God certainly loves to use passionate people, but sometimes our passion can work against us. In Matthew, chapter 16, we see Peter go both ways in quick succession. In 16:17 we see him praised for his discernment of the Messiah, but just a few short passages later (16:23) we hear the Lord say, “Get thee behind me Satan”. I would like to suggest that the same passion fueled Peter in both instances, but the difference was the source of his information. In the first instance the Lord said that this wasn’t revealed by flesh and blood, but by my Father. In the second, the Lord scolded Peter for having his mind on “merely human concerns”. We passionate followers of God must be mindful of this when our passions are stirred and we have the urge to speak.
Archive for the ‘Thought for the Day / Quotes’ Category
Thought for the Day – Passionate
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged passion, passionate on November 4, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Thought for the Day – Seek His Face
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged seek His face on October 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »
We seek His hand to rescue, to protect, to provide and to guide. We seek His face to know & be known by Him. (2Chron. 7:14)
Thought for the Day – Uncomplicated
Posted in Free Verse / Poetry, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged complicated theologies on October 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Beware of those who come with complicated, layered theologies, which require all kinds of specialized skills and knowledge in order to gain access to the things of the kingdom. This is a predictable tact that men take to elevate themselves in the eyes of others. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He then added, “whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Hear your Father bid to you, “come up here”.
Thought for the Day – Grown Children
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged grown children, parents on October 15, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Adult children establish the parameters of their relationship with their parents. Treating grown ups like children only breeds rebellion and hinders the development of maturity.
Thought for the Day – The Path to Wisdom
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged humility, knowledge, wisdom on September 30, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Knowledge must encounter humility in order to become wisdom.
Thought for the Day – Humility
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged contrite, humble, humility, pride, prideful, pridefulness on August 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »
In light of the Lord’s repulsion toward pridefulness, how precious the quality of genuine humility. He will not turn away a humble and contrite heart.
Thought for the Day – Cynicism
Posted in Heart of "The Father", Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged cynic, cynical, cynicism on August 22, 2019| Leave a Comment »
I will admit that I often battle cynicism, and that this cynical outlook has been a part of my personality for as long as I can remember. It is therefore tempting to think of myself as a “born cynic”, but the Lord is quick to remind me that, “you were not born that way”. Indeed, this dim view is a byproduct of my experience with people and with the world system in general. As such, it is a learned behavior. A few years ago, the Lord plainly spoke to me, “I am not cynical”, which I understood to mean that if I wanted to accurately reflect His heart to a lost and dying world, I would need to let go of the cynicism that had become such an integral part of my thinking. As I’ve engaged in this process of healing and deliverance, I’ve come to understand that cynicism opposes hope and ultimately faith. It is exercising more confidence in man’s fallen nature and the spiritual powers of darkness than in the healing and resurrecting power of Jesus. It is the belief that people will never change even when God says that transformation is our destiny and that He is faithful to complete that good work. I’ve found that God is not calling me to trust people or worldly systems, He’s calling me to trust Him. Not only in His ability to guide and protect me, but also in His ability to make all things new. God help me to have Your heart.
