CATCH THE FIRE!

“Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” – John 2:17

REFERENCE:

JOHN 2:14-17

We saw yesterday that zeal is fervency; a burning fire; and true zeal is embodied by Jesus Christ. His zeal would not let Him stomach people ‘buying and selling’ in His Father’s house; zeal for the house had eaten Him up. In John 4:34 He said, “My meat (what gives Me satisfaction) is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work.” He later said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:4-5). Wow! Just listen to the language of zeal.

Christianity is rooted in the sacrifices of men of zeal who took God at His word and risked their lives on various missionary trips; men and women who persisted despite persecution. They worshipped God in dens and caves and often lost worldly goods and families for Jesus’ sake. All they gained were the cross, persecution, and shame. Zealous men like Gideon, David, Samson, Samuel, and the prophets, through faith, conquered kingdoms and established true justice. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, received dead loved ones back to life, and recorded unusual victories in battle. They were tortured but they did not deny their faith to buy their freedom, they were mocked and beaten severely with whips; they were chained and imprisoned, and some were brutally stoned to death or beheaded, but they remained fervent.

They were on fire for God and were ready to suffer mistreatment, rejection, loss, affliction, and the cruelty of men. They wandered the earth living in the desert wilderness and in caves, men whom the world was not worthy of because it was blind to their true worth. These men’s impact outlived them; e.g., David, who said, “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” – Psalm 132:3-5.

We need to wake up from our slumber and catch the fire! It is no longer Christianity as usual – just coming to church, clapping and singing, No! The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent need to take it by force. It is time to fan your zeal for the Lord into flames; pray, evangelize, give generously, visit, serve and care for other saints. Above all else, put God first. This is true in every area of life. It is said, “Catch on fire with enthusiasm, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” Anything you do passionately will eventually result in success.

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL STUDY

II Samuel 23:11-12, Isaiah 60:1 & Acts 20:24

PRAYER

Lord, restore my zeal, my joy, and my passion for You and the things of the Kingdom. I fan to flames my faith and zeal so that my excitement for spiritual things comes back on. Irrespective of whosoever hurt me in the past or made me lose my zeal, I renew my commitment to You o Lord. Revive my zeal for visitation, evangelism, prayers, fellowship, giving, and going all out for You. Today, I go back to my first love and do the works that I did at first. Hence, I will watch as God gets zealous over the things that concern me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.