GOD's Passion - June 14, 2014

Scriptures: Ezekiel 31-36

25 You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols,[b] and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours?
31 Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. - Ezekiel 33
4 You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.
26 I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. 27 The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. - Ezekiel 34
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.[b] 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. - Ezekiel 36

Message:

GOD's passion goes to both the wicked and the righteous.

Observation:

GOD shows how passionate He is towards people by showering the righteous with abundant blessings and punishing and eliminating the wicked through destruction.

Application:

We ought to chose to live a life that is pleasing to GOD because GOD will always deal with everyone according to what they deserve. There's only two sides to the world, the good and the bad, there's no in between darkness and light. If you are not with GOD then you are certainly against Him. So make a decision today to do what is right and follow after GOD.

Made for love - March 6, 2014

Scripture: Song of Songs 1-2Your anointing oils have a wonderful fragrance;
your name is like anointing oil poured out.
We will be glad and rejoice for you.
We will praise your love more than wine.
How right it is for them to love you!
I am dark tan but beautiful, 
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me look after the vineyards.
But I haven’t cared for my own vineyard. - Song 1
Like an apple tree among the other trees in the forest 
is my darling among the other men.
I love to sit in his shadow;
his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brings me to the banquet hall;
his banner over me is love.
5 Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
6 [I wish] his left arm [were] under my head,
and his right arm around me.
My darling is mine, and I am his,
as he pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 Before the daytime breeze rises
and the shadows flee,
return, my love, like a stag or gazelle
on the hills of Beter. - Song 2


Message: 
Every man or woman was made for love because every creature was made by Love.

Observation/Promise:
Love is the reason why GOD has created human beings, Love is the reason why He created the entire universe. We were born to need love and to love, to have love and give love. But if we have to channel our need for love and our love to the right and important person. The very first person we ought to love and receive love is GOD because He is the perfect Being. If we love people before GOD, we will be disappointed, frustrated and heart broken. But when we love GOD first and receive His perfect love, we can love others without having to expect them to love us the same. We can give love freely without doubt because we are satisfied and secure in the love of GOD. 

Command/Application:
Love GOD first. Love GOD passionately, like a man and woman in love, GOD's love is even greater. HE is passionate about you. Be passionate about loving GOD but do not be in religion because GOD is not a religion, He is a person of Divine Being, He is 3 persons in One Being. When you need love, come to the LORD because His love is ever abundant like the waters of the sea, like the air that we breathe. His love is constantly waiting for us and it is deeper than the oceans, that we will plunge in and enjoy swimming in His great love. Sweeter than wine as Shlomo describes, His love will never run out. Enjoy His love, He is waiting for you to come to Him. Love Him first, His love never fails. 

Passion - What Drives You?

23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

-2 Corinthians 11

If you have nothing to do die for, you have nothing to live for. Passion. This is where success comes from. This is what accomplishment is all about. One cannot achieve greatness without passion. Passion will overpass hardship and difficulty. How does one man go through such hardships to the point of death yet carry on such work with passion, diligence, and whole hearted devotion? Passion. This is what Paul had but the very reason why he has Passion is because first of all, he understands his purpose in GOD because it came from GOD. Purpose precedes Passion. But without Passion Purpose will come to no avail. What is your passion? What drives you? Whether it be serving Christ in Church, or living on the edge of life car racing, let it be for the purpose of His glory.

What is your Purpose? Find out what that is... for your purpose will drive the wheels of your life to the direction where your heart is. Let your purpose be right, let it be not just for the temporary life here on earth. Let your purpose be divine, eternal, exceeding even your day of death, leaving a lasting legacy in this life and earning great rewards in the next life to come. When you reach your goals, your purpose will speak loudly to the people in your life watching you. It will not be hidden, it will be evident and will receive praise from men and honor from GOD according to the purity of your purpose He has assigned to you. Life is an Assignment, know what yours is, seek, ask and GOD will be there to answer you.

Epitome of Desires

10 [The ladies asked] Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, clear and pure as the sun, and terrible as a bannered host?
11 [The Shulammite replied] I went down into the nut orchard [one day] to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the grapevine had budded and the pomegranates were in flower.
12 Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire [to roam about] had brought me into the area of the princes of my people [the king’s retinue]. (AMP)

my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people. (NIV)

- Song of Solomon 6:10-12

Why do people take notice of someone? Is it because they are beautiful? But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A beauty to many may not be beautiful to some. But what causes people to wonder about someone, who is she or he? Who is this that looks forth? Looking forth is someone having hope, looking forward to something, focused, determined and filled with passion. The world looks at you when you are burning brightly with your passion. This woman, whose passion burned bright was taken notice of by the other women in her area and she replies that she wants to see the new growth of the valley of plants, whether the vines have budded or some trees where bearing fruit. As if she has been waiting for a long time for this, as if she has been expecting these plants to bear fruit? Why has she sown in them? Probably she has, she has sown and wanted to know if they have grown and are bearing fruit.

All of us need to sow seeds. Whether it is time with family, our work, our education, our devotion to GOD, our work for GOD in the ministry. Everything that we want to happen in our lives needs to be started with sowing, or doing something to start it. Sowing seeds in whatever areas in our lives will bring us back fruits of whatever we have sown. Our sowing is a result of desires that we may have in our hearts. If our desire is based on the pure and right motives, we will surely enjoy the rewards of our harvest. Desires are the natural currents that we flow through in life. They are the driving force to why we do what we do. Our passions or strong desires will eventually take us somewhere. Search yourself and find out, what are the real intentions and motivations of your desires. Why do you desire such things? Are they carnal desires or godly? Whatever it is, ask GOD to sanctify and purify your desires.