OK, what exactly is PASSION: an intense emotion or compelling action, a strong liking for some activity, object, or concept, an extreme, compelling emotion or intense emotional drive or excitement.
A pastor invited a well-known atheists to be the keynote speaker at one of the regular meetings he had with his church ministers He told the atheist, “I want you to talk to us about why you don’t come to church.” With all the pastors sitting there, the atheist said, “The reason I don’t come to church—and the reason most of the country doesn’t come to church—is because WE DON’T SEE ANY PASSION.” He continued, “If Jesus REALLY IS God’s Son, if He REALLY DID die on the cross, and if He’s REALLY THE ONLY WAY to heaven, then it must be the a great blasphemy before God to not be ABSOLUTELY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE.”
One of the teachers of the law came and asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with ALL YOUR HEART and with ALL YOUR SOUL and with ALL YOUR MIND and with ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ The second is this: ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself.’ There is NO COMMANDMENT GREATER than these.” (Mark 12:28-31) Remember Jesus gave us a new commandment, “A NEW COMMAND I give you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this EVERYONE WILL KNOW that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Now here is something we can really be passionate about! What the devil will do to QUENCH OUR PASSION, here is the devils Modus Operandi (his MO) “The thief (devil) comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10a) He will try to steal our passions (it’s too much trouble), kill our desire to love (their not really worth it) and destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ (He demands too much of me).
In Christ’s compassion He said, “I have come that they may HAVE LIFE, and have it TO THE FULL.” (John 10:10b)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham