“So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…”
(Haggai 1:14, NLT)
(Haggai 1:14, NLT)
The great Biblical Scholar and Evangelist Charles Spurgeon taught many students over the years. He taught with much enthusiasm and panache. He had a way of bringing an excitement to his Bible studies and his sermons. One day while teaching, Spurgeon shared with his students a bit of wisdom: “A blacksmith can do nothing when his fire is out.” What Spurgeon meant for his students to take away from those words was that a Christian who has no “fire” in his or her gut to preach about Jesus isn’t able to do anything to further the Kingdom of God. So inspiring were these words to Spurgeon and his students that Spurgeon included them in his “Lectures to My Students” published decades later.
All true Christians have a genuine need to share their faith. They might love to share stories from the gospel, speak out about Jesus, sing hymns, or share one’s experience of the Divine. When was the last time you spoke enthusiastically about Jesus? When was the last time you couldn’t wait to see your friend from church? If you find your spiritual “fire” going out, petition God to rekindle the beauty and power of true faith. Ask God to fill you with the Spirit and fire you up like the apostles of old (Matthew 3:11)!
“Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks remembers one of his first acting roles, on tour with Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof. “I had one critical line, ‘Even a poor tailor is entitled to some happiness.’ I was supposed to shout it at Zero, right in his face, and I was sure I was giving my all. But every night, just before the line, he’d whisper, ‘Give it to me. Come on, give it to me.’
Finally I got so angry I just lost it. I stood up on my toes. I went white; I screamed; I was actually spitting in that face I detested so much, ‘Even a poor tailor is entitled to some happiness!’ And this time, the audience roared. And Zero said to me under his breath, ‘Thaaaat’s it! Thaaaat’s it!”” (“Today in the Word”, February 10, 1993)
Inspiring others entails getting others fired up about something. Inspiring others to believe in Jesus usually will fail when the person speaking about Jesus isn’t enthusiastic. Being excited to meet with Jesus in prayer or share your born-again experience affects the heart and soul of others. Look in the scripture above. Haggai 1:14 told how God “sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel” “and the enthusiasm of Jeshua”. When God fired up these men of God, the results were made known in the very same verse. The “whole remnant of the God’s people” became filled with enthusiasm. Genuine excitement in God catches the imagination of others. It inspires others to look for God. Spiritual enthusiasm has caused Christians to face death and imprisonment without fear. It has sparked missionaries to dedicate their lives to God’s mission field. It has changed hearts and futures. After God fired up the people in the days of Haggai, they rebuilt the Temple for God which had been destroyed in war. When God brings a genuine enthusiasm to a soul, amazing things happen!
Take some time in the next weeks to examine your “enthusiasm for the Lord”. How excited are you to be counted among the faithful? What might inspire you to seek God’s Spirit and get all fired up for the Lord? When was the last time God’s Spirit in you got whipped up to do something wonderful?
All true Christians have a genuine need to share their faith. They might love to share stories from the gospel, speak out about Jesus, sing hymns, or share one’s experience of the Divine. When was the last time you spoke enthusiastically about Jesus? When was the last time you couldn’t wait to see your friend from church? If you find your spiritual “fire” going out, petition God to rekindle the beauty and power of true faith. Ask God to fill you with the Spirit and fire you up like the apostles of old (Matthew 3:11)!
“Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks remembers one of his first acting roles, on tour with Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof. “I had one critical line, ‘Even a poor tailor is entitled to some happiness.’ I was supposed to shout it at Zero, right in his face, and I was sure I was giving my all. But every night, just before the line, he’d whisper, ‘Give it to me. Come on, give it to me.’
Finally I got so angry I just lost it. I stood up on my toes. I went white; I screamed; I was actually spitting in that face I detested so much, ‘Even a poor tailor is entitled to some happiness!’ And this time, the audience roared. And Zero said to me under his breath, ‘Thaaaat’s it! Thaaaat’s it!”” (“Today in the Word”, February 10, 1993)
Inspiring others entails getting others fired up about something. Inspiring others to believe in Jesus usually will fail when the person speaking about Jesus isn’t enthusiastic. Being excited to meet with Jesus in prayer or share your born-again experience affects the heart and soul of others. Look in the scripture above. Haggai 1:14 told how God “sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel” “and the enthusiasm of Jeshua”. When God fired up these men of God, the results were made known in the very same verse. The “whole remnant of the God’s people” became filled with enthusiasm. Genuine excitement in God catches the imagination of others. It inspires others to look for God. Spiritual enthusiasm has caused Christians to face death and imprisonment without fear. It has sparked missionaries to dedicate their lives to God’s mission field. It has changed hearts and futures. After God fired up the people in the days of Haggai, they rebuilt the Temple for God which had been destroyed in war. When God brings a genuine enthusiasm to a soul, amazing things happen!
Take some time in the next weeks to examine your “enthusiasm for the Lord”. How excited are you to be counted among the faithful? What might inspire you to seek God’s Spirit and get all fired up for the Lord? When was the last time God’s Spirit in you got whipped up to do something wonderful?