ZEALOUS
BREAD
11 Never
be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11 (NIV)
6 We
have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him
serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is
contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership,
let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)
24 Meanwhile
a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned
man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the
way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus
accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in
the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their
home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27 When Apollos wanted to go to
Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome
him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the
Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 18:24-28 (NIV)
24 Do you
not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run
in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a
crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I
do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after
I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)
9 for
zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall
on me. Psalms 69:9 (NIV)
13 When
it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found
men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging
money. 15 So he
made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and
cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their
tables. 16 To
those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here!
How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that
it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John
2:13-17 (NIV)
37 Jesus
replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
BUTTER
“We
are zealous for what we love. For where
your treasure is there your heart will be also.” BHY
“A
zealous man feels that like a lamp he is made to burn. Such a one will always find a sphere for his
zeal.” J. C.
Ryle
“Give
me the love that leads the way, The faith that nothing can dismay, The hope no
disappointments tire, The passion that will burn like fire, Let me not sink to
be a clod: Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.” Amy Carmichael
“Passion
is in all great searches and is necessary to all creative endeavors.” Eugene W. Smith
“God promises us
redemption, but His sacred path leads us away from safety, predictability, and
comfort. Any attempt to fly over the
dangerous terrain or make a detour to safer ground is doomed because it will
not take us to God. Instead, it leads to
a host of other idols that can’t provide us with the confidence of faith, the
dynamic of hope or the passion of love we so deeply crave. Each day we either live for God or for other
gods. In each moment of hardship we fear
either God or man. When we choose to
worship gods and fear men our lives will suffer an emptiness and turmoil that
is not much different than trying to fill our bellies with dirt. At first we may feel full, but in short order
our violation of God’s plan will lead to torment.” Dan
Allender
“When faith has
the upper hand in my heart I am satisfied with Christ and His promises. This is what Jesus meant when He said, ‘He
who believed in Me shall never thirst’ (John 6:35). When my thirst for joy and meaning and
passion are satisfied by the presence and promises of Christ, the power of sin
is broken. We do not yield to the offer
of sandwich meat when we can smell steak sizzling on the grill. The fight of faith against lust is the fight
to stay satisfied with God.” John Piper
“Satan
doesn’t surrender his prey without a fight.
He comes racing after the converted soul, chariot wheels churning the
dust, seeking to discourage you, to defeat you.
He pursues you with the intensity of Pharaoh. He may use your old friends, a spot of
persecution, or discouraging responses by your family. He may show you a hypocrite in the church or
afflict you with a general slacking of zeal.
He may launch a missile of temptation right at your heart or fire a
volley of trials and troubles into your life.” Robert
J. Morgan
“It is important
to understand that fruitfulness and growth are the results of focusing on
Christ and desiring to honor Him. When
growth and change are our primary goals, we tend to be preoccupied with
ourselves instead of with Christ. ‘Am I
growing? Am I getting any better? Am I
more like Christ today? What am I
learning?’ This inordinate
preoccupation with self-improvement parallels our culture’s self-help and
personal enhancement movement in many ways.
Personal development is certainly not wrong, but it is misleading—and it
can be very disappointing—to make it our preeminent goal. If it is our goal at all, it should be
secondary. As we grasp the unconditional
love, grace, and power of God, then honoring Christ will increasingly be our
consuming passion…The only One worthy of our preoccupation is Christ, our
sovereign
Lord, who told Paul, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness’”. Robert McGee
“Determine what
specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment
with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader.” Paul
J. Meyer
“In the gospel
there is that that can make you immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. There is no passion, no affection, no thought, no wish, no power which
the gospel has not filled to the very brim. The gospel was obviously meant for
manhood; it is adapted to it in its every part. There is knowledge for the
head; there is love for the heart; there is guidance for the foot.” Charles
H. Spurgeon
HEART SAVOR
- · I will always be passionate for what I love.
- · I am to do what God has created and gifted me to do with great zeal and purpose. The power, strength and ability all come from His hand. I am merely a willing vessel.
- · I am to love the Lord with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind and with all my strength.
