Studying: The Pursuit of God.
Welcome! Join the Group and Grow to become more like Christ.
- Obtain an electronic copy (Kindle) from Amazon.ca - This a FREE copy
- Purchase a hard copy from your local bookstore, or from Amazon.ca
- Download eBook from Project Gutenberg:
- Download PDF copy from NTS Library
- Download Audio Book
- Read, make notes, journaling and comment on this Blog.
- Feel free to make Comments on the comments of others.
- The only Ground Rule: Contribute freely, yet respectfully.
Introductory Blog:
- Dealing with the Introduction & Preface
- Comment in the following Quotes & Questions
As you read, her are some questions as discussion points:
- Would you say there is a hunger for God today? If "yes", where have you seen it. If not, why do you think this is so?
- Do you agree that a "hunger for God Himself" is a precursor to revival?
- Comment on the following Quotes:
- "Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is proof of this.” (p. 9)
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"Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience, they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."(pp. 9-10).
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ReplyDelete- I say there is and there isn't a hunger for God today. Yes, firstly, because I have experienced a hunger and thirst for God in my own faith journey that has led me to discover an even deeper level of discipleship and spiritual maturity. Secondly, I have also witnessed the same feelings of hunger in some of my closest brethren. Thirdly, this hunger for God can be seen all around the world, as Christianity and the gospel continues to grow and spread, creating new disciples and birthing new communities who worship the one true, living God.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also say that there isn't a hunger for God because, as Tozer put it so well, "to great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely" (p. 9). The worship of God has been deduced to a mere affiliation with God; what I mean to say is that many claim to "know" God, yet without truly knowing and experiencing Him intimately -- head-knowledge without heart. Secondly, many believers, sadly, are not walking their talk, and, consequently, those observing are neither edified or drawn to wonder about, or hunger, for God. Thirdly, pride gets in the way of a genuine hunger for God. More than ever before, it is increasingly difficult to stave off sinful desires influenced by the culture surrounding us. The pride in one's own life lures them away from God and toward selfish cravings, trying to find pleasure in other things that will never completely satisfy.
- I absolutely agree that a "hunger for God Himself" is a precursor to revival. I believe that revival cannot happen unless someone first humbles himself before the cross, recognizes his own sin and his need of God; not I, but Christ living in me! As long as self is in control, the fruit of the Spirit cannot take root for us to bear -- and this dying to self must happen daily.
- The first quote (from page 9) reminds me of the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well regarding true worship: Someone can know the who, what, when, where and why of worshipping God, but it doesn't matter unless the worship truly comes from their heart.
- (On quote from pp. 9-10) I absolutely love this statement; it truly captures the essence of God's desire to be in relationship with His Church, not just to have been read and preached about on Sundays.
Thank you for your insightful comments. Hey also for the Audio Book. I am sure it will be helpful to others.
DeleteMy brothers, thanks for this wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts.Denis I just wanted to say that I have a hard copy of the study and the quotes appears on pg.11&12.
DeleteIs there a desire for God today?
I would say yes to this question.We don't have to look very far to see this. Our society is filled with all sorts of religions and beliefs. So deep down in man there is a desire or hunger for God.So we search for God in all the wrong places. Whether it'sin our careers or in pleasure or even in our denominations. We are all looking to fill this God created desire in our lives. By the grace of God, we who were once lost found the Fountain of Living water. We have drank from the Fountain and will never thirst again, Praise God.
Of course as we hunger for God there is a revival. The revival begins in our own lives. As we are called daily to renew our minds and to be transformed and be more like Christ.Rom 12:2
Now here is an interesting paradox. God pursued us first.We did not willing accept Him.All of us at one time have turned away from God. Isa. 53:6. But thanks to our Father, He continued pursuing us. Wretched men that we are. Until that day we stopped running, turned to the Pursuer and accepted His invitation. "Come to Me all who are laden and I will give you rest."Mat 11:28 With His Spirit in us we seek the Truth. This Truth resonates deep within our souls. And now we begin to pursue the Pursuer. Before I was dead. Christ Powered Revival(CPR) needed to be done.And my response is to love Him and serve Him. May His name be praised forever.
Hi Denis,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this opportunity and for the questions that provide a guide for focus.
Sorry for the delay. I have never blogged before so it took a little while for me to navigate and get started. Here are my thoughts on the introduction.
Authentic, sustainable right actions follow the “right setting” of our belief system by the word of God. This is indeed a miracle as the Holy Spirit changes our perspectives, our beliefs. The right belief system then manifests itself with good fruit in our lives as it provides a reference point for the molding of our actions.
A right belief system that does not manifest itself in sustained positive behavioural change (good fruit) is cause for concern.
God never imposes he urges. If he did he would have made us without our own will. So to my mind there won’t be revivals on an individual or corporate level unless there is a hungering after God.
To answer the question, “whether or not I believe there is a hungering for God now” I sought to explain what I believe hungering after Christ is. It might be a little repetitive as I just allowed my thoughts to flow.
Definition of “hungering after Christ”
Desire for his word to be known and through it for him to be revealed in my daily life and in the life of others.
Not being satisfied with the positional benefit of being a christian but having a untapped desire to progress, to go deeper, higher, wider. Stopping at times to gaze, wonder and exclaim, wow!
Having a conscious and practical realization that nothing else matters. Everything else is worth losing to gain the awesome riches of Christ. That true treasure that you would give up everything to gain and all else that comes with it.
Desire to know about Him and for my life to be fashioned after His.
Realizing that it is no longer I that live but Christ who is living in me.
Never being satisfied completely, realizing that there is always more.
He is on my billboard, not self anymore.
Seeking to make yourself accountable to your brothers and sisters in Christ
Being humble enough to accept his chastening and see it as surgery that cuts out the cancer of sin.
Realization that the Word of God is not an end in itself. It is not an academic adventure because if it is the education itself can become an idol.
So with all that said, Yes I would say there is a hungering for Christ but it is not generalized. I also believe that only those who are hungering, or those desiring of doing so, will be preoccupied with even thinking about hungering for Christ ( I know that last statement is obvious but wanted to make the point that I don't believe hungering for Christ will happen where there is an absence of desire).
Those who are content with toeing the line (being positionally satisfied in Christ) won't be hungering, they see the gift of salvation as the end game. What about becoming, growing, pressing on ?
Here is a quote from C.S Lewis that sums things up well.
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”