What’s your passion? – Martin Durham, HM International

Gary Neville, of Manchester United, is frequently described as being passionate about his football, and particularly, passionate about his team. But where does this passion come from? Does he plan before a game to be passionate? No, something ignites within, something almost uncontrollable; something that sets him ablaze, that propels him in a certain direction.

AD61 (ish) and a letter being penned to the Church at Philippi ... In many ways a beautiful letter, with an overriding theme of triumphant joy, and a very clear testimony – “I will rejoice!” It is somewhat intriguing then, that Paul is in prison at the time of writing this letter!

And we see from the first chapter that Paul is in prison for the sake of the Gospel, because of his testimony of Jesus. And if we read on we come to these incredible verses: For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! [Phil. 1:21-22]. Here we get an insight into what it means to be passionate. Oh, that we would live life with that struggle! That the fires would be burning so brightly that we truly become one with Him!

Paul had had a real encounter with Christ…and it had transformed him. Persecutor to preacher…if you think God is not able to save certain people, then think again! Paul had moved from death to life, and this had altered his understanding of life – only in Christ does he have life.

Is this the understanding of your reality?

“For to me… my whole being, what I’m about, everything within me, heart, mind, soul

to live Christ… – There is no “is” in the Greek… a sense of being alive, alive to Christ! Paul did not live for fame or celebrity status (an easy trap for the minister of the Gospel today, and the lure so tempting!)

I remember reading of a young girl named Cassie Bernall. Gunmen entered Columbine

High School shooting known Christians and those of an ethnic minority. They came to Cassie and held a gun to her head, asking whether she believed in Jesus. “Yes” was her reply. The gun went off and Cassie was dead. I remember reading of Wilson Fazal, a Pastor in Pakistan , who received death threats saying that he would suffer the consequences if he didn’t stop preaching about Jesus. Wilson continued, and one morning as he was on his knees praying, gunmen burst into the church and shot him dead.

…and to die is gain” – the Greek understanding here is not death in itself, but rather the consequence of dying – continuous fellowship…absence on earth – presence with Jesus!


“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” (Jim Elliott)


In his mid twenties, this young missionary Jim Elliott did just that in Ecuador . Slaughtered by a tribe he was trying to reach, Jim Elliott laid down his life for the cause of Christ. Jim had a passion to reach this unreached tribe. But first and foremost, his passion was for Jesus.



*** There is no passion for the harvest without passion for Jesus ***



In my dreams I want to be like Cassie Bernall, or Wilson Fazal or Jim Elliott. But I’ve never had a gun to my head or had a non-believer thrust a spear my way. But, as Cassie’s Mum would say, it wasn’t about Cassie saying “yes” on that horrific day. It was the fact that every morning as she awoke, she said “yes”. Laying down my life, my rights, doesn’t begin with a gun at my head…it begins now. It is Jesus who kindles the fire within, the Spirit of God who fans the flames into a blaze of love for the King of kings, and brings me to that place, no matter what my circumstances, of saying “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!”


That’s the birthplace of PASSION!


Martin Durham, HM International

www.history-makers.org