Hungry for God, not sermons nor day-old manna

[nebula]

A friend posted this on Facebook, so I apologize for the lack of proper referencing.

 

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"People are hungry; they are hungry for God and not substitutes, not sermons and programs, not Sunday school. No day old manna for these hungry souls, which like with the Israelites, turned to worms after one day. They want a fresh touch, a fresh encounter every day and that is their right. They want to “taste” of the goodness that is God, they want to eat the Honey from His hand and feel the life flowing from Him to them. They want the “intimate” touch from God that heals the soul like the oil of Gilead. They want to bath in the river of HIS love and presence, till they are clean and all the dirt and shame of this life is washed away in that river. They want to be refreshed by His living waters, filled by His new Wine & drunk and intoxicated on His love.

 

"They understand the drug addict for they have the same desires, the same cravings in their hearts for the Ecstasy and JOY to fill their souls that can only come from His smile while sitting at His feet adoring Him. They know the drug addict has just chosen the wrong thing to reach that stage of Ecstasy & JOY. These hearts use such words as driven, longing, desire, passion, craving, lovesick to describe what it is that pushed them away from religion into His presence. They have long since discovered that the “day old manna” of religion quickly turns to worms in their mouths and and they are made sick by it. Men’s programs do not interest them in the least anymore and men who are caught up in that system of works & religion do not understand them any more than does the heard that follows the religion of men. They are that peculiar people spoken of in scripture.

 

"These are the “Children of the Burning Heart” and they burn for only one thing, HIM, his presence, his love, his touch, his smile. They live to be ravished by his amazing love, overwhelmed by his goodness and FILLED with all that is HIM, and when they “encounter” Him they are the Happy Children of the Burning Heart. These understand when “St. Bernard of Chairvux! Said:

 

"To have found God and still pursue him is the soul’s “paradox” of love, this scorned by the too easily satisfied religionist person, but justified in the happy experience of “the children of the burning heart” St. Bernard of Chairvux!.......""

 

Bert Mystic Bliss Thompson

 

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Thoughts?

[Fez]

 

"People are hungry; they are hungry for God and not substitutes, not sermons and programs, not Sunday school. No day old manna for these hungry souls, which like with the Israelites, turned to worms after one day. They want a fresh touch, a fresh encounter every day and that is their right. 

 

I know that we could not feed these 60 kids through our Helping Hands initiative, day after day, every school day - some the only meal they get, (and for others, every day of the year), if it were not for  "program". If it were not for church.

 

 

I know we could not supply the housing, (this is one bedroom in our girls home - abused, HIV, parents dead from AIDS, girls), schooling, food, love, outings, birthday parties, if it were not for, men's programs (blessed by the Holy Spirit)

 

Men’s programs do not interest them in the least anymore and men who are caught up in that system of works & religion do not understand them any more than does the heard that follows the religion of men. They are that peculiar people spoken of in scripture.

 

Then I will pray for them, because whether they like it or not, they too live in the world.

[nebula]

I believe the author and you are talking about two different kinds of programs. Here, "programs" tend to mean Bible studies, women's groups - where the agenda is to together and chat more than to get together and serve, youth group hangouts, and the like.

[nebula]

Pray to Him and seek Him (you cannot know one you do not spend time with)...but without knowing the word, one could be confused as to the voice they are following....

 

And then we have churches that talk about God a lot, but never lead you towards encountering God.

 

Religious form is good if there is a heart and soul to it; but what too many people encounter with Christianity is a soul-less form.

 

Why can someone not advocate building up the religious heart and soul without everyone treating this as an attack on the form?

 

No, this is pointing out that the heart and soul need to define the body, not the form.

[nebula]

Matt. 7:22-23

 

"22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles ?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you;..."

 

 

There is nothing wrong with Bible studies, feeding the poor, casting out demons, and the like.

 

But how often do we make our gathering-togethers a place to encounter God and meet with Him?

[Guest man]

 

Bert Mystic Bliss Thompson

 

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Thoughts?

 

 

I would be careful of their teachings.

 

But that's just me.

[Guest]

 

 

Bert Mystic Bliss Thompson

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thoughts?

 

 

I would be careful of their teachings.

 

But that's just me.

 

 

I would agree. That "Mystic Bliss" stood out to me also.

 

Note: I am not slamming anyone for wanting to have a better relationship with the God of the Bible. I too am tired of all the American "Churchianity" that seems to have taken over in so many places these days. I also have learned this: if my personal relationship with God is not right then nothing else will be whether I'm in church or somewhere else.

[missmuffet]

 

 

Bert Mystic Bliss Thompson

 

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Thoughts?

 

 

I would be careful of their teachings.

 

But that's just me.

 

I am careful of most teachings.I know of about two I can really trust.

[Fez]

 

 

 

Bert Mystic Bliss Thompson

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thoughts?

 

 

I would be careful of their teachings.

 

But that's just me.

 

 

I would agree. That "Mystic Bliss" stood out to me also.

 

Note: I am not slamming anyone for wanting to have a better relationship with the God of the Bible. I too am tired of all the American "Churchianity" that seems to have taken over in so many places these days. I also have learned this: if my personal relationship with God is not right then nothing else will be whether I'm in church or somewhere else.

 

I agree with you here. The same thing is happening in my country, and for some reason (and I am sure it is a bad reason), the churches it is happening in are the bigger ones...

[One With Him]

God has led me to the simple fact that today's church is no different than the one Jesus preached against. There are a lot of people in our churches that are hungry for God, but no one to feed them. Churches have become a place of dependance. Churches don't teach people how to build their relationship with God to the point that they get their "mana" straight from the source. A relationship with God is like any other relationship. If you want Jesus to be your best friend he needs to be the one you spend the most time with.

 

I think it's sad that alot of church leaders today try and hook people into feeling like they need the church. There is coming a day when you will get arrested or worse just for trying to go to church. What then? If people have not been shown how to get in touch with God on their own then how many will fall by the way side? I'm not saying the church doesn't have it's place, becuase it does. But that place has shifted from the intended purpose to something it was not ment to be. Much like the difference from the Law and Aaron's work in the early history of Israel. Then look where it ended up, everything was for show. It was about the High Priest getting his ego stroked. People need to be shown how to get in touch with God. There is nothing I as a man can tell you about God that he himself can't say 1000 time better.