fast day #17 (1.21.15): passion for God The day Jesus entered Jerusalem before His death and resurrection is known as Palm Sunday. This marks the beginning of the week of Christ’s passion. The word ‘passion’ comes from a Latin word which means ‘suffering’. The suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross has always been referred to as The Passion. There is even a movie by that name. In modern times, we have come to apply the word passion to mean any kind of strong feeling, or commitment, even though it more properly it describes a suffering for some worthwhile thing. In many ways we have lost this sense of the word, in part perhaps, because there is so little of this kind of passion left in the western world. We ascribe the word passion to how we feel about sports teams, music, or our political views. Would you be willing to suffer for those things? How different is the passion of Jesus: directed by God and willingly accepted. Jesus actively chose His path and the sufferings that followed. In Jesus we see not only the full depth of God’s passion for us and the suffering that was a necessary part of it, but also the full depth of one perfect human’s passion for God (in Jesus): obedience that led to death. How do we respond to God’s call to follow Him? Are we passionate? Or passive? To walk with Jesus, who said, “take up your cross and follow me,” we must accept God’s direction and choose to follow the path laid out for us. This is a path of certain passion (suffering), but also certain hope because of the victory we have through Christ’s resurrection. Matthew 10.24-32, 38-39, Psalm 130 • How are you passionate in your love for the Lord? • In what areas do you actively choose God’s ways and desire to live for Him? • Or, do you passively follow Him? • In what ways do others look at your life and see your passion and consuming love for Jesus? • Ask God to enable you to passionately love and follow Him. prayer: Lord, thank You for Your passionate love for me that You would die for me. And thank You for Your passionate love for the Father, that You would obey Him, even to death. Lord, I am so often harassed and helpless, like a sheep without a shepherd—how can I find my way unless You help me? Have mercy on me. Lead me Lord. Come, and give me the strength I need to follow You in doing the Father’s will. Bless the time I give to You this week. Pour Your blessing over me. Give me a passionate love equal to Yours. In Jesus name, amen. #DanielFast #Day17 #@PastorPierreJ #Finishers Church
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:20:02 +0000
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