Posts Tagged 'being zealous'

Standing Up For What’s Right

Published January 9, 2023 devotional , Jesus Speaks , Uncategorized Closed
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JESUS SPEAKING

         Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then the disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house has eaten me up.” (John 2: 13 – 17.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

         Long ago King David prophesied of the coming Messiah; suggesting He would be zealous for the things of God. Jesus, having witnessed His fellow Israelites using the temple for selfish gain, became enraged. After constructing a whip made of chords, He drove out all those who were defiling His Father’s house. Today, much like our Savior, we too will occasionally observe instances of unspeakable evil. In such circumstances, the Holy Spirit will eradicate our fears and fill our hearts with zeal; giving us the strength to publicly oppose anyone engaging in malicious conduct.
         One day many years ago, while I was studying in a coffee shop, a man and his teenage son sat down beside me. Without provocation, the youngster began persistently berating and verbally abusing his Dad. As the disrespect escalated, my heart was filled with righteous anger. The boy eventually threatened his Dad, saying, “Have you ever been punched in the face?” I lashed out; telling the young man to ‘Shut his mouth!’ The boy fell silent. I proceeded to lecture him concerning the fifth commandment; honoring his father and mother. Embarrassed and afraid, he stepped outside, but eventually returned to apologize.
         In this life, we will occasionally witness acts of such unspeakable evil that Jesus will inspire us to intervene. In these moments, He will fill our hearts with zeal; giving us the words to speak and the strength to overcome our fears. The Lord will use us to rebuke, to exhort, and to correct many who intentionally violate the basic laws of God.
         “Lord Heavenly Father, give us the courage to speak the truth when necessary. May we love what is good and be zealous for Your ways. When great acts of evil are being practiced, may we stand up against them; allowing our desires for righteousness to eradicate our fears of reprisal. May we be a light in the darkness. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Being Zealous

Published March 21, 2022 devotional , Jesus Speaks , Uncategorized Closed
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JESUS SPEAKING

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then the disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house has eaten me up” (John 2: 13 – 17.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Upon entering the temple, Jesus was filled with righteous indignation; a divine passion that prompted Him to chase away the schemers who were abusing God’s Holy dwelling for their own selfish purposes. The disciples observed Christ’s zealous behavior; properly ascribing his actions to a messianic prophecy which states, “Zeal for Your House has eaten Me up” (Psalm 69: 9.) The textbook definition of zeal is, “a great energy or enthusiasm that accompanies the pursuit of a cause or an objective.” Passion and Zeal concerning the accomplishment of God’s will is therefore an indelible characteristic of genuine faith.

At present, there exists one striking contrast between the airplane and every other form of locomotion. The horse and wagon, the automobile, the bicycle, the locomotive, the speedboat, and the great battleship, can all come to a stand still without danger; and they can all reverse their engines, or their power and go backward. But the engine of an airplane has no reverse. It can’t back up. It dare not stand still either. If it loses its momentum and forward drive, then it will crash. The only safety for an airplane resides within its forward and upward motion. Similarly, the only safe direction for a Christian to take is forward and upward. If we stop, or even slip and begin to go backward, we will find ourselves in grave danger.

In life, the number of things that can elicit our zeal is almost endless. Many today are zealous for a political party, a governmental ideology, a sports team, a career, an individual or relationship, a collection of some kind, gaming, entertainment, travel, an alternative lifestyle, or a social cause, to name just a few. Yet as Christians, the furtherance of the gospel must be our preeminent passion; we must move forward and upward; aiming to accomplish the work of God in this place. Through our words and our deeds many can come to know God and receive salvation.

“Lord Heavenly Father, our lives are filled with distractions; things that can compete with our zeal for Your Son and His coming Kingdom. Help us, that we might remain focused on the things that truly matter; the eternal endeavors which are pleasing to You. May we be Your people, and may we never stop accomplishing Your will upon this Earth. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Making a Stand

Published October 15, 2018 Jesus Speaks , Uncategorized Closed
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JESUS SPEAKING

         Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then the disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house has eaten me up” (John 2: 13 – 17.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

         Long ago King David prophesied that the messiah would be zealous concerning the things of God. Jesus, having witnessed his fellow Israelites using the temple for selfish gain, became enraged. After constructing a whip, he drove out those who were defiling his Father’s house. Today, we too will occasionally observe acts of unspeakable evil. In such instances, the Holy Spirit will eradicate our fears and fill our hearts with zeal; enabling us to publicly oppose those engaging in malicious conduct.
         One afternoon, while studying in the coffee shop, a man and his teenage son sat down beside me. Without provocation, the youngster began persistently berating and verbally abusing his Dad. As the disrespect escalated, my heart was filled with righteous anger. The boy eventually threatened his Dad, saying, “Have you ever been punched in the face?” I lashed out; telling the young man to ‘Shut his mouth!’ The boy fell silent. I proceeded to lecture him concerning the fifth commandment; honoring his father and mother. Embarrassed and afraid, he stepped outside; later returning to apologize.
         In this life, we will occasionally witness acts of such unspeakable evil, that Jesus will inspire us to intervene. In these moments, He will fill our hearts with zeal; giving us the words to speak and the strength to overcome our fears. The Lord will use us to rebuke, to exhort, and to correct many who eagerly violate the basic laws of God.
         “Lord Heavenly Father, give us the courage to speak the truth when necessary. May we love what is good and be zealous for Your ways. When great acts of evil are being practiced, may we stand against them; allowing our desires for righteousness to eradicate our fear of reprisal. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

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