Is There Hunger?

Is There Hunger?

by | May 21, 2021 | Intimacy With God, Kingdom Culture, Prayer And Worship

Is There Hunger?

While reading about the Azusa revival that began in 1906, I was struck by how hungry the people were for God. There was a great eagerness to seek out the deep things of God. The people knew that there was more and they were willing to put in the time to search it out.   

William Seymour turned to God whenever there was a dispute. I believe that the trials that he encountered served to strengthen his pursuit of God. After being invited to Los Angeles he was locked out of the church over a disagreement of theology. With nowhere to go, a family from the church allowed him to stay with them. Seymour responded not with anger or retaliation, but by closing himself in the bedroom to seek God with prayer and fasting. Seymour spent three hours a day in prayer until a fellow minister gave him a word that God wanted him to increase that time to five hours. Even after revival broke out, Seymour continued to spend at least five hours a day in prayer. 

Seymour used a key that so many seem to lack today: hunger. He had a hunger to see what God had placed in his heart come to fullness. Specifically, he hungered to see the baptism of Holy Spirit fall as it did in the days of the apostles. Even before experiencing the baptism himself, Seymour preached and prayed for others to receive the baptism of Holy Spirit. Hunger had given him an insatiable desire for something that was yet to come. True hunger from God always produces a prophetic cry for something yet to come. It decrees salvation for the lost. It stands firm in the middle of persecution. In fact, trials produce the key components for glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18a states, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.”   

When seeking God, neither time nor difficulty is of any effect, only hunger. Pursuit of God with hunger will cause every issue or obstruction in your life to give way for deeper realms of presence. Every issue or sickness must come into alignment with the word of God. As you hunger for God, even the biggest issues begin to fade into a place of lesser concern, replaced with a revelation of God’s heart.   

It’s in this place of transformed desires that our plans and concerns align with heaven. What does that alignment look like? Progressively, your concerns are replaced with God’s heart. What He is passionate about increasingly becomes your passion. You may find yourself moved for a city or nation. I have spent days in tearful intercession for the nation of Brazil and more recently, the state of New York. The Lord has given me dreams revealing His heart for these places. He has shown me the revival that will break out and How he will move across the nation and globe as a result of what He does there. As I press into His heart for these places, the mantle of intercession has started to rest on me.   

The concerns I had for my job, my health, and ministry shrunk away in light of the burning heart that I now had for revival. Every trial was producing in me a greater glory that has carried me to a place of greater anointing. I found myself praying what Isaiah prayed, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) Any true glimpse of God’s heart will force a realignment of priorities. As my revelation of God has increased over the past few years, my goals, ambitions, likes, and desires have shifted. As the glory has increased on me, my primary concern has been on hosting the presence and stewarding the heart of God well.   

Years ago, I began decreeing the words of Christ in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” I didn’t know exactly what I was asking for, I just knew that hunger was the ticket for more. I can now attest to the fact that there is no greater satisfaction than following the heart of God. When you contribute meaningfully to what God is yearning for, your heart will overflow with the joy of heaven. The more you abandon to see His will accomplished the more your joy will be full. Hunger is the opening to release the satisfaction of heaven. Obedience is the vehicle to see it fulfilled. Hunger produces obedience. Obedience releases greater glory, and His presence releases fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11)  

How will you respond to God showing you His heart for a city? Are you prepared to place His priorities above your own? Are you ready to intercede until the answer comes? God is calling for those who have a hunger for the harvest. I pray that He will send you into the field with a burning desire to see His agenda accomplished in the earth.    

 

Knowing Holy Spirit: Part 1

Knowing Holy Spirit: Part 1

by | May 25, 2019 | Intimacy With God, Kingdom Culture

Knowing Holy Spirit: Part 1

Stop for a moment and consider your relationship with Holy Spirit. Would you describe Him as completely transformative, or is He more of a passive observer to your life? I see so many believers who have a very complicated relationship with Holy Spirit or even none whatsoever. God is calling this generation to a greater knowledge and relationship with His Spirit. Let’s look at some ways that we can know Holy Spirit in a greater way!  

Holy Spirit leads us to Christ 

I used to struggle with understanding Holy Spirit for many years. I believed that He was present, but struggled to see how He connected to my life. I knew that He was part of the Godhead, but what is His personality? I once asked the Lord to teach me how to understand and interact with Holy Spirit. His response helped me and I pray that it helps you as well. God spoke to my heart, “You understand Jesus from scripture. Holy Spirit was in Jesus while on earth. All of the personality and nature of Jesus is in Holy Spirit.“ Holy Spirit is the gateway to Christ. Without Him, there is no way to know Jesus.  

All of the personality and nature of Jesus is in Holy Spirit.

This revelation set me out to understanding Jesus in a deeper way. I often tell people, “Want to understand Holy Spirit? Get to know Jesus!” The personality and desires of Christ appear much more defined to us because we can read His words in Scripture. God was showing me that this was Holy Spirit just as much as it was Christ. Jesus himself said “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

The Lord also brought this scripture to mind: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you… When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:7, 13-15) 

Jesus made it clear that it would be better for Holy Spirit to come. Realistically, what could be better than Jesus? As amazing as Christ in the flesh was, He did have limitations. We know that Jesus was tempted, He had normal human sensations such as hunger and grief. He also was limited in terms of location. A man can only be at one place and can effectively listen to only one person at a time. When Lazarus was sick, Jesus was unable to be reached for several days leading to Lazarus’ death; although Jesus easily raised him.  

Holy Spirit is every bit as powerful, loving, and passionate as Jesus; however, Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times. He indwells the believer and is literally everywhere we are at all times. Every temptation and even in grief, He is there. Despite failure and weakness, He is present. I bet the disciples wished Jesus was with them while they unsuccessfully attempted to cast out a demon in Mark 9:14-29. Holy Spirit is infinitely able to be present, heard and communed with. His agenda is heaven’s agenda. Often, we are the only obstacle to Him moving or speaking.

Holy Spirit is infinitely able to be present, heard, and communed with.

Holy Spirit is a Person 

Think for a moment about the way we approach worship services. While they may appear dynamic and spontaneous, often times, they are anything but. Especially in larger settings, services often are scheduled down to the second. A former ministry I was a part of took this to the extreme. We kept a countdown screen in the stage and one on the back wall just in case. In our service planning meeting, we would discuss even when or how the “spontaneous worship” would break out and who would lead it from the stage. Occasionally, we would even coordinate with certain people in the crowd to either stand or come up front. To the casual observer, they were in a great service. After all, that’s what we were targeting: casual observers who had children and paid tithes.  

This felt wrong to me for obvious reasons. Often, I would comment, “Where is Holy Spirit” and, “That’s not genuine.” After several objections, I gained the nick name “Old-Timer.” Apparently, that is the way things were done in days past. Now, we have a computer and a clock. Even our worship consists of backing tracks and a click metronome. Do not misunderstand me, I am not totally against such things, but the thought of relying on our program instead of Holy Spirit for direction turns my stomach.  

Holy Spirit is not always understood as a person of the Godhead. He is not seen as truly present, or at least active most of the time. In truth, He is more alive and active than the air you’re breathing. He moves on, in, and through the praise, declarations, faith, and prophecy of His people. Every day, He must be passionately sought and listened to. We can never break communion with Holy Spirit or we will be lost without His direction and anointing.  

Holy Spirit Speaks 

Our current ministry is a house church. The focus has been to give Holy Spirit room to move in every meeting. I have to admit, it took time for us to detox from a system of charts, agendas, and orders of worship. Everything from teaching, to singing, to giving can be used as a key to open the heavens. I often forego sermon notes and speak what Holy Spirit has laid on my heart. I have found, it is much easier to hear Holy Spirit when you aren’t reading bullet points. The further we move into spontaneous worship, the more we must depend on Holy Spirit. Search for what Holy Spirit is saying or doing and press into His impression and you will encounter breakthrough at every level.

I can promise, if you give Holy Spirit adequate room to speak, He will do that and much more. Imagine if Jesus was scheduled to attend your meeting next week. Obviously, the whole service would be structured around His presence. You would expect Him to not only speak, but to heal, deliver, prophesy, even raise the dead. People would come from miles around to see and hear Him. The truth is, we don’t expect Jesus to come and we plan accordingly. When He does come, we have a schedule to keep so He gets ignored.  

Our pastors aren’t conditioned to hearing His voice and the people aren’t trained to listen. I am ashamed to say, if Holy Spirit took a week off this Sunday, many churches wouldn’t notice a difference. The pastor wouldn’t either. He’s on part three of a six week series. This whole concept should scare and shock you. The church cannot continue in such a dead and lifeless state. We are the living fulfillment of 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…” 

We need Holy Spirit more than ever before. Get in your prayer closet and pray until you sense His presence. Listen until you hear His voice. Lead others to do the same and we will see a much needed revival in our land.  

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising. 

Isaiah 60:1-3

Press In To Be Filled

Press In To Be Filled

by | May 13, 2019 | Biblical Studies, Kingdom Culture

Press In To Be Filled

Want to be filled with gifts of the Spirit? Desire greater anointings? Want to speak in tongues and prophecy? Press in!   

So often I see people struggle to receive the gifts of the Spirit, especially tongues. Eventually, they usually conclude that tongues or prophecy is just not for them. Possibly you speak in tongues but struggle to operate in other prophetic giftings. I want to encourage you, God has greater things for you! Paul directed us to “earnestly desire the higher gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) and to “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1) He put a priority on the pursuit of the prophetic and I encourage you to do the same.   

Paul states, “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.” (1 Corinthians 14:5) His challenge is to seek out the higher levels of the prophetic because these are the gifts that affect others the most. Paul never states that tongues is a weak gift, or that it should not be desired. In fact, he encourages everyone to speak in tongues. But, Paul desired most of all to see growth, especially the growth that enables one to edify the whole church.  

“We will not accidentally lay hold of the highest things God has called us to do. We must press into them, knowing that the devil presses back.”

Earnestly Desire

The reason so many lacks spiritual giftings is simply because they are not earnestly desiring them. What does that look like, exactly? The phrase “earnestly desire” in 1 Corinthians 12 comes from the Greek word “zéloó” literally meaning “to be jealous.” It speaks of a deep desire, pursuit or longing and is where we get the word zealous. Would you describe your pursuit of the prophetic as zealous? Mike Bickle stated, “We will not accidentally lay hold of the highest things God has called us to do. We must press into them, knowing that the devil presses back.” 1  

Herein is the issue that so many struggles with, they simply lack the motivation and/or discipline to press into what God has made available. Like any manager who has entrusted a great deal to their employee, there is a level of responsibility that must first be presented. God tests those with whom He has entrusted with a powerful anointing. I truly believe that many avoid contending for a higher gift simply because they fear the scrutiny that will be associated with it. “…everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48)   

In full disclosure, operating in greater anointings will test your relationship with God. Every time I have gone up a level, God has required a greater commitment from me. He is patient and kind, but He is just. Those to whom he gives much authority to will be expected to make great steps of faith, and at times, great sacrifice. Think of the disciples. They were anointed greatly and tasked with taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. All but one would give their life for Christ; and yet, they planted the seeds of faith that bloom still today. At times they were powerhouses of faith, other times, they were filled with fear or doubt. Jesus taught them to pray and fast, to go expecting all needs supplied, and to take authority in His name. We must do the same. I know there are those who hunger for more at any cost and I pray this speaks to you.

Resist The Devil

Mike pointed to a second issue, the devil will resist any attempt you will make towards a more powerful anointing. I don’t mean to scare you, but Satan will cause any pebble to seem like a mountain. He very well may throw the kitchen sink at you and your family. I can’t overemphasize being ready to go on the offense.   

Recently, as we cried out for a greater anointing in our church, we were hit with all kinds of obstacles. A family member was diagnosed with a severe illness, we were psychologically strained, even three of our pets became ill. Bella, our boxer took a high fever for three weeks. After repeated Vet trips and medications, she was none better and close to death. God revealed that this was a demonic attack on our family and Brittany and I was led to take authority. You may think it is silly to pray for a dog, but we did. I wasn’t willing to give that devil even an inch! Within hours, Bella’s fever was gone and she has made a remarkable recovery.  

We prayed and decreed until God spoke. He gave fresh revelations about our ministry that breathed in a new life where it was needed. We decreed healing and continue to do so! Be ready to use those gifts that you are seeking. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Satan fears a strong and fearless bride. When you operate the anointing, no devil in hell can stop you. Draw the blood-line where the enemy cannot cross. Release God’s words from your mouth and take dominion from the enemy. Boldly go before the throne and fearlessly proclaim the name of the Lord!   

Press In!

Never underestimate the power of pressing in. When you pray and fast, God hears. He is drawn to those who are searching after Him. Trust me, God is hungry for us to begin calling out with desire. He is searching for those who are set apart for His glory. Do not think that you are disqualified from a certain gift. I have noticed that Satan is the only one mentioning how unqualified I am. God has never responded with disappointment or disproval when I seek Him with a hungry heart.   

We have all seen ministers fall and misuse anointings. Should this dissuade you from seeking more? Absolutely not. Satan counts on a weak, ineffective, and ignorant church that has no response to his tactics. I would much rather be on the side that spreads the Kingdom of God with authority. Jesus prodded, “He that has ears, let him hear.” Of course, they all had ears, but would they use them? God has given you the tools to spread His kingdom. These gifts were bought with His blood. Will you press in?   

  

  1. Bickle, Mike. “After God’s Own Heart.”  Charisma House, 2009. p. 99