How Hungry Do I Have to Get?

I sat mesmerised watching this fantastic singer on "America's Got Talent";



And in particular I was grabbed by something he said;

"How hungry do I have to get to really start getting somewhere?".

Hunger. A feeling experienced when one has a desire (usually to eat). The feeling pre-supposes the fact that there is something or someone available to fulfill that desire. What is tragic is that although there is enough food in the world to feed everyone - On the average, a person dies every second as a result of starvation. The body is physiologically conditioned to actually cause pain and discomfort with hunger! It's probably why so many people on diets are miserable!

Hunger is meant to drive us to seek that fulfillment. So if the feeling of hunger for God and more of His Presence pre-supposes the fact that He wants to fulfill that desire then we have two choices when the hunger grows more and more;

1. We can continue to ignore the pains and agonies of hunger and become bitter and cynical and develop a theology of the omnipresence of God but just settle for that and that alone.

2. We can allow the hunger to drive us and drive us to seek Him and find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts and He WILL be found by us!

I think that's why I love watching reality TV shows like "America's Got Talent" and "X-Factor". I love, love, love watching people's hunger for their dreams being fulfilled. Sadly those dreams won't last. Fame is momentary. But we surely are in the best possible position ever - the manifest Presence of God on our lives and with us and walking with us will never fade and it is better than any drug high, any alcohol high, any sexual high. So at times over these past few weeks I've wished the pains would go away but they are pointing to a need!

Fresh oil - His Presence - that is all I ever need!

When You Believe ...

It's interesting how a kind of secular song and a secular TV personality have both been used by God to speak to me in the last couple of days! I've been taking the concept of God speaking through dreams a lot more seriously since I listened to Kylie and Ryan Rufus's excellent sermon; "Unlocking Your Ability To Hear God Through Dreams". So the night before last I had quite an odd dream but I have been thinking about it and feel God was trying to say something through it. Here's what I saw;

"I was standing in the background to basically what was the talent show; "Britain's Got Talent" and Simon Cowell was of course on the judging panel. Only I could only see Simon there. Suddenly a little baby appeared that I knew without a doubt was his son! Simon Cowell seemed as amazed as everyone else in the room and it seemed that it was some sort of miracle. So everyone was scrambling for their phones to try and video whatever this baby was going to do but I suddenly had my phone out and was recording".

So a couple of things came to my mind and I read Jim Goll's book which had some useful insights. I think I saw Simon Cowell as representative of God. This isn't particularly a good thing because it suggests that despite months of listening to Rob's teaching on grace I still see God as a kind of "judge" who needs to be impressed with me! But the baby seems to represent the new move of God - the new atmosphere that God is bringing into the earth at this hour. Lakeland in Florida and the Glory Encounters Conference are just two examples of this. I am seeing miracles and signs and wonders that I NEVER thought I would before!

And what I felt God say was that the calling He has on me at the moment is to record what I see. As C H Spurgeon put it; "Write down what you see". I don't know why. I would much prefer to be moving in signs and wonders and miracles but as Kaye Beyer said - be faithful in what you are doing and God will provide a ministry for you. So to the best of my ability I will go on watching eagerly what happens in Hong Kong and in Florida and in Canada and in London and in Brighton and I will write down what I see.

The second thing that happened was that I was debating with myself how best to transcribe Rob's sermon from last Sunday; "Invading the Impossible - Part 14 - Condemning Condemnation". The first 40 minutes virtually of the sermon are him reading out testimonies from people over the world and I didn't intend to bother transcribing it. I was just going to type out the last ten minutes or so of Rob teaching on "Condemnation" - because it truly was masterful. However I was driving to work last night and this song came on my IPOD quite randomly;



And all the hurt and disappointment began to flow through me as I drove that I have yet to see miracles and signs and wonders and the heavy manifest Presence of God break out here in Birmingham where I live. Do I have to spend my life travelling to places like Hong Kong or Florida? Why can't there be a portal of glory HERE?! I felt God apply this song so gently and fatherly and tenderly to my spirit. KEEP believing! KEEP looking! KEEP hungry! KEEP trusting! KEEP longing! It's coming!

So I guess I dedicate this song to those of you who are like me. You're not seeing the full blast of glory yet! The gold dust and the angel feathers and the gems and all the sorts of wonderful things that I am hearing about in these testimonies that Rob was reading. And I knew without a shadow of doubt that I should type the whole sermon out in it's entirety. Yes it's not Rob preaching - but these testimonies are faith-building and they are reminding us of what can be! And what will be! I dread - I utterly dread - coming to a point where I adapt my theology to cessationism simply because "I'm not seeing it". So it will be coming soon .... here!