A Passion for Christ

John the Baptist's mission on Earth was to prepare the people, baptizing them with water to remove their sins. One day he knew that the Son of God would be introduced to him and that it would be obvious who He was because the Spirit of God would descend upon Him. John knew it was Christ when he baptized Him, there wasn't a single doubt in his mind. So the next day, when John saw Christ again, he pointed Him out to two of his disciples. Without a second thought they ran after Jesus and Jesus accepted them as His own disciples.

The next day they ran into Phillip, who in turn, with great excitement, went to grab his brother Nathanael. His brother was doubtful until He met Jesus and with a few words, Jesus had Nathanael convinced of Who He was. Jesus said that if he was impressed by just the few words, he hadn't seen anything yet because Heaven in the coming days would be poured out from Jesus to the people; Angels would be making special trips to and from Heaven, giving witness to Christ as He performed His acts of grace and healing.

The excitement and passion in these men, even as they're just beginning to meet Jesus, is amazing. They got up and left, convicted of whose presence they were standing in. They came to serve and learn, and little did they know just what an adventure they were in for. Yes, there would be times of doubt and fear, distrust and arguing amongst themselves, but they knew they had to be in the presence of Christ and they didn't hold anything back in reaching Him.

Look around your church. You'll probably see a mixture of people, some passionate about being in church, volunteering for service, and not only attending in the classrooms, but also during the week in small bible study groups. There are others though, that have lost the spark. Life has beaten them down. They attend out of habit or searching down the wrong path for something that doesn't exist. It is these people we need to reach out to. They need God more than anything. They need friendship, love, forgiveness, and grace that can only come from God in Heaven. If your passion has dimmed, it's not to late to light this fire in your heart again. God has never left you; He will never ignored you. He longs for you to accept the deep healing He can provide. Take a chance and reach out to a passionate person, ask for support, and be amazed at the work God will perform in your life.

- Thoughts from John 1:29-51

encounter: What gets you excited? How would you characterize your experience of church lately? Who do you deem passionate about Christ Jesus, and what might help build relationships with them?