Zeal!

Once we begin to understand that the Church is a "called out people" and not a building or business or institution, we start to really relish our times of 'fellowship' we have with fellow brothers and sisters. I would say these are 3 prominent things (about Home Church):
1) we learn lots!
2) we laugh hard!
3) we eat (sometimes too much)

But how does this relate to zeal?
"Zeal for your house consumes me" John 2:17
As we have been enjoying 'house church' or what some call 'simple or organic church' for many years, we have learned that GOD'S house is in each of us - in one another.

Lately, however, the LORD has been placing on my heart this word "zeal".

In our Home Fellowship, we've seen most brothers and sisters stay together and grow together - its a wonderful thing!  But we've seen some that have come and gone, or wandered away and others that stay but don't ever seem to 'get it' like many of the others.

Why?

Zeal.

We get the word 'Zeal' from the 'Zeo' meaning 'to boil'.

When you are zealous, you have too words that go together "passion and commitment" = zeal.
It's when you realize how much 'in love' you are, and 'how important this is in your life', you have zeal. 

Now admittedly when we think of boiling over, we think of someone blowing off steam, or very angry.  And that can be zeal too.  Remember JESUS throwing out the buyers and sellers in the temple?  HE (JESUS) was angry - and this is where the zeal word comes in.

Now remember its not 'anger' means 'zeal' - NO!
It is a passion and commitment to someone or in our case the 'Church' (our brothers and sisters in fellowship together).

The Jews at the time when JESUS threw them out of the Temple area, for buying and selling developed an interesting plan to make money and avoid taxes.  Something corporations pay executives and accountants and marketing firms to do everyday.

You see, the Jews were being occupied and controlled by Rome and the one thing the Romans wanted (and were good at taking more than they were entitled to) was their tax, but they had no regard for a countries religious systems, as long as you served Caesar and paid your tax.

So the Jews had to go to the temple and have sacrifices offered over their many sins and had to offer their tithe 1 out of ever 10 animals belonged to the LORD and was offered up - it was all food and livestock and NOT money.  You CAN NOT tithe properly today - its impossible and besides puts you under a curse and not blessing, but I've shared about this many place elsewhere, this is not the time.

So, what did the Jews do?
They had a marketplace set up in the outside walls (gentile area) of the temple and sold 'pure animals' without spot or blemish.  So, you come up to the area, offering your pure sheep and some Levite who worked as part of the priesthood (which is you and me in JESUS today) would inspect your sheep offering.  Looking for fault, would reject your sheep, knowing he wasn't supposed to look everywhere for the smallest black hair amongst all the white.  So, your offering is rejected, and he instead offers you one of his sheep (just as white as yours is) but is 100% accepted by GOD (they would lie to them).  So they sold it and took profit.

But they went one step further.

They had their own currency, so you would exchange your Roman Denarius for one of their coins.

It was a money exchange, but they took their percentage on that too!
And it was a way that they didn't have to disclose how much they were really making to Rome.
What a plan!  And if you didn't want to buy one of their doves or sheep, then you would still have sin and a problem between GOD and yourself - and nobody wanted that.

JESUS comes and says "NO, this is NOT right" and starts over throwing the tables and little boothes (like an outdoor market or flea market) and driving everyone out.

You see its all about being in relationship with GOD and then seeing GOD or HIS SPIRIT in everyone, thus making them brothers and sisters, so that you can learn and grow and laugh together on this JESUS Journey.  Growing more and more in HIS KINGDOM which is invisible but eternal, and effects and overrules this natural world we live in.

But if you want in, then you have to understand how much GOD loves you, as a DAD and wants to 'give to you' and never 'take from you'.  You can get around fellow believers, who want the same thing and you enter into fellowship with GOD and man - and its powerful and freeing.  You begin to walk with GOD and hear HIS voice and see HIS love in one another.

But if you are not zealous - you are dying.  People that know their GOD and can feel HIS presence and peace and power in them, they become very zealous and it consumes them!

Is that you?

-eric