Devo Week 43

Apostolic Passion - A Life Well-Lived

God's heart is passionate for the least, the last and the lost. His pursuit of them will not be stopped. Those He sends out with the Gospel are apostolic. They share His passion and express His heart in the earth. This is apostolic passion -- the very core of the mission of God.

Key Concept: Apostolic Passion

Jesus is our chief apostle. (Heb. 3:1) He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), as well as destroy the works of the enemy. (I John 3:8)

It was apostolic passion that caused the shepherd to leave the ninety-nine sheep and pursue the one, to lay down his life for the flock, bind up and carry the wounded sheep, and strike down lions and wolves attacking them. Likewise, our frontier and settling ventures are to be guided by such passion.

Just as the heartbeat and oxygen are vital signs for the human body, so apostolic passion is a vital sign of the Kingdom of God. May our hearts burn as God's until His glory fills the earth as the waters cover the sea. (Hab. 2:14)

Lord, pour out your apostolic passion until people from every tribe, nation, tongue and language worship Jesus!

Key Word Definition: apostolic passion (noun)

-- a deliberate, intentional choice to live for the worship of Jesus in the nations. It has to do with being committed to the point of death to spreading His glory. It's the quality of those who are on fire for Jesus, who dream of the whole earth being covered with the glory of the Lord.

(Definition by Floyd McClung from his article Apostolic Passion published in Mission Frontiers Magazine, July 1999)

Excerpt from Devotional 43 with highlighted word:

"Floyd McClung was the first person I ever heard personally preach on this scripture. Through Floyd’s life, God released apostolic passion to many, including me. As a result, my understanding of the father heart of God has deepened with the revelation that He desires all to join Him in His pursuit of the neglected."

Scripture: Romans 15:20

“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”