Lost Passion for Christ? Get it back!

Lost Passion for Christ? Get it back! 

Ministry has drastically changed, the church has drastically changed,  Gospel Music has drastically changed, serving Christ has changed, people have drastically changed in so many ways,  so many today have lost their passion for Christ. They have lost that fire and desire to serve God wholeheartedly,  they have lost the humbleness,  their compassion for others,  their true purpose.  God's people are more divided more now then ever before because they have lost their passion for Christ. They have developed a fearful,  self only and prideful mentality and attitude. The world and society has changed you, many have even been hurt by the church itself.  Some Gospel Music no longer worships and glorifies our Lord and Savior, nor does it minister to the lost in spirit any more. The church body cannot come together in unity to reach our dying communities especially if it doesn't go according to their agenda. Everyone has their own personal agenda for personal gain.  Where is the passion to serve our Lord Christ Jesus in all this? Are you using your God given gifts to minister and reach the lost and win souls? So many in the body of Christ today are lacking that passion for Christ. Passion flows from a heart that is consumed with love for Jesus. That love must find a way to be released in His presence. God's word and instructions are very clear.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 
Romans 12:10 KJV

So many of us today pray, read the word, go to church and serve Jesus out of obligation instead of having that passion for Him. Passion does not operate out of obligation. Passion operates as a result of agape love, a sincere true love. A love for our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Passion loves and serves because it wants to, not because it has to or obligated to. Passion is serving God wholeheartedly because there is nothing else that we would rather be doing, I rather be serving our community with the love of Christ sharing JESUS then be at a sports game or shopping at the mall. Passion is energized by a person or thing with a desire in the heart. You can’t love a person that you don’t know that is why knowing Jesus is essential to a passionate relationship with Him.

God wants us to serve him with a whole heart,  reaching all those in need of a Savior, who are lost,  hurting, in need of love and joy.  Ministering,  Teaching,  Preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any way possible,  in any form or fashion for the Glory of God and not of man. Today ministry has changed so much within the body of Christ,  the passion seems to not be there anymore,  that fire and desire to unify in love to serve has disappeared. Passion is what energizes life. It turns the impossible into possible. In fact if you don’t have any passion in your life, ministry will become boring, dull, routine, just another day of the week or a day on the job. Then there are some that all your serving turns out to be by obligation or a show.

Now referring to Gospel music,  all styles of Gospel Music alone has changed drastically over the years,  it has become more Entertainment then Ministering, it has become more of an industry then Ministry.  Especially in the Gospel Rap genre and I love my gospel rap,  being I grew up on hip hop,  but it saddens me dearly because our youth need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ desperately yet So many youth are going down the wrong road and Gospel rap has lost its passion for Christ. So much of the newer music I hear today compared to 5 to 10 years ago has lost that passion and seems to no longer minister to the individual,  nor Glorifies God. Where did the Heart and passion for Christ go?  Unlike traditional gospel music or Rythem and Praise even that has become more geared towards entertainment then ministering. Don't get me wrong because I am in the music ministry and I do love an awesome concert with God gifted talented artists that definitely worships and glorifies our father but I've seen some that is no different than just being a show. I have seen a lot of "lost passion" for Christ even in music ministry and it's time to start putting more worship back into God's music and start Glorifying him as well as ministering to the lost who needs to receive Christ.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. 
Colossians 3:23-25 KJV

God wants us to be passionate for him.  To desire to seek and serve him to the fullest. 
One of the key things in a Christian’s life is passion. Not passion for worldly things, but a true heartfelt passion for Jesus Christ. A passion that burns on the inside and consumes our thought processes, consumes our decision making, consumes our worship, consumes our emotions and will. Consumes our heart and desires.  That constant urge to seek more of him and serve him.

God made you to live a passionate life and to serve Him and His people with vitality. With vibrancy. With energy. With enthusiasm. With love,  peace and joy.  He wants you to have purpose in your life,  God created you for a purpose,  to serve him and win souls. He gave you gifts and talents to do so,  he has fully equipped you.  Did you know your inner passion can be renewed as you personally share your faith, love and desires in Jesus with others, and almost nothing re-ignites passion more quickly than a conversation that leads to talking about Jesus. Sharing and spreading the Gospel and ministering to those souls that long to hear about Jesus,  when you share your passion for Christ,  your planting a seed and Igniting the same passion in another.  God's word tells us to love God with all our heart but to also share the love and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations glorifying our King. 

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 KJV

Whether it be in music,  dance,  preaching from the pulpit,  teaching in a Bible study, fellowship,  an Outreach or block party, conference, workshop or Gospel music concert,  we are to minister and honor our King Jesus giving him all the glory.  Surely we can speak Glory to God with our mouth but are we truly giving him all the glory from our hearts?
  God promises us that if we pursue Him wholeheartedly, He will not only provide for our needs "(Matthew 6:33)But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." but will give us the desires of our heart as well "(Psalm 37:4-5)Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Remember Winning souls is essential and it is also a part of our purpose, the process of evangelizing or witnessing no matter what form, which is simply communicating the message of salvation to unbelievers. Jesus Christ told His followers they would be His witnesses "(Acts 1:8)But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." and to “go and teach all the nations, "(Matthew 28:19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" which is the essence of winning souls, those were his instructions. As our Father in heaven does not want anyone to perish and souls to be saved"(2 Peter 3:9)The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. “all Christians should be eager to heed this call and have a passion for winning souls with the passion for Christ.

This is why having a "passion for Christ" is so imparitive in daily living,  in your ministry,  in our churches, in your home,  in the Gospel music and so forth. We are living in a dying world,  people are hurting,  but they are also hungry for love,  peace and salvation and the only person they can receive that is through Jesus Christ.  When there is no unity in the body as well there in no passion for Christ and the world can see that.

Therefore how do we gain a passion for spreading the gospel and winning souls to Christ in these difficult days when there are so many who oppose our work every step of the way? When there is so much hatred and deception?  It starts by having Jesus Christ front and center in our own lives. Our passion for winning souls will increase as our passion for Christ Himself and our walk with Him become stronger. Continue to fellowship, study his word,  pray and serve wholeheartedly.  When we consume our hearts and minds with Christ, we can’t help but to have a passion for sharing Him with others.

The most passionate laborers are those who have a heart that is on fire for Christ, and it should be easy when we think about the magnitude of what our Savior Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary on the cross. Yet we know what happens to those who die apart from Christ. And this hopeless eternity that many face apart from God, we should be more than motivated to win as many souls to Christ now more then ever before.   Keep in mind,  not only is the harvest great and the workers are very few,  on top of this, our time is very limited and running out fast. We must work harder together in unity with our full passion for Christ serving wholeheartedly giving God all the Glory.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 
Romans 8:28 KJV

There can be no better calling than working on the behalf of our father Jesus Christ the One who died so that we may live.  Jesus said, “(John 15:14)

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."  His command was that we obey Him and that we love each other as He loved us.  Our love for Him is best displayed when we passionately and tirelessly work together to share His gospel with others. We have been chosen and ordained to minister and preach the Gospel.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 
John 15:16 KJV

Serve, minister, love with the PASSION FOR CHRIST. 
Be Blessed in JESUS mighty name. 

Mrs Cindy Schwartz Jones

Holy Jamz

www.holyjamz.us

Thoughts from the Pew

http://www.thoughtsfromthepew.com/