Hungry For More Of Jesus

J

jeremyhulsey Sep 13, 2003

How jealous we must make the Lord! We give our time so generously to eat at the table of His enemies--TV is just on example--but we abandon and ignore His table. Oh, how He would love to have that time to feed us the true Bread of Life! Isn't it past time to overturn the table of the devil in our lives? To enter the prayer closet and feast on the true Bread of God? To rid our lives and homes of everything that stains and pollutes our spiritual minds? We need to ask ourselves honestly: At whose table will we be seated when the Redeemer comes suddenly to Zion?~David Wilkerson~Hungry For More Of Jesus

J

jeremyhulsey Sep 13, 2003

We cannot continue another hour calling ourselves servants of God until we can answer this question personally: Do I truly want nothing but Christ? Is He truly everything to me, my one purpose for living?Is your answer yes? If you mean it, you will be able to point to a dung heap of your life, the one that Paul spoke of in "counting everything worthless that I might win Christ." Have you counted all things as loss for the revelation of Him? If you want nothing but Christ then your ministry is not a career--your ministry is prayer! If He is all-in-all to you, you will refuse as wickedness the ladder of success. You will hide yourself away with Him. You will not have to be prodded to seek Him; you will go often to your secret closet, knowing that the moment you walk in you are seated at His table. You will worship Him, sitting in His presence unhurried, loving Him, praising Him with upraised hands, yearning after Him and thanking Him for His wisdom.So many of us use Christ to further our own ministries, to build our own kingdoms, to advance our own careers. We trade on His name. God, forgive us! Do we really love Him? Do we truly want only Him? We must settle that question first. Until we know that Christ alone is all we need and desire, we should not go anywhere or do anything in His name, because the only thing we can give to people that will transform them is what we have of Christ. And that comes from time spent sitting at His table, feasting on Him alone.~David Wilkerson~Hungry For More Of Jesus~

sermonindex Sep 13, 2003

To rid our lives and homes of everything that stains and pollutes our spiritual minds?One word of caution on this idea is that we have to deal with our hearts not our surroundings. It's way to easy to throw out my T.V and other distractions but then spend many hours on the Internet or reading books about God but still not seeking God Himself.We cannot continue another hour calling ourselves servants of God until we can answer this question personally: Do I truly want nothing but Christ? Is He truly everything to me, my one purpose for living?This is very true. But I would also say that God slowly leads us and guides us to give Him all that we are. There is no short cut in spirituality to become a Hudson Taylor, Charles Finney, Jonathan Goforth, or Watchman Nee. These men all sought God and sacrificed time and energy to give Him there lives and service. Like Ravenhill once said: 'there is one thing I have given God in my life that is my time.'Do we really love Him? Do we truly want only Him? We must settle that question first.Yes we need to come to Jesus and seek to be filled with the waters that never leave us thirsty.

J

jeremyhulsey Sep 13, 2003

One word of caution on this idea is that we have to deal with our hearts not our surroundings. It's way to easy to throw out my T.V and other distractions but then spend many hours on the Internet or reading books about God but still not seeking God Himself.I'm glad you said that. I was going to put one more quote from this book that would put the other two more in context, but I was afraid that some would take it the wrong way. Here is the other quote from the book I was going to put in:We must not be deceived: Good works will not dispel emptiness. Preaching on social issues will not either. Those old Spurgeon notes will not take care of it. And the best storytelling in the world will not help. All of our personal experiences and clever life-applications just won't cut it. Nothing will get us in the flow of the revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ until we put up our notes, stop studying other preachers and study Christ alone in the secret closet of prayer. We all serve the same God and we all are taught by the same Holy Spirit, as has been every man and woman who has grown into the fullness of Christ. It simply must become a matter of hunger and desperation. We must become hungry enough to eat His book, to get our own touch of God.~David Wilkerson~Hungry For More Of Jesus

sermonindex Sep 14, 2003

Those old Spurgeon notes will not take care of it. And the best storytelling in the world will not help. All of our personal experiences and clever life-applications just won't cut it. Nothing will get us in the flow of the revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ until we put up our notes, stop studying other preachers and study Christ alone in the secret closet of prayer. I am not trying to make it seems that what wilkerson says is wrong or not complete. But I think that in spiritual growth God uses many things i.e. people, scriptures, circumstances, trials, The Holy Spirit, etc.. to bring us to the 'revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ'. Spurgeon said that God will not show you a spiritual truth by direct revelation always but we have many volumes of people who have had that revelation and we can gleam alot from what they experienced in God. Teaching, preaching, etc. has alot to do with how God transfers this 'knowledge of Jesus Christ'. In every person's walk with God they are expected as a vital practice to communion with God (Jesus). But this is not the only place we grow in knowledge of Him.I agree with wilkerson that this place of secret prayer and communion with Jesus Christ is the paramount office and place where we grow in spiritual life. But other truth's from christian literature and life experiences that should be prayfully considered and will in turn result in spiritual growth."And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." - 2 Timothy 2:2Paul|"the things you heard me say"|many witnesses (these heard the truths spoken as Paul taught Timothy)|Timothy|"entrust to reliable men"|Reliable men|"who will be qualified to teach others"|OthersThis simple flow diagram clearly (hopefuly hehe) shows that the Gospel which Paul was "appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher." How it is passed along to other people. Paul didnt direct everyone who wanted to know God to seek Him themselves and go to an "arabia" experience like Paul himself had done. But he clearly taught the people the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Much of that requires that people seek God themselves in the closet of prayer but also it required the people to accept the "teachings" given devlivered by Paul by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

J

jeremyhulsey Sep 14, 2003

I think what I'm trying to get at with these posts is that with all the great knowledge that is before us, that is most definately beneficial to us, if we're not careful, it can become mere acedemics.What David is trying to get at in this book is: Do you know Him? Yes you've heard Him preached and read about Him, but have you met Him? I remember a song from the 80's (well the chorus anyway). The verses say that we can know all the doctrines and quote all the scriptures, but (and here's the part I remember) :-D When it's all been saidWhen it's all been done, He'll ask me;Did you go My way child? Did you know My Son?When it's all been said, When it's all been done, He'll ask me;Did you find your way within My Son?In Christ,Jeremy Hulsey

sermonindex Sep 14, 2003

I think what I'm trying to get at with these posts is that with all the great knowledge that is before us, that is most definately beneficial to us, if we're not careful, it can become mere acedemics.I agree totally that all it can amount to is head knoweldge. And in that respect everyone has to experience Jesus Christ for him or herself personally. And to really find Jesus Christ ultimately makes us seek Him alone for who He is!"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." - John 7:37b"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life, These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" - John 5:39-40

C

crsschk Sep 14, 2003

Nothing here to disagree with. Some thoughts. Some questions, not really any statements and not in any particulor fashion. Doesn't it kinda boil down to a heart issue in a sense? As was stated, you can take away the surroundings and still not have dealt with the root, the deep part that lies in the heart. What is it that you long for? Are you hungery? Is this walk not an adventure, a journey? Is it not always changing, learning, growing, abiding, weeping, rejoicing, praising, and mourning? Conviction, repentence and restoration? Is it not 'all' these things, books, and fellowship and help and prayer, teaching, sharing, serving, giving, dying? Isn't it wonder-ful?!!! Is it not true that ALL things work together for good to those who love Him?Rats, the word I hate to use 'balance', hmmm maybe it's being led by the Holy Spirit, His 'balance'? Being attentive to that still small voice, the one that tells you 'you have been on the internet to long'...eehh heeemm, that 'you need to pray for your wife right now' or 'have you thought about your brothers who are being persecuted for My name in India?'A pool of resources for a word in due season...Why do I get up at 4:00 in the morning? Because it makes me 'spiritual'? Is it because I 'need' to? No, I want to, I GET to! Praise God I am going to take in all that I can while there is still yet day, if it consumes me, overwhelms me, drives me to "all this teaching has driven you mad" insanity, Well praise the Lord! Let it spill over, let my life be splattered all over the earth, let it be said "he took in TOO much of Gods presence, of the love of Jesus and thefilling of the Holy Spirit and one day just exploded" and now the whole world is stepping in it.Praise be to God, I am insane!Now, do I have the guts to post this...Lord, you know me, expose meMake me a bigger fool yet!

sermonindex Sep 14, 2003

Praise God I am going to take in all that I can while there is still yet day, if it consumes me, overwhelms meAMEN! I was reading "Grace abounding to the chief of sinners" an spiritual autobiography by John Bunyan.. WOW he stuggled so much before he was saved. He was desperate and after recieving some assurance of salvation there came to him mighty spiritual warfare's against his soul."Sometimes these words would run through my thougts a hundred times together: Sell Him, sell Him. And for whole hours at a time I have been forced to stand guard leaning and forcing my spirit against it for fear that before I was aware of what was happening, some wicked thought might arise in my heart that would consent to this temptation. Sometimes the tempter would make me believe that I had consented to it, and then I would be as though tortured upon a rack for whole days together."and then later..."As fast as the destroyer said: 'Sell Him,' I would answer, 'I will not, I will not., I will not; no, not for millions and millions and millions of worlds.' I said this because I was afraid I would set too low a value on Him, and I was so confused and upset that I scarcely knew where I was or how to be quiet again."Yes as you said Mike we need to be desperate for Christ beyond all that the world holds of value. We need it count it as rubbish that we may gain Christ. Ohh to be totally sold out for Him!This reminds me of that part of Bunyan's pilgrim progress that says:"So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his door when his wife and children, seeing him, began to call after him to come back (Luke 14:26). But the man put his fingers in his ears and ran on crying, Life! Life! Eternal Life! So he did not look behind him (Gen. 19:17), but fled towards the middle of the plain."Madness! yes, plugging his ears to all the worldly voices and snares, running towards the light of truth, Jesus! what a wonderful picture of abandonment.

C

crsschk Sep 15, 2003

Right along this line of thinking, more from "They Found the Secret" V. Raymond Edman , chapter 3. John Bunyan: The Unchained Life"And what were the results of Bunyan's being unchained from his doubts and fears?.....he tells of many results. Among them he lists grace that could keep him in deepest difficulties, insight into the scriptures, no fear of death, an assurance of his Lord's presence with him, and a fruitful service for the Savior both in the pulpit and in the prison. "I never saw such heights and depths in grace, and love, and mercy." he declared. "I had two or three times, at or about my deliverance from this temptation, such strange apprehensions of the grace of God, that I could hardly bear up under it; and it was so out of measure amazing, when I thought it could reach me, that I do think if that sense of it had abode long upon me it would have made me incapable for business." He added, when facing a deep testing, "As I was sitting by the fire I suddenly felt this word to sound in my heart: I must go to Jesus. At this my former darkness and atheism fled away, and the blessed things of heaven were set in my view....That night was a good night to me, I have had but few better; I long for the company of some of God's people, that I might impart unto them what God had showed me. Christ was a precious Christ to my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy, and peace, and triumph, through Christ."These lines some up well my thoughts I long for the company of some of God's people,Is what I love about being here, on this site, andthat I might impart unto them what God had showed me.But more importantly, what you all can impart to me. I praise the Lord for His bringing all of us to this place of meeting and to Greg, my dear brother for being a true servant of the Lord who through all this has come to pass.Mike

C

crsschk Sep 15, 2003

Along the same line: "His desire to have every possible help to holiness led him to seek the fellowship of more advanced believers. In a letter to a friend he compared these contacts with other Christians to the necessity for keeping his pocket watch corrected by consultation with the trustworthy and proved clocks in the church steeples. He wrote, “And just so I sometimes think it may be with that inner watch, whose hands point not to time but to eternity. By gradual and slow changes the wheels of my soul lag behind, or the springs of passions become too powerful; and I have no living timepiece with which I may compare, and by which I may amend my going. You will say that I may always have the Son, and so it should be; but we have many clouds which obscure the Son from our weak eyes.”Bonar, A. A., & McCheyne, R. 1996, c1947. Memoir and Remains of R.M. McCheyne.