by Randal Matheny

Green and yellow banners, streamers, and flags fly everywhere. Just this morning, at 6:00 a.m. everybody was up -- to watch Brazil play in the World Cup. Enthusiasm is at fever pitch.

The world's biggest soft drink company dangles before your eyes a chance to win a ball used in the Cup. And the Golden Arches has a new burger every day that represents one of the countries playing in the finals.

The world has its eyes glued to South Korea and Japan. And when the TV isn't on, somewhere you hear a conversation about soccer.

But just wait until July. The specials will be gone, the conversation muted, and two Asian countries forgotten. With the World Cup over, enthusiasm wanes.

The Bible doesn't use the word enthusiasm. Yes, I realize the word's etymology means "possessed or inspired by a god." And, yes, it can be used as a synonym for the "biblical" word "zeal. But let me make my point.

Enthusiasm's god may be a sport, a gadget, a widget, a person, anything at all. And the emotional high may wax and wane with the interest or fortunes of the object. And THAT'S where this worldly enthusiasm differs from spiritual zeal.

God is constant. Unchanging. Eternal. And his character, as the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, all-everything God, keeps our zeal white-hot. Unless, of course, you turn your eyes from him to some lesser god.

So Paul will tell us, "Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Rom. 12.11, NRSV).

Zeal is an intensity that detests half-hearted service, singing, and seeking. It's a whole-hog thing.

That reminds me of the story of the chicken and pig. The chicken suggested they contribute to the owner's breakfast. The pig replied, "That's easy for you to say! You'll give an egg and see the light of the morrow. For me, it means a total commitment!"

Zeal is ready for the total commitment.

Now, a warning about your zeal. Not everyone will share your total devotion. The zealous Jehu was accused of driving his chariot like a maniac (2 Kings 10.16, 9.20). You, too, will earn your share of detractors. But keep driving. Keep working. Keep stirring up the dust behind you.

Maybe we can put the difference between worldly enthusiasm and spiritual zeal this way, in this little ditty of mine:

Enthusiasm,    A passing spasm; Divine zeal,    The Spirit's seal.

Sure, go watch Brazil win it's fifth championship in the World Cup. We'll be cheering ourselves hoarse. But after it's all over, may God say of you what he said about Phinehas, "he was zealous for his God" (Num. 25.13).

So let's get fired up.

"Com with me, and see my zeal for the Lord."

by Randal Matheny

In those depressing, despairing moments when I have seen clearly my sin, I wonder, how can God forgive? Why would he even want to forgive me? How can I be worth forgiving?

My friend Francisco Bezerra, editor of Edificação Magazine, mentioned to me last week that in several languages he checked, among them English, French, Portuguese, and Latin, the word "give" inheres in the term for forgiveness.

Literally, God gives forgiveness.

GOD'S GIFT IS REALLY FREE

Indeed, God's forgiveness doesn't mark "Paid in Full" after we have settled all accounts, but gives what we can't possibly pay off. Free. God (for)gives with no strings attached. Take a gander at these verses:

"[All] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3.24, NIV).

"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Cor. 2.12).

". . . To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life" (Rev. 21.7b).

". . . Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22.17b).

So it's not a cute coincidence that giving inheres in forgiveness. For it is a free gift.

GIFTS MUST BE ACCEPTED

Gifts can be and have been refused. God respects our free will. He doesn't force forgiveness upon us. He extends it to all, so that John the Baptist can say, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1.29). The offer is good to anybody, anywhere, any time.

That's why Paul will say that the living God "is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4.9). He is the Savior of all, potentially, and of those who believe, actually. God awaits the acceptance of his gift.

Scripture describes our acceptance of God's gift in various ways. One is "to receive" Jesus (John 1.12), the Spirit of God (Gal. 3.2), or God's grace (2 Cor. 6.1). In the latter passage, Paul even contemplates the possibility of receiving grace in vain. And John laments that "his own [people, the Jews] did not receive him" (1.11).

The Word also describes this acceptance process as obedience. Jesus is the source or cause of salvation to those who obey him (Heb. 5.9). In his message, Peter call upon the witness of "the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" (Acts 5.32). Thus, there is the offer, the acceptance (receiving, obeying, etc.), and the actual giving.

Receiving and obeying are general terms. They include the hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, immersing and faithful living necessary for salvation. (Another time,we'll delve into these.)

A GIVING GOD

God enjoys giving. (Check out Jas. 1.5, for example.) It seems the first thing he did after creating man was to bless him and give him food. Again, in Christ, God gives forgiveness. To those who will accept and receive it.

Best of all, he gives forgiveness to those of us who still shake our heads in wonder when we see the enormity of our sin. We get a glimpse then of the size of the gift.

by Randal Matheny

This weekend I was down south in Porto Alegre giving the Total Transformation seminar. At the end of each seminar, I ask the participants to evaluate the material. One of the questions asks, "What principle, idea or biblical passage most helped you?"

One of the principles most cited is, "Let go of the past to embrace the future."

Our past is a double-edged knife. Perhaps it was very good, and we keep wishing that wonderful period of our life would return. Or perhaps our past was traumatic or difficult and we can't overcome the feelings or bitterness that still chains us.

Israel also had such moments. When the people returned from exile and began rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed some 70 years earlier, they overcame many difficulties. With God's blessing, they managed to lay the temple foundation. On that day, there was great celebration.

"And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid" (Ezra 3.11b, NASV).

It was a day of great rejoicing after such an important victory for the people spiritual life. But not everybody could join in the party.

"Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy" (v. 12).

The older members of the people remembered the glorious temple of Solomon -- and wept. The beginning of this new temple was modest. And they knew there would be no top quality finish like the former one. For the people were now weak, poor, and needy.

"... [T]he people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away" (v. 13).

Good thing the partying Jews made lots of noise, but there is a melancholy note to this verse. Though all should have been celebrating, the crying and rejoicing mixed together in the crowd.

It doesn't matter what you lost in your wonderful past. Tears will not turn back the clock. But they will keep you from celebration today's victories and the advances, small as they may be, of a richer spiritual life with the people of God.

Let go of the past, however good it was. Only in this way will you be able to rejoice in the present and embrace a promising future.

by Randal Matheny

Several programs, mostly messengers and chats, I think, have a feature that allows you to keep them on top of your screen. No matter what you pull up or load, you can always keep the program in front of the others. You will always see it. No other program you have running will be allowed to cover it over.

When you choose this feature, it means this program is the most important of all at that moment.

Seems to hold a nice spiritual analogy.

Whatever you may be doing at the moment, whatever "programs" you may be running in your life, no matter how many jobs you have piled up, keep the Lord Jesus on top. He can stay always in front of everything else. You will always see him, even when something else is loading in the background. No other item you have running will be allowed to cover Him over.

I take it that's what Jesus meant in Matthew 6.33 about seeking first the Kingdom of God. Get it out in front. Don't let any other pursuit obscure its place in your life.

But you must "click" on Jesus. You must, to put it more appropriately, decide that he will be your priority. Every moment. Regardless of the activity.

If you need to consult the help section on how to do this, let me know. I can give you some pointers.