Posted on

What Does it Mean to be Zealous?

Zeal is a strange word. Many people don’t know what it means. As a matter of fact, until I actually started reading the Bible, I didn’t really know what zeal meant. So in this post, it is my sole goal to reveal what does it mean to be zealous. I believe this will bless you and will prove useful to you in your life. Therefore, continue reading this post so you can enjoy the benefits of this newfound understanding.

What Does It Mean to be Zealous?

Y’all must first understand the definition of zeal. I talk from the perspective of a Christian as there is no more important form of zeal than the zeal a Christian ought to have. Zeal is what makes a person enthusiastic/excited for the Lord. It describes the picture of a Christian who is motivated to seek God and to love Him with all their heart.

It’s the part of you which refuses to compromise your God-given morals/convictions. It’s the part of you which wants to walk and commune with God all the days of your life as His loyal child. Let me give some examples to clarify what I mean.

First, let’s look at the example of Lord Jesus flipping tables because it’s most commonly talked-about example whenever the topic of zeal comes up in sermons.

John 2:15-17 (World English Bible)
15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”Psalm 69:9

To give some context, the pharisees (religious leaders of the time) were selling animals in God’s temple when they should have been ministering to the people. They thought to themselves, “it won’t matter much if we just pocket some money selling sacrifices to the people.” This error showcased their disrespect for the sacred; their sacrilegious behaviour disgusted God to the core.

Hence why Lord Jesus openly showed His anger at what they had done. Now, there’s something interesting which Holy Spirit included when writing this passage. He quotes Psalm 69:9.

Lord Jesus Christ is my God! Now the Question is Who’s Yours?

Psalm 69:9 (WEB)
9 For the zeal of your house consumes me.
    The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

The Bible says that those who reproach God reproach the speaker. What this teaches us is that zeal comes when you understand that the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, that God, is YOUR God!

And by being your God, He is the reason why you’re here. You answer to no one but Him. It is to the name of your dear Lord and Saviour alone, Jesus Christ, that you bow your knee.

So, whoever disrespects your God, disrespects you because you belong to Him. A small-scale example which I may include is when I was trying out a popular TV show a few weeks ago. It seemed very interesting and had quite a good storyline. But, it then had a scene where it openly disrespected my God, and blasphemed the name of Lord Jesus Christ. It was at that point, I turned it off and decided to never let myself be entertained by it again.

Now, zeal is by nature, an authentic expression of love towards God. You don’t fake it until you make it. Zeal is supposed to be genuine, it’s supposed to be authentic, it can’t be faked. If it’s faked to please others, then, it’s not really zeal, it’s deception.

The Danger of Being Lukewarm

Furthermore, Lord Jesus gave us a warning in the last book fo the Bible concerning the lack of zeal in the Church.

Revelation 3:15-19 (WEB)
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.

As it reads above, He says to not be lukewarm. Being lukewarm means you couldn’t care less about your relationship with God. It’s the type of person who’d let an insult to God slide. Now, don’t get me wrong, this person might not necessarily be bad.

Instead, this person might be a good person who’s zealous for others, who is zealous for human rights, the environment, and so many other important things. And as a human being, I do understand how many well-meaning people are trapped by complacency and lukewarmness.

The reason behind this is we take very few things for granted. We don’t take human rights for granted since we know the price paid for our freedoms and privileges, by soldiers. We don’t take the environment for granted because we’re scared of natural disasters and how they may worsen if we waste natural resources.

But, the odd thing is that we take God, the most wonderful, lovely, important person in the world, for granted. And we’ve got no excuse for this crime.

There would be no freedom, there would be no environment, there would be nothing without God. We’d be doomed to eternal suffering (Hell) if it were not for the grace, love, and sacrifice at the cross of Lord Jesus Christ.

And yet, we as a generation, have become prone to skipping Church, cancelling Bible-reading plans, and turning our precious Lord’s name into a cuss word. Lukewarmness is ugly and it’s disgusting and it happens when we become so comfortable with living our lives without God that we forget Him.

Therefore, my friends, don’t become complacent. Don’t forget the heavy price your loving God paid for you. Let there be no hint of lukewarmness and instead, set yourself ablaze with passion for the things of God.

If you know you’re lacking zeal for God, here’s what you should do. First, ask Holy Spirit to give you zeal for Him. He’ll put that desire in your heart through His Holy Spirit. Then, start reading the Bible consistently and regularly worship the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:13 (WEB)
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Furthermore, this ain’t an easter bunny egg hunt. You can’t call quits after spending a day seeking the Lord. You’ve got to seek the Lord with all your heart. This means it’s got to be a lifestyle. How that looks with regards to prayer, Bible-reading, and worship is between you and God. What matters is that you’re consistent and that you are putting in an effort to commune with Him. Zeal is the by-product of your relationship with God!

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

Observing the Beauty of His Holiness

God shares His beauty with us!

The attraction to beauty in this modern age is undeniable. Beauty attracts eyes and ears like how lights attract flies. Humans love the act of observing the beauty of art pieces, movie cinematography, literature, and more. But, what is it that draws people to entertain their imaginations and natural delights with these things? And in this post, we’ll be looking into how beauty can help us to understand God.

The Beauty Around You

As I mentioned earlier, beauty is highly accessible in this day and age. Many embrace the thing called, “Art.” The reason that is so, is because people love to feast their eyes or ears on beautiful things. We, as a human race, adore beauty and want to see pretty things.

That is why there is a business for graphic design and advertising. Our human nature recalls beauty in its most primordial instincts and desires. The human heart loves observing the beauty around us.

As a matter of fact, you may enjoy rap songs, paintings, drawings, sketches, poetry, or anything else art-related. And I encourage you to enjoy art so as long as it fits within God’s boundaries for beauty since it can be very good for your mental health.

But, the main idea of this post is that beauty surrounds you. You don’t need to go to an art gallery to see beauty. Beauty is in the flowers of your garden or in the vastness of grand, ancient mountains. Wherever you are, there’s some sort of beauty surrounding you because at the end of the day, God’s an artist!

Psalm 19:1-4 World English Bible (WEB)
19 The heavens declare the glory of God.
    The expanse shows his handiwork.
2 Day after day they pour out speech,
    and night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
    where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice has gone out through all the earth,
    their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,

Every scene from nature seems to be a divine masterpiece!

Observing the Beauty of Holiness

Psalm 96:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

The Bible says to worship God in the beauty of holiness. Now, worship, if you don’t already know, is the way or the attitudes by which we exalt God in our lives for who He is. So, singing to God out of our love for Him can be a way of worshiping Him. Or giving to the poor because of our love for God, is another way of worshipping Him.

But, the Bible instructs us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. Why? What does that mean? First, you’ve got to wrap your minds around what holiness means.

Holiness is the way in which we set things apart for very particular purposes. In the context of the Bible, to be holy means to set apart one’s life for God.

So, when the Bible talks about worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness, it means to lift Him up in your life by admiring how He is set apart. He is set apart from every other individual on the face of the planet because He is God.

Taking communion’s also an act of worship!

And He, being God, came in the flesh 2000 years ago as Jesus Christ so that He may die on the cross with the punishment for your sins along with my sins; then, He rose again from the dead after 3 days to fully justify our redemption in Him. I talk more about it in this post.

So, if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please do so, now. When you accept Him into your heart, His life flows through you, and you can truly recognize His beauty everywhere you go. Whether His beauty manifests through the creatures He’s made or the natural laws of the universe, His beauty is there nonetheless.

Living a Beautiful Life

Furthermore, there’s another reference to the beauty of holiness in the Old Testament of the Bible.

2 Chronicles 20:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

The verse above is a specific situation where singers were chosen in ancient Israel to praise God’s beauty of holiness. Again, there’s a beauty in the fact that He’s set apart from the rest of this world. But, this time, instead of worshipping God for that, they praise Him.

This is different because that means they’re giving thanks to God for the beauty that He’s unique. They’re not just exalting Him in their lives because of their love for Him, they’re thanking Him for the fact that He’s set apart.

So, God puts such importance in His individuality or His uniqueness. He is not like the other kings of this world who demands things from us for their selfish ambitions, He is the one King who cares for each of the people who serve Him and who loves each and every one of us.

Moreover, God has called you to be holy like Him. He made you in His image and now that you believe in Him, He calls you to live a life where your beauty is inwards not just outwards.

1 Peter 3:3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; 4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

You are set apart for God once you accept Him into your life and that means you don’t enjoy profane forms of art, but instead, art which glorifies the attributes or nature of God.

1 Peter 1:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Make His Word, your life source! Be holy as He is holy…

Therefore, live a beautiful life by following the footsteps of God. He is beautiful because He’s not like the others in this world who seek things selfishly and entertain insatiable yet carnal appetites. And so, as He is, so are you. You are holy when you live the life God paid for on the cross. You are truly at your most beautiful state, when you are holy for God. So, don’t stop observing the beauty of God.

By Andre Wijesekera

Posted on

The Raw Power of Godly Encouragement

Oftentimes, people do not appreciate or value the gift of encouragement. It is such a wonderful tool that can open up a door for hope. All throughout the Bible, there are cases where encouragement acted as the deciding factor for success. If you learn the incredible power of godly encouragement, it will change your life for the good!

Encouragement in the Old Testament

First, let’s define godly encouragement. Godly encouragement is when someone (which can include yourself or God) motivates you and points out that there is hope regardless of the situation because God is with you.

Now, the first instance in which God introduces encouragement into His wonderful Word is in the story of Joshua. When Moses prepares Israel with a lengthy speech, he talks about how he is not to enter the promised land and so, God appointed Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. It is in these moments that God instructs Moses to encourage Joshua for the mission which Joshua has ahead of him.

Deuteronomy 1:38 World English Bible (WEB)
38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

Joshua became responsible for leading a nation. I know you may have some pretty serious stuff going on in your life; but, leading an entire nation is quite the challenge! So, God wanted Moses and everyone to encourage Joshua which goes to show the importance of encouragement from God’s perspective. Now, keep in mind the Hebrew word for, “Encourage,” in this passage is, “Chazaq,” (I’ll be referencing this word later on).

This situation relates to you in that if you are expected to do something that seems nearly impossible, you need godly encouragement.

But, what if there’s no one to encourage you?

When There’s No One to Encourage You

God is so fair and so careful that He makes sure that His Word is sufficient for you. And so, God has provided us with an example of a person who did not need anyone to encourage him.

1 Samuel 30:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

The snippet of scripture above reflects on the time when the Amalekites robbed all of David’s possessions and wives; God knows what they were planning to do with all they had stolen! David’s men turned against him as they became upset that the Amalekites stole all they owned.

So, what do you do when it seems as if the whole world’s against you! You do what David did; you encourage yourself in the Lord your God!

Sometimes, you cannot rely on other people to encourage you. It is a sad but true fact and God knows that. You must learn to encourage yourself. That’s what it takes to be a king. And David was in such a horrible situation.

I mean think about it; his own people were going to kill him and bad guys took all he had. David was in a very, very tough situation during the time of this scripture. But, he still trusted in God and encouraged himself. If you’re in a situation where the stakes are high and you don’t seem to have any hope, encourage yourself in the Lord your God just as David did.

So, in the course of the passage, we read that David sought God’s guidance and God strengthened David along with his army to take back what was stolen from them.

1 Samuel 30:18 King James Version (KJV)
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

When you’re at wits’ end, you cannot encourage yourself in pride or selfish ambition, no, you must encourage yourself to trust the Lord your God just as David did. You must trust in Jesus who is the Lord your God. He is the God of David.

Also, as a side note, the fact that David married more than one person was never God’s ideal picture of marriage. But, God makes it clear in the New Testament that marriage is to be a holy covenant between two people.

Godly Encouragement and the Cross

Psalm 27:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

The above scripture written by David through the inspiration of Holy Spirit says to wait on the Lord and to be of good courage.

Now, when it says to be of good courage, the Hebrew word within the scripture is, “Chazaq,” which is the same word that was used when God told Moses to encourage Joshua.

Thus, this psalm is telling us to simply wait upon the Lord; encourage yourself in what He’s done for you and He will strengthen your heart with the courage to face your situation. That is the key to godly encouragement. It unlocks the courage within yourself to face the Goliath in your life.

If you cannot encourage yourself, ask God to encourage you; ask God to strengthen you. God will answer you; he will not let the situation eat you up. If hell’s against you, then remind it that Jesus already bore hell for you.

Romans 15:5 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

When you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you so that He could bear your sins, your shame, your loss, your suffering, and every hell centered thing in the planet belonging to you, He transferred His strength, peace, grace, and Holy Spirit to your spiritual account. If you have His loving Holy Spirit living within you, there ask Him as the God of encouragement to encourage you.

Even if you can’t encourage yourself, God will encourage you for Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter. He will strengthen your heart as David wrote in the Psalm.

John 14:26 King James Version (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In your time of distress, He’s there to comfort you because He loves you very dearly. And remember you have even better privileges than those in the Old Testament so enjoy your relationship with God.

Therefore, do not ever lose hope. Remember to ask God to strengthen your heart and so, encourage yourself in Him. Remind yourself that your God is big, that your God is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; remind yourself that He loves you and that He is always with you.

Joshua 1:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”

Posted on

The Weary’s Strength Amidst Adversity

There’re always times when life seems overwhelming. You might be sedulously climbing the corporate ladder in your workplace or someone who’s just become a parent, which are all good things, but, these things can be tiring or exhaustive, nonetheless. However, I hold good news for you, Jesus is the weary’s strength amidst adversity. If you can’t help but feel overwhelmed from life’s challenges, just let this post minister life-giving truth unto you.

Strength Amidst Success

As I briefly mentioned earlier, it is possible to feel stressed from the things which success brings. It is also plausible to be stressed out because of things like studying or working.

Galatians 6:9 World English Bible (WEB)
9 Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.

These tasks and acts of discipline may requires a ton of effort, but, God encourages you through His Word to keep on going. Paul writes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to not get tired of doing what is good because good things are headed your way if you continue on this path.

This scripture can also be applied in the sense of worshiping God, reading the Bible, or praying as they are all advantageous to your relationship with Holy Spirit, but very hard to follow through with consistency. Consistency is vital to all forms of discipline. If you cannot be consistent, it is very hard to reap benefits.

And if you’ve repeatedly failed while in pursuit of achieving a goal or sticking to a routine, I beseech you to ask God for the grace to do it.

Isaiah 40:29 World English Bible (WEB)
29 He gives power to the weak.
    He increases the strength of him who has no might.

He promises that He is the God who strengthen you. If you see your goal to be impossible, let God handle it; you just need to cast your cares upon the Lord.

Strength Amidst Calamity

As I mentioned earlier, adversity can come even when you’re enjoying the promised land. But, it can be all the more real when you’re in tough situations. An example of such a situation could be the challenge of paying your bills or dealing with health issues.

Adversity does not always come from God. Sickness, poverty, death, and whatever other thing which Jesus paid a price to destroy does not enter your life because God willed it, but, because this world is a fallen world.

However, there is a solution to the tough situations which adversity brings as God has prepared one solution for every mess.

Proverbs 25:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
    so is good news from a far country.

The above proverb is so powerful. But, let’s take a step back to truly imagine what the Holy Spirit wants us to see.

What does water do to someone who is literally dying of thirst? Well, one thing is that it satisfies them and quenches their thirst. Another thing it does is that it saves them from dying.

In the same way, if you are dying inside from all the bad news that has entered your ears, good news is here to revive you. Furthermore, the word, “gospel,” means good news. Since Jesus is good news and His redemption work is the gospel, you just need to believe His good news for Him to empower you.

Romans 1:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

When you believe the gospel of Christ, which is Jesus’ atonement work for you, there is no crisis that can stand in the way of God’s furious love. If you’re struggling with health issues, Jesus is your healing. If you’re struggling with paying the bills on time, Jesus is your prosperity.

You must believe through faith in what Jesus did for you on the cross. And if you’re too tired to stand upon the promises of God, let God strengthen you by just receiving His lovely grace.

He’s The Weary’s Strength Amidst Adversity

Isaiah 40:30-31 World English Bible (WEB)
30 Even the youths faint and get weary,
    and the young men utterly fall;
31     but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength.
    They will mount up with wings like eagles.
    They will run, and not be weary.
    They will walk, and not faint.

The bottom line of what I’m saying in this post is that Jesus is the weary’s strength amidst adversity. If you feel that you are weary, thank Jesus for renewing your strength. Just say it aloud if you have to get that principle into your head. Believe what God says.

When you follow this divine precept, you will start noticing God’s undying strength empowering you to live in victory. As I have said earlier, even when you’re tired of holding onto the promises of God through faith, you must lean upon His strength.

Therefore, if you have not yet accepted Christ into you heart, confess and believe that Jesus Christ is your Redeemer, your Savior, your Lord and your God. He will give you strength to do things beyond your wildest imagination for His glory. Finally, I leave you with these wonderful words from the mouth of Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-30 World English Bible (WEB)
28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”