On This Journey–Let Passion Drive!

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. “And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ “So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.“So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.  “So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ Acts 22:6-10 NKJV

Most of us know Paul’s testimony about his trip to Damascus to persecute followers of Christ–how his encounter with Jesus–changed him and established a clear path for all who followed Jesus.

From persecutor to champion of the cause–from Saul to Paul–God’s grace on his journey in life was due to his passion.

Now, the same grace that saved Paul and put him on the path to securing solidarity for the Body of Christ is available to all who are willing to receive. Much has been said about Paul’s conversion, but perhaps the most important thing that any of us need to know is this–in order to be effective at doing anything–passion must drive us!

Paul (as Saul) was taught by the masters of Jewish faith in the law–he understand better than most what the law said, but it wasn’t until his encounter with Jesus–contact with The Living Word–that he learned to apply what he thought he knew. At the point of his conversion to knowing how God wants us to treat us, he changed–the scales of blindness came off and he clearly saw how The Law kept people in bondage, making a mockery of a faith they claimed to be in God.

Are we religious or are we Believers in the Most High God? Have we allowed religious traditions to hinder passion for true belief and action on our part? Are willing to have an encounter with Jesus–The Living Word–to set us on the right path–a path destined with challenges and victories? Are we ready for the journey of a lifetime–promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our conduct and not just our words?

The journey–may have it’s ups and downs, but if we remain faithful to Him, He will be faithful to us and accomplish all He has put our hearts to do. This journey called life–has not really been lived until we are living it for The Lord! What is your passion?

 

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Which Path Are We Travelling?

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flow from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:18,19; 24-27 NIV

Many of us are travelling different paths to get to the same destination. As long as we are mindful of where we are and where we’re going, the destination should not change, even if we run into detours along the way.

As a Believer–our final destination is heaven, but our destiny is designed and planned by God and we will fulfill it as long as we stay on the path He has established for us–on this side of heaven. Though the road gets weary and the obstacles keep coming–we must face forward, knowing what is ahead of us and forgetting those things behind us for we cannot turn back the hand of time and restart or do over.

However, when we realize we have taken a wrong turn–the turn that takes us off the path where God would have us, we must immediately, seek His path again. We seek His path on a continuous basis by staying in His Word, focusing on doing things the way He would have us do them, not the way we would do them.

Our hearts–the spiritual inner person–must always be attuned to Holy Spirit so we do the right thing at all times. This is why we are warned to guard our hearts–we must not allow evil thoughts or thoughts of opposing God to enter into our hearts, for when we do, we place ourselves on the path of the wicked and the darkness in our hearts is visible for all to see.

Let us continue to travel the path on this journey in life that God has set before us–so that all may see our good works and glorify God–as the light from the Son, shines brightly in our hearts and we become beacons in the middle of darkness, for those searching for the right path–the path of righteous–so they, too will reach the destination God desires for us all at the appointed time. Our destiny is the fulfillment of all God has poured in us to do here on earth, but our destination–is to live with Him–forevermore.