Be Fervent
A few weeks ago, I was teaching a minister and wives class at church and the Lord spoke a word ” fervent”‘ so 
I looked up scriptures concerning that. Fervent means to be hot, boil, to be fervid(to be earnest). I believe that God is challenging us with this today. When we consider scriptures like Matthews 24:12 (love of many wax cold). 1Peter 4:8close1 Peter 4:8
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (ESV)
tells us to have “fervent charity amongst ourselves”. The winds ( Revelation 7:1) are blowing and people are cooling off because of the pressure that we are facing. Revelation 3:16closeRevelation 3:16
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (ESV)
(lukewarmness) speaks to us about being lukewarm. We need to be hot concerning what God has done for us in bringing us to the body of Christ and opening our eyes to the truth; we need to be fervent in the spirit(Acts 18:25closeActs 18:25
25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. (ESV)
). We have many brothers and sisters that are still looking for more from God and we have to be fervent about getting this truth to them. Preachers must preach and teach with excitement, and vigor. If you’re selling a product or service(Proverbs 25:9closeProverbs 25:9
9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another's secret. . . . (ESV)
), you must convince the customer that it’s the best on the market(Psalms 34:8closePsalm 34:8
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (ESV)
).
We must pray, sing, praise, testify, preach, teach, shout with such fervency. It’s time to magnify the name of the Lord(Psalms 34:3closePsalm 34:3
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! (ESV)
). I pray that the zeal of the Lord will cause us to be more fervent.
Keep Your Seat
I had a thought the other day while leaving the health club and it blessed me and I hope it will do the same for you.
The scripture in Ephesians 2:6closeEphesians 2:6
6 And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. . . . (ESV)
- where the Apostle is sharing with us how that God has raised us up together and made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
When I thought on that the Lord said to me ” keep your seat “.
I’ve sat like many of us in many places at times, such as in the seat of the scornful (Psalms 1:1closePsalm 1:1
Book One
1:1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers. . . . (ESV)
). I’ve even sat with vain persons (Psalms 26:4). However, I never had the privilege to sit where I’ve sat in the last thirty two years.
People would really appreciate the honor to sit with the president of the United States of America. People would appreciate sitting with some famous person in basketball, football, hockey etc., Some singing star or book writer, architect or whomever, but we have been granted to sit with such royalty in heavenly places. Let’s not move from this place to have the honor to sit somewhere else that is not as high and lofty. Don’t let situations and circumstances cause you to lose such a seat. Many if chosen would really love this seat but we have been ” raised up and made to seat in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Thank you Lord for honoring us. Keep your seat!
Digging Deep
In Luke 6:46-49closeLuke 6:46-49
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (ESV)
the Lord is making a familiar statement which is directed to his disciples. He starts out by saying ” why call me Lord and do not the things which I say?” Lord means master or one who has the power to decide a thing. When we came to the Lord, we told Him that he had the power over our life to direct us into his plan. That is exciting because He really knows the way and because He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life (John 14:6closeJohn 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV)
). Then he says, anyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them, he would liken them unto a man that built a house and dug deep. I began to think on this and began to realize that many Christians today when they come to the Lord and have an experience with him (after the initial encounter and the joy of finding him calms down), they don’t really dig any deeper to really hit that rock. In other words, after repentance, water baptism, and the infilling of the holy ghost (Acts 2:38closeActs 2:38
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (ESV)
; Acts 8:12-17closeActs 8:12-17
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
; Acts 10:44-48closeActs 10:44-48
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (ESV)
; Acts 19:1-6closeActs 19:1-6
19:1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (ESV)
; they never really consider that they have just broken ground and they need to continue to dig until they hit The Rock (Philippians 3:10closePhilippians 3:10
10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. . . . (ESV)
). Notice Jesus said that “they DUG DEEP”. The initial experience is to get you started, but what I’m trying to relate is that we need to have a relationship that takes us further (Hebrews 6:1closeHebrews 6:1
6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. . . . (ESV)
-; Ephesians 4:13-14closeEphesians 4:13-14
13 Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (ESV)
). He said that when the
floods “arose”‘( something in life is always rising up) the streams “beat vehemently (or break by dashing against) the house didn’t fall because that person had dug deep enough, and had a relationship that could stand the test. Let us ask God to give us that deeper relationship for the times that is here and coming. God bless you.
