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Passion for Jesus, Part 1

Zealousness. Fervor. Passion— and not just any kind of passion, but passion for Jesus. Passion is best defined as the agony and sufferings of Jesus during Crucifixion, or during the period following the Last Supper (Webster Dictionary). All this He has given to us; the very least we can do is live a life that is passionate for Him.

Walking with God is not always pleasant. Your character is who you are in the dark, when you are really pushed to the limit, practically shoved between a rock and a hard place. In a place like this, your character is all that is left. God never buys leaders; He makes them, deals with them, and develops them on His own time. He uses these difficult moments in our life to mature us, and grow us to become the individuals He wants us to be.

In Acts 7, Paul details the life of Moses and his relatively difficult and demanding walk with the Lord. On multiple occasions, he was pushed up to the point where he knew he couldn’t make it, couldn’t do it, and had no idea how to move forward. This is the same with us, as Christians. The moment you got saved, every single day in your life, for the rest of your life, is going to be a process of God building you up and tearing you apart. But Moses chose to refuse the pleasure of sins (Hebrews 11:24-25). Are you willing to live in that passion and pay the price?

David says that He is the Lord who heals and afflicts. Hosea writes, “He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has injured us, but He will bind up our wounds” (Hosea 6:1). Jeremiah reminds us that God is the Potter, and we are His clay (Jeremiah 18). We are to be molded and shaped according to His plans. You are at the point where God is going to touch you and change you.

What is the very reason the Father sent Jesus? What drove a Man to go through that suffering? What drove Stephen to forgive those who stoned him to death? What cause Paul to go through shipwreck, persecution, scourge, etc? What caused Daniel willing to be thrown into the lion’s den for his faith? What caused Esther to say, “If I perish, I perish, but I am going to see the king?” What drives men and women of God to walk the distance to share the Gospel, and yet, here we are, driving nice cars, still complaining, and coming late to church? What did they possess that we do not?

What we do not have is passion. We are not willing to go out of our way to follow Christ, to give up everything we are in exchange for His plan and His cause. We replace passion for convenience, and because of that, our growth in Christ is stunted. Don’t live a lukewarm life. Be passionate for Christ, willing to grow and change, and allow yourself to be molded by the Master Potter.

Pastor Paul & Joyce Tan

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Our God is Greater

“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” (Luke 21:12-13)

There is an explicit attack on Christianity in America today, even in a nation that was clearly founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and founded by men of great faith. It is time for each of us to decide whether or not we will stand up for our faith, regardless of the persecution or ridicule we will face. As stated in the verse above, this persecution is an opportunity for us to be witnesses and testify of God’s greatness.

We are nearing the end times, and it more important than ever that we stand for our faith and what we believe in. Will you stand for your faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did before the king of Babylon, refusing to bow to the idol?

Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (Ret.) shared a powerful testimony with us last week, on a battle that was not of flesh and blood, but truly spiritual in nature. Upon his appointment to the Department of Defense, as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Gen. Boykin was immediately met with backlash from the mainstream media for being a radical Evangelical Christian and hatemonger. An explosion of threats from multiple sources and a stern rebuke by then-President George W. Bush himself left the General distraught and discouraged.

But the Word of the Lord came to him on multiple occasions, strengthening his will and faith in the Lord. Like a flashing sign before his eyes, he was reminded of a Psalm of David—“Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3). It was as though the Lord was telling him not to fear, but to be confident and know that His army was greater than any force the enemy could bring against him.

Though multiple charges had been brought against Gen. Boykin, with counts of fraud, the rebuttal that Boykin had prepared was so good, that the investigators had to restart their investigation. In fact, the final investigation that had been conducted on him ended with a “complete exoneration” by the Pentagon. The God had built an army around Gen. Boykin, in the form of supportive believers, prayers, and a surprisingly God-fearing Inspector General.

We are at war, engaged in a spiritual battle every single day. The Devil is looking to destroy all of us, but the message from the Lord is this: take heart, for I have overcome the world. I am sure none of us have ever come under intense publish scrutiny like Gen. Boykin did, but we all have our personal battles to face, spiritual wars to wage. And no matter what kind of persecution you may come under, know that standing up for your faith is the best option. If God is for us, who can be against us? Be consistent in your hope and trust in Him, and find rest, knowing that He is always in control.

Pastor Paul & Joyce Tan