War Against Hunger and Unsatisfactory Feedings: Anti "Eat and Die Campaign".

God's Wrestlers

Spiritual Dose

The month of September 2016. 

Tagged: 

September For Spiritual Service (SSS 2016) Edition.

SSS 24: Saturday September 24th, 2016

Topic: Benefits of Spiritual Service 5

Sub- Topic: War Against Hunger and Unsatisfactory Feedings: Anti "Eat and Die Campaign".

Text: Joel. 2:26

A better way to introduce this Anti "Eat and Die Campaign" which focuses on serious war against hunger and unsatisfactory feedings is to clearly posit that first, this war is spiritual because hunger, I mean lack of food to eat, is a spiritual attack. Second, this campaign is also a divine arrangement. 

Let me say this to you, hunger is not good. Hunger is not God's will, hunger is not for a child of God. The question is why then do we suffer lack, why do we lack three square meal on our table? Why couldn't we afford the desired choice of food we want to eat?. If this is your question or your question is different, the fact is, your answer is here in God's word.

Origin of Hunger

When you hear of origin of any phenomenon in Christian studies and on spiritual matters, you should always think of genesis. Yes, we have learnt that God gave all things for food not for medicine in Heavenational Healthcare System (read from http://falade-femi.blogspot.com.ng/2016/09/heavenational-healthcare-system-hhs.html?m=1). Food came from God at creation. Food creation preceded men's creation. God created food because he knew that a empty man would naturally came hungry and cannot wait until the next day to have the food God might want to create in the next day since God created everything daily. I guess when Adam came forth he was very hungry. Imagine a man who has not drink nor eat anything before. No reserve in his stomach, empty stomach, empty mouth. Even new babies feeds on their mother before birth, but this Adam is just too fresh and direct. I guess when he saw himself as a living being he was so hungry that God's action in verse 27-30 of genesis chapter one was concomitant:

And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth.

And God said, Behold! I have given you every herb seeding seed which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is the] fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food.

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which [has] in it a living soul every green plant [is] for food; and it was so.

The man, I suspected heard all God said and run to the water and to banana and eat and say, "it is not good for man to be hungry".

We all know the story. The garden of Eden has all the fruits one can think of and the one we have not discovered till today. All of them were already ready for food. God told him specifically, "Adam, all these are for food." Eat and be filled.

Hunger came via disobedience. It came as a result of uncontentment of men. God therefore cursed the land for their sake. For the first time, man has to do hard labour: 

And to Adam He said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat [of] it! The ground [is] cursed for your sake. In pain shall you eat of it all the days of your life.

It shall also bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you [are], and to dust you shall return. Gen. 3:17-19

The story changed. The table turned around. Man have to suffer. Man, for the first time, experienced hunger. I don't have the idea of how many days or months or years Adam waited before his first tilling yield proceeds. One thing I am sure of is that he experienced hunger after they were sent from Eden. 

Hunger therefore becomes part of the history of men since then. The good news is that God has averted hunger by the suffering of Jesus. He gave us all that pertains to life and godliness. See 2Pet. 1:3. 

He came as the bread of life. He say stop the unnecessary labours, come and have rest. See Matt. 11:29. We know that the salvation package we received is not food exemption.

Misconception About Hunger.

Many people have the knowledge of spiritual hunger. This is hunger for God. The scripture describe it this way:

Blessed [are] they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled. Matt. 5:6

This is very good but that is not our focus today. Many people when you tell them you are hungry, probably because of their spiritual mindset or whatever reason, they say thank God, you will be filled, thinking the fellow talks of spiritual hunger. This misconception is common among fervent Christians who have shaped their lives only for God.

Another misconception about hunger is that it is God's intention to test them. God don't test with hunger. Instead he teaches you to fast. When you have nothing to eat, it could be based on your disobedience or you have missed it somewhere. If God, as some would claim want to train you with hunger, let is be a personal conviction with a double assurance so that you don't paint God the colour he is not before unbelievers. The example of the prodigal son should give us some lessons. He missed the original plan. He went away. He lack the knowledge of spending and thus became exceedingly hungry that he eat pigs meals. See Luke 15:12-22

In fact the bible told us that when he came to his senses, he spoke:

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in loaves, and I perish with hunger! Luke 15:17

He realised that the least thing God could offer a man is food. Haba! Why should I be starved. I better trace my step back. He lamented.

Hunger is enemy to Your Body. James told us the attitude of an hungry man who is a believer.

If a Christian brother or sister does not have enough clothes or enough food, he or she needs help.

It does not help them if you say to them, ‘Go and be well. Keep yourself warm and eat well.’ But you do not give to them what they need. That does not help them at all. James 2:15-16

That does not help. He would say "pastor, please I will see you later". What is talking in him is not him. It is the hunger that is speaking in him. God's desire for you is to be well fed. This is because it is a man that has something inside that can respond to something outside. God also knows that a hungry man is an angry man. He wants us to be sound, well fed and be in good health. See 3John 1:2. 

The War Against Hunger and Unsatisfactory Feedings

Prophet Joel told us that it is when a man is well fed that he can praise God. He put is this way:

You will have plenty to eat, and will be fully satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has performed wonders specifically for you. And my people will never be ashamed. Joel 2:26 ISV

I will have plenty, plenty to eat. I will be satisfied. Then I will praise God. The good news is that the purpose of God for saving us is to praise him and he knows that an hungry man cannot praise God well. See 1Pet. 2:9. 

God want us to have plenty. Not to overeat and have indigestion and start saying Lord why. The plenty is also for others to eat from your food bank. If this is what God has for us, why should we experience hunger. Never and never forever. Amen. This war we need to start with this realisation. I am to have plenty not to beg. We must also serve God. We must learn the principle of giving and we must also learn the principle of giving thanks to God after obedience.

Why is this a benefit? How will i have access to it? God blesses what you have and make it enough for you and for others. This is what the Lord says:

You are to serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your food and water, and I’ll remove sickness from you. Ex. 23:25. ISV

Yes, he blessed it when we serve him. This is practical. This is not theory. We see this displayed in the ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ:

Jesus ordered the people to take their seats on the grass; and, taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to Heaven, and said the blessing, and, after he had broken the loaves, gave them to his disciples; and they gave them to the crowds. Matt. 14:19 20cNT

This is the principle of divine multiplication. Jesus is serving God. He is in the father's business. He needed to provide for the need of the people. He has the bread, he has the fish, he blessed it, gave thanks and then his disciples distributed them. The bible told us that about 12 baskets were remaining. That is the plenty. Plenty came via service. This is not automatic, it is by obedience. 

The Launching

The hour has come when we will neither beg nor serve men to eat. The hour when we will serve God and our feeding will be plentifully met. We must wake up and do this works from God. It has been launched since Jesus has died, we are only reminded to spread it abroad. Serve God and He will bless your food and you will eat plenty.

Anti Eat and Die Campaign

This is an orientation of "my mouth and my family". We have many people who though are serving God but could not enjoy plenty. This might not be spiritual attack, it might come out of ignorance. Many people have limited their access to plenty because of their orientation. They just want to eat and be okay. They don't care about others. The boy that gave the five loaves and two fishes in Mattew 14 would eventually go home with twelve baskets after he is filled. That is the formula. 

This demonic thinking originated from the Zarephath woman in first Kings chapter seventeen and verse twelve:

And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

That we may eat and die, that will not be my portion. Even when you have the seeming last food in your house, be sure that it is not the last. There are millions of food in heavenly places for you.

We have these category of people everywhere. As students, they only want to pass, have first class and leave others behind. As business men, they only want to make profits and enrich themselves without thinking of how they can impact others and bless other people. As husbands or wives, they only want to see their family doing well and not concern about another family. As politician, they just want power and enrich themselves and their family. May God deliver us. 

We must think beyond ourselves. We must be blessings to others. We must give what we have so as to secure more blessings. When we hide what we have, we make ourselves more poor. May God give us understanding.

The Vanity Of Food

Well, let me call our attention to the fat that food is good but we should not forget the admonition of Apostle Paul that: 

Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will make them both unnecessary. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1Cor. 6:13 ISV

We must not use food to destroy our future. We must secure ourselves from all sorts of food abuse.  We must not allow availability of food to bridge a gap in our fasting and praying life.  May God help us.

My Friend will say, Eat and be filled. I hear God saying eat and eat well.

Femi Falade

God's Wrestler

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