The Need for Passion

As breakthrough believers we must press past "wish" to "desire" ultimately arriving at "passion". A "wish" is a passive, mental thought pattern with the expectation of seeing fulfillment of it sometime in the future. A "desire" is an active, strong-willed effort to bring into fulfillment the expected event or answer. A "passion" is a driving force of spiritual energy that shapes a person's lifestyle, thinking and action until he sees a total fulfillment of what he is passionately pursuing. Every ounce of energy and thought is propelled into that single course of pursuit, aggressively removing all barriers and self-limitations that prevent its ultimate fulfillment. The entire thought pattern revolves around their passion. Their dreams, conversations, and priorities often reveal that which is within their passion. They derive their drive, their motivation and their inspiration by stirring their passion within their hearts and minds. They become renewed and reenergized to seek wholesome ways of bringing their passion to satisfied fulfillment.

The only thing that matches in strength and in its driving force to passion is lust. Lust is a passion that has gone wrong in its motivation, its principles of operation and its desired result. It is founded on self-gratification, impatience, selfishness and ungodly principles. Lust never brings wholesome satisfaction because the flesh (the ego) has no ability to please God (Romans 8:6-7) or find life and peace.

God is looking for more than just a wishing people. He is drawn by those who are in hot passionate pursuit of Him.

Passion is created or stirred into our hearts when we know a sense of the urgency of time. Passion is also created or stirred in our hearts when we sense a conducive atmosphere for intimate relationship to be formed. The conducive atmosphere provides the necessary encouragement to freely express our hearts. Passion also comes out of developing a sense of intensity of pursuit in seeking for the things or person loved. When we think and plan to reach out in the directions our heart is leaning towards, passion grows. There can never be a proper development to passion without first planning and thinking a workable strategy towards fulfillment. Our thought patterns must revolve around the pursued things and we must set our focus and priority in wanting to achieve our desired goal. Passion also comes out of maintaining a sense of grateful communication towards the other person. The more we know the person (in this case, God) the more we enjoy being with them, and the greater their impact and influence will be on our lives. Passion is also stirred in our hearts as we sense the deep satisfaction it brings when we have accomplished what we set out to do.

Our passion provides the driving force of inner motivation, inspiration and strength to launch what our hearts have set out to do. With passion the believers become high achievers. They will possess the initiatives and discipline to launch ahead for greater exploits.

There are five areas of passion that are important to develop within breakthrough believers. They are as follows:

1. A passion for Jesus which is grown and maintained through the atmosphere of worship and praise.
2. A passion for one another which is grown and maintained through the bonds of covenant relationships and fellowship.
3. A passion for souls which is grown and maintained through the stirrings of Christ's compassion for the lost sinner.
4. A passion for ministry excellence which is grown and maintained through our desire to honor and fully represent and serve Him.
5. A passion for purpose and the fulfillment of destiny is grown and maintained through our prophetic stirrings to reach our maximum potential so that we can give our "utmost for His highest".

Breakthrough believers are in passionate pursuit of God and His purposes. There is an intensity about them that matches the "zeal that consumed the Lord Jesus" (St. John 2:17). Believers like these are a special breed who will live up to their highest potential. This new breed of believers is our only hope for the advancement of God's Kingdom and the reformation of our societies and communities.

Fear of Failure or Success

I am not afraid of being a failure. I am afraid of being successful at something God is not interested in.

-- Dr. Charles Keene

Reverend

I was having a discussion with a gentleman today that I found quite interesting. This man was almost violently annoyed by the usage of the title “Reverend” by some ministers. I was quite familiar with the particulars of his argument as I have heard it before and have even once shared the same viewpoint. I did not seek to disagree with him nor did I share with him my own views...for one I’ve learned to choose my battles and this was not important enough to me to debate; and I’ve also learned to allow people the freedom of their own convictions. After this exchange I felt compelled to share my conviction concerning this issue (or non-issue, as such) on my blog. I am not stuck on or controlled by titles, but I certainly don’t have anything against them so long as they are not abused.

Part and parcel to the argument against a preacher using the title “Reverend” is that no human should use Reverend with their name because the King James Version of the Bible says in Psalm 111:9, “...holy and reverend is his name.” While I cannot argue (nor would I attempt to) that Scripture does say that His name is reverend, an attentive perusal of this passage would immediately indicate that his passage does not preclude anyone from using this as a title, particularly since this is not referred to as His title. The Hebrew/Chaldee word for reverend here is “yare” and it takes on the form of an adjective giving us to know that this refers to an attribute and not a title or name (which incidentally would have to take the form of a noun). Therefore, this Scripture is saying that His name has the attribute of being “holy” and “reverend” bringing to man the responsibility of holding His name in high regard, respect, and fear. To deduce from this Scripture that no one should be called reverend totally removes this passage from it’s scriptural context and thereby eradicates its original purpose and meaning. So, to properly divide the word of truth and to put precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little (Isaiah 28:10) we cannot ignore the word “holy” in this passage. On many occasions Scripture has indicated that God’s people would be CALLED holy (Isaiah 4:3; 62:12; St. Luke 2:23; 1 Peter 1:15-16), so now it stands to reason that since both “holy” and “reverend” are grouped together in Psalm 111:9 that if we can be referred to as holy, we can also be referred to as reverend. We are called “holy” because of Who we represent (along with a representative lifestyle) therefore I, as a man of God, think it not robbery to be called “reverend” because of Who I represent.

Consider

Today the word “consider” has arrested my attention. The Lord dropped this word in my spirit this morning and has served as a strong source of inspiration for me all day long. Throughout the day rather than making immediate judgments or assessments I simply took the time to consider each matter. As part of my moments of consideration I recognized that I don’t “consider” near enough. Just consider...! I wonder if our busy schedules and technology addictions cause us to not take the appropriate time to just “consider”. Taking time to consider is very important to the believer and is crucial for Kingdom awareness. There is a danger when we fail to consider.

Isaiah 1:3 (NKJV)...
(3) The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not consider.”

What happened to me today is that I was provided such a profound sense of empowerment as I paused to consider. My thoughts were more enlightened and my decisions were more settled. The misconception is that the time taken to consider will be lengthy and wasteful, but I found the opposite to be true as I pressed into consideration. With each consideration I learned more thus causing the time taken to consider to be shorter and more productive. Just consider...!

Consider what...? There is much to be considered and much of it important, but I am personally making a determination to consider only that which is productive and expansive. I gathered Scriptures with admonitions to consider to be the roadmap for what I would begin in my ongoing quest for purposed consideration. I will share these Scriptures with you. These are by no means exhaustive, but represent those that resonate for me.

Deuteronomy 4:39 (NKJV)...
(39) Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

1 Samuel 12:23 - 24 (NKJV)...
(23) Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
(24) Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

1 Chronicles 28:10 (NKJV)...
(10) Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.

Job 37:14 (NKJV)...
(14) “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Psalms 8:3 - 5 (NKJV)...
(3) When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
(4) What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
(5) For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 - 14 (NKJV)...
(13) Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?
(14) In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

Romans 11:22 (NKJV)...
(22) Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

2 Timothy 2:1 - 7 (NKJV)...
(1) You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
(2) And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
(3) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
(4) No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
(5) And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
(6) The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
(7) Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Hebrews 3:1 - 2 (NKJV)...
(1) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
(2) Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

Hebrews 12:3 - 4 (NKJV)...
(3) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
(4) You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

2 Peter 3:14 - 16 (NKJV)...
(14) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
(15) And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
(16) As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

-- CONSIDER --

Impartation by Apostolic Grace

Romans 1:1 - 12 (NKJV)…
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,
2 Which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3 Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
6 Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 Making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established —
12 That is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

In a new move of God the patterns of ministering also undergo change. By ministering I mean the process by which spiritual resource is transferred into the lives of the saints on an individual level.

In the present reformation of the Church the term “impartation” has come to a place of great emphasis. There is great release of divine resource to the individual lives of the saints as the apostolic word that is impregnated with life-giving power is decreed and proclaimed over the lives of the saints. Impartation is a major dimension of the apostolic. We experience progression by impartation...!

It is wise to company with those who are going in the same direction as you are. If the values that you seek also reside in them then those values will prosper in your own spirit. Find and experience spiritual growth through fellowship and relationship within your impartation community...!

Excerpt from "Your Comfortable Lie"

Excerpt of Bishop Marque E. Duncan preaching "The Creative Crashing of Your Comfortable Lie"

For Kingdom Advance...Face Forward

There is an apparent excitement that comes with the newness of salvation that eventually dissipates once the newness wears off and ultimately disappears once trouble comes. If there is anything of great importance the people of God tend to lack it is staying power...! One of the greatest mistakes we make when this Christian walk gets difficult is we start to look back and we allow circumstances to draw us backward rather than pressing forward.

St. Luke 17:32 (NKJV)...
32 Remember Lot’s wife.

The lesson we learn from Lot’s wife is the danger and devastation that comes from looking back. Many preach that Lot’s wife didn’t want to leave the sin and degradation of Sodom and Gomorrah, but there’s really nothing biblical to support that view, in fact the holiness and righteousness upheld in the household of Lot brings the exact opposite view. It is my belief that what diverted Lot’s wife attention from escape was the “people attachments” she was leaving behind...those she ministered to, prayed for, had become attached to, etc.

St. Luke 9:59 - 62 (NKJV)...
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Looking back makes one unfit for the Kingdom of God and usage by God.

Hebrews 10:35 - 39 (NKJV)...
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Looking back will ultimately cause drawing back. “...if any man draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but to those who believe to the saving of the soul.” The word “perdition” comes from the Greek word “apoleia” {ap-o’-li-a} which means “ruin, loss or destruction obtained through a slow and unnoticeable process”. The drawing back that comes from looking back is a slow and unnoticeable process that leads to ruin, loss and destruction.

It is time for us to make Kingdom advance...so...now...FACE FORWARD...!