Hosanna Restoration Church

Passion produces life in the direction it is pointed. We can be passionate for good or for evil. God put passion in us for a purpose. He gave man and woman passion for one another so that their passion for each other would produce life.
In the same way, things that we are passionate about are the things that we are most productive in achieving. Jesus was passionate about His mission and as a result, He presented the opportunity of eternal life to all people.
When I was a kid, I remember we went to the Passion Play in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I did not know why it was named that, and the only things that stood out to me were the live animals and the big storm with lightning and thunder. The major memory however, was that bang when the tomb blew open. That really caught my attention.
Now like I said, I really did not comprehend much then, but as God has brought passion to my mind, I am also reminded of that experience. There are things in our lives that mean more later on than they did at the time. Even though that opening of the tomb meant little or nothing to me 60 years ago it is exciting to me now.
In John, Jesus had just cleaned out the temple when the disciples were reminded of that scripture from psalm 69. Passion, or zeal as other translations call it, produces a result. So it is important to consider how we apply our passion and increase the good and remove the bad.
A person can be a passionate liar, gossip, thief, abuser, and etc. These of course are passions that need to be crushed in our lives. Our passion should be used to increase the love, joy, peace, etc. that the Holy Spirit gives us.
Our major passion should be for the Lord of course. Are we passionate about our faith? Are we in love with God? Are we so in love with Him that we produce life? Paul said that it was His life in Christ Jesus that now consumed Him. John said that with Christ we have life and produce life. If we do not have Christ there is no life in us.
Jesus was so passionate about completing what He came to do that He rebuked any thought or suggestion that might compromise the plan. He asked God about there being another way, but he would not listen to any outside suggestions.
We should also be passionate about our mission. We should quickly reject any thought that exalts itself against what God has said. Remember, God is right!