Increase my zeal . . .

I’m in Chapter Five of the book I’m using for devotions. It is about two New Testament books but begins with a background of Paul. God is teaching me today about zeal.

Zeal is being deeply committed to and enthusiastic about something. A couple of verses tell me that zeal in itself is not a sin because God Himself is zealous . . . 

The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. (Isaiah 42:13)

But all zeal is not like God’s zeal. In speaking of the Jews, Paul said, “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Romans 10:2) This tells me zeal can be misguided, in this case by ignorance of the righteousness of God and trying to establish godliness on their own.

Paul himself also had been a zealous man. He went after Christians thinking this is what God wanted. . .

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles . . .  (Galatians 1:13–16)

As with Paul, when Jesus transforms a life, He brings in a deep and full desire to do the right thing . . .

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)

From experience, I realize that zeal requires discernment. It is easy to evaluate the worth of anything by the immediate results. Sometimes I base the rightness of my actions on whether others accept it or not. However, Peter warns that Christians can suffer for being zealous for righteousness. He says this is better than suffering for doing something selfish.

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13–17)

The last book of the Bible begins with letters to seven churches, one of which was not very zealous. They were comfortable with life and lacking enthusiasm for God. God said to them:

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:14–19)

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Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for making Paul a zealous man. Not all of us are created with fire in our bones. Yet because You live in me, I have a zeal for many things that would not otherwise be there. In You I want to be a godly person. I deeply desire others to know You and Your goodness. At the same time, I can see how zeal for righteousness or for anything else can be thwarted by an easy life and that deadening sense that I do not need anything. Just as I feed my zeal for creativity by observing and studying creation and the creative works of many artistic people, I also need to feed my zeal to pray by reading books on prayer and praying with people. Those I’d call ‘prayer warriors’ encourage that fire within. Reading Your Word increases my zeal to glorify You. Zeal is a wonderful gift. Increase my enthusiasm to glorify You! Amen.

Excited to see Jesus

Christians are instructed by God to be watchful and in anticipation for the return of Jesus Christ. Some think it will never happen, but most of the discussion is about when rather than if.

Jesus gave signs of the end of this age and the beginning of the next heralded by His Coming. Peter repeated what the Lord said, and the early Christians fully expected it to happen soon. Now, two thousand years later, some of my fellow travelers are still saying, “Are we there yet?”

Today, I read these verses and find myself longing for His return . . .

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:17–21)

Most of my desire to see Jesus comes from the state of the world. Earthquakes by the dozens, extreme weather, political and moral chaos — when will it end? Or will it? A slide downhill happens easily while making it more positive can take decades, even centuries.

It seems much of the world has turned its back on God. Little wonder that the media seldom reports on what God is doing — such as reaching people in the Middle East through dreams and visions, and bringing thousands of soldiers in at least one American military base to faith in Christ. We can turn our backs on God, but that does not stop Him.

Tozer’s remarks are positive and hopeful. He says that God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm, delighted with all that is good and lovingly concerned about all that is wrong. He does His work in a fullness of holy zeal, filling people with delight and fire at His presence.

The first disciples gave their lives to serve their Savior. They were convinced of His grace and truth and wanted the world to know. They changed this planet forever. A few contemporary Christians have that same zeal. One said, “I'm having too much fun declaring & demonstrating the Kingdom of God, it's okay if He waits till he returns!" (R. Alan Woods, 2013)

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Lord Jesus, faith in You ought to continue with those results. We ought to boldly share our faith, unconcerned with those who mock us and with a a zeal that affects our world, changing that increasing sense of hopelessness to the perpetual enthusiasm that comes from loving You with all our heart — and from an eager desire to see Your face.

Then and Now . . . a huge contrast

The book of Acts shows how the church began and how it was powerful to change lives. From what it says, there was no difference between the laity and the clergy . . .

·       They both served God and others

·       They used their gifts as they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

·       The religious establishment didn’t like any of them

·       Persecution happened to everyone who told the truth about sin and about Jesus Christ.

·       Persecution didn’t stop them from sharing the Gospel.

When a problem arose over the care of widows, the Apostles told the other Christians to “pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This pleased all of them, so they selected the seven, including “Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”

After this, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”

But the religious people didn’t like it. They opposed Stephen, but “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” So they stirred up the people and their religious leaders, seized Stephen and brought him before the council, setting up false witnesses. He was a layman who “served tables” yet was persecuted. However, he was also godly and those in the council “saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:3–15)

Stephen was sentenced to death by stoning, but that did not stop him from proclaiming the truth. He told his persecutors, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Of course they were enraged, but Steven gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

At this, they cried out loudly, plugged their ears and rushed together at him. They took him out of the city and stoned him, laying their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and loudly cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:51–60)

The Bible says Stephen then “fell asleep” and devout men buried him, making great lamentation over him. (Acts 8:2) This began a persecution that reached Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, yet God used this young man’s death in an unexpected way; the followers of Christ kept sharing the gospel with the Jews. (Acts 11:19)

God did something else that was unexpected. That young man who witnessed the blood of Stephen being shed, the one who stood by approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him, became the Apostle Paul. He began sharing with the Jews, but eventually God said to him, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (Acts 22:20–21)

The world was changed by the power of God using this man and other godly people who could face any threat without fear. They knew Jesus Christ. They knew that they were freely justified and had eternal life. They were set free from the bondage of sin and fear. They wanted others to know the same thing, willingly sharing the good news, even if it meant persecution or death.

I’m not sure about the entire world, but the church in North America has lost both that zeal and that powerful influence. We and the world around us need a revival from God.