Posts Tagged ‘zeal for God’

Edwards “Resolved: To live with all my might while I live.”

Posted: March 20, 2013 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, March, Romans
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Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,serve the Lord. —Romans 12:11

John Piper preached a sermon in 2005 entitled, “Boiling for Christ”-

jonathan-edwards-21When Jonathan Edwards was still a young man he wrote seventy resolutions. I think the sixth resolution captures the meaning of Paul’s words, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit.” Edwards wrote: “Resolved: To live with all my might while I live.”

Jesus speaks terrible words of warning to those who settle in with lukewarm affections for him. Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

The great commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27). And God promises to be found by us when we see him with earnestness rather than half-heartedness.Jeremiah 29:13-14, “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13-14).

Over and over the Bible says: intensity matters. Zeal matters. Wholeheartedness matters. Don’t settle for anything less. We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God. You can’t spread what you don’t have. Ask God for it in constant prayer and ransack the Word of God for wonders that make you boil for Christ. That’s the intensity part of verse 11.

To read or listen to the rest of the sermon, click here:

“Resolved: To live with all my might while I live.”

Posted: March 20, 2011 by 4theloveofgod in Devotionals/Commentaries, March, Romans
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. —Romans 12:11

John Piper preached a sermon in 2005 entitled, “Boiling for Christ”-

jonathan-edwards-21When Jonathan Edwards was still a young man he wrote seventy resolutions. I think the sixth resolution captures the meaning of Paul’s words, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit.” Edwards wrote: “Resolved: To live with all my might while I live.”

Jesus speaks terrible words of warning to those who settle in with lukewarm affections for him. Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

The great commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27). And God promises to be found by us when we see him with earnestness rather than half-heartedness.Jeremiah 29:13-14, “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13-14).

Over and over the Bible says: intensity matters. Zeal matters. Wholeheartedness matters. Don’t settle for anything less. We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God. You can’t spread what you don’t have. Ask God for it in constant prayer and ransack the Word of God for wonders that make you boil for Christ. That’s the intensity part of verse 11.

To read or listen to the rest of the sermon, click here:

Open Eyes- Open Hearts

Posted: September 23, 2010 by Pam Larson in Devotionals/Commentaries, Luke, September
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Luke 24:31-32  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.  They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Just two simple observations:

1. Jesus affects our spiritual sight- He opens our eyes to see Him for Who He really is!  2 Corinthians 4:4-6 states it this way:

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2.  Jesus affects our spiritual passions-  He opens the Scriptures, the Word of God, the Bible to us, and we see the truth and it burns within our hearts.  He ignites a passion for God! Pray as you read the Bible.  Pray for God to open your eyes to see Him and His eternal truth.