True Liberty! (Independence Day Message)

The Pledge of Allegiance:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I love the Pledge Of Allegiance of the United States, especially the part where it states: “One Nation under God, indivisible, with LIBERTY and justice for all.” The United States was founded and is a nation created for religious freedom. Freedom to worship God the way we want to and freedom to live in liberty and justice for everyone.

No matter how many people fight religious freedom, it will be part of the United State’s foundation. If it were not for spiritual hungry people, the Pilgrims, wanting and longing to worship God freely, and in their own way, the United States would not be here. We all should be thankful for these Freedom Fighters! Dare I say: Revivalists?

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! It was originally written: Life, Liberty, and property, but Jefferson changed it. We have the right to pursue Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the U.S.

The pursuit of happiness is defined as a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy, as long as you don’t do anything illegal or violate the rights of others. This goes along with pursuing God and the things of God.

The United States was founded on Freedom and Liberty. It is a place to be free.

There is a deeper Freedom, a more powerful freedom for Christians that God wants us to experience. We have freedom in Christ. What does that mean?

Gal. 5:1 TPT
Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.

Jesus, the Anointed One, has taken our place as the ultimate sacrifice for all that we have done. He wanted us to have freedom from sin. Freedom from our past. To not be a slave to the wrong we have done. If you have turned to the Lord and He is your Savior, you are free indeed!

John 8:36 NIV
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 TPT
So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!

Jesus wanted us to walk in His freedom. If we don’t, we are saying Christ died in vain. But He didn’t die in vain. I want to really grab ahold of what it means to have liberty in Christ.

2 Cor. 3:16 – 18 NIV
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Once the carnal veil of human reasoning and interpretation is removed, the believer begins to reflect the brightness of God’s glorious inward presence, ever changing more into His likeness and wonder.

“Now the Lord – Christ is that Spirit of the law whereof I speak, to which the letter was intended to lead. And where the Spirit of the Lord, Christ, is, there is liberty – Not the veil, the emblem of slavery. There is liberty from servile fear (having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others), liberty from the guilt and from the power of sin, liberty to behold with open face the glory of the Lord.” ~ John Wesley

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Whenever the Spirit of God is present there is LIBERTY!

We have freedom to be who we are in Christ.

2. We have freedom to pursue Him and find out more about Him.

3. We have freedom to walk in His righteousness and let go of our own.

4. We have freedom to walk guilt and debt free from our past.

And because of all of this…

5. We have freedom to experience all that God has for us.

Liberty

Liberty: In the Noah 1828 Dictionary:
1. Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind.
2. Natural liberty consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life.
3. Civil liberty is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation.
4. Political liberty is sometimes used as synonymous with civil liberty But it more properly designates the liberty of a nation, the freedom of a nation or state from all unjust abridgment of its rights and independence by another nation.
5. Religious liberty is the free right of adopting and enjoying opinions on religious subjects, and of worshiping the Supreme Being according to the dictates of conscience, without external control.
6. Leave; permission granted.
7. A space in which one is permitted to pass without restraint, and beyond which he may not lawfully pass;

Liberty is the very essence of the Gospel.

James 1:25 NKJV
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

The primary motivation for legalism is guilt, but the motivation for the perfect law of liberty is love.

Liberty
Eword: The opposite of servitude or bondage, hence, applicable to captives or slaves set free from oppression. Morally, the power which enslaves is sin (Joh 8:34)…

John 8:34 NKJV
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

…and liberty consists, not simply in external freedom, or in possession of choice, but in deliverance from: the darkening of the mind, sinful lusts and the enthrallment of the will, brought on by a morally corrupt state.

Leviticus 25:10 KJV
And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty (release NASB) throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

This is the first time the word “liberty” is mentioned in the Bible. It is also the famous quote that is on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA… “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…” Most citizens today assume that the famous bell got its name from the fact that it rang when America announced its liberty, but such is not the case. It is called the Liberty Bell because of the Biblical inscription.

Another scripture on liberty…

Isaiah 61:1 NKJV
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

There is deliverance to everyone who is captive in sin, sickness, and even death. This was Jesus’ mission on earth and it still is. We can be set free from all of this because of what He did on the cross for you and I. He took our place. We are free! We are healed! We don’t have to die and spend eternity in hell, but we get to live forever with Jesus some sweet day when we go home to be with the Lord.

In the New Testament:

Luke 4:18 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To set at liberty them that are bruised… The bruised: the completely crushed and shattered in life, the oppressed and broken in body, mind, and spirit so that there is no aim even to live. Sickness, disease, weakness, failure, bondage to sin and evil habits that destroy the body, soul, and mind. Jesus came to “set at liberty” those who have experienced or are experiencing these things.

Liberty means so much more than setting someone free from bondage. It means to bring healing to those who have been crushed in their emotions, body, mind, and spirit.

God wants us to live in His liberty. This means we are living in wholeness and healing of our past: the things we have done and the things that have been done to us.

If you have been crushed and your life seems shattered, if you are oppressed and broken, God wants to heal you of all of that with His freeing power so you can live your life to the fullest! In His liberty!

Here in the United States we have a Liberty Bell and a Statue of Liberty in the U.S. We have “Liberty and justice for all” in our pledge. We have “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in our Declaration of Independence. Liberty is so important for our nation and to each one of us as individuals.

2 Cor. 3:17 NASB
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The Spirit of God is always the spirit of liberty; the spirit that is not of God is the spirit of bondage, the spirit of oppression and depression. The Spirit of God convicts vividly and intensely, but He is always the Spirit of liberty. God who made the birds never made birdcages; it is men who make birdcages, and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg. When we get out into God’s great free life, we discover that that is the way God meant us to live “the glorious liberty of the children of God.” – Oswald Chamber

Liberty in Christ can never be taken away from us. We are free in Jesus because of what he paid for us. I want to be so free that I don’t even think about what I use to be, but to pursue all that God wants me to be. There is no bondage on us. No shackles. No chains. We are released to move and become all that we were created to be, all because of Jesus!

WE ARE FREE!
WE ARE FREE!
WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!
WE HAVE FULL LIBERTY!

Independence Day means so much to me. I declare my independence from this world and pledge my dependance on God.

Pledge to my Savior:
I pledge allegiance to my Savior Who paid the price for my sins, and to His Father and Holy Spirit who lives inside of me, One Kingdom, One God, with unconditional love and acceptance for all.                                                                                         By Pastor Kris Belfils

Your Sister in Christ,

 

Pastor Kris Belfils
http://www.KrisBelfils.wordpress.com
http://www.KrisBelfils.com
http://www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

 

Heart On Fire – Revival Fire

My heart and prayer for all of my Christian life is that God would bring a revival fire to Spokane and the world and ignite and transform people! That they wouldn’t live less then what they were created to live. I have been on staff at various churches in Washington State and all of them my heart burned for God to move on the hearts of the people to awaken them and put a fire in their bellies. I have traveled to Africa, Panama, Germany, Finland, Holland, Sweden, Canada, England, Amsterdam (Netherlands), and all over the United States with this message. Why would I do that? Because God has so transformed me and my life I just have to tell others so they can experience His love, grace, and mercy for themselves. It is a life-changer!!! It is also the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel too all!

I remember receiving the baptism of the holy Spirit at an early age. That experience was life changing too. I was empowered with Holy Spirit’s power and anointing to see and move in God’s Spirit everywhere I went. It was like when I got saved I was given a spoon to dig up dirt. Then when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit I was given a big shovel to dig up dirt. All of the sudden I was given insight and knowledge that I didn’t have before. I was given tools and powerful weapons against the enemy. I was infused with God’s power to fight off the enemy and to take the land for God’s Kingdom.

We all need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist stated that He baptized in water unto repentance but there was someone mightier then he was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:11 – 12 NKJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Unquenchable fire!

Our God is a consuming fire. He hates sin and any residue of it left behind will pollute a godly harvest. During the seasons of harvest, when fruits of intimacy with God has been produced from the inner workings of revival, one aspect of God’s fiery expression is sent forth to purge the staff still left among the gathered threshed grain. This spiritual purging cleanses the ungodly residues that frequently cling to the grain harvest and could defile the value of the final product.

The work of the Holy Spirit in your lives is often compared to the numerous grain harvest described in the Bible. Revival awakens the heart to intimacy with God, which in turn produces fruit of many types. During the mid to latter stages of this awakening happening in a person, group, or thing, God begins to construct the threshing floor.

The laborers, who worked on these threshing floors, threshed the grain and generally used a six-pronged wooden fork-like shovel to scoop up the crushed grain and toss it to the evening winds, removing the outer translucent husks—this is one type of chaff. There are two types of chaff associated with grain harvests. The second type is the stalks, dried leftover roots and broken stubble, which are either fed to the livestock or, most frequently, burned. God requires those who have been revived to produce a pure harvest, one unspotted by the dead works of the flesh.

Imagine for a moment a forest full of beautiful trees that is suddenly devastated by a large wild fire. The statuesque trees are instantly transformed to mere piles of smoldering ash. You can no longer see any resemblance of a forest. All that remains is a desolate place covered in ash. Now this sounds terrible, but in the Spiritual this is an amazing thing.

The fire of revival is a consuming force. As the flames spread, fear, sin, lust, pride, rebellion, and many other bondages are destroyed. Where there was once a large stronghold, there now is freedom. You can no longer see any form of that bondage because it has been overtaken by God’s holy fire. His fire is transformative and full of delivering power. In a moment, the fire of God takes you from just hearing about a move of God into experiencing that move. This fire also releases a deep passion on the inside of your spirit man. As you are in the presence of revival fire, you are stirred in the deepest part of your being.

You cannot choose between the Spirit and the fire. They are inseparable, one and the same. There are not two baptisms, one “in the Spirit” and the other “in fire.” There is one baptism only in the Spirit and fire.

Acts 2:1 – 4 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When the Holy Spirt came on the Day of Pentecost, He arrived with tongues of fire. One hundred and twenty men and women were divinely empowered and supernaturally endued. Heaven’s power invaded the earth, and those one hundred and twenty then shook their whole world. Today, we have got plenty of fanfare, but very little fire; plenty of formulas, but very little flames. We are high on utterance, but low on unction. Where is the holy heat of His presence? What has happened to the “mighty baptism from on high?” How many have been immersed—soaked, saturated, dunked, and virtually drowned—in His enabling power and might? Where is the overwhelming flood tide of His waves in our nation today?

The promise of the Father as Jesus described it, arrived on Pentecost to waiting, seeking, and united souls. It was an outpouring of fire. God is a consuming fire. The result or fruits of this outpouring empowered the Church, unlocking immeasurable spiritual unction to preach, pray, prophesy, and minister.

In this case the fire fell. Revival is not about getting “fired up” as much as it is getting under the “fire fall.” In the natural, fire goes up. In the supernatural, fire comes down. Elijah called down fire from heaven on the sacrifice. Fire came down on Mt. Sinai. Fire came down on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. As they waited, divided tongues as of fire sat on each of them. The fire fell in Jerusalem because that is where He told them to go. Fire falls where God tells you to go. Fire falls on what He tells you to do. Fire falls on obedience.

The fire of revival is the revelation of the Lord Himself. In revival moves, God comes down in the midst of the people in full manifestation. Strange and unusual manifestations take place and what was once difficult suddenly becomes easy in the presence of the Creator. The Lord is clothed in fire. It is impossible to enter into the manifest presence of God without experiencing the fire of God. The fire is in the Holy Place. Outer-court Christians (those who have been converted but live in the flesh) will not be able to experience the fullness of the fire of God. That fire burns in the Holy Place. It is revealed to those who have laid down their lives and moved beyond the flesh realm into the realm of the Spirit.

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Paul’s admonition to the church at Rome was to lay their very lives on the altar and become a living sacrifice. The altar is the place of fire and the place of death. There is a level of Christianity that much of the modern-day Church does not know. It is that place where you have surrendered your entire existence to God. As the believer approaches the fire of God, it means certain death to the life of the flesh but a deep release of the life of the Spirit.

Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.

Romans 8:13-14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Christian who is living their life surrendered to the fire and dying to the flesh is sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. When you have been purged in the fire you are quick to obey God.

Dream: I had a dream over 15 years ago. It was during a time in my life where God was burning out all the dross in me. In the dream, I walked into a big hall or conference room and there were many people attending. I walked up to the front of the room and began speaking out things that God was doing in people. With passion I would shout out “Someone has this in their life and God wants to heal you!” I would point to people and tell them what God was saying to them. From the back of the room a man stood up and said, “She’s been through the fire and that is why she can be used like this!!!” 🔥

I had been through the Holy Fire of God in my life and it was hot. I needed it desperately and I didn’t even know it. After the intense purifying that God took me through with changing the way I thought and acted and spoke, I was ready for God to mold and make me into what He wanted me to be. To this day I am forever changed by that time in my life. (You can read more about this in my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays.”)

What does Revival Fire do?

1. Fire illuminates

Fire illuminates, but no fire illuminates like “the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire.” When one is baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, truth that once was dark to them becomes instantly as bright as day; passages in the Bible that they could not understand before become as simple as ABC; and every page of God’s Holy Word glows with heavenly light. This kind of baptism will do more for taking the infidelity and skepticism and false doctrine out of a person than any university education.

2. Fire Makes Warm, It Makes Us Glow

You and I are cold—oh, how cold we are! And the Lord Jesus takes us and He plunges us into the fire of the Holy Spirit. We begin to grow warm, and soon we glow, glow with love for God, glow with love for Christ, glow with love for the truth, glow with love for those who are perishing. The greatest need of the day is men and women on fire.

3. Fire Impacts Energy

Science tells us that every form of energy can be transmuted into fire. When a baptism with fire comes, then comes power. That is what was manifested at Pentecost. The fire of God fell, and with the energy of that fire they went out from the Upper Room and three thousand people were converted.

4. Fire Spreads

Nothing spreads like fire. Once there is a heat source to cause ignition and a sufficient amount of fuel and oxygen present the fire will continue to burn. As the fire burns, large amounts of heat are produced. … This transfer of heat causes the fire to grow and to spread to other areas.

Our heat source is the Fire of God and God breathes on us we are ignited and burn for him. As we burn we produce large amounts of heat or passion. This causes the fire to grow and spread to others. People are affected by your passion and fire for God.

5. Fire Reveals

1 Corinthians 3:13
Each man’s work shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The time I prayed to God to baptize me in His Holy Spirit, the first thing that came to pass was that I had such a revelation of myself as I had never had before. A revelation of yourself as God sees you!

6. Fire Refines

Malachi 3:1 – 3 NKJV
“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

We have to be purified in God’s Holy Fire. This will make us righteous and be that pure offering to God.

These verses speaks of the purifying power of fire. Water will not cleanse as fire does. What we need is the fire of the Holy Spirit penetrating into the innermost depths of our being, burning, burning, burning, cleansing.

7. Fire Consumes

Ezekiel 24:11 – 13 illustrates the consuming power of fire, fire of judgment that will consume the filth of Jerusalem. And the baptism of fire consumes, in fact cleanses by consuming; it burns up all dross, all vanity, all self-righteousness, all personal ambition, all ungovernable temper.

Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.

Revival is beckoning. The flames are calling out to a generation to rise higher and go deeper. Revival is being sent to unlock hidden purpose and undying passion.

Acts 28:3
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

The fire of God draws out vipers! When God’s fire is turned up in a church, devils will be exposed. The Church must just remain in a spirit of prayer and not be moved by the enemy. Devils will try to attack you when you press into the fire. The purpose of the attack is to get you out of the fire of God. The devil is ruthless. He will use anybody including your family, friends, or fellow church members. This is why you must be prayed up every day and walking according to the marching orders that the Holy Spirit has given you. There is no time to be distracted, not even for a moment.

When you press into the fire of God, attacks and persecution will come but you must shake it off. God has supernaturally empowered you to rise up and win. That viper should have killed Paul but Paul was not a normal man. He was a child of God Almighty. He shook that devil off and moved on unharmed.

Ephesians 4:27
Neither give place to the devil.

We must close every door to the devil so we can keep going forth into the fire. God will quicken in our spirit those things or people we need to stay away from. Be quick to obey Him and don’t give the devil an inch.

The Early Church was on fire and they turned their world upside down. The Church in this hour is going to turn this world upside down with the power and fire of God. The army of the Lord is going to go forth and claim nations and generations for God.

This is an hour of radical revival fire. As your heart becomes consumed, you will step out in faith and refuse to be silent anymore. Those touched by the fire of God do not care what the world says! The world did not understand the ministry of Jesus. While many received Him, many others became violently offended by Him. The world mocked the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts chapter two. They could not understand the things of the Spirit because they were locked in a prison of the flesh. The world will not understand the revival fire that burns in the hearts of God’s people but we must be delivered from their opinions.

There are those who are broken, hurting, and living in darkness, waiting for a messenger burning with the fire of God to come. You are a part of the army that will go. The fire of revival ultimately prepares the believer to fulfill their assignment. Once you have passed through the fire of God, you are cleansed, filled with fresh passion, and ready to impact the world.

Revival spreads much like a natural fire. It is passed from person to person, church to church, and ministry to ministry. All it takes is a spark to ignite a raging revival inferno that will shake a city.

Revival shifts people into their assignments and destiny. When revival hits a church, that church receives instruction in the midst of fire to impact their city. Not only do instructions come in the midst of fire but also the power of God comes to carry out the instruction.

Fire sends you into the mission field. Souls are the prize of revival. God ignites the believers, calls them back to their first love, and then sends them into the lost and broken world with His holy fire.

Holy Fire
By Kris Belfils

Holy Fire ignite my spirit
Come and burn your love in me
Precious Savior, glorious Lord
Come and move your hand on me

I have been cold and wet far too long
I miss the time I spend with You
Guard my heart and keep me strong
Holy Fire, Precious Savior
Come and burn your love anew

 

You can listen to this song by Kris Belfils by clicking onto the title above or clicking on the picture below.

Seasons of Change by Kris Belfils

Song: Holy Fire

 

 

 

Some of the material in this article are taken from the following:

-The Revival Study Bible, Copyright 2010 by Armour Publishing Pte Ltd

-Fire of Revival: The Believers Guide to Personal Transformation and Global Revival, by Ryan Lestrange

Heart on Fire – Hunger and Thirst!

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 

Revival: “Come Alive” (Valley of Dry Bones)

There has always been a stirring in my spirit for more of God. When Jesus came into my life it was real and life changing. He took away hurt of an abusive step father and anguish of not having my real father in my life instantly. At the age of nine years old, when I asked Jesus into my heart, my life was never the same. Peace flooded my heart and courage to conquer my world came. I felt immediate significance in my life.

Because of the radical change that happened in my heart, I couldn’t help but tell others what Jesus did for me. I wanted to see others experience the same radical love I felt that day and every day of their life. My heart became awakened to a love I never felt before. A transforming love that flooded my very core.

From that epiphany moment on I had to have more of Jesus. It has been a craving in me ever since that amazing day. He burns in my belly. It’s a fire that can never be quenched. This is a revivalist. To see others revived in their relationship with God and that reviving becomes contagious and spreads to others.

The word “revival” often carries some baggage. It brings to mind an old-fashioned religious church service or tent meeting. But there is SO much more to revival than a church meeting! Revival is a completely renewed and transformed way of life! Once you experience personal revival in your own life, then you cannot help changing the world around you.

Wikipedia states Revival as: an increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or society, with a local, national or global effect.

Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary defines revival this way:

REVI’VAL, n. [from revive.]

1. Return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death; as the revival of a drowned person.

2. Return or recall to activity from a state of languor; as the revival of spirits.

3. Recall, return or recovery from a state of neglect, oblivion, obscurity or depression; as the revival of letters or learning.

4. Renewed and more active attention to religion; an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.

As of late, that burning in my spirit/belly has gotten stronger and stronger. It’s a fire that burns continuously and brightly in me. Throughout my life since I received Christ as my Lord and Savior, that fire is evident in my song writing, any position on a church staff, or any place I have spoken or ministered in song, or my books I have written, all are from a Revivalist’s burning heart to help others be healed and get close to God!
Jesus is looking for a church who still has their First Love burning strong in them.

Rev. 3:17 – 18 KJV
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

The church of Laodicea had drifted away from their first love. They had become ensnared in prosperity, comfort, and easy living, much like the American Church in this day. They were preaching, having services, and living life as normal yet they had grown cold in their hearts. It is amazingly easy for people to start out serving God with humility and hunger, then end up blinded by complacency. This is what had happened to the Laodicean church. Their eyes were blinded to the deeper things of God.

Jesus told the Laodicean church to repent and return to their first love. Revival is always a move of repentance. As the revival fire of God falls upon churches and communities, people will return to their first love. In that process of return there is a great deliverance that takes place. God’s people are delivered from distraction, deception, and the lies of the enemy as their hearts are purified by holy fire. Jesus instructed the Laodicean church to anoint their eyes with eye salve. I believe that this is a clear instruction to get the prophetic vision and ministry restored to the House of God.

Maybe you feel like you are dead inside. Maybe you have dead areas in your life that you never thought could live again. You need a personal revival.

Ezekiel 37:1 – 14 NKJV
The Dry Bones Live
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

There are several ways to interpret this vision given to Ezekiel. Here are a few…

1. It is a prophesy for the nation of Israel to be restored and strength to come back to her.
2. It is a picture of the sinner coming alive in Christ and living a life of being a soldier for God in His regime.
3. It is a prophetic prophesy/picture of those who have lost their first love of Christ coming alive when they looked like no life was in them.
4. It is a powerful prophetic picture of having anything “dead in our life that God can bring to life again. He is the God of the impossible!

I want to focus on the the last two today. Truly we can apply this scripture to our own lives and see that our spirit needs to be revived. This is a prophetic picture of you and I and how easily it can be to fall away and lose our spiritual life by just being exposed to the world and its ways, and also how our own life’s experiences can isolate us and bleach out our strength and all looks dead. The resurrection power of Christ can raise the dead of:

-Relationships
-Finances
-Hope for a better future
-Our Health
-Dead dreams
-and so much more!

Proverbs 17:22 NKJV
A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Dry: Hebrew3001 Yaw-bashe: A primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also to dry up or wither: be ashamed, be confounded, dry, shame.

Dry Bones: Bleached by long exposure to the atmosphere.

Psalm 104:30 NKJV
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

rûach
Spirit: roo’-akh
From H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, that is, a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions): – air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

What Can Make Our Bones Dry?

1. Broken Spirit – to be overwhelmed with sorrow. It could also mean being wounded and never heal. To stay in that state of sorrow.

I am not referring to someone dying in your life and you are freshly grieving. We all need a time to grieve and mourn for our loss. It is a natural process that helps us let go of the dead and move on. What I am talking about is allowing that grief to be consuming years and years down the road, when we all should be moving on by then. Also I am talking about being hurt by someone or an event and we never get over it.

We have lost our joy. We have lost our peace. All we can see is what we lost or what happened to us. There is no life in that.

Allowing our hearts to be revived in God will give us JOY! God’s joy! Our “bones” are the very structure of our natural being. Without them, we would all be just a lump of tissue, blood, and flesh. To have a broken spirit is like taking our bones, our joy, away and we are left with feeling like we are just a blob of brokenness. This will dry up your bones quickly. Don’t let this be you! Quickly give your grief, hurt, and emotions to God and allow His healing to come. Don’t allow your bones to dry up!

Proverbs 17:22 NKJV
A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

2. Ashamed – guilty or embarrassed of sin.

The enemy wants us to sin, then he wants us to feel guilty and ashamed of our sin the rest of our lives. If we do this, it will dry us up spiritually. We are not walking in God’s forgiveness which gives us strength and power.

Psalm 83:17 KJV
Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish.

What this verse is actually saying, after learning about dry bones, is: Dry up the bones of my enemy and may they die!

Shame is a drying component. It saps our living water out of us! This is what the devil wants for each of us.

Psalm 31:17 KJV
Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: oiler the wicked be ashamed, [and] let them be silent in the grave.

Failure/Failing – caught up in your own failures and never overcoming.

We can put our trust in God that He has forgiven us from any trespass, any iniquity, any sin and we are in right standing with Him when we repent and turn from it all. Don’t allow your passed mistakes to dictate who you are! You are a child of God! Your identity is in Christ.

3. Disappointments – Disappointed to the point all hope is gone.

Disappointments happen to us everyday. We put our expectations into something or someone, and when those expectations are not fulfilled, we become disappointed.

Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)
“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

We have to turn those disappointments over to God. They will eat us up from the inside out.

4. Confused or Confounded – you are following any “wind” that blows your way.

Acts 19:32 NKJV
Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

People are easily distracted by other doctrines and gods. We have to know what we believe and why we believe it! This will give you a good foundation and not be tossed to and fro with every wind of polices, practices, prophecies, and preaching.

When we are tossed by every wind that blows our way, it will dry up our spiritual bones to the point we don’t know what we believe. Confusion and be confounded and we will turn away from God.

Dehydration – away from the True Vine. Lack of water. No rain.

John 15:1- 6 NIV
The Vine and the Branches
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

“…apart from Me you can do nothing.” We are not productive apart from God. We are not strong apart from God. We will wither and die if we are not abiding in the true Vine, Jesus Christ. Find time to spend with Him daily. Spend time with His Bride (fellowship). Talk to Him throughout your day. Keep the lines of communication open at all times. If not, we will get dehydrated apart from the Vine. This will cause us to dry out.

5. Busyness – Always being busy doing “good things” but never doing the “One Thing” of spending time in His presence.

I think busyness is one of the sneakiest schemes the enemy uses on us. Being busy makes you think you are productive and valuable. It makes you think you are getting things accomplished, and at times you are, but to what cost? Being busy for busyness sake is a trap.

Luke 10:38-42 ESV
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Matthew 11:28 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Romans 12:2 ESV
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

6. Isolation – Thinking your own way, or separating yourself from others.

It is long exposure to worldly atmospheres. As you do this, you will isolate yourself and become a law unto yourself. You will think the Bible is not true and decide to follow your own ideas. This will lead to death always. We have to rely on God and Abide in the Vine of Christ. Leave it up to our own thinking and we will lead ourselves astray. Doing this will dry us up spiritually. It is foolish! Be aware of this!

Psalm 14:1 NIV
The fool says in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Proverbs 18:1 ESV
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Hebrews 10:25 ESV
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Have you found yourself in a valley of Dry Bones? There is hope!

I prophecy to you:

Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to you: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD!

Get ready for a noise, a rattling sound, as your bones are coming together! Bone to bone. Tendons and flesh are now on you and you have beautiful skin covering your entire spiritual body in Jesus name!

I prophecy to the breath; This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live!

You prophecy to yourself:
Now breath is entering into your spirit by the breath of God! You are alive! You are a mighty army!

I prophecy that your graves will open and you are up from them! You will possess your promised land! Then you will know God is real and He is LORD and He is the One who opened your graves. He has put His Spirit in you and you will live! You will be settled into your own land! Now you know the LORD has spoken, and He has done it!

Now I want you to Prophecy to all your dead graves and call forth the bones to come up and live….

-Friendships
-Marriages
-Finances
-Good Health – I am strong and full of life!
-Emotional healing
-Releasing of past hurts
-_____________________ (Name it!)

Take the time to breathe in New Life right now! Allow your Spirit to sore in this new found freedom of Life Jesus has given you!!!

 

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

Kris’ Facebook Page: 

Valley Of Dry Bones Video