Whosoever Looketh Pt 2

Matthew 5: 27-28 ” Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart..”

We established the fact that the first thing to watch out for is the old nature from within us.  But now we are going to see the second thing is the enemy from without. The enemy knows our weakness and for many of us it is our eye gate. For we use our eyes for everything. To look at pictures, to watch t.v., to look at the internet, to read books. The book of James says But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. What is the difference between temptation and sin, temptation is when your just asked to do it. Sin is actually doing it. We see this in Genesis 3:6 and Joshua 7:21. We live in a visual world. If you look at marketing anywhere you see their goal is to catch your eye. There are people who sit down and discuss how they will draw you in to their products. What they can do to awaken your sinful nature and desires from within. We live in a society today where it is easier than ever to commit adultery with your mind. Because the enemy has stepped up his game and he knows what trips us up. The church today no longer teaches on this subject, they are no longer teaching on the warring against the flesh. This is where bible instruction is so important to our Christian walk.  Every answer you need is found in the word of God. The Psalmist David says How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed to God’s word. David also said Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against God. In Proverbs 5:3 we have a picture of the world trying to draw a person, enticing a person. It says ” For the lips of a strange women drop as an honeycomb and her mouth is smoother than oil. It is pictured as beautiful and good. But we see from vs 5 ” Her feet go down to death and her steps take hold on hell. We must realize what we see through the eye gate can be deceptive , it may be beautiful but deadly. So we must not be deceived by the enemies tricks. We also see from vs 8 “Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house.” This is like Joseph who ran as fast as he could out of Potiphar house to avoid sin when temptation came. God is telling every believer when the flesh rises up to get rid of it as soon as possible. To many times we flirt with the thought that comes to our mind and we get burned. Psalms 101:3 is a verse we should post over are t.v. and computer. ” I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; It shall not cleave to me.” For to many of us we are entertained by the very thing Christ died for and that is sin. Job 31:1 ” I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid. The children’s song says O be careful little eyes what you see. Why is that because Christ wants purity. God is looking for a person with clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. That’s why Christ teaches us here sin is a matter of the heart and mind not just the actions. So today Jesus wants to work on cleaning out the heart. As children of God we are told in Romans 13:14 ” But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. We must let the Spirit of God guide our every thought. Matthew 6:22-23 ” The light of the body is the eye: If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” The slightest interest in our old nature which is our sin nature will bring sin into our life. We are to take the attitude that we are not going to harbor sin in our life.

The inner life must overcome the flesh or the flesh will overcome and destroy the inner life.                      A.W. Tozer

Assassination with words

Matthew 5:21-22 ” Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Jesus begins to draw a definite distinction between the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and the true righteousness that citizens of the Kingdom of God must strive to attain. Israel looked to the scribes as religious leaders, the most truly righteous of the nation. But the many confrontations with Jesus shows them to be full of hypocrisy and lovers of praise and honor of men. Read Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 12: 38-40. In the eyes of man they looked great but when they set themselves or compared themselves to Jesus the Word of God, there true wickedness was shown. Jesus proceeds to better define what exactly true righteousness is by clear and painful examples. He begins with the 6th commandment, thou shalt not kill. He begins to teach the law of Christ. He says you have heard the law of Moses but I’m here to tell you the law of Christ. This was the fulfillment of the law that we spoke about in the last blog. So in other words It was said to you by God through Moses of old time but I say unto you, I am God’s new utterance, I am the better covenant. What was it they had known of old,  that if the sin of not killing was abstained from, as long as they didn’t strike the final blow, as long as they didn’t kill in cold blood, that they were righteous in the eyes of the law. But Christ says murder is deeper than that, murder begins with a seed in the depths of the heart. 1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Christ is getting to the root cause of the problem. So we see the act of murder is not the only thing to be judged but the seed of murder also. Christ says the first sin of murder is silent hate or anger. These are the ones who nurse their feelings, they keep it on the burner, they meditate and constantly think on it. People who because someone did something to them 20 years ago will not forget it. The second thing he says whosoever shall say to his brother Raca shall be in danger of the council. This is murder with words, empty words. Today’s language it would be calling someone good for nothing. Breaking people down with words, destroying their self-image. We as Christians really need to think about this the next time we start to make fun or talk about someone. Not only is it hate, it is murder. Many of people’s character has been assassinated and murdered by another child of God. So Christ tells us don’t silently hate your brother and don’t verbally kill your brother. But the third thing is don’t verbally curse them. Literally wishing that a person would be dead. A believer should never curse another, use violent words against one another. As Christ says you will be in danger of hell fire. Human hearts cannot try the heart, so Jesus teaches us that the real danger in such anger and hatred lies in judgement not of man but before the Almighty God. None of us have probably ever murdered physically another person. But what about with our words?  It’s painful but true.

 

Jesus came to fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:17 ” Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus says these scriptures because this is what the scribes and the Pharisees perceived of the Lord Jesus Christ. They saw Him as a threat coming to destroy the law of Moses. As far as they were concerned Christ was a destroyer and a threat to everything they stood for. Why, because Christ healed the sick on the Sabbath, He abolished the food laws, He was bringing a new teaching into Judaism and trying to break the old ties. They saw Him as setting Himself above the law of Moses to change it. That’s why in John 5:18 Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the sabbath but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. But what they didn’t realize is Christ didn’t come to do away with the law but to fulfill the law. The word fulfill means to make full, it means to complete something that was incomplete bringing to perfection something that was imperfect. It was a shock to the people and they considered it blasphemy because He was placing Himself as the exact fulfillment of all of the word of God. The tendency today is to do away with the Old Testament. But what we must realize is that every bit of scripture points to Jesus Christ. And by Him fulfilling the law He is saying I am raising the standard of the law. How did He do that? By being the only man ever who was able to obey the 10 commandments, the ceremonial law, and all that Moses taught. He fulfills all the types and symbols. The judicial law He fulfilled because he personified perfect justice, righteousness and holiness. J.C. Ryle says the Old Testament is the germ of Christianity. The Old Testament is the bud of the New Testament flower. Christ didn’t come to smash the law but actually get it to a place it had never been before. That is Matthew 5:18. But as we must see the purpose of the law was not salvation. The Jews didn’t get to heaven by keeping the law. The purpose was to show the sinfulness of mankind to themselves. It was like a mirror with the condemnation of the law. They were guilty before God. and the only penalty for sin was death. So God because He is a righteous and a Holy God demanded a penalty for our sins. It was Jesus Christ that fulfilled the penalty. The message of the New Testament is Christ died for the ungodly. Christ in His death satisfied the demands of God’s law. Paul says that we are no longer under condemnation. For the law was fulfilled by Christ blood on Calvary. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! No we are not under the law of Moses but we are under the law of Christ.

 

 

 

Light of the World

Matthew 5:14 : Ye are the light of the world, a city that is  set on a hill cannot be hid.

Jesus came into this world to raise up new lights in the church of Jesus Christ. His disciple as we saw  now would be the salt, the remedy against human corruption. And now we see they where to be lights against human ignorance and just as the Lord came into the world as the light of the world, now he turns to His disciples as he anticipates leaving the world and He says, Ye are the light of the world. I wonder if we realized that we are to bear witness to the light in this world of darkness. John 3:19-21. What a compliment it is to be the light of the world as John 9:5 says as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. But that means since Christ has went back to heaven he has called us to do what he did. We are to take over where he left off. The darker the world the brighter he wants your light to shine. Look at the lighthouse that stands tall and bright in the darkest of places. It is needed in the most darkest hour. What a privilege to be able to guide a soul in darkness to a safe place of refuge. That’s why we must be the light. Light promotes life. Grass, trees, plants, and they say even broken bones grow better in the sun. Light is persistent. It can go into the deepest, smallest crevices. Light awakens. Of a morning you will hear all of nature come alive. And we are to be that light. It may be more comfortable to be a secret disciple, but Christ tells his disciples you must let your light shine, you must be like a city set on a hill, you must be that candle on the candle stick. In other words your light must be visible. Your primary duty is to be seen as a Christian. One man said there is know such thing as secret discipleship for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship or the discipleship destroys the secrecy. You can’t be a follower of Christ and nobody no about it. The only way for your light to work is to let it shine. Christians are meant to be the world’s standard, we are the one’s to show the world around us what is right and what is wrong. 2 Corinthians 4:3 “But if our gospel be hid it is hidden to them that are lost. Let’s go win the Lost and Let’s let our light shine.

The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the church, but the world does not read the bible, the world reads christians! “Ye are the light of the world.”                                                                                                                                                                   Charles Spurgeon

Salt of the Earth

Matthew 5:13 ” Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

We know that in the beatitudes Christ focus was to the religious sects of the day. But as we move on His focus turns more to His disciples. The beatitudes taught us its those things we lay down that will make a man blessed in the eyes of God. They dealt with the heart or our inward man. Showing these sects what true religion was. Not an outward show but an inward change. Not a man made religion but a God made religion. Now after telling us how we are to live holy and righteous lives, he moves to tell us we must not keep this to ourselves. We are not of the world, but we are in the world, we do not love the world but we are called to be a witness to the world. Christ portrayed this in his life, He had contact with the world but was not contaminated by the world. There was a line that he knew he could not cross. He was called a friend of sinners. So he tells us you can live a Godly life in this world. In fact ye are the salt of the earth. In the O.T. the prophets were the salt, in the N.T. the disciples were the salt but today you are the salt of the earth. Even if it’s just a little salt here and there it will make a difference. It does with food, so why wouldn’t it in the world. We see the affects the disciples had on this world as they turned it upside down for Jesus Christ. We can do the same thing just by spreading a little salt around in this world, just by showing a little love in this hateful world, just by being a light in this dark world. Christ is saying don’t isolate your Christianity, don’t hide it under a bushel, don’t stand on the sidelines while the world collapses. Our goal is to saturate and infiltrate the world in order to turn people away from darkness unto the glorious light. And if this is not done we see our cities, our homes, our schools decaying. Christianity is to life what salt is to food. In a worried world the Christian should be the only one who remains peaceful. In a depressed world the Christian should be the only one who remains full of joy. We are to bring flavor to the world. We are to make people thirsty for God. I wonder, does this reflect your life? Do you make people thirsty for Christ? Do people look at your life and say I want what they have? Do people come in contact with you and taste of Christ? If not the salt has lost its savour. Salt can be altered and diluted, and if it is not pure it will not work. It’s lost it’s influence. Someone once said if we are not affecting the world the world is affecting us. If we are not salting the world the world is rotting us.

Christians should live in the world, but not be filled with it. A ship lives in the water; but if the water gets into the ship, she goes to the bottom. So Christians may live in the world; but if the world gets into them, they sink.                                  D.L. Moody

 

Persecuted

Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

As we have seen week after week when the Lord Jesus came they hailed Him as the King of the Jews and they were waiting for Him to come and build a kingdom on earth. But they were wrong because Christ brought a kingdom in the hearts of men, a peacemaker Christ was. So He ends with blessed are those who are persecuted, because the poor in spirit will be persecuted, those who mourn will be persecuted, those who are meek, those who are hungry and thirsty after righteousness, those who are merciful, those who are peacemakers will be persecuted. Why is this, it’s because these are the complete opposite of what the world testifies. The world says your to be great in the spirit, it says don’t mourn just get over it and move on with life, it says don’t be meek people will walk all over you, don’t worry about being pure just enjoy yourself, it says don’t hunger and thirst after righteousness, hunger after lust, money and immorality, whatever makes you fill good. If you truly live for Jesus you will live the opposite of the world and the world won’t like that. John 15:18-20. It’s not the way we preach that they hate, it’s our Christlikeness that people hate. It has always been this way. Paul tells Timothy, Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You can move from Abel who was slew by Cain because He brought the right sacrifices, to Moses and those that grumbled and complained those that resented him for bringing them out of Egypt. You can look at Joseph to David to Elijah as he runs and hides from Jezebel. The prophet Jeremiah was beaten and executed. The prophet Isaiah was sawn asunder. Stephen was stoned. John the Baptist was beheaded. Nero fed 1000’s of Christians to the lions and burnt them at the stake. And today many around the world are being persecuted for their faith but reality is those that live Godly will suffer. Thomas Stott 200 years ago said the wicked hate the holy image of God and those that bear it. I read recently of a story of a Romanian Pastor who knew what it was to rejoice and have joy in his persecution. He was tortured, he was imprisoned, mercilessly they put him through excruciating pain and yet, in his cell he testified that he experienced great joy. He was locked in solitary confinement and day by day he was taken by the captors who cut chunks of flesh from his body. Then, when he would return to his cell where he was starved almost to death, he would lay there and he would pray to God, and he would testify that in the midst of that there was times when the joy of Christ would so overcome him that he would pull himself up and shuffle about the cell dancing in the spirit. So remarkable was his joy that on his return from prison, when he got home to his wife and his children, the first thing that he did was had a day of fasting as a memorial to the joy that he had been given through persecution. As I end you may think it’s strange that Jesus passes so quickly from peacemaking to persecution. But as we come to learn from life, however hard we try to live peacefully or to make peace through reconciliation, some just refuse to live in peace with us and some take the initiative to oppose and slander us. We must live with the fact that persecution is simply the clash between two value systems. But God has called us, selected us to represent Him in enduring and even overcoming persecution as part of our witness for Him. Romans 8:18.

The world never burned a casual Christian at the stake.         John R. Rice

Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Isaiah 9:6 ” For unto us a child is born, unto us a  son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. God the Son, Jesus Christ came to earth that He might redeem us from all iniquity. He came to make peace between God and sinful man. So then those who walk in the footsteps of Christ should be peacemakers, people who strive to live in peace with God and man. To be a peacemaker means more than just keeping to oneself in order to avoid disturbances and contentions. A peacemaker is one who actively seeks the highest good for all mankind. But in order for this to happen one must first be at peace with God. Ephesians 2:14-16 ” For He is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. One man said peace is merely the brief, glorious moment in history when everyone stops to reload there weapons. In Genesis 6:11  the earth was filled with violence. That’s why there was the flood to destroy. David in Psalm 55:9 says I have seen violence and strife in the city. History tells us in the 400 years between Malachi and the New Testament there were 5 bloody wars for Jerusalem. So what a message Jesus brings, as He says Blessed are the peacemakers. You see the Zealots expected from Him a military, national, materialistic kingdom that He would defeat the Romans and set up kingdom. They thought He was coming as a man of war to conquer the enemies and set up the society that they had longed for. But again He turned everything upside down. You see true peace comes from the heart. And only God can make a peacemaker. So the reason there is so much violence and unrest in the world we live in is because we have a heart problem. Jesus Christ is not in most people’s hearts. We may have a head knowledge, but until we get a heart knowledge of Jesus Christ their will be unrest. You see the whole point of the beatitudes including this one is if we are to have anything from God than the I must die. The I must be crucified. Paul says I die daily. That is the old man dies daily. In Galatians 2:20 ” I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I know live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” This is how we will ever achieve true peace in our lives, by putting down the flesh. We can not do it on our own. It only comes from Christ. John 14:27 ” Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you.” Sadly the problem is everybody says I want this, I want that, I feel like that, I want to fulfill my desires, my passions, my instincts. But God says Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.

No one has ever been converted by violence.       Jim Forest

Pure in Heart

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

The word pure means cleanness and purity. Psalm 24:3-4 “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully.” What does this mean, that those with pure hearts will enjoy the highest favor, they shall see God. How is purity attained, by obeying the gospel. How is it possible, in a sin sick world that we live in today, to walk in righteousness and keep a pure life? By knowing and obeying the Word of God. Purity is learned by cleansing thoughts, cleansing words and cleansing deeds. Philippians 4:8 ” Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Psalm 19:14 ” Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” The person who is striving to be pure in heart has four characteristics. 1) They love God and to do His will above all else. Matthew 22:37, James 4:4. 1 John 2:15.  2) They are not filled with hypocrisy and unholy motivations. Matthew 6:1  3) They fill their mind and heart with pure things. Psalm 77:12.  4) They strive to remain pure and undefiled. 1 Timothy 5:22, 1 John 3:3. Now, if you remember I said one beatitude leads to another. The poor in spirit realized they were a sinner, they mourned over sin because they feel the weight of their sin. Repentance leads to a changed nature which is meekness. This is where you begin to hunger and thirst and realize only God can satisfy and fill us, this is where we realize that God has shown us mercy and we must show mercy to everyone else, and this is where we realize that we need to live a pure life. It’s a progression in our spiritual life called sanctification. We become a little more like Christ everyday. Let’s face it, it seems like everyday there is a battle raging within us and that’s simply because our old nature, our sinful nature is still within us. Yes, we have a new nature when we come to Him, but there is still a battle. Galatians 5:17 ” For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. So the question must be asked, who wins your battle? The old man or the new man! It all depends which nature you feed that day. If you fill yourself with the unpure worldly things you feed the old man, but if you fill yourself with pure Godly things you feed the spirit. And It’s time the Christian buries the old man completely and lives according to the spirit. We must be trying to live above sin with the help of the Holy Spirit in our lifes. We must be trying to live pure in heart, because that’s how we will see God. We must live a life free from hypocrisy, free from falsehood. A life knowing all is well between you and God. And it only comes to a person who has realized their sin, that has come to Christ for righteousness and realized that without purity we will never see God. (Read 1 Peter 1:13-16). So how healthy is your Christian walk? It is sin that defiles our character of being in the image of God. It defiles, pollutes, contaminates and blurs the reflection of God in us. The heart is desperately  wicked above all things, who can know it? So we must examine ourselves and if need be renewing our heart and purifying our deceitful heart. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:1 ” Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.                     C.S. Lewis

Obtaining Mercy

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy”

In a world of self-seeking people, Jesus calls upon those who wish to gain mercy to be merciful. That’s a quality entirely concerned with the good of others. It comes from the realization of our own desperate need for mercy from God. To be merciful is a strong compassion or an outward manifestation of pity. Thus that tells us Christ calls us to have compassion and pity toward one another. We see Christ example of this as He says Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. We see through scripture Mercy is a part of God’s nature 2 Corinthians 1:3 ” Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all Comfort.” For us mercy is not just a feeling, but a characteristic that moves a person to action. Mercy demands that Christians do more than just pray for the lost, but that we take the gospel to them. (Matthew 9:36-38).  That we do more than feel sorry for the hungry, sick and downtrodden, but that we must try and meet their needs. (Galatians 6:10; James 2: 14-16). This beatitude is the cure for all bitterness, whether in your family your friends or whoever has done you wrong. For Christ says we must show mercy on all people if we want to obtain mercy, Many families have been broken apart because of bitterness but let this verse speak to you today, be merciful upon them and some one we be merciful towards you. The first few beatitudes dealt with how you are before God but starting with this one they begin to deal with how we are before our brothers and sisters and to those around us. He did speak of our inner attitude but now He speaks of the inner attitudes that manifest themselves outwardly. The world’s philosophy is that mercy is the weakness of the soul. The world emphasizes Rights! Its my right to do this, to do that. We want the right to do anything we want. But Christ teaches it is not about your right it is about there right.  In Romans chapter 1:29-31  we read a description of the city of Rome and those that lived within Rome. They described many things but we see the very last thing was unmerciful people. If you as a believer do not show mercy towards the physically and financially needful have we really received God’s mercy in our own lives. For you can’t receive it without displaying it in your life. Finally Matthew 18:21-35 tells us of the Parable of the unforgiving servant. In this, one owed the other an equivalent of $20 million dollars in today’s terms. His master came and he wiped the slate clean because he asked him for forgiveness and as soon as he went out of jail he found his friend that owed him the equivalent of $5000 dollars and he was unmerciful. The love of God was not there. He demanded his money. This is dangerous. This is what destroys us as Christians as we have seen  before through this study. We too were poor at one time, we were broken at one time, that we were empty at one time and relied on God to help us. And shame on us if we see the pitifulness of all humanity and don’t show mercy on them as Christ did us. If we do not have the desire within ourselves to have mercy upon a dying world, a poor world, if we don’t have it in our hearts to forgive one another and show mercy we are in a dangerous place spiritually! Blessed are the merciful. That is what Christ did for us when He became a man like you and I, so He could identify with you and I when we need Him and pour out His mercy into our lives. Now He is telling us to do the same in the world we live in. Can you be a merciful servant for Jesus Christ?

We hand folks over to God’s mercy and show none ourselves.    George Eliot

 

A Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Here we have Jesus teaching that the person who becomes poor in the spirit and realizes his spiritual weakness and has humbled himself and taken on meekness, will have an unquenchable desire to attain righteousness in the sight of God. Righteousness is the character or quality of being right and just not in the sight of man but in the sight of God. This righteousness is not merely an inner change but a change that directly affects the way we behave and have influence in this world. The only way to obtain this righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21). The word hunger is the same word used after Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness. It’s an intense hunger. A hunger that must be relived for survival. Thirst is the same, an extreme condition. We must yearn for righteousness in the way a starving person wants bread and water. I just wonder today how hungry and how thirsty we are for the things of God? We hunger and thirst for many other different things but it’s time the church gets back to being hungry for the truth. We have heard the saying you are what you eat. We realize that if  we eat a lot of junk food it will be a part of us and we become overweight. The same concept goes in our spiritual  realm. This concept  fits anything we do. If we continually feed upon violence, excitement or whatever else the world offers we become those things. Children are violent, why? They feed on violent movies, violent video games, and violent books. Their lives revolve around violence. I believe it’s time we start feeding this generation some righteousness. Some peace and happiness, feed them the things of God. The world may teach go after materialism and money, it may teach that we should all pursuit after them for happiness. But Christ teaches hunger and thirst after righteousness. Elvis Presley never understood this concept, as he left the Christian faith for worldly fame. In his heyday it is said his yearly income was $5 million a year. In his day that was a lot of money. In his first two years of stardom he brought in $100 million dollars. He had 3 jets, 2 Cadillacs, a Rolls-Royce, Lincoln Continental, a Buick and a Chrysler station wagon, a jeep a dune buggy a converted bus and 3 motorbikes.  His favorite and most famous was his 1960 Cadillac Limousine. The top of it was veneered and covered in pearl white veneer. The body was sprayed with 40 coats of specifically prepared paint that include crushed diamonds. All the metal trimmings were plated in 18 carat gold. Inside were 2 gold covered telephones, gold vanity case with a gold electric razor. An electric shoe buffer and a gold plated T.V., record player, amplifier, air conditioner and a refrigerator that was capable of making ice in 2 minutes solid. In the world’s terms He had everything, But do you know what he failed to recognize? That you are what you eat. And if you know he died in his death as a victim of his appetites.  So I ask you what do you hunger for? What is it that drives your life, that motivates you for living? Is it material or is it spiritual? Are we like the world in pursuit of possessions, or do we wake up every morning wanting to please the Lord? Hungering after the things of God. The promise to us today is those who come to find enough in Him to satisfy their spiritual hunger shall be forever filled. Take some time to read John 4: 10-14. It will tell you that Jesus Christ is more than enough. You won’t need these worldly possessions because you have Jesus.

To hunger and thirst after righteousness is when nothing in the world can fascinate us so much as being near to God.      Smith Wigglesworth