Rhema Ehiemere - The Hunger Games

On your way to your seat, look at your neighbor and tell them, «This is The Hunger Games. Amen.» The Hunger Games! I read an interesting Forbes article the other day, and it said that before you make important decisions, it’s crucial to think about the word «halt» (H-A-L-T). Maybe you have heard about it, and maybe you have not. The word «halt» is very significant. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. Before you make any important decision, in fact, the Forbes article said to halt before you make a move because it knows that when you are hungry, there is a propensity to make the wrong decision, like some of us are this morning. When you are angry, there is a tendency to make the wrong decision. When you are lonely, there is a tendency to make the wrong decision. When you are tired, there is a tendency to make the wrong decision. When you look at that acronym «halt,» you see that two of those states are physical: hunger and tiredness, while the other two are emotional: anger and loneliness. This is why therapists, psychiatrists, addiction specialists, and counselors always try to incorporate the HALT framework into their strategy because they understand that these are the four stressors we have. So my question is, are you hungry, are you angry, are you lonely, or are you tired? Because if you don’t identify this, it could trigger the wrong response, have harmful side effects, and lead to bad choices and negative consequences, including relapse if you’re battling addiction. But the good thing about this text and the good thing about Jesus is that Jesus is the answer for all of those four stressors. Whether you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, Jesus is the answer! I know it’s early, and I know you don’t have the mic, but I want you to look at your neighbor and tell them, «Jesus is the answer.» Not «a answer, ” not „some answer, ” or „an answer”—Jesus IS the answer. If your neighbor is not excited about Jesus, then I don’t know what they will be excited about! Look at the other neighbor and tell them, „Jesus is the answer.“ I didn’t say „Jesus is an answer“; I said „Jesus is the answer.“ So when you are physically hungry, He is the provider; He is Jehovah Jireh. When you are spiritually hungry, He says, „I am the bread of life.“ When you are angry, His Spirit in you helps you produce the fruit of the Spirit so you can have self-control. When you are lonely, the Word says, „I will never leave you nor forsake you.“ When you are tired, He says, „The joy of the Lord is your strength.“ Jesus is not a way; Jesus is the way. Jesus is not a truth; Jesus is the truth. Jesus is everything! You may lose anything and everything, but if you still have Jesus, you still have everything. Look at your neighbor and tell them, „I still have everything.“ I still have everything! And if they ask you how you know you still have everything, tell them, „Because I still have Jesus!“ I might have lost this, I might have lost some friends, or I might have lost some money, but as long as you have Jesus, you still have everything. As long as I have Jesus, I have everything I need! It might not look like I have it, but I still have it because Jesus is in me. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! The Bible says, „This is the mystery that was hidden from the ages: Christ in me, the hope of glory.“ So what is the proof that you’re going to get the job? Christ in me! What is the proof that you’re going to get the breakthrough? Christ in me! So I have the proof because the Bible says, „Faith is the substance of things hoped for.“ And by the way, who is Faith? Faith is Jesus! Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. So when I have Jesus, I have faith, and faith is the title deed; faith is the substance of things hoped for. What is the proof that you have wealth? Jesus! What is the proof that you have protection? Jesus! What is the proof that you’re going to get the car? Jesus! Not your credit score, not your bank statement. What is the proof? Jesus! What I’m trying to let you know is that the power lies in Jesus. Once you have Jesus, you have everything! Somebody shout His name: Jesus! Jesus! No, say that name like you believe it: Jesus! Jesus! At that name, every knee bows! You don’t just have the authority to speak and say the name; you have access to who the name represents. The person of all the four stressors I talked аbout: hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness. I particularly feel like hunger is the most dangerous. Who is with me? Because a hungry man is an angry man! Have you been hungry before? No, I mean like hungry, hungry—where your attitude just changes. „Don’t talk to me! Why? Just don’t talk to me!“ Who is calling my phone? Good morning! What is good about the morning? What is wrong with you? You woke up on not even the wrong side; you didn’t even wake up on the bed! As I thought about this, I’m convinced that, yes, I understand loneliness has side effects, and tiredness has side effects, and anger has its place, but when I think about hunger…