There are several signs of a church with passion:
A church with passion is a witnessing church. Her members will be fervent about telling others about God and about what He has done for them because of the anointing that is upon them.
A church with passion is a ministering church. She offers ministries that meet her member’s needs and offer her members opportunities to apply their spiritual gifts.
A church with passion is a giving church. Her members will have been taught that everything belongs to the Lord and that they are stewards of His property. Therefore, out of gratitude, they will give back to Him the portion that is due Him.
A church with passion is a discipled church. Her members are taught the Word of God so they can apply it to their lives and not sin against Him. The church is to teach her members about God, His expectations of His people, and His plan for His people. They make themselves available to be taught by attending Christian education classes and small group Bible studies. In addition, they study the Word for themselves.
A church with passion is a discipling church. Jesus’ commandment to His Disciples was for them to make more disciples. His Disciples were to teach others what He had taught them. Church members are to learn the Word of God so they may be able to teach it to others, their families, in particular.
A church with passion is a fellowshipping church. The church in Acts was a fellowshipping church. Luke says this of the Jerusalem church: “…and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” The members of a passionate church do not forsake the assembly of themselves together.
A church with passion is a miracle-working church. Because of their passion for and faith in God, God rewards them with His presence and His power is evident in the lives of His people. Jesus said that if a person had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could do the impossible. People who are passionate about God will have strong faith and that faith will be manifested in miraculous ways.
A church with passion is a worshipping church. Because she is grateful to God for His salvation, His grace, and His mercy, she worships Him in spirit and in truth because the Father seeks such to worship Him.
A church with passion is a growing church. Luke goes on to say, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Who would not want to join a church that is excited about God , excited about each other, excited and secured in their eternal destiny, demonstrating the miracle-working power of God, and welcoming to all and judgmental to none?
I know from my own experience how important it is to have people in your life who are enthusiastic about their faith. I grew up in a Christ-loving home. I was taken to church every Sunday but that isn’t where Christ stopped. He was praised in the home. He was talked about in the home. The Bible was read in the home. When I was baptized, my Aunt Josephine bought me my first Bible. I was so proud of it and I read from it often.
I did not come from a church that emphasized personal Bible study or Quiet Times (daily devotion). Though we did have Baptist Training Union (BTU), it was not the same. Even though there were many activities for youth at my church, I was encouraged by my Sunday school superintendent, James Chatters, to be involved. I was asked to serve as the Associate Superintendent of Sunday school, and thus my ministry career began. I didn’t understand real spiritual growth until I went off to college and I saw other young people seeking after the Lord with earnest. At the Baptist Student Union (BSU), under the leadership of Arliss Dickerson, I was given the opportunity to serve and to put into practice that which I learned in private study. I was around other young people and we became a family. We put on events. We ministered together. We worshipped together. There was no gender, no color, but Christ was all. Now, I realize how important all those people and organizations were to my spiritual development.
If we are to save our nation, we must return to our passion for God. We must remember from whence we have fallen and repent. We must turn our backs on worldliness and return to holiness. We must praise Christ in our churches and in our homes. We must model Him before our families and our colleagues. We must reach out to our children and our youth with the Gospel and challenge them spiritually. We must reclaim this lost generation. When we do that, we will start raising a generation of godly people who will make godly decisions based on godly wisdom. This is how we will turn our nation around. This is how we will become, not a Christian nation, but a nation of Christians, once again.
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