January 25, 2013

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Passion begins with a connection. Passion can be catching, you can get it from someone else who has it. No one is more passionate about life and love than Jesus!

Secondly, passion grows with conviction. Passion takes root in a belief and strengthens as you become more convinced about what you believe. Belief typically grows through experience. Experience is when your belief moves from your head to your heart. When something that you believe in your mind actually gets put to the test in life and you discover it works! From then on you believe it more!

When reality challenges your beliefs and you cling to that belief and act on it and find it passes the test, you have a stronger belief and a new view of reality. When what you hoped in proved to be worthy of your hope - your hope grows! You move from hoping to real hope! Not only does your belief get stronger but so does your passion!

It is sort like when you first walked out on the ice covering a pond or a like. You have watched it freeze and seen the ice cover more of the surface until it covers all the water. You wait while it thickens and then when you think it be thick enough you take that first tentative step. To your joy and relief your find it does support your weight. With each step your confidence grows. Soon you are skating and having a wonderful time! You have moved from hoping you were right to knowing it and enjoying it!

Conviction is discovering that you can hope in what you hoped you could believe! Then you hope more and believe stronger. Each time your belief stands the tests of life and validates your hopes you grow more passionate about what you believe. That allows you to be more patient in the face of difficulties.

Stronger hope and greater patience helps you pray with more faith! Prayer strengthen both your connection WITH Jesus and your conviction of what be believe ABOUT Him. Prayer becomes less of a job and more of a joy. It changes prayer from a last resort to a first response.

Passion originates with a connection and deepens with a conviction. When you believe what you say you believe you will find more hope, patience and prayerfulness.

January 24, 2013

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

The word "zeal" has practically disappeared from common use. You can still find it in a dictionary and it makes a good word in Scrabble, but think about the last time you heard it in a conversation? Paul here couples "zeal" with the synonym "fervor".

In the rare instances it is used it appears in the word "zealot" which usually has a negative connotation.

The concept of "zeal" is expressed in the word "passion" these days. So let's talk about passion since this verse demands that you and I are responsible for fueling the spiritual passion for God. It is expected to be a constant in our lives.

If we were to be honest we would admit the place we most often see passion is in regard to sports teams. I confess to being passionate about the Chicago Bears and the Virginia Tech Hokies.

That begs two questions, "what does passion look like" and "why does it express itself in this form"?

My passion for these two football teams shows in the fact that I think about them most every day. Their websites are on my favorites tab and I always look for the latest news on them. My passion is shown in how I order my priorities around the during Satudays and Sundays in the Fall. When the games are on I am mentally and emotionally engaged in them. I get excited by a big play and aggravated by the bad plays. I care what happens to my teams from the opening kickoff until the final play! For those three hours that game is the center of my universe. A win by either  team lifts my week-end. If they both win it is real uplifting! When one or both lose it casts a pall over the next few days.

That's passion!

So, why is it so easy to maintain my passion for football and so difficult to "keep my spiritual fervor"?

Here's a thought from one of my mentors, Rush Limbaugh. El Rushbo says that we are passionate about sports teams because we can become totally engaged with our favorite team and gain a sense of significance, satisfaction, belonging, entertainment and pleasant diversion without it costing us anything. Granted, if you buy a ticket and pay for parking and food to the event or set aside a day to attend the event, that can be costly. But in terms of commitment, the cost is minimal! Passion over sports teams has a high cost to benefit factor.

On the other hand, commitment to Christ costs you much (everything, in fact) and the biggest rewards are delayed. You can switch on the TV or click on their website and see the Bears or Hokies, but you open the Bible and you see words - lots of words. It takes much more commitment to get passionate and stay passionate about an invisible concept than a tangible team.

Would you like to be as passionate about your faith as you are about your football? If not, you can check out here. But if you do, you are closer than you think.

Surrender to the "team Spirit".

Become as committed to faith as you are to football.

Devote the same amount of time as you do to God as to your team - reading, watching, and thinking about them.

Follow Christ as enthusiastically, consistently and regularly as you do your team.

Talk about your faith as much as you do your football team.

Invest at least as much time and energy on your faith as you do on your football. Make it a time priority as your football games. Hang out with faith "fans" like you hang out football fans.

If you know how to fuel your passion for the Bears, Redskins, Ravens, Hokies or 'Hoos, you have a foundation for becoming a passionate follower of Christ. It may just cost you more - but the benefits are out of this world!

January 23, 2013

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

 

Perhaps you buy into the notion that passion is a spontatneous and intense emotional response to some great spiritual experience or a move of God.

 

Maybe you understand passion to be something that springs up within randomly or capriciously and then disappears just a unpredictably.

 

Verse 11 presents a different idea of passion.

 

Passion happens intentionally, "Never be lacking in zeal", v. 11 a

 

Like most other things in life, passion happens because someone wants it to happen and does what it takes to make it happen. What needs to happen is zeal. Zeal is a form of passion or even a synonym for it. An intentional decision must be made to be zealous toward the Lord, His Church and the people that make up your local church. You decide that you will maintain the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual commitment necessary to stay zealous for the Lord. You devote body, mind and, spirit to knowing and serving the Lord. You aggressively pursue it or preserve it.

 

Second, passion happens internally.

 

Passion is something that stirs within you once you decide to pursue it and possess it. Zeal comes to your mind and spirit as a result of committing them to God's Spirit. It comes from His Word as you hide it in your heart and meditate on it in your mind. Once you intentionally commit to pleasing God, His pleasure fills you from the inside out.

 

Passion happens in service to God.

 

Zeal increases as it is expressed by self-sacrificing service. Passion is something you can put your hands around. Zeal cannot be contained. What obedience and surrender allow the Spirit to stir within in you will have to express itself by serving others. Passion that seeks God must also service God.

 

Passion is a decision. Zeal is a determination to know God, to experience God, and to show God in your piety, your personal relationship to him and your personal investment ministering to the needs of others.

Are you zealous for the Lord?

Are you passionate for Him?

January 22, 2013

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11 (TNIV)

“Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame." Romans 12:11 (The Message)

What are you passionate about?

 

How do you fuel that passion?

 

What robs you of your passion?

 

Those are some of the issues addressed in this middle section of Romans 12.

 

How do you define passion? Is it an emotional state? Is it an attitude? Is it a spiritual condition?

 

Here, Paul defines it as a level of commitment. He equates it with "zeal".

 

Commitment implies a narrowed focus. When you are committed to numerous things you are, in fact, not committed. You may have multiple interests but minimal commitment. Most people nowadays can relate to the concept of being "over committed".

 

What happens to over committed people? Don't they usually become over stressed? Once you are over stressed what happens to your passion? What happens to your energy level? What happens to your level of performance?

 

I established at the beginning of this series that God calls you to the purpose of overcoming evil with His goodness. But what are the chances of overcoming evil if you are overwhelmed by too many commitments?

 

"But, Brad" you argue, "The things I am committed to are all good things! Isn't that how you overcome evil?"

 

While I will give you that if you are going to be overwhelmed it is better to be overwhelmed with good things than by bad things, but the net result is pretty much the same. In my experience, the most common hindrance to believers overcoming evil WITH good is being overcome BY good. Doing the good things is usually what prevents you from doing the best things.

 

"So," you ask, "How do I narrow my focus? How do I prioritize my commitments?"

 

Discover that and you will take a giant step toward living with passion.

 

I will give you a hint, Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

January 21, 2013

We are a team at FredWes – every member has a position to play and the team wins as each member plays his position and gets wins at that position. Each of us matters and it matters to the team what we do.

We are a body – every member has an equally important place in that body and must find it for the body to become healthy and growing.

Our Unity – comes from surrendering to God:
Our Ego
Our Evil
Our Efforts

Our Community – comes from serving in the church in the Spirit

How do we preserve and maintain this healthy climate in the church?

PURITY

“Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves.” Romans 12:9-10
 

PURITY = MATURITY, as in, mature love. That is what we have seen displayed in David and Trish Tait over the years they have served FWC. It is the love that Gerald and Brenda have modeled when they led the church and even now as they serve.

Once a team, once a body finds the unity and community that are essential to a godly, growing, healthy church – then they must maintain it. How?

PURE LOVE THAT IS MATURE IS:

1) HONEST – “Love must be honest and true……”

This deals with your motives. Honest love isn’t manipulative. Honest love faces the hard truth of selfish love and repents of it. Get real with God!

2) HOLY – “…..hate what is evil….”

This deals with your Master. Who is the source of your love? How do you get it? You have to hate your selfish love to get sincere love. This will take some true repentance. It will require some discipline. You can’t love and hate at the same time.

3) HELPFUL – “….hold onto what is good….”

This deals with your mission. The purpose of believers is to be confront the evil in the world with the goodness of God!

4) HEARTY – “…..love each other deeply…..”

This deals with your meaning. Are you going to devote your life to self-seeking or are you going to invest in others? Are you willing to be vulnerable? Will you risk getting hurt by others in order to be able to help them?

5) HUMBLE – “…..honor others more than yourselves.”

This deals with your maturity. Are you willing to stand in the shadows and shine the spotlight on others? Are you willing to be a “nobody” to help make “somebodys”. Will you decrease so others can increase?

THIS IS PURE LOVE!

THIS IS POWERFUL LOVE!

THIS IS CHRISTIAN LOVE!

THIS IS CONTAGIOUS LOVE!

WILL TO COMMIT TO LOVE:

HONESTLY?
HOLY?
HELPFULLY?
HEARTILY?

January 20, 2013

"Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves." Romans 12:9-10

 

Telling someone to love like this is equivalent to telling your dog to act like a cat. It is unnatural. The love that God demands of you in this portion of Scripture is unnatural. Think about it!

 

To love this way you must be sincere, i.e. - authentic, the real deal! That is not your nature! It is natural to fake it. You show only your best side and mask or hide your faults, flaws and weaknesses. You don't like those parts of your nature and you are sure that if others knew how you really are they wouldn't like you either!
 

Loving others with a real, true, genuine and sincere love is not natural!

 

Likewise, expecting someone to hate evil and cling to good is very idealistic isn't it? That won't really happen. It is not the way we are! How can you hate evil when your very nature is controlled by evil? Your natural way of loving is selfish love. It is a love that manipulates others to get what it wants. Therefore selfish love uses other people, sometimes abuses them to gratify its desires.

 

Loving others with a holy and unselfish love is unnatural.

 

So it is with brotherly love or a love that prefers others above your own wants and needs. It is not in your nature to honor others. You want the spotlight! You want the credit! Center-stage belongs to you! You deserve the honor! You have earned it!

 

Honor others? Why?

 

Pure love requires a maturity that is not natural. True love, Christian love, requires a fundamental change in your nature. As the Scripture declares, you must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind"! That is not just unnatural it is supernatural! Only God can do that because only God loves like that! It begins the moment you recieve the love that God has for you in Christ Jesus! When you recieve His love you also recieve the desire to love others. Along with that desire comes the ability to love others because - HE LOVES THROUGH YOU!

 

Are you ready for some radical love? Are you tired of shallow self-centered love? Are you wanting to help others rather than hurting them?

 

Repent of your selfish love and surrender to the supernatural endless love of God!

January 18, 2013

"Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves." Romans 12:9-10

 

"Love each other deeply" says the Scripture. The word that is used is the word for "brotherly love". Within the fellowship of the church you are to love others like family. The "phileo" type of love is the highest measure of love which human beings are capable of sharing. It refers to a genuine warm emotional feeling of fondness and familiarity. In other words, when you love a fellow Christian give it all you've got. Don't hold back.

 

Why should you not love your fellow believers like you love family? After all, you have the same Father. If you love God you certainly should love those in your church fellowship who also love God. You love them because God, your Father loves them. You love them deeply because they are spiritual family.

 

And why should you not love your fellow believers who not only share you Father, but also share your faith. Faith is a powerful force in the life of a believer. Faith is a set of beliefs about Who God is, how He operates, how He loves you and what He wants you to do and to become. A common system of beliefs and values can form a strong bond for friendship and fellowship among believers in a local church. Sharing strong beliefs at the core of your being with other believers is a strong uniting factor.

 

Also, when you worship and work together within the fellowship of a church you share the same focus. You want that fellowship to prosper and grow. The people and the pastors and the ministries of that church has inspired you and instructed you and invested in you over the years and it has become an important part of your life. Because you value that you value others who share your passion for the the health of that church. You are a team, you are members of the body who are working together to achieve shared goals. That is a strong common bond.

 

Love one another deeply as you would a brother or a sister. Live in unity and harmony with them. Share spiritual community as you worship together, serve each other and reach out to the needs in your city.

 

Having the same Father, the same faith and an identical focus are important factors in loving each other deeply (like brothers or sisters) within a local church fellowship. It is a powerful bond! It will bless you in your spirit and build you in your spiritual development!

 

Do you have a brotherly love for those who worship with you?

If not, why not?