ctivated

CHANGE YOUR LIFE. CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

PETER’S
TRANSFORMATION
From coward to world-changer

BE ENTHUSIASTIC
The catalyst for positive
change

YOUR NEW LIFE

OF LOVE
Tap into the power
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info@activatedministries.org Have you ever wondered what it would have been
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being one of those chosen few who lived with Him day
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EDITOR How was it, then, that they and the others they would
Keith Phillips win to the cause of Christ managed to start a chain reac-
DESIGN tion that reached the whole known world with the Gospel
Giselle LeFavre in only 200 years?—And it hasn’t stopped yet! Where
ILLUSTRATIONS did they get the inspiration and strength to accomplish
Hugh Westphal, Ana Fields so much for the Lord? Those and other big questions are
PRODUCTION answered in this issue of Activated. Happy reading!
Francisco Lopez
VOL 1, ISSUE 2
© 2002 Aurora Production AG
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Unless otherwise indicated, all
Scripture quotations in Activated are
from the New King James Version of the
Bible © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2 activated issue 2
 I SAW JUST HOW DEVASTATING loss
of faith can be during a recent visit
to one of Durban’s largest hospitals,
where I do volunteer work a few
days each week.
Before each visit, I pray for the
Lord to lead me to those He wants
me to meet, those who are most in
need of His love and comfort. This
time it was a cancer patient and his
wife.
The man was sitting on his bed
alone when I entered the room. His
face lit up when I offered him a
gospel poster—and what a beauti-
ful light that was! The cancer had
wracked his jaw, and surgeons had
Never Forsaken From Catherine Jane, South Africa
He who performed reconstructive surgery,
using half of his tongue and bone
loses money
from one of his ribs. He was unable
loses much. to speak, but his face continued
He who to shine as he conveyed through
impromptu sign language that he
loses friends would die soon and go to Heaven.
loses more. A few moments later, his wife
came in. She did not share his
But he who faith and optimism. Bitterness had
loses faith eaten away at her spirit like a
cancer. She had been a Christian
loses all.
once, she said, but had lost her
faith “when the Lord forsook her.”
To her way of thinking, surely He
had forsaken her; surely He didn’t
love her, or He never would have
let her suffer all that she had. As
she told her story, my heart was
filled with compassion for her.
activated issue 2
She was only in her early fifties,
but had already lost her first hus-
band and all four of her children.
When this man, her second hus-
band, had become sick a few years
ago, he had had to sell his business
and she had had to stop working in
order to care for him. Now they had
absolutely nothing left. She needed
medical care herself, but couldn’t
even pay the two-dollar registration
fee at this public hospital.
I gave her some money and told
her it was a token of the Lord’s love
for her. Then as she continued to
tell me about her problems, I lis-
tened and tried to assure her of the
Lord’s love. “Even
though we some-
times don’t under-
stand His ways,” I
said, “He has
promised to never
leave or forsake us.
In the end we will
see that He was
true to His promise.”
After an hour, her face began to
brighten, and by the time I had
to leave, the dying ember of her
faith had been fanned back to
life. “Faith comes from God’s Word,
the Bible,” I explained. “That Book
is full of promises from your heav-
enly Father, promises that you can
claim for yourself and your hus-
band when you pray.” I also gave
her a list of key verses to take home,
read, think about, and claim.
Her problems hadn’t changed
in the space of those couple of
hours, but she had found the faith
to face them. To her husband’s
delight, her bitterness and fear had
been replaced by faith in her loving,
caring Savior. •
3
 peter’s
transformation
all be offended

O
ne of the most illustrious
personalities in the entire Bible is
Simon Bar-Jonah, commonly known
today as Saint Peter the Apostle. One of
Jesus’ first disciples, Peter was a very colorful
character—a rough and rugged fisherman
bursting with energy and ready for action.
During his years under Jesus’
personal leadership and teaching,
Peter often pushed his way around
like the proverbial bull in a china
shop. By far the most outspoken of
the twelve apostles, he did not hesi-
tate to speak his mind or do what-
ever he thought should be done, with
little thought of the consequences.
Men of force are men of faults, and
Peter’s strong personality, self-confi-
dence, and forceful opinions of how
things should be done often resulted
in him making serious blunders.
However, shortly after Jesus’ res-
urrection, Peter underwent a dra-
matic change. This transformation is
what our story is about. We begin at
the closing hours of Jesus’ ministry
on Earth, at the last supper that He
ate with His disciples on the eve of
His crucifixion.
“Before the cock crows...”
Knowing that He would soon
suffer torture and death for the sins
of the world, Jesus looked upon
His disciples and said, “You will
4 activated issue 2
and leave Me this
night. For as it
was foretold, ‘I
will smite the
shepherd, and
the sheep of the
flock shall be
scattered.’” (See
Zechariah 13:7.)
Upon hearing this, Peter impul-
sively proclaimed, “Though all men
desert You, yet I will not!”
Aware of what was to come,
Jesus answered, “Before the cock
crows, you will have denied Me
three times.”
Peter was offended at such a pre-
diction and even more adamantly
insisted, “Though I should die with
You, yet will I not deny You!” The
other disciples quickly joined in,
affirming with Peter that they, too,
would stand by Jesus come what
may.
But to Peter’s horror, Jesus’ pre- “Though
diction was soon fulfilled. That very
night, as Jesus was in the Garden of
all men
Gethsemane praying with His disci- desert
ples, a band of temple guards, sent
by the chief priests and religious You, yea, I
leaders, came with a large crowd
carrying swords, clubs, and torches. will not!”
They seized Jesus, who, knowing
His time had come, peacefully went
with them, alone. Jesus’ disciples
panicked at His arrest, quickly
forgot their vows of loyalty, and fled
for their lives into the night.
 As Jesus was taken away to be
tried by a religious court hastily
assembled at the high priest’s house,
Peter followed and watched from a
distance. In the courtyard outside
the house, a woman noticed the
distraught and nervous Peter and
asked, “Aren’t you one of that man’s
disciples?”
“No! I’m not!” Peter’s reply was
deliberately brusque.
Moments later, as Peter stood
warming himself by the fire the
night guards had built, a man who
had been present when Jesus was
captured pointed to Peter and ques-
“I swear tioned him loudly. “Didn’t I see you
in the Garden of Gethsemane with
I don’t Him?”
“I swear I don’t know the man!”
know the Peter answered.
man!” Soon others standing around
joined in the accusation: “You are
one of them! We can tell by your
accent that you’re from Galilee, just
like Jesus. You must be one of His
disciples!”
Fearing for his life, Peter became
even more vehement. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about! I don’t
even know this Jesus character!” he
insisted.
I am ready to go
with You both to Are you also one
prison and to death!
of this man’s
disciples?
activated issue 2
Peter had barely finished his
third denial when a rooster began
to crow. At that moment, Jesus,
who was being led by His captors
through the courtyard to another
building, turned and looked directly
at Peter. Immediately Peter recalled
Jesus’ words, “Before the cock crows,
you will have denied Me three
times.”
Overcome with remorse at what
he’d done, Peter stumbled out of the
courtyard and into the night. Finally
he sank to the ground and wept bit-
terly.
The promise of power
The next morning Jesus was led
off and crucified.
His disciples, fearing for their
lives, went into hiding. But three
days after His crucifixion, Jesus rose
from the dead and reappeared to
His disciples in their hiding place.
Lovingly, He forgave Peter and the
others for their fears and denials,
and His words filled them with
renewed strength and faith.
For forty days following His
resurrection, Jesus continued to
appear to His disciples, to encour-
I AM
NOT!
5
age them and explain the mission
before them. On the fortieth day, just
before ascending into Heaven, He
instructed them to return to Jeru-
salem and wait for “the promise of
My Father” (Luke 24:49). The greatest
transformation of their lives was
about to happen.
The apostles returned to Jeru-
salem and, with over 120 other
followers and their wives and chil-
dren, prayed and waited together, as
Jesus had instructed. Their prayers
were answered ten days later with
a sudden and awesome manifesta-
tion of God’s power. Saint Luke later
wrote: Suddenly a sound like the
blowing of a violent wind came from
heaven and filled the whole house
where they were sitting. They saw
what seemed to be tongues of fire
that separated and came to rest on
each of them. All of them were filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit
enabled them (Acts 2:2–4 NIV).
This was it! This was what they’d
been waiting for—supernatural
strength from the Lord to empower
them to continue His work now that
He had departed! Suddenly the fear,
worry, and inability to act on their
convictions was gone. Peter, trans-
formed by the supernatural power of
Men of Israel, hear
these words!
6 activated issue 2
the Holy Spirit, led the disciples in
one of the most spectacular evange-
listic experiences of all time!
A miraculous change
The Jewish Feast of the Harvest,
a major religious festival, was being
celebrated in the streets of Jerusalem,
and Jewish pilgrims from many
nations had come for the annual
event. Peter stepped into the street
with the other disciples—having just
been filled to overflowing with the
Holy Spirit—and they all supernatu-
rally began to speak fluently in the
foreign languages of the multitudes
visiting Jerusalem that day, each in a
language they had never learned or
spoken before! As news of the miracle
spread through the city, multitudes
quickly gathered. Boldly, the disciples
proclaimed to the crowds the won-
derful news of God’s love and salva-
tion through Jesus. Peter
Peter climbed the steps of a
stood
nearby building, raised his hands,
and shouted to the enormous crowd.
A hush fell over them all. He spoke
before
to them with such authority and con- thousands,
viction that 3,000 people not only
believed in Jesus and received Him in the very
as their Savior, but committed them-
city where
selves that very day to become dis-
ciples of Christ!
Here was a man who had acted
Jesus had
in so cowardly a manner after the been
arrest of Jesus that he had denied
Him three times. Now he stood before arrested ...
thousands, in the very city where Jesus
had been arrested, tried, and executed
less than two months earlier, boldly
proclaiming God’s message to all!
Peter had changed, just as the
Lord had prayed he would. (See Luke
22:32.)
What caused this sudden trans-
formation? The supernatural power
and might of the Holy Spirit! •
 GREATERLOVE
HATEVER THEIR PLANNED TARGET, the mortar
rounds landed in an orphanage in the
small Vietnamese village. The orphanage
staff and one or two children were killed
outright, and several more children were
wounded, including one girl about eight
years old.
Medical help came first in the form
of an American Navy doctor and nurse,
who arrived in a jeep with only their
medical kits. They established that the
girl would soon die of shock and
loss of blood unless she received a
transfusion. A quick test showed that
neither American had the correct blood
type, but several of the uninjured
orphans did.
The doctor spoke some pidgin
Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering
of high-school French. Using that
combination and impromptu sign
language, they tried to explain the
situation to the young, frightened
audience. Then they asked if anyone
would be willing to give blood to help
save the girl’s life.
Their request was met with wide-
eyed silence. After several long moments
a small hand slowly went up, dropped
back down, and then went up again.
“Oh, thank you,” the nurse said in
French. “What is your name?”
“Heng,” came the reply.
Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his
arm swabbed with alcohol, and a needle
inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal
Heng lay stiff and silent.
After a moment, he let out a shud-
dering sob and quickly covered his face
with his free hand.
activated issue 2
HASNOMAN
THANTHIS...
HENG’S EYES
SCREWEDTIGHTLY
SHUT, HIS FIST IN
HIS MOUTH TO
STIFLEHISSOBS.
“Is it hurting, Heng?” the doctor
asked.
Heng shook his head, but after a
few moments another sob escaped, and
once more he tried to cover up his
crying.
Occasional sobs gave way to a
steady, silent crying. Heng’s eyes screwed
tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle
his sobs.
At this point, a Vietnamese nurse
arrived to help. Seeing the little one’s
distress, she spoke to him rapidly in
Vietnamese, listened to his reply and
answered him in a soothing voice.
Heng stopped crying and looked
questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse.
When she nodded, a look of great relief
spread over his face.
Glancing up, the nurse told the
Americans, “He thought he was dying. He
misunderstood you. He thought you had
asked him to give all his blood so the
little girl could live.”
“But why would he be willing to do
that?” asked the Navy nurse.
The Vietnamese nurse repeated the
question to the little boy, who answered
simply, “She is my friend.”
“Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his
friends” (John 15:13). •
7
Answers to your questions
Q: How can I get over my
problem with shyness?
MANY OF US SUFFER FROM SHYNESS,
and it can be very difficult to over-
come. In most cases, shyness is a
combination of fear and self-con-
sciousness. We’re shy because we’re
worried about what others might
think or say about us. So how can we
overcome shyness and timidity?
Self-help books on the subject
abound, and most of them offer
advice that is basically sound:
➠ Just be yourself. Quit trying so
hard to impress people or be some-
thing you’re not.
➠ Know what you stand for. If
you’re behaving and speaking rightly
and lovingly, then you have nothing
to be embarrassed about or ashamed
of.
➠ Initiate contact and conversa-
tions with others, even at the risk
of rejection. Nothing ven-
tured, nothing gained.
➠ Practice makes
perfect. Instead of clam-
ming up or running from
the next potentially embar-
rassing situation, see it as
a chance to grow in social
skills.
➠ Get so concerned
about helping others and
making them happy that you
forget about yourself.
These solutions are simple,
yes, but often easier said than
done!—Especially since most
books stop there. The poor reader is
expected to muster up the courage
8 activated issue 2
and determination and everything
else it will take from within. But
here’s a classic situation where the
Christian is at a distinct advantage,
because instead of self-help, we can
get His help. Instead of having to
work it up ourselves, we can ask
God to work in us and bring about
the desired change—and He will!
How? Through the Holy Spirit and
the reading of God’s Word.
If shyness is a combination of
fear and self-consciousness (which
stems from pride), then faith and
humility are the antidote. The Holy
Spirit gives us boldness and helps
us overcome our sensitivity and self-
consciousness, and God’s Word gives
us faith that displaces our fear.
The Bible tells us that faith comes
by hearing the Word of God (see
Romans 10:17), so the more Word
we take in, the more faith in God
we will have, the more love of God
we will have, and the more love we
will have for others. We then become
more concerned about other people
and their needs, and less conscious
about ourselves and what others
think of us. And of course when
we show a sincere interest in them,
most people will think the world of
us.
The cure for shyness is only
a prayer away. With God’s help,
encounters that we used to dread
become steppingstones to new
friendships, happiness, and suc-
cess! •
 YOUR NEW
LIFE OF LOVE
HOLY SPIRIT POWER—IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!
Be filled to overflowing!
Everyone who receives God’s gift of eternal life by praying
to ask Jesus into their heart has also received a measure of the
Holy Spirit. But receiving the complete infilling, or what the
Bible calls “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, is usually a separate
experience that happens after you have received Jesus.
A glass of water makes a good illustration. A glass may not
be full, but if it even has some water in it, it’s still a glass of
water. That’s how a lot of Christians are. They have just a little
bit of God’s Spirit.
Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is like filling the glass
Prayer for to overflowing. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scrip-
the Day ture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”
(John 7:38). In the next verse John explains, “But this He spoke
Thank You, heavenly
concerning the [Holy] Spirit, whom those believing in Him
Father, for the gift of would receive” (John 7:39).
the Holy Spirit that
transforms my own
Tap into the power!
spirit, guides my
thoughts, instructs me The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to help you
share God’s message and love with others. Being filled with the
in Your Word, comforts
Holy Spirit also helps you greatly in your personal relationship
and encourages me with the Lord. It gives you a stronger contact with Him and
when I’m down, and better communication through prayer, as well as much deeper
helps me to reach out understanding when you read God’s Word.
to others with Your And one of the most wonderful things about it is that you,
too, can be filled with the Holy Spirit of God—right now!
love. You knew exactly
All you have to do is ask. Like salvation, you can’t earn it
what I needed! or be good enough to deserve it. It’s a gift. Then, whether you
feel any change or not, you will know that you have received it
because of His promise. (See Luke 11:13.)
Receive the Holy Spirit now by praying this simple prayer:
“Dear Jesus, please fill me to overflowing with Your Holy
Spirit so that I can love You more, follow You more closely, and
have greater power to tell others about Your love and salvation.
Amen.” •
activated issue 2 9
 IN PART 1 OF THIS SERIES, we began to examine Jesus’
PART TWO
description of the events that will occur shortly before His
return to Earth—events that are now happening on a much
broader scale than ever before. Our study continues. …

“Mommy, I’m hungry!”

“There will be famines … ” (Matthew 24:7).

Are we living in a time of increased famine? According

FUTURE FORETOLD

to a report by the World Bank, more than 800 million people

go hungry every day, and 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur
every day.1
The terrible irony is that the world can produce enough
food to feed its expanding population. While some famines
are caused by global warming, drought, or other natural disas-
ters, most starvation in the world today is due to man’s selfish-
ness and inhumanity. War, embargoes, corruption, economic
oppression, and destruction of crops in order to keep prices
artificially high are all partly responsible, and all could be
avoided.

A plagued planet!
“And there will be pestilences ... ” (Matthew 24:7).

As with war and famine, the increase in severity and fre-

quency of pestilence (plagues) is alarming.
Less than 20 years ago the medical profession claimed
victory over a wide array of bacterial and viral killers. But
instead of fading, the number of cases of infectious diseases
skyrocketed throughout the 1990s, and continue to do so.
Doctors now warn that the current resurgence of drug-resis-
tant bacteria strains could prove to be more deadly than
AIDS.3

Viral killers
The medical community is now warning that not only
are bacterial plagues on the rise, but viral killers like AIDS
and Ebola are occurring more frequently than ever. Every day
more than 16,000 people become infected with HIV.4 Experts
warn that other killer viruses could sweep through the human
population as a result of genetic mutation or social changes
the

that favor the disease.

Cancer, which is considered noninfectious, was virtually
unheard of among our ancestors. Now over 100 different
kinds of cancer kill over 6 million people every year.
Jesus said there would be an abundance of plagues and
diseases marking the time of His return. Even though these
10 activated issue 2
 things will become increasingly wide-
spread in the days to come, the Bible
also tells us that God can protect and
even heal those who trust in Him: “No
evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague
come near your dwelling. To you who
fear My name the Sun of Righteousness
shall arise with healing in His wings”
(Psalm 91:10; Malachi 4:2).
The big shake-up
“There shall be earthquakes, in various
Even in this
places” (Matthew 24:7).
violence-filled
The Universal Almanac tells us that
world, we there were only 21 earthquakes of major
strength between the years 1000 and
don’t have
1800. Between 1800 and 1900 there
to live in were 18 major earthquakes. In the next
50 years, between 1900 and 1950, there
fear.
were 33 major quakes—almost as many
as the number in the preceding 850
years!5 Between 1950 and 1991 there
were 93 major earthquakes—almost
triple the number of the previous half
century—which claimed the lives of 1.3
million people around the world.
Our violent world
Another condition that Jesus said
would be prevalent immediately prior to
His return would be unrestrained vio-
lence: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it
40,000 will be at the [second] coming of the Son
hunger- of Man” (Matthew 24:37, NIV).
The Book of Genesis tells us that in
related Noah’s day “the earth was corrupt before
God, and was filled with violence” (Gen-
deaths
esis 6:11). We are all painfully aware
occur that today’s news headlines are increas-
ingly full of tragic stories of senseless
every
violence. In the past 30 years, 1.2 million
day. people have been murdered or have
committed suicide in the United States
alone—more than all the men killed in
all the wars in the history of the U.S.6
activated issue 2
That’s entertainment?
Why the increase in violence? Behav-
ioral scientists have concluded that one
of the main culprits is so-called enter-
tainment. In times past, you had to be
on the scene where the violence was
perpetrated in order to personally wit-
ness it. Not now.
Dr. Leonard D. Efron, Professor of Psy-
chology at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, observes: “There can no longer
be any doubt that heavy exposure to
televised violence is one of the causes of
aggressive behavior, crime, and violence
in society.” 7
But even in this violence-filled world,
we don’t have to live in fear. The Bible
refers to Jesus as “the Prince of Peace”
(Isaiah 9:6), who promises to all those
who love and trust Him: “Peace I leave
with you, My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid” (John 14:27).
(To be continued in the next issue of Acti-
vated)
1. “800 Million People Go Hungry,” UPI, Wash-
ington, 23 Sep 1996
3. AP, 26 Mar 1995
4. Report on the Global HIV/AIDS epidemic,
UNAIDS/WHO, December 1997.
5. The Universal Almanac, Kansas City, Mo.:
Andrews and McMeel, 1993
6. Harwood, Richard. “Ten Times the Dead in
Veitnam,” Washington Post (WP), 7 May 1994
7. Feder, Don. A Jewish Conservative Looks
at Pagan America. Lafayette, LA.: Huntington
House Publishers, 1993
Excerpted from The Future Foretold, by Michael
Roy. If you would like more documentation
of the fulfilled prophecies explained in this
series, as well as an explanation of those
prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled, order a
copy of The Future Foretold today! For details
please refer to the flyer included with this
magazine. •
11
 Feeding Reading
The Holy Spirit
For this issue’s “Feeding Reading,” we’ve
chosen some Bible selections about the
gift of the Holy Spirit—its promise, its

AN INSTANT power, and its purpose.

Jesus promises a Helper, or Comforter

ANSWER! John 14:16–17,26

John 16:7

The disciples wait for the promise

From Eli Stevens, Bulgaria
Luke 24:49
ONE EVENING SARAH AND I WENT FOR A WALK along the Acts 1:4–8
beach, and as we were returning, we saw a young man
gazing sadly at the waves. I felt strongly that the Lord
The first outpouring of the Holy Spirit
wanted us to stop and talk to him, so we did. As soon
Acts 2:1–21
as our conversation turned to Jesus, the boy became
enthralled and listened without saying a word for about
20 minutes. The baptism of the Holy Spirit
Then he told us, to our surprise, that we were the Acts 8:15–17
answer to his prayer. He had become disillusioned with Acts 10:44–46
life after his girlfriend left him for somebody else, and Acts 19:1–2, 6
had just finished praying to God when we approached
him. In his prayer, he had asked God to prove to him The purpose of the Holy Spirit:
right then and there that He was real. He had also asked power to witness
God to show His love by helping him in his personal Acts 1:8
life—and there we were! Knowing nothing of his prayer, John 15:26–27
we had told him of Jesus’ great love for him. Acts 4:29,31
This young man was thrilled and amazed that the
Lord had answered his prayer so quickly, so literally, and More prayer power
so completely. He prayed with us to receive Jesus, and Romans 8:26–27
then wanted to know more about his new best Friend Jude 20
and Savior, so we spent another hour or two talking with
him. The Spirit of truth
“At first I thought you were angels from Heaven,” he
John 16:13
told us. “While you were talking, I didn’t want to move for
1 John 5:6
fear that you would disappear!”
“We aren’t angels,” we assured him, “but we are God’s
The fruits of the Spirit
agents. We’ve devoted our lives to helping others, and
Galatians 5:22–23
tonight He sent us to you!” •
The gifts of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:4–13
12 activated issue 2
be enthusiastic!
GETTING ON FIRE FOR GOD
IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT CATCHES
The Holy PEOPLE’S ATTENTION and causes them
Spirit can to take notice of what you’re saying
or doing, it’s enthusiasm! The word
strengthen enthusiasm is derived from two
your Greek words: en, which means in,
and theos, which means God. So
convictions enthusiasm literally means “in
and give God,” or “God in us”! Thus the truly
enthusiastic person is one who acts
you
and speaks as if he were possessed
boldness. by God.
God’s Word tells us, “Whatever
your hand finds to do, do it with
I heard you’re a
Christian?
Jesus really loves
you, Loria!
Oh, yes ... I guess
so.
your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), and
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep
your spiritual fervor, serving the
Lord!” (Romans 12:11, NIV).
The same driving passion, the
same irresistible compassion that
motivated the apostles and martyrs
and every great man or woman of
God throughout the ages should
activated issue 2
motivate every child of God in every-
thing they do, everything they say,
everywhere they go, with everybody.
The Apostle Paul summed it up in
these few famous and ringing words
which have cried out from the heart
of every true Christian in every true
good deed he has ever done, and
for which indeed he is willing to
die: “The love of Christ compels us!”
(2 Corinthians 5:14).
Regardless of what you may lack
in the way of natural talents, abil-
ities, or even material goods, if
you obey God’s
Word and let
Him live in you
and through you
so that your
heart burns with
His love, then
He will be able
Oh, thanks! to greatly use
That really made you and make
my day!
you a blessing to
many.
The enthusiast changes
the world!
As a young man, David Living-
stone faced an important decision.
“I have found that I have no unusual
endowments of intellect,” he wrote
in his diary, “but this day I resolve
13
that I will be an uncommon Chris-
tian!” He “purposed in his heart” to
give his all to the Lord, and deter-
mined to become an enthusiast for
the truth—and he was! He became
one of the greatest missionaries the
world has ever known.
The British historian Arnold
Toynbee said, “Apathy can only
be overcome by enthusiasm, and
enthusiasm can only be aroused
by two things: first, an ideal which
takes the imagination by storm; and
second, a definite intelligible plan
for carrying that ideal into practice.”
What greater ideal could anyone
have than to bring everlasting sal-
vation and eternal heavenly life to
a lost and dying world that is per-
ishing without it? And what better
“intelligible plan” could anyone
have than that given by Jesus to
His followers: “Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every crea-
ture”? (Mark 16:15). As Christians,
we should be the most enthusiastic
people in the entire world!
Paul: another deter-
mined enthusiast
The Apostle Paul was another of
God’s great enthusiasts. Even before
his conversion, he showed a great
deal of enthusiasm—but with the
wrong ideal and the wrong plan.
But as soon as Paul’s eyes were
opened, he became an enthusiast
for the right side. When others saw
his total dedication and enthusiasm
for the Lord, they got on fire for
God too. The work he started spread
Christianity throughout the Roman
Empire.
Nothing could quench Paul’s
enthusiasm. At one point he testi-
fied, “Five times I received from the
14
Jews forty lashes minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods, once
I was stoned, three times I was ship-
wrecked, I spent a night and a day
[adrift] in the open sea, I have been
constantly on the move. I have been
in danger from rivers, in danger
from bandits, in danger from my
own countrymen, in danger from
the Gentiles, in danger in the city,
in danger in the country, in danger
at sea, and in danger from false
brothers! I have labored and toiled
and have often gone without sleep;
I have known hunger and thirst
and have often gone without food;
I have been cold and naked” (2 Cor-
inthians 11:24–27, NIV). Did Paul let
these difficulties and obstacles stop Nothing
him?—No! He went right on serving
God no matter what hardships or can stop
difficulties befell him.
Nothing can stop the man who is
the man
on fire for God. He will keep going who is
no matter what, because he knows
he is doing the right thing for the on fire
right cause and for the One who is
always right! for God!
Getting on fire for God
So where do we get such enthu-
siasm, this inspiration that fills a life
with fire and fervor for the Lord?—
From the Holy Spirit of God! The
Bible says, “Our God is a consuming
fire” (Hebrews 12:29), and repeat-
edly compares His Spirit to a fire,
or flames of fire. (See Matthew 3:11;
Acts 2:3–4; Revelation 4:5.) So if you
want to be enthusiastic for the Lord,
full of His fiery anointing and inspi-
ration, just pray and ask Him to
fill you with the power of His Holy
Spirit, and He will.
Someone once asked a great
man of God what was the secret of
his success and he replied, “I just get
activated issue 2
 on fire for God, and the world comes
out to see me burn!”
Kindling the fire in
another’s heart
As Christians, our hearts should
be so full of the love of Jesus that
we want to overflow and share it
with others. You’ve got to be alive
and enthusiastic to be able to show
others that what you’ve got with
Jesus is better than what they’ve got
without Him.
Why did people listen to Jesus?
Jesus spoke from His heart, from the
Spirit, and it brought life; it moved
people. It didn’t just tickle their ears,
but it reached and touched their
hearts. He said, “The Words that I
speak to you are spirit, and they
are life” (John 6:63). The words the
Scribes and the Pharisees (the reli-
gious leaders of Jesus’ day) spoke
were well-educated, but they were
dry and dead and only brought
death. Why?—Because they only
spoke from their heads.
That’s the difference! You cannot
kindle a fire in any other heart until
it is burning within your own.
Of course, we should not only
be enthusiastic in presenting the
Gospel to others, but in everything
we do. Whatever task is set before us,
the Bible tells us we’re to “do it heart-
ily, as to the Lord and not to men”
(Colossians 3:23). In everything you
do, even the most menial tasks, you
can be happy, inspired, and full of
enthusiasm. If you’re asking the Lord
to inspire you, He will give you that
divine spark of His Spirit that will
make every little task a joy!
Let’s get on fire for God by ear-
nestly praying and faithfully reading
His Word. Let’s ask for His Spirit
to inspire us with the vision of the
great things He wants to do through
us. And then let’s do our part by put-
ting our whole heart into whatever
He asks us to do for Him and others!
Come, let’s set the world afire for
God and enlighten the hearts of all
men everywhere! “This little light of
mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” •

COMING NEXT: GOD’S POWER IS AT YOUR COMMAND!

The Bible is full of promises that God has made to man—promises that He wants us to apply practi-
cally. Some of His promises are universal, like: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”
(Romans 10:13). Others were originally made to certain individuals or groups, like “If you ask anything in
My name, I will do it”—a promise that Jesus first made to His twelve disciples (John 14:14).
But God’s promises were not given solely for the sake of the original hearers. They are for anyone
who has faith enough to believe that God will be true to His word—including you! God means exactly
what He has promised, and He will fulfill His promises to the very letter if you will reach out with the hand
of faith and claim them in a definite manner.
As you become more familiar with God’s Word, you will learn to recognize His promises and claim
them as your own. When you do that, it shows you have faith. It’s a positive declaration of your faith and
knowledge of the Word which pleases God and sets His power in motion to answer your prayers.
To learn more about how to put God’s power to work in your life, don’t miss the next issue of
Activated. •
activated issue 2 15
To you, with love

I love you, just you, as if you were the

only one. My love is reaching out to you
right now. My love, My forgiveness, and
My mercy are all right there, just for you,
if you will only receive them.
I love you just the way you are. I am
not stacking up all your faults and fail-
ures and mistakes to hold against you. I
see only the good, and I see possibilities
that others do not see.
I see your every tear. I hear your every
cry. I feel your every frustration, your
every worry, your every burden, your
every desire. I know everything about
you—all your wants, all your lacks. I see
straight through to your heart of hearts
and all that is in it, and I deeply love you.
I long to hold you close, here on My
gentle breast. I am right there by your
side, and I will never, ever forsake you.
I love you, just you, and here I
patiently wait—for you! Won’t you please
come running into My arms, where we
can live and love and revel in this love
forever, eternally, immortally, without
end? I’m yours.
—Jesus