A Reason for Hunger

An odd title that I presume has caught someone’s attention. There are viable reasons for hunger.

  • Hunger tells us that we are in need.
  • Hunger directs us to be satisfied.

Think of hunger as your gas gauge reminding you that you need refueling and if you don’t eat you’ll become weak and …

Think of hunger as a reminder that you are not self-sufficient; that you are mortal, finite, and dependent. Hunger is a humbling tool. It reminds us that we’re not gods. We cannot self-generate fuel for ourselves. The hunger can only be satisfied outside of ourselves.

Am I writing about physical or spiritual hunger?

We will not find spiritual satisfaction and contentment looking inwards. It’s not there. We are creatures who need our Creator to fulfill us, to satisfy us, to make us whole. A person is complete in Christ, nowhere else.

Two Thoughts about Hunger:

1. If you have a hunger for the spiritual, for the Holy, please be absolutely sure that you are seeking and partaking of the right food. There is a lot of junk food out there claiming to have the daily nutrition that you need. There are many voices telling you that they have the truth. We need help to know what is good, right, healthy – the truth.

Advice: Educate yourself in sound biblical theology. Read from various sources. Kool-aid drinkers are either afraid of tasting something else or they are too stubborn/prideful to admit that there is knowledge outside of their kool-aid well.

2. If you do not have a hunger for something greater than yourself, that’s not a good thing. You’re not that special. Life isn’t all about you. Man does not live on bread, pizza, hamburgers, or yogurt … or self alone. We need more and what we need is more important that physical food. What advantage is there to be satisfied in this life and be found wanting when you step out of it? You need spiritual food. It begins with realizing your need, that you are spiritual impoverished – Matthew 5:3, and then admitting your condition and need–Matthew 5:4.

Advice:  Pray to the Lord God to give you a hunger for Him. Tell Him that you want to hunger and thirst for the eternal, for His kingdom, and for truth that is found in Christ Jesus. This prayer doesn’t require a feeling, just an effort. This is acting on the Scripture, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).”  Jesus promised: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).” God can give you a desire for Him and to seek Him.

Lamentations 3:25 (NCV) — 25 The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (NCV) — 6 Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.

Are you hungry?  If not, seek to be hungry for the eternal, for the truth, and for the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

A Selfish Benefit of Prayer?

How many benefits are there? Com’ on, no one except God knows. I can give you one that I continually, regularly, and faithfully experience (extra adverbs for emphasis).

Recalibration

My personal preference for devotional time (Bible reading and prayer) is early in the morning. I love the quiet mornings; more of a Jed Clampett than a night owl. By starting my day off with devotions I get recalibrated. My mind and heart starts the day off focused on my God, and it helps me to see with an eternal perspective. All of this helps to get my priorities in line for the day as well see the Gospel afresh for the day.

The honest part is: I wish I could stay calibrated throughout the day. But as the insurance commercial reminds us, “Life comes at us fast.” Sometimes it is a challenge just to drive to work. As the day wears on the needs for re calibrating our heart, soul, mind, and …. (fill in the blank) becomes more obvious. We are messy lives, especially spiritually,  needing our Maker and Sanctifier to put our bubble back between the lines, level, and moving forward.

Challenges and temptations, successes and failures shout reasons for recalibration. “Here I am, Lord. I’m still a mess and I’m still broken.” I need my alone time with my Father, my Savior, and my Sanctifier—the Triune God. Discombobulated is not my preferred alternative state for the day.

“Oh God, You are my God; Earnestly I seek You.” Psalms 63:1a (NIV)

Do I think this is a selfish motive to pray? It is a God-given benefit of His grace. Therefore, the answer is: Nope.

A Conversation Between Prayerful and Prayerless

Many people wrestle with the question: “If God ordains and controls everything, then won’t His plans from of old come to pass whether we pray or not?”

This is a fun and clear explanation, via a conversation between Prayerful and Prayerless that will answer this question.

Click this LINK to go to the Blog or read below. Thanks, John Piper.

*****

Prayerless: I understand that you believe in the providence of God. Is that right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: Does that mean you believe, like the Heidelberg Catechism says, that nothing comes about by chance but only by God’s design and plan?

Prayerful: Yes, I believe that’s what the Bible teaches.

Prayerless: Then why do you pray?

Prayerful: I don’t see the problem. Why shouldn’t we pray?

Prayerless: Well, if God ordains and controls everything, then what he plans from of old will come to pass, right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: So it’s going to come to pass whether you pray or not, right.

Prayerful: That depends on whether God ordained for it to come to pass in answer to prayer. If God predestined that something happen in answer to prayer, it won’t happen without prayer.

Prayerless: Wait a minute, this is confusing. Are you saying that every answer to prayer is predestined or not?

Prayerful: Yes, it is. It’s predestined as an answer to prayer.

Prayerless: So if the prayer doesn’t happen, the answer doesn’t happen?

Prayerful: That’s right.

Prayerless: So the event is contingent on our praying for it to happen?

Prayerful: Yes. I take it that by contingent you mean prayer is a real reason that the event happens, and without the prayer the event would not happen.

Prayerless: Yes that’s what I mean. But how can an event be contingent on my prayer and still be eternally fixed and predestined by God?

Prayerful: Because your prayer is as fixed as the predestined answer.

Prayerless: Explain.

Prayerful: It’s not complicated. God providentially ordains all events. God never ordains an event without a cause. The cause is also an event. Therefore, the cause is also foreordained. So you cannot say that the event will happen if the cause doesn’t because God has ordained otherwise. The event will happen if the cause happens.

Prayerless: So what you are saying is that answers to prayer are always ordained as effects of prayer which is one of the causes, and that God predestined the answer only as an effect of the cause.

Prayerful: That’s right. And since both the cause and the effect are ordained together you can’t say that the effect will happen even if the cause doesn’t because God doesn’t ordain effects without causes.

Prayerless: Can you give some illustrations?

Prayerful: Sure. If God predestines that I die of a bullet wound, then I will not die if no bullet is fired. If God predestines that I be healed by surgery, then if there is no surgery, I will not be healed. If God predestines heat to fill my home by fire in the furnace, then if there is no fire, there will be no heat. Would you say, “Since God predestines that the sun be bright, it will be bright whether there is fire in the sun or not”?

Prayerless: No.

Prayerful: I agree. Why not?

Prayerless: Because the brightness of the sun comes from the fire.

Prayerful: Right. That’s the way I think about the answers to prayer. They are the brightness, and prayer is the fire. God has established the universe so that in larger measure it runs by prayer, the same way he has established brightness so that in larger measure it happens by fire. Doesn’t that make sense?

Prayerless: I think it does.

Prayerful: Then let’s stop thinking up problems and go with what the Scriptures say. Ask and you will receive. You have not because you ask not.

Supporting Our Persecuted Brethren – Part 3

“Sympathy is no substitute for action.” – David Livingstone, Missionary/Explorer

The last two posts introduced you to two ministries that support our brethren who are persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. I am familiar with both of them and encourage you to get to know them as well. I’ve included links below to their websites.

Here is one more:  http://www.frontlinemissions.info/

These ministries are not involved in politics or advancing denominationalism. The Gospel is their underlying drive and to help those who are persecuted for trusting in it, living it, and proclaiming it.

www.persecution.com;

www.opendoorsusa.org

Here are a couple of things that we can do:

  • Pray for these ministries. Pray what? For wisdom, discernment, access to the persecuted ones, courage, boldness, and support from the rest of the Body of Christ.
  • If you’re looking for a way to help remember to pray for your brethren, I keep something in my Bible. I have a couple different prayer items that I use like abookmarker.
    • Download this global map from Frontline Missions. Keep it in your Bible and follow the monthly prayer list. Each day is for a different country that is high risk for Christians.
    • I also have a monthly brochure from Opendoorsusa.org that gives specific situations and people to pray for each day of the month.
    • You can also get a daily prayer request sent to your email or mobile device from Voice of the Martyr. There are all kinds of ways to stay connected and support those who are on the front lines and who live in danger every day for their faith.
  • Consider supporting at least one of them, or a similar ministry, financially. I like that these ministries have different ways to financially support the work. Something new with Voice of the Martyr is “Adopt a Front-Line Worker.” Check it out.
  • Find out if they are holding an event in your area and go.
  • Subscribe to the ministries’ newsletters and publications.

A couple of recommended books—fiction and non-fiction:

There are other ministries that support our persecuted brethren. Check them out and give your support in whatever way you can.  Just don’t forget about your brethren.

Our Persecuted Brethren – Part II

Last week I introduced you to a favorite ministry of mine that helps our persecuted brethren. Today I want to introduce you to another ministry in the same vein, same vision, similar purpose and passion. Open Doors

“By noon on July 19th, all Christians were expected to be out of Mosul, Iraq, having been given the ultimatum by the Islamic extremist group ISIS to leave, pay a huge fine or be killed. Before this ultimatum was given, very few Christians remained in Mosul.”

You have probably heard about that story, right? Have you heard about this one: “50 Killed in Nigerian Church Attacks.” Click and read more.

Who is Open Doors?

“Open Doors works in the world’s most oppressive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ’s light in these dark places.”

Something to do in front of your computer, without reading:

  • Here’s a video from Open Doors to help you get your mind … and heart … around this subject:   Open Doors Video
  • Here’s a Challenge from Open Doors (Very well done, and it won’t hurt or cost you any money, I promise):  Video Challenge
  • Here is their blog to help connect and learn more:  BLOG

Please begin praying for the persecuted.