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Laying Apostolic Foundations
in the 21st Century

Loving God, Equipping People, Mentoring Leaders, Reaching Nations

The Passion Principle

January 26, 2022/in Apostle's Perspective, Demonstrations /by ralph

I am watching the passion that some believers have for a current “truckers demonstration” heading across Canada to the nation’s capital and picking up support and more trucks as they go. Currently they have raised millions to help support and encourage those driving the big rigs from all corners of the nation. Their demonstration is in regard to wanting the government to not mandate that all truckers get double vaccinated for Covid. They believe that it infringes on their personal rights.

I must admit that I am amazed at the passion and the momentum that is behind this current public demonstration of some people’s desire to not be told what they must do. As I have watched and listened, read and studied this current national movement I have to admit that it has been a long time since I have witnessed such passion about anything in the public sphere.

I am reminded of a verse in Scripture which I want to share…

Romans 12:11 NET “Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.”

Other versions render it slightly different…

MSG. “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.”

TPT “Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement as you serve him.”

NIV “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

It strikes me that some believers are more passionate about this “truckers convoy” than they are about the things of the Lord. I am seeing, hearing, and sensing more excitement, enthusiasm, and passion regarding this convey than I have seen for Jesus in a long time. It saddens my heart. My spirit weeps for the Church where we seldom witness the kind of passion being expressed for this national demonstration.

As I study the Scriptures I see The Passion Principle in a number of places and in a variety of forms. Let me briefly share my insights…

- PASSION PURSUES. Passion is David loving God with fixed intensity as he vows to seek and pursue Him with his whole heart, obey the Word with his whole heart, and pray with his whole heart.

- PASSION PLEDGES. Passion is David praising God with his whole heart before all other gods pledging His loyalty to God and God only (Psalm 138:1).

- PASSION CONFRONTS. Passion is Elijah standing up to the prophets of Baal and calling down the fire of God.

- PASSION PRODUCES. Passion is Nehemiah completing the wall of Jerusalem in a record 52 days in the face of opposition.

- PASSION PERSISTS. Passion is Jeremiah refusing to retire from ministry, in spite of discouragement, because the fire in his bones would not let him quit.

- PASSION PRAYS. Passion is Daniel praying, in spite of threats against his life, because prayer was the heartbeat of his life.

- PASSION MOVES. Passion is Peter jumping out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, in spite of the “impossibility” of it.

- PASSION MOTIVATES. Passion is Paul turning the zeal of his past into a fire for the cause of Christ.

I am hoping and praying that believers will, once again, become passionate about the things of the Lord and His Word, the Bible. Not just exhibiting passion for the current bandwagon and demonstration against something. Not jumping on the hottest and newest trend among believers on the internet. Or getting excited and passionate about a prophetic word that has not been tested or properly judged according to God’s standard – the Bible. Or the most current musical trend or worship team gaining everyone’s attention. For true believers “passion” should be reserved for the Lord and the Kingdom that He established that is currently continuing to expand and touch places that are in spiritual darkness and bondage.

I long for the day when the Church — Christians — will be known for what we are for and not just what we are against. When people will see our true passion for the Lord and the things of the Lord.

An Encounter With a Neighbour

January 25, 2022/in Forgiveness, Just a Thought /by ralph

I was walking my dog the other day and stopped to chat with a neighbour who lives a few houses down the street from mine. He was shovelling snow – something a lot of us are doing a lot of this winter. We have a new city by-law that requires we shovel the snow on the city sidewalks that border our property. It has always been a suggestion and a nice courtesy to those who walk in the winter. Now it is the law and so many more people are clearing the sidewalks. Dog owners greatly appreciate the clearer sidewalks.

We were talking about one of his neighbours who apparently is not aware of the new by-law or chooses to ignore it. He immediately responded that he would be happy to clear his part as well if he had not been such a “bad neighbour” this past summer. It seems when he was cutting grass his mower spun a stone out with the grass clippings and it damaged his car. When brought to his attention he did nothing about it – not even an apology. It was obvious that my new friend had not forgiven his neighbour and would therefore not be helping to keep his portion of the city sidewalks clear.

In Matthew 18 we read about Peter who was apparently struggling with a neighbour or a family member along the same lines of needing to forgive.

Matthew 18:21-22 NET “Then Peter came to him and said, ‘Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!’”

Rabbinic tradition taught that a brother could be forgiven three times for the same offence, but not four times. Peter, trying to be a better than a superior Law keeper, doubled that and added one – seven times. He did not anticipate Jesus’ response, which is not a congratulations but a correction. Whether the phrase should be rendered seventy times seven or seventy-seven is irrelevant; Jesus teaches us that believers in Christ have been forgiven more than they will ever be asked to forgive. They must cultivate a spirit of forgiveness, not a habit of counting offences.

Matthew 6:14 adds a bit around the edges to this truth…

““For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.”

So our forgiveness is conditional upon our forgiving others and not becoming offended.

Mark, the author of another Gospel, adds his thoughts on the matter connecting the whole area of forgiveness to our personal prayer lives…

“Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25 NET)

Paul, the apostle, in writing to the believers in Colossae writes:

“… bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13 NET)

And, of course, the very familiar Lord’s Prayer states…

“So pray this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honoured, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.”

That is certainly stated in no uncertain terms. Forgiveness is a very important aspect of our walk as believers. We need to deal with our issues and learn to forgive immediately and totally. Otherwise, we are simply poisoning ourselves and hindering our relation hship with Jesus and others.

Just some of my thoughts after seeing how entangled my neighbour was because of the anger and unforgiveness he was harbouring towards his next door neighbour.

What Causes Hunger in a Believer? – Part Two

January 20, 2022/in Just a Thought, Personal Growth and Development /by ralph

We are looking at having a hunger for more of God… And we examined:

1> Receive hunger as a gift

2> Ground yourself in the fear of the Lord

3> Read the Bible to develop lasting hunger

4. Express Your Devotion Through Prayer

As you read the Word, your understanding of God grows as does your love and devotion to God, and prayer becomes the way you express that love and devotion.

Prayer looks different in different people’s lives. I pray early in the morning after spending time quietly listening for His voice and reading His Word, the Bible. As I pray I reflect on al the amazing and wonderful things He has done in my life, my family, and in the ministry He has blessed me with.

I just can’t help but magnify God in worship for all that He’s done and created. Prayer is a discipline of our faith, but when our hearts are devoted to Jesus, it doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s a deep pleasure.

There are so many ways that you can practice prayer. Find ways to pray that help you express your devotion to Jesus and inspire a greater hunger for Him, not based necessarily on what everyone else does, but from your heart of pure devotion to Jesus.

And remember prayer is basically building a relationship with the Lord God and not just a way to receive what you think you need in your life at this point in time.

5. Let Encounters Fuel Your Hunger

Encounters with God – experiences where you are touched by His presence and His power – are where our theology becomes a reality. When we encounter God, we meet Him in a very special way. When we encounter and experience God (Father’s love, Jesus, Holy Spirit) our faith in Him becomes stronger and we feel more secure and connected to Him.

Not all encounters with God will be dramatic, but every encounter with God has drawn me into more hunger for Him, as I long to know His heart better and hear what He has to say. But each encounter – big or small – has strengthened my faith.

Thomas told the other disciples that he wouldn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side,” (John 20:25b NIV).

When Thomas eventually met Jesus, Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 NIV).

What’s Jesus saying? I believe He is saying that encounters and personal experiences are good but they don’t create faith. However, they strengthen faith. Faith comes to us simply by hearing His voice through His Word and in prayer. Romans 10:17 states: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (Rhema) of Christ.” (ESV)

There are many people who are hungry for God that have never experienced God physically like Thomas did, and yet they believe in Him and continue to press in. I believe that they’re more blessed than those who have big encounters with God.

God is present and good, whether we feel Him or not. Encounter is a beautiful part of our journey of developing hunger for God. It fuels our desire, our passion, and our hunger, but it can’t determine our faith in who God is.

6. Avoid Hunger-Suppressing Fillers

We’re all made with a built in desire for God. We’re made to be hungry for Him. But if we snack and fill up in other areas that satisfy for a short amount of time, that hunger for God will grow dull. These “fillers” look different for different people. For some, fillers are numbing habits, for others perhaps a better salary, bigger success, more possessions, or greater status, even within Christian circles.

The way to figure out if something in your life is a filler is to ask yourself how you’re motivated.

Love is always self-sacrificing, and the sinful nature is always motivated by selfish gain. Who is the beneficiary of the things you’re pursuing? Is it God, others, or you? The things that will develop hunger for God in you will be motivated by your love for God, they’ll be things you do for others as a result of God’s love for you. These things will result in God being glorified, rather than your personal gain.

7. Pursue a God-Focused Life – Be “Christ-Centered”

God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – must be at the centre of our lives. We must put Him first in our lives…

Then our hearts will be filled with the fear of the Lord, and all our motivations will be for His glory. All our affections will be focused on God, and our behaviours will come into line with that.

Matthew 6:31-33 NET “So then, donʼt worry saying, ʻWhat will we eat?ʼ or ʻWhat will we drink?ʼ or ʻWhat will we wear?ʼ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Remember our lead verse …

Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (NIV).

Matthew 22:37 (NET) “Jesus said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”

So, keep God and your relationship with Him as the central focus of your daily life.

Conclusion:

So, our prayer should be:

That our hunger for God will increase every day

That God will enable and empower us to stay focused on Him in everything we do

That our fellowship with the Holy Spirit will grow sweeter and deeper and that we can and will experience His presence every day

That through His Word (Bible) and His world we will see the hand of God active in our lives on a daily basis

That our lives will be ever increasingly filled with His joy and contentment

That we may live a life loving and pleasing Him as you walk in His love and give it away to those who do not know Him personally

Laying Apostolic Foundations in the 21st Century

Laying Apostolic Foundations
in the 21st Century