What Are You Hungry For?

As I sit down to write this blog entry, I can hear my wife Kelley in the background talking to my Mother-In-Law Marilyn about Thanksgiving dinner which  is next week.  I must admit, the menu I have heard them discussing sounds absolutely wonderful!  It is a more recent tradition of ours that at Thanksgiving, Kelley will make me a "once-a-year" treat that I am completely crazy about.  She got a recipe from the Rachel Ray show that has become one of my favorite holiday traditions!  Here it is:  2-cloves of garlic, a jar of green olives, Ricotta cheese and cream cheese.  Put it all in a Food Processor, blend it together and serve it on Melba Toast!  Oh Yeah!!!  Ok, for some that may not sound like that is something they are hungry for, but for ME,...... I can't wait!

Let me ask you another question:  "How "hungry" are YOU for a genuine move of the Holy Spirit?"  I don't mean some contrived, pumped-up, manipulated THING we generate and then slap the label "REVIVAL" upon.  I mean a genuine "MOVE" of the Holy Spirit that melts peoples hardened hearts, causes people to want to align their will with God's will, and generates an all out renewal of genuine passion for Christ, and compassion for the lost!  THAT type of "MOVE" of the Holy Spirit is rare and few and far between!  Well, to be completely honest with you,........... I am VERY "HUNGRY" for THAT move of the Holy Spirit,  genuine ....... REFORMATION!

I believe another major key in answering the question that this series of blog postings has been addressing entitled:  "Where is the Power?"  Is that the Followers of Jesus have got to begin to pursue a genuine "outpouring" and "move" of the Holy Spirit like were talking about above.  When in our hearts, we become SO tired of the status quo!  So fed up with that which is "PUMPED-UP" and "PRIMED" and absolutely tired of seeing the Church of Jesus Christ completely MISS the point of what we're even here for!  When that kind of hunger is present in a Believers life and we begin to cry out to the Lord to send us genuine renewal and reformation, and "HUNGRILY" pursue it, I believe we WILL see it!  OK, someone may ask:  "Why do we have to "HUNGRILY" pursue the move and power of the Holy Spirit?"  The answer is really quite simple.  When we as the Followers of Jesus begin to pray and cry out to God, and begin to seek an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that changes our hearts and converts unbelievers hearts, we are demonstrating something very needed in the Church today!  We are demonstrating to God that we desire HIM and HIS will more then ANYTHING and EVERYTHING else in this life!

OK, so why would God want to see this type of "hunger" from His people?  Because, when we begin to develop this kind of "hunger" for the move of the Holy Spirit, things begin to happen in our lives.  First, even though we may begin "hungrily" seeking the Lord quite mildly at first, as we are in the process of seeking Him, and over time, our hearts begin to change.  We go from seeking God in a mediocre type of way to "hungrily' pursuing Him!  Passion for Him begins to develop within our hearts, and we begin to change!  Now, we are not just going through a spiritual exercise that we have committed to, but our hearts, which have now changed, begin to cry out to God for genuine renewal and reformation!  Secondly, as we are being transformed through intimacy with Christ, we begin to "SEE" things from His perspective.  His passion becomes our passion!  What He desires we begin to desire!  We, as the Apostle Paul said, are being transformed into the image of God's Son!  Thirdly, as we seek the Lord with this type of hunger, people around us begin to see what God is doing in our hearts and it serves as a type of motivation within the Church.  The Church begins to transform as one person who is visible to the rest of the Fellowship of Believers is transformed!  it has a type of "spreading" effect like fire, but in this case, what is spreading is a "hunger" for God  And Finally, as we begin to "hungrily" seek the Lord like this, we begin to see God move.  The Lord promised us that if we "hungrily' seek Him, He will certainly respond to us, and we will "find" Him.  We will experience Him and know Him in a deeper more intimate way!  Listen to what the Lord said about this in Jeremiah 29:13 --- "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart!"

The change that takes place within our hearts, within our churches, and ultimately within our communities as we "hungrily" seek the Lord and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon His Body once again, is so desperately needed RIGHT NOW in our churches, our families, and in this world!  Yes, I can't wait for that special Thanksgiving treat my wife makes, I'm so hungry for it!  However, so much more than that, I am genuinely "HUNGRY" for the move of the Holy Spirit, and His power to be unleashed upon His Church once again!  Dear Reader,........ "WHAT ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR?"