Because our adversary is an identity thief we need to discern the difference between what is by design & what is a result of damage; between who we were made to be & who we’ve become instead. Only our Creator is able to guide us in this.
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes | Tagged creator, damage, design, discern, identity, identity thief | Leave a Comment »
God has not only given us the freedom to choose, He has given us the power to choose (Deut. 30-19). No amount of harm, hurt or history makes today’s outcome inevitable.
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It was James & John’s zeal for the Lord that caused them to suggest calling down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54).
It was Peter’s passion for Jesus that caused him to swing the sword in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:51).
It was Saul’s fervor for the things of God that caused him to persecute the followers of Jesus (Acts 8:3).
But in each instance, these faithful men found themselves out of step with God’s will.
Indeed, there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ultimately leads to death (Prov. 14:12).
In these perilous times, boldness is not the critical issue.
We need to be praying for discernment.
We desperately need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church (Rev. 2).
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We can take our thoughts captive or be taken captive by our thoughts. We can be led by the Spirit or be driven by the storm.
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On his own merit, our enemy is not particularly powerful. He can accuse and provoke, but until he finds something within us to grab hold of, he is limited. Unfortunately, identifying such a handle isn’t necessarily difficult. It can be provided by unresolved hurts, lies we’ve believed, a distorted sense of who we are, a twisted sense of who God is (or isn’t), unforgiveness… An important part of defending ourselves against such attacks is to recognize what those handles are for us. This comes through an honest examination of what consistently steals our sense of peace, or security, or joy, or hope; and those triggers which cause us to abandon Christ’s character/ways in favor of something more visceral. One of the adversary’s most effective tools in these situations is blame. If we can find someone else to blame for the condition of our hearts, we will remain focused on “them”, and never seek the healing we so desperately need. That is a win-win for our enemy, as we remain both miserable, and powerless to do anything about it.
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes | Tagged accuse, blame, provoke, triggers, unresolved hurts, visceral | Leave a Comment »
We humans have an uncanny ability to see only what we choose to see, and to ignore the aspects we don’t want to acknowledge. Two popular scriptures exemplify this phenomena. The first is the oft quoted 2 Chron. 7:14, which says “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. This verse clearly addresses the posture of one’s heart, if they hope for their prayers to be effective, and yet we generally skip right past those requirements, and jump to the desired outcome. Thus, the common takeaway becomes “Pray for our nation”, which presumes that these other issues have already been addressed. Similarly, Isaiah 40:31, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”, is a popular catchphrase for Christian t-shirts, posters and bumper stickers. But if a picture is included, you can be sure it will be of eagles soaring, and not people waiting. In both cases these assurances are predicated on us taking the first step. There is little doubt that we’d all like to soar like eagles, and to see our land healed, but the burning question is, are we willing to endure the process of apprehending those precious promises.
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes | Tagged 2 Chron. 7:14, Isaiah 40:31, seek my face, wicked ways, wings as eagles | Leave a Comment »
- Virtual: At one time this word meant that a thing was essentially the same, or equivalent to another. But after a couple of years of 1st hand experience, we can all testify that virtual hugs, virtual meetings, virtual doctor visits, virtual reunions… are nothing like the real thing, and that virtual reality isn’t anything like the real world.
- Privacy: The demise of our privacy is the convergence of our cultures voyeuristic bent, with the advancements of technology. We now live in a world where everyone carries their own personal electronic tracking device, which traces our every move, records every picture/ text/ meme/ video… we look at, and actively listens (i.e. Siri, Alexa) to every conversation. Just about every significant piece of data related to our lives is now available to any person with the skills to access it. On top of that, our entertainment includes “reality” shows with cameras mounted in places like the bathroom / bedroom, apps for hooking up with complete strangers for casual sex, and platforms for soliciting / selling nude photos /videos.
- Justice: The root of the word justice is “just”, which is related to the concept of right and wrong, but in our culture, that element has largely been eliminated. In the modern vernacular, this term has become completely subjective. When people declare, “Justice for enter name here” they’re not asking for a fair judgement, based on an unbiased review of the facts, they’re demanding a ruling in their favor, regardless of the facts.
- Hero: This word used to be reserved for people of high integrity and character, those who had gone above and beyond, who sacrificed, and overcame, and/or whose virtue worked to the greater good. In recent decades, it has been attached to anyone who champions our own personal agenda, regardless of character/integrity. As such, the word increasingly means little or nothing.
- God Given Rights: This phrase seems to be a favorite among those of the Judeo-Christian persuasion, but a review of the sacred texts doesn’t seem to support that many of the claimed rights come from God. Indeed, the Bible speaks extensively about sacrificing ones worldly rights in order to fulfill a more eternal purpose.
- Racism/Racist: There is no doubt that tribalism and racism have plagued mankind throughout its history. These are serious topics that warrant thoughtful consideration. Applying these terms to things that don’t have anything to do with race, and/or using them as a stick to poke or beat anyone that disagrees with our perspective only dilutes their meaning, and short circuits the potential for meaningful dialogue.
- Friend: Perhaps no word has suffered a greater assault at the hands of social media than the word, “friend”. Without malice, Facebook used this term to describe anyone you might connect with on their platform, and the meaning has steadily eroded from there. A relationship that is devoid of privacy, physical interaction, meaningful dialogue, genuine affection, or shared experiences should hardly be described as a friendship.
- Hate: Hate is not merely the absence of love, it is an extreme form of malice with an endless potential for destruction. It is not passive or haphazard. It is active and fueled with intent. But in today’s world, anyone who disagrees with my point of view is considered a “Hater” and anyone who tries to address my wrong behavior is “Hating” on me. These arbitrary applications only serve to trivialize the profound nature of genuine hatred.
- Dialogue: It is a popularly held idea that protests draw attention to an issue and create dialogue; but I’ve noticed that depending on the nature of the protest, it more often distracts us from the real issue and creates rhetoric. Dialogue is talking to each other, presumably with the intent of reaching some new level of agreement, while rhetoric is talking at each other, generally used to establish the superiority of our position. One has the potential to move us forward together, while the other can become the basis for civil war. It can’t rightfully be considered dialogue if neither side is listening.
- Unprecedented: Thousands of years ago, King Solomon observed that “there is nothing new under the sun”. No doubt his conclusion was based on man’s nature, and the repetitive pattern that human history illuminates. But we live in an era where the emerging generation has been taught that their technological advancements, and evolution as a species have somehow exempted them from the lessons of the past. Even a cursory review of history, or an incisive look at other cultures around our world would reveal that there is little that is “unprecedented” about the challenges we currently face.
Posted in Lists | Tagged dialogue, friend, God given rights, hate, hero, justice, privacy, racism, racist, unprecedented, virtual | Leave a Comment »
The enemy would have us believe that we are living in “unprecedented” times & that everything has changed (Eccl 1:9). But God’s character (Heb 13:8), His calling (Matt 22:37), and our mission (Matt 28:19) remain untouched within this present tense.
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In the days of old mankind was shielded from the Lord’s glory (Exodus 33), but because of Christ we now know where that glory resides (Col. 1:27). If the world can’t see it, we need to ask ourselves why?
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Bjcorbin's Blog 
Mission Statement
November 1, 2021 by bjcorbin
In his mega-selling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, author Stephen Covey encourages the reader to “Begin with the end in mind” (i.e. Habit 2), which includes the development of a personal “Mission Statement”.
This statement is meant to define the overarching purpose of a person, entity or group; and may include the values they mean to uphold along the way, and/or the destiny they hope to fulfill in the end. Once established, it is intended to be a touchstone, which is revisited periodically as a reminder. For a follower of Christ, this would seem to be a worthwhile exercise.
Ultimately, our mission is to succumb to God’s love, and to abide in the vine (i.e. Jesus), allowing His love to freely flow through us, so that He can be manifest upon the earth. In this way, He remains the Head, and we function as the Body.
Establishing His Kingdom rule in our hearts is what brings about, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”; not the establishment of some revised religious structure, or the overthrow of the corrupt governments of this world.
Living a life wholly given over to Christ is how we make disciples of all nations. Not through our exceptional giftedness, or our clever evangelism techniques, or by our persuasive arguments; but by allowing Him to draw men unto Himself, through us. Indeed, it is “Christ in us” that is the hope of His glory.
Our efforts to reduce the mission to some sort of practical, predictable, manageable, marketable, tactical strategy have stripped it of its supernatural power.
In the midst of shouts to “make our voice heard”, and calls to take up arms against our oppressors, I beseech thee brothers and sisters to be mindful of the mission, and who we are called to be.
Shouting at the darkness will not make it flee, but being the light will.
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Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes | Tagged being the light, kingdom come, mission, mission statement | Leave a Comment »