Passion 2

PASSION NETWORKING FOR KINGDOM IMPACT WHERE’S THE PASSION?The apostle Paul was without question one of the greatest preachers and missionaries who has ever lived. And in Romans 1:14-17 passage of Scripture we discover why. Inv.15 Paul said, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach thegospel to you who are in Rome also.” The word translated “ready”(prothumos) also means “willing, eager.” It includes the idea ofbeing ready and willing with passion (thumos). He was eager andpassionate about sharing the gospel. Eagerness can be a wonderfultrait. It moves us to action. I had several dogs that displayedeagerness. If I were to say, “Do you want to go for a ride?” everydog I ever owned would get all excited, tail wagging, and head tothe door, or head to the car or truck. If a dog can be eager & excitedabout going for a ride, how much more should we be eager andpassionate about sharing the soul saving, life changing good newsof Jesus Christ? However, too many Christians today are not eageror passionate about sharing the gospel. So often, when we couldspeak for Christ, we don't. When we could be bold, we aren't. This isa real problem in the church today. Several years ago I read thatnearly 80% of Southern Baptists have never shared their faith withsomeone. What's wrong? One problem is implied in v.16. Paul said,“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ….” Why would heeven need to say this? Evidently, some Christians were actingashamed of the gospel. That's because many in Paul's day lookeddown on the message of Jesus Christ. After all, in the eyes of manyin Rome, Jesus had at least 3 strikes against Him: He was Jewish,He was poor, and most of all, He had been crucified. Pagan Romewith her pomp and splendor tended to look with scorn upon such amessage. The Jews stumbled over the gospel. They said it washeresy, or even blasphemy. Paul said in I Cor. 1:23 that the Greeksconsidered the gospel foolishness, and often laughed at it. Even so,in our day, when a large portion of the press and the stars of popularculture look with disdain at gospel truths, it is hard for some of us tokeep the gospel banner flying high. Some Christians becomeashamed of the gospel, or at least they act like they are ashamed ofit. They are afraid of what some people are going to think. Manymodify the gospel to make it more acceptable to the world. We havequite a few preachers on TV that preach a health & wealth gospelrather than the true gospel of Christ.Let me end this write up in the words of a great preacher of God'sword; “In a day when many religions are being driven by a falsepassion, it is imperative that we Christians rise to higher heights inour representation of Jesus Christ in our communities. If we areunable to convey the passion, privilege and excitement of being inlove with the risen Jesus, then who else can? If we are unable to letothers see and know that He is the Answer to life's problems, thenwho else is able to communicate that? People are seeking foranswers today, but generally are seeking in the wrong places. Allaround the world people and cultures are degenerating back intolawlessness and wickedness ~ in spite of its religiosity, and in spiteof governments making more rules and regulations to try andcontrol people. Religion does not answer the cry, and governmentscannot, because the answers needed are first and foremost spiritual.Even active involvement in Christian things does not necessarilyanswer that cry ~ unless Jesus is the focus, and His love and life areshining through those activities. Our hearts have to be motivated bya strong passion for Jesus. He is the Answer ~ not activities andthings!” - Rodney W. Francis.

GOSPEL QUOTES“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of Godfor the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, thenfor the Gentile.” ― Apostle Paul, Holy Bible: The New KingJames Version“Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put outinto the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ― Pope JohnPaul II“The Word we study has to be the Word we pray. My personalexperience of the relentless tenderness of God came not fromexegetes, theologians, and spiritual writers, but from sitting stillin the presence of the living Word and beseeching Him to helpme understand with my head and heart His written Word. Sheerscholarship alone cannot reveal to us the gospel of grace. Wemust never allow the authority of books, institutions, or leadersto replace the authority of *knowing* Jesus Christ personallyand directly. When the religious views of others interposebetween us and the primary experience of Jesus as the Christ, webecome unconvicted and unpersuasive travel agents handing outbrochures to places we have never visited.” ― BrennanManning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for theBedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannotbe grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understoodwhen it possesses the whole soul and penetrates to the innerrecesses of the heart.” ― John Calvin, Golden Booklet of theTrue Christian Life“If we were left to ourselves with the task of taking the gospel tothe world, we would immediately begin planning innovativestrategies and plotting elaborate schemes. We would organizeconventions, develop programs, and create foundations… ButJesus is so different from us. With the task of taking the gospel tothe world, he wandered through the streets and byways…All Hewanted was a few men who would think as He did, love as Hedid, see as He did, teach as He did and serve as He did. All Heneeded was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they wouldimpact the world.” ― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back YourFaith from the American Dream“You have one business on earth – to save souls.” ― JohnWesley“To make it quite practical I have a very simple test. After I haveexplained the way of Christ to somebody I say “Now, are youready to say that you are a Christian?” And they hesitate. Andthen I say, “What's the matter? Why are you hesitating?” And sooften people say, “I don't feel like I'm good enough yet. I don'tthink I'm ready to say I'm a Christian now.” And at once I knowthat I have been wasting my breath. They are still thinking interms of themselves. They have to do it. It sounds very modest tosay, “Well, I don't think I' good enough,” but it's a very denial ofthe faith. The very essence of the Christian faith is to say that Heis good enough and I am in Him. As long as you go on thinkingabout yourself like that and saying, “I'm not good enough; Oh,I'm not good enough,” you are denying God – you are denyingthe gospel – you are denying the very essence of the faith and youwill never be happy. You think you're better at times and thenagain you will find you are not as good at other times than you

thought you were. You will be up and down forever. How can Iput it plainly? It doesn't matter if you have almost entered intothe depths of hell. It does not matter if you are guilty of murderas well as every other vile sin. It does not matter from thestandpoint of being justified before God at all. You are no morehopeless than the most moral and respectable person in theworld.” ― D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: ItsCauses and Cure“The world needs to see Christians burning, not with self-righteous fury at the sliding morals in our country, but withpassion for God.” ― Kevin DeYoung“Christ did not die to make good works merely possible or toproduce a half-hearted pursuit. He died to produce in us apassion for good deeds. Christian purity is not the mereavoidance of evil, but the pursuit of good.” ― John Piper, ThePassion of Jesus Christ\"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost\" -- Jesus\"I make it my ambition to preach Christ where he has not beennamed\" –– Paul the Missionary'Somewhere along the way we have subtly and tragically takenthe costly command of Christ to go, baptize, and teach allnations and mutated it into a comfortable call for Christians tocome, be baptized, and listen in one location.' –– David Platt\"The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. Itneeds no furlough and is never considered a foreigner.\" –William Cameron Townsend\"The Lord did not tell us to build beautiful churches, but toevangelize the world\" -– Oswald J. Smith\"The great Pioneer Missionaries all had 'inverted homesickness'this passion to call that country their home which was most inneed of the Gospel. In this passion all other passions died;before this vision all other visions faded; this call drowned allother voices. They were the pioneers of the Kingdom, theforelopers of God, eager to cross the border-marches anddiscover new lands or win new-empires\" – Samuel Zwemer\"If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center ofeverything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across theworld, merely making a noise as we go\" – William Wilberforcespeaking of the Moravians missionaries\"Does it not stir up our hearts, to go forth and help them, does itnot make us long to leave our luxury, our exceeding abundantlight, and go to them that sit in darkness?\" –– Amy CarmichaelMissions is not about “What can I spare?” The question is“What's it going to take?” Risk. Abandon. Sacrifice. Radicaldependence on Christ. Everything. Are you passionatelycommitted to God's glory among all peoples? –– AsiaLinkWorker\"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish torun a rescue mission within a yard of hell.\" – C.T. Studd\"If the Great Commission is true, our plans are not too big; theyare too small.\" – Pat Morley

PASSION FOR THE GOSPEL CONFERENCE TIMELINE 1. Opening Formalities 2. Moment of Worship - Genesis Omoghene 3. Conference Mandate - Chris Edwin 4. Teaching - Canon A.A. Olomo 5. Open Forum - My Passion & My Vision 6. Conference Resolutions 7. Closing formalities Prepare to be part of PASSION FTOHREGOSPEL CONFERENCE 2016 THEME Breaking Ministerial LIMITS 13TH & 14TH, OCTOBER, 2017 Featuring His Word, His Worship, Seminars/workshop FEEDING & ACCOMMODATIONS IS FREE It’s going to be inspiring, educative and prophetic DON’T MISS IT! Seat Reservation: 08075703780 All Correspondence to: THE PUBLISHER PASSION, 08075703780, 07083141938To be Part of the Transformed Ministers’ Network, Fill andsubmit the Membership form and we will get back to you