I got and e-mail from Jeremy this morning. He was simply sharing his heart with his Dad about where he's at and how the Lord is challenging him. It is a great word and challenge for us all. Be bold about your faith and passionate about your Jesus!

PT

Hey Dad,

I am sitting here at work and I have my iPod on. A song came on and the lyrics of the song didn’t make me think of this, but the energy of the music did. When I was in Texas, a few interns and I drove to Dallas to see a concert. We drove for 2 hours packed into a car like sardines. We had to wait in line for 90+ minutes to get the opportunity to spend $25.00 and see a few bands. Once inside we were passionate about the music. There was moshing and we put everything we had into these bands. We were passionate. People had a reckless abandon when it came to these bands: They bought the music. They wore the clothes. They waited in line for hours on end to get in with no guarantee that they would even make into the building because space was limited. They spent their limited funds for an experience. They waited around after the show to get just a glimpse of the bands, hoping the whole time that maybe one of the band members would stop and talk to them.

I looked up passion this morning: (Read the whole definition.)

A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. Ardent (Displaying or characterized by strong enthusiasm or devotion; fervent, burning; fiery) Love. The object of such love or desire. Boundless enthusiasm. The object of such enthusiasm. An abandoned display of emotion. The sufferings of Jesus in the period following the Last Supper and including the Crucifixion, as related in the New Testament.

It makes me wonder…what am I passionate about? If people don't know your passion then you don’t really have one! People know that you are passionate about Helps and equipping Pastors. Am I passionate about the Lord? Am I passionate about his presence? Do I have an "Ardent Love" for the Word? People know my interest but do they know my passion.

I would spend $500.00+ to go to Canada and go on a fly in fishing trip. I would drive 4-5 hours for a drum festival. I would get up at 3 am to go fishing, but I have a hard time getting up 20 minutes early to read my bible or pray…to start my day off right. It's sad...

Jeremy Brancheau

You have an appointment. It will be upon you sooner than you think. You won’t be late for it. Although, some have even been considered early. Your appointment is with DEATH. Heb 9:27 says, “It is “appointed” unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. You see? It’s an appointment. The dictionary definition for dead: Having passed from the living state to being no longer alive or lacking any signs of life. We’re certainly not fans of DEAD. We’re all headed there, but that doesn’t mean we’re looking forward to it.

We don’t like dead. Dead people frighten us because they remind us of our future. Dead animals disgust us. When we think of dead it conjures up all sorts of terrible thoughts and sights. We think of cold, stiff, lifeless, breathless creatures. Then there’s that odor. It is unique to all other smells. There is none like it. Always identifiable and always disgusting. A stench to top all stenches!

Believe it or not the Bible mentions three types of death. Two are unavoidable and one should be avoided at all cost. It is possible that right now, even as you read this, you are experiencing one of these deaths. But, we will get to that one in a moment. The “death” we are most familiar with is physical death. James 2:26 says, “The body without the spirit is dead”. (If you’re reading this you’re safe… for now.)

The next death described in the Bible is spiritual death. As “sons and daughters” of Adam we are all born into this type of death. It’s our inheritance from him so to speak. Col 2:13 says, “You are dead in your sins”. Those outside of Christ may be alive physically but they’re spiritually dead. They are dead in trespasses and sins. If you’ve received Jesus Christ as Savior this death has been conquered! If not, this death leads to a death more gruesome than any road kill scene and more horrific than any murder scene imaginable.

The Bible calls it the “second death”! It is an eternal or everlasting death. Those who remain in their unbelief remain forever in spiritual death. It’s end is eternal separation from God and so much more. Rev 21:8 says this “second death” is reserved for the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars. They shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the “second death”.

Eph 2:1 says that through Jesus, “You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. That’s Good News! That, my fellow Son or Daughter of Adam, is the Gospel.
Jesus stood in our place and took upon Himself the death that should have been ours. Ours is to receive that Good News and confess His Lordship as His precious Holy Spirit makes this knowledge real to us. Rom 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.

God separated light from darkness, day from night, and made man separate from woman. He left nothing to chance. 1 Cor 14:40 says, “Let all things be done decently and in order”.

When God establishes a plan of action and man follows that plan IT WORKS. Noah’s boat floated, Gideon’s small army defeated the Midianites, and the Red Sea parted for Moses. Our problem is that many times, even in a good church, we function by tradition and not by the Word. Prov 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death. Human reasoning takes over. We think we know what’s right. The end is frustration and destruction.

Now catch this because it’s God’s plan: From the measure of Christ's gift, He gave gifts, Pastors, who give gifts called equipping. Eph 4:11-13 As the weather warms and the days lengthen, don’t miss out on the times of equipping and the blessing of the Lord in our services. You have questions? He has answers. We need one another. See you in church!

Have you ever wondered at the success of the ministry of Jesus? Have you ever wondered at the “secret” to his success? I found it. Obedience. Pay attention to His statement in John 5:19, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. Obedience. No push no pull, just obedience.

Many of us would say we don’t hear God voice clear enough for that. Well, unless God is a liar, that’s just not true. John 10:27 My sheep HEAR My voice. That’s pretty clear. I wonder if we aren’t over complicating hearing. Becoming familiar with and hearing God’s voice comes by practice. It comes by relationship. That comes day by day in things like worship, prayer, and Bible reading. Be a SHEEP!

In my VERY younger days before coming to a relationship with Jesus Christ, like many people, I can look back and clearly see I was searching. I looked in many of the wrong places most of us do. Of course, my results were less than healthy. One of my favorite places to search for meaning and significance was in the music of the day. I really enjoyed “folksy dreaming” music like that of Harry Chapin and Jim Croce. It’s easier to see now that my real attraction to the music was trying to find an identity that fit and a purpose that was meaningful.

Jesus is that meaning and purpose. You and I are not some sort of unknown celestial seed sown into the garden of God. We didn’t come out of some mixed bag that God now curiously watches over to see what we will become. We were and are deliberately placed in Christ with purpose. Eph 2:10 We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance (beforehand), that we should walk in them. Let us LIVE in such a way!