The apostle Paul said of some in the 1st century church (2 Cor 9:2, NKJV):

“…your zeal has stirred up the majority”

This reveals to me the simple truth that people hungry for God - even though they may be small in number - can have a profound effect on the crowd around them. The minority impacts the majority. How does this happen? Zeal or enthusiasm which is literally derived from two words “in-God”.

Enthusiasm is not merely an emotion or a disposition. To be a true enthusiast is to live our lives “in-God”. To be “in-God” is to live with our thoughts, intentions, motives all brought into line with the rule of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This produces a hunger for God, a longing for His presence in our lives and a dissatisfaction with any other alternative. Our appetites change from the everyday to the eternal. And in the midst of this passionate pursuit something happens; this enthusiasm within us begins to spill out and spread like a virus infecting those around us!

Deuteronomy 1:8 says

“See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

I hope in your heart and life there are things you are believing for, trusting God for and praying for to see come to pass. As Christians there should always be promises in our hearts from God that we are holding onto to provide us with hope and a vision for the future God has for us.

What I love in this passage is the picture of how these promises of God come about;

“See I have given you this land, go in and possess it”.

In one sense it seems paradoxical – has it been given to us? Or do we need to go and get it for ourselves? The answer is YES.

God works hand in hand with us. It is easy for us to err one of two ways – to consider that it’s all me and I will make it happen without regard to the leading and plans of our Father. Or, I consider I will sit back and wait for God to do it all whilst I practice wearing in the seat of my couch. Both ways are full of pride, and cannot carry God’s favour.

Like the left and right legs pushing a bicycle pedal, as God pushes down on his side, so too we need to respond to Him in faithful obedience for the bike to move forward. One legged cycling is difficult at best and the never the way God intends us to move forward.

Instead we need to take a hold of the promises God has for us – in life, in ministry, in business, in relationships – and knowing He has given them to us out of His goodness and grace we then need to respond in faith, obeying His word to us and possess the land God has for us.

A week or so ago I came across this short list of some of the challenges facing the Church in 2008 and beyond. A lot of what is contained here really resonated strongly with me for the season we’re now in. In fact, reading much of it quickens my heart-rate and totally excites me for the future.

Sixty one key Charismatic/Pentecostal leaders in the American Church gathered recently to seek the face of God for 2008. They began their gathering by kneeling together to repent of the pride that has tainted the American church. At the end of their time together they made the following statement outlining the challenges they believe God had spoken to them about during their time in His presence.

1. We must open themselves to the experience of personal revival. We must rediscover the power of fasting. We must study the Word in order to hear from God more powerfully. We must get back to a simplicity of devotion to Jesus.

2. We must embrace humility by being genuine, touchable and accessible. God is raising up a new breed of leader today who will display “anointing without arrogance, boldness without brashness, and power without pride.”

3. We are experiencing gracious judgment. Gracious judgment, is where God corrects us but leads us to repentance and obedience. We must be men and women of character in a world of compromise.

4. We must balance the prosperity message. God is calling us to a higher standard of ethics, integrity and corporate governance. We must teach our people “to give extravagantly, not expecting anything in return” instead of suggesting that people should “give to get.”

5. It’s time to get back to evangelism. Our priorities must return to soul-winning and discipleship. While stressing the absolute importance of the presence and power of God in our churches, we must guard against an inordinate emphasis on manifestations of the Holy Spirit. We must get back to the core doctrines of the Bible, and test all things.

6. We must root out racism in the church. Unless we develop a true “kingdom DNA” in our churches-by welcoming and celebrating all ethnic groups-we will not successfully impact our culture or enact biblical justice on issues such as immigration policy.

7. Holiness is not an option. We must learn to restore those who fall but we also must focus on how to prevent moral failure - which will require a new emphasis on holy living.

8. God is calling us to transform society. Western culture is becoming increasingly hostile to the Christian faith. We must not run from our calling to transform culture but engage in a kingdom mission to effect change. We believe that Christians for too long have viewed politics, education and the financial realm as evil when we must see those arenas as mountains to claim for Christ.

[via: APN Newsletter]

What about you? Does anything in that list confirm in you something God’s been saying to you? Does anything stir your heart?