Passion in serving God

(from an awesome cgm yesterday!)

"Guard your heart for it affects everything that you do" how true this is
One thing evident in the past: people had passion & excitement. i dont know how alien the situation might seem, you missing cell group or service and anxiously calling up someone who is there, to ask about what was shared. i guess if God looks down at this sort of passion, He undoubtedly will be moved. we all see God as a person, not as a mass of air or something. every service or cgm its like Him opening His house for us to visit. If we show such excitement to visit a friend, the friend, surely he can then see the place, the status he has in our hearts. If we see God as a person, surely its the same thing- by showing passion, we show Him the place He has in our lives.

yet sometimes (or maybe for some, MOST of the time) we are flooded by stuff -projects, exams, other outings, school, work. if your friend cant meet you up because she has these sort of things on. "sorry so long never meet up but i cant see u later.. got project to complete!" of course you would understand right? the most you probably feel is little disappointed but absolutely no anger involved. The same with God, He doesnt get upset with you and waits for the next meeting!

But if the message you get from the friend instead is "ok i no matter what also later must meet you! so looking forward man, lol last few days i mug like mad so got time to meet you la" wont you feel the importance you have in that friend? Likewise God sees that heart for Him too. it might be a physically tiring period but "The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to STRENGTHEN those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" [2 chronicles 16:9a]

*A revival only take place when there is passion
similarly, the revival dies out when that passion dies.

-something i realised of which is incredibly true too. the concern for the people around, and the excitement & spirit we had exactly last year (june) was overwhelming. its during that period that we dont know why, how, but there a flow of people coming in and staying. i was talking to Aaron and Isabel some time back, and they said that they used to be very skeptical about christianity. and now they are already baptised! :D precious

indeed there was an overall excitement and unity then. though i dont think we were that strong in the spiritual aspect but God was not out of the picture. There were times when some of us met up at my house, hang around, then part the night with a prayer for the cg at the poolside or in my room (or in my car lol). Maybe its in the atmosphere of passion and excitement, that God decided to move. but we all feel the change in excitement and willingness now dont we "similarly, the revival dies out when that passion dies."
so its time to keep the excitement in the air again, i believe e410 can go even further now if we get back that passion, especially in the past year where so many have matured more spiritually through bible study, prayer meetings

O.O ok move on to the first key i think i digressed like crazy

3 keys to Jesus's success in God's kingdom
KEY#1 Correct Motivation

[Heb 10:5-7]"This is why Christ, when he came into the world said...'Look, i have come to do your will, O God-"
you dont have prove to others when people challenge you to do some physical miracle like predict math test questions or leviatate or make them fall under the Holy Spirit like in the videos they see, cos the ultimate goal is to "do your will". its not even to turn into a totally perfect christian, of which is impossible because all of us makes mistakes, in the handling of relationships, character flaws etc
when your core motivation is to please a person or to keep a good reputation in the midst of people, you'll get very frustrated and feel unappreciated easily. true isnt it
i dont know about you, but sometimes my main motivation unconciously change especially when we always visibly see man and not God.
but it is easy to serve Jesus for He is gracious and He sees all the efforts and remembers.

*When you cant see the hand of God, trust the HEART of God.
man may scold/unappreciate/overlook the voluntary effort that you have put in, but know that God is pleased with what you do. :)
[2 cor 5]"it is Your love that sustains me" -apostle Paul
Be motivated by the right source

KEY#2 Jesus knows what is written about Him in the bible.

jc touched on it below, that our walk involves us individually and God. the one guiding you in your walk might be a group of people- your leaders and inspiring figures that you know but most importantly recognise that the ultimate guide-r is God, that even if your mortal guides decides to leave/change direction, you must try to build up a faith that will not crumble in that situation by acknowledging the core leader who is God himself, is STILL and ALWAYS walking with you.

you dont have to worry that you will lose out, and i know this myself but i usually forget and have to convince myself over again. whenever i come to a point that i tell myself, 'its too much, can i skip doing this for You this time?" but yet later went ahead with it, God never fails to show Himself faithful. like take the application period for example, time was a big issue for the portfolio as it was nearing the deadline so dangerously, i wanted to drop everything else and concentrate on it. but yet somehow, despite the stress (i cant draw when i rush), oddly, ideas came in. in the end you all know what happen alr
[mk 10:29]
No one who is going to sacrifice will miss out on getting it back, a hundredfold

Key#3 To do God's will, Jesus sacrificed his own body

that is one of the most ultimate sacrifices isnt it?
it was moving to know how the places where most people died violently for preaching the gospel, are places where major revivals sparked off.
i've heard the story about the mother and her 4 sons quite a few times already, but it never fails to touch me with the extent of faith and loyalty shown.

There was a mother who had four sons. She sent her first son out overseas to preach the gospel and news came back that he was killed.
So she sent her second son out, and news came back that he died out there too.
She sent her third son out to preach, and news came back that he died.
The mother sent her fourth son out, and news came back...
that he was killed too.
All those who knew her mocked and scolded her openly of her 'foolishness' on not protecting her last son.
someone asked her if she had any regrets. of which she replied yes:

"my only regret is not having a fifth son to send out for the work of God."

gogogoe410..

end off with this video that marshall sent: even if you didnt read all the above, this is it: