, third, fourth, and more chances! God is for me and not against me!

Common sense says: I have always been overlooked for a promotion so why even ask for one.

Faith says: I am the head and not the tail! God has a plan and I will walk in it!

“Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual.”

Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His highest – August 29th)

What “common sense” things are you holding onto that is preventing you from walking out this life of faith and bringing revival to your life?

When revival takes flight, we fly to new heavenly places and our hearts are revived. We soar to higher realms in the spirit as we allow ourselves to let go and fly in our spirit with God. We obtain a different perspective when we fly. Flying sets you free from things that hold you down. We do not get caught in bondage when we take the time to fly with God and be revived in our spirit. Revival is a setting free of the things that bind us. Nothing can hold you down. Nothing can take away the experience. In this higher realm you hear better and see clearer.

Let’s cry out for revival for Hope Fellowship and for all the churches in Spokane, nation, and the world! May God’s mighty army rise up in faith and take this land for God! Good things are a commin’ you just wait and see!

Psalm 119:154 (Amp)

“Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me and give me life according to Your word.”

Next for “A Cry For Revival” we will look at:“Revival Of Our Hearts!” It’s going to be good!

From one burning heart to another,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

Communion