Thirsty

I am thirsty. Not for anything this world can supply to quench that thirst. It is not a thirst for water, iced tea, Gatorade, milk or lemonade. My thirst is not of this earth. It is spiritual in nature. It is unquenchable by anything this world can provide. It is a thirst for God and His mighty move among us all. It aches in my soul. I feel it like a pain in my gut at times when I pray. It is on my mind continually. At times it keeps me up at night. I'm often distracted and preoccupied in my mind. I want more of God and His work among us. 

I read the wonderful stories of God in the Bible intervening in the lives of people who cried out for His help. Marvelous miracles followed. Miracles that blow the mind just to imagine. He moved millions of gallons of water into walls to deliver Israel. Exodus 14. He provided miracle bread in the form of mana in the wilderness. Exodus 16. He sent fire on Mount Carmel. I Kings 18 and then ended a three and a half year drought in the same chapter when Elijah prayed. He sent Jesus in the Gospels after 400 years of silence. The last verses in the book of John in the last chapter inform us that all the books in the world could not contain the records of the miracles Jesus performed. We only have a few recorded. 

I thirst to seek more of God and Jesus. I yearn to be drawn closer than an intellectual knowledge. I long for first hand encounters. I thirst for the church to experience God anew. Like He did through the book of Acts. Like He moved in the First and Second Great Awakenings. Similar to what He did in the New Hebrides revival and the great Wales revival of 1904. Like He did on the campus on Asbury College in 1970 and in 2023. Like He is doing right now at Southeastern Pacific University. 

I thirst for more than dry religion. I thirst for more than religious routines. I yearn for more than programs. I thirst for God and His power. I thirst for Him to be known and glorified in communities again. I thirst for repentance among God's people and salvation among the masses. I thirst for transformation of individuals and whole communities. 

The unquenchable thirst drives me to the prayer closet. It is pure travail trying to give birth to the miraculous move of God in our day. I pray in secret but long for God to reward openly for all to see. I long for His churches to be filled to overflowing with His Spirit and His worshipers. I long for baptistry waters to be continually stirred as the people of God celebrate new converts. It is a thirst no person can ever quench. Only God. May it be so Lord. May it be so. 

The Greatest Hero

 It was a very difficult time in America. Hope was fading. Conditions cascaded into catastrophes. People were on the verge of starvation. Work was scarce. People needed a helping hand. They needed a hero. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster found a hero. Not just for themselves but for the whole world. Jerry was the writer and Joe was the artist. They were high school friends who later came up with the idea for a hero. The year was 1933. America struggled through the woes of the Great Depression. People needed a hero. Jerry and Joe introduced the world to Superman. 

You remember the old cartoon introduction. "Faster than a speeding bullet. Stronger than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman." With that we were glued to comic books, later cartons and movies to Superman. His blue suit with the letter S on the front and his red shorts and red cape made him an iconic figure worldwide. He helped people escape their challenging lives. His character became a symbol of hope. 

He was and is make believe. Just like Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider Man, Captain America, and the rest. pretend defenders. Who is the greatest hero? According to my research Spiderman is the most popular by fans world wide. Batman and Superman are always in the top three. Billions of dollars was spent by movie goers to see these characters on the big screen. 

None of these is the greatest Hero. That designation is reserved exclusively for Jesus Christ. He did not have to be created. He existed with God before creation. He has no weaknesses like the others. He is all powerful. He conquered death. He not only raised people from the dead like Lazarus, but also was raised Himself from the grave. That is why we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. Jesus also did something no pretend superhero could ever do. He took our punishment for our sins taking it on Himself. He took our punishment for sins He did not commit. He substituted His righteousness for our wickedness. He transferred us from children of wrath to become children of God. For all who repent of sin and turn to Him for salvation He is the greatest hero. 

Today, He hears our prayers, rescues and redeems, transforms tormented souls, reclaims reckless rebels, and loves the most unlovable. He is alive and active in the affairs of people. Jesus is the greatest hero. [Phil 2:9-11] informs that God gave Jesus the name that is above every other name, that every knee will bow at His name, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the greatest hero for humanity.