Page 42 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

“IT IS WRITTEN,
‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,
BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

Matt. 4:4

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO
HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS,

FOR THEY SHALL BE FILLED.”
Matt. 5:6

“THEREFORE DO NOT WORRY, SAYING,
‘WHAT SHALL WE EAT?’ OR ‘WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?…

FOR AFTER ALL THESE THINGS THE GENTILES SEEK.
FOR YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS
THAT YOU NEED ALL THESE THINGS.

BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU.”
Mat. 6:31-33

From the above passages from Chapters 4-6 of Matthew’s gospel, we can see a building theme on
Jesus’ mind as He makes a comparison between hunger and thirst in the physical and in the spiritual
realm. We all know that when we begin to experience “hunger and thirst” physically, our immediate
priority becomes one of satisfying the growing awareness of that perceived need. We all have used
hyperbole saying such things as “I’m starving”, or “I’m hungry”. However, I doubt that any of us have
uttered such sayings after having just completed a forty day fast. Jesus’ forty day fast produced real
hunger. We only think we are hungry. In this prosperous country of great abundance, few of us have
ever really experienced true hunger pangs as does the rest of the world. You have seen the ads,
“Millions go to bed hungry every night.” Many of them don’t even have beds.

We do not lack for an abundance of churches in America. However, compared to the number of
restaurants and food shops available, churches must be viewed as few and far between. The point is
that “hunger and thirst” in the physical realm is a “ big supply and demand” business. However, I
suspect “hunger and thirst” in the spiritual realm is not so big in demand. I wonder if there is a spiritual
correlation to be made in that most food places that are in business cater to serving up people’s desire
for “fast food”, “junk food” and “carry out.” What should God’s churches be promoting? God forbid that
we, as God’s leaders, are delivering up spiritual “fast food”, “junk food”, and “carry out.” I would
suggest that the proper emphasis should be the likes of the Beatitude we are considering, a call to
create in God’s people “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

Lest we think that this comparison between physical and spiritual hunger and thirst was limited to
Jesus’ teachings, consider how the apostle Paul picks up the same theme:

“FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT FOOD AND DRINK,
BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

FOR HE WHO SERVES CHRIST IN THESE THINGS
IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD…”

Rom 14:17-18

Just add this passage of Paul to those of Jesus above, and you can see a continuous theme being
passed from Jesus to His faithful apostle. Why is not this same theme being passed on to God’s
people here in America? It is because we have allowed Satan to make a deceptive doctrinal
substitution of the Kingdom of God’s stated foundations of “RIGHTEOUSNESS, peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit” with a bird of another feather promoting a “God-given kingdom” that majors in the physical
realm of “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as being the will of God for His ( new special)
people, a physical “One Nation Under God” that needs to be re-captured by American Christians.
Should we not be asking ourselves, “is this the gospel presented by Jesus and Paul?”