The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). The fruit of the (unholy) spirit of this age is self-pity, envy, strife, offense, depression, fear, lethargy, conceit, and addiction. And you shall know them by their fruit (Matt. 7:16).
Archive for the ‘Thought for the Day / Quotes’ Category
Thought for the Day – Spirit Filled?
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged fruit, fruit of the Spirit, spirit of this age, unholy spirit on February 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Thought for the Day – Declaration
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged declaration, oppression, provision on February 8, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The enemy of your soul loves it when your declaration of oppression eclipses your profession of provision.
Friendly Conviction
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged deceived, friend on February 2, 2022| Leave a Comment »
When we first met, you were confident in your knowledge of the Lord:
You imagined I was impressed by you.
I thought you were kind of arrogant.
God saw that you needed a friend.
As we walked together, I began to learn your story:
You presumed that you were healed from the hurts of the past.
I thought you were deceiving yourself.
God saw that you needed a friend.
Eventually, I watched your life unravel:
You imagined it was an attack of the enemy.
I thought you were simply reaping what you’d sown.
God saw that you needed a friend.
Now, as I watch your rebuilt life shake:
You imagine that it will all be fine.
I wonder if things will ever change.
God sees that you need a friend who’s more like Jesus.
Thought for the Day – Good Posture
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged character, diligently seek, fallow ground, fruit, Gospel of the Kingdom, harvest, Heart, His presence, posture, revival, striving on January 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »
In the midst of so much turmoil in the world, there are so many voices clamoring for our attention. They offer finite answers to infinite questions, whereby even genuine revelation from God is often presented as if it is the sum total of what the Lord is saying, instead of part and parcel of a much bigger picture, which no one man could possibly know (1 Cor. 13:9 & 12). Seekers of truth can easily get caught up running from one would-be Prophet/Teacher to the next, desperately trying to discern God’s priorities in this moment, but I sense that the Lord’s focus remains firmly on the posture of our hearts. As He told the Prophet Samuel (1 Sam.16:7), He doesn’t regard outward appearances, which includes all the things we’re doing in His name; choosing instead to look at the condition/attitude/posture of our hearts. While we like to think of our accomplishments “in Jesus’ name” as fruit, He defines fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) as Christ’s heart/character spilling out of us (Col. 1:27).
The spirit of this age hopes to keep us focused on, and striving to change, what is going on around us, while the Lord is challenging us to look within. Indeed, His eyes range throughout the earth, looking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2Chron. 16:9). He promises to work all things to the good of those who love Him and who are called to His purposes (Rom. 8:28), and He is faithful to reward those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). None of those promises hinge on our performance, or perfect theology, or prophetic insight. They all rise or fall on the posture of our hearts. Even the oft quoted 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name…” is not about praying for our nation, it’s about the posture of our hearts if we hope for our prayers to be effective.
God did not consider David a “man after God’s own heart” because of his impeccable character, his valor on the battlefield, or his perfect obedience, it was instead his relentless pursuit of the Father’s will. What made the tabernacle of David so attractive to the Lord wasn’t the 24/7 nature of the music, it was the insatiable hunger for His presence that fueled it.
We need to quit asking God to send revival, as though we are trying to pry it from His reluctant hand. He has placed the seeds of revival within the hearts of His people, and we are not waiting on Him to move, He is waiting for us to cultivate the fallow ground. If we’ve yet to see the promised harvest, it is time to examine the condition of the soil (i.e. our hearts). If something in the way we teach/preach the “Gospel of Kingdom” has served to take our eyes off the King, then we have taught amiss.
Thought for the Day – Broker
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged broker, intercessor, pastor, personal connection, priest, prophet, spirit of religion on January 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The spirit of religion wants to hook you up with a broker. An Intercessor to pray for you, a Prophet to hear for you, a Pastor to teach you, a Healer to touch you, or maybe even a Priest to administer you a sacrament. And while God can and does use such ministers, this spirit hopes for these people to become your source, so that you never make a genuine, direct, and personal connection to the person of Jesus Christ.
Thought for the Day – The Gospel of the Kingdom
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Gospel of the Kingdom, King on January 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
If our teaching/preaching on the “Gospel of the Kingdom” serves to take the focus off the King, we teach amiss.
Thought for the Day – Mushroom vs. Flower
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged dark, decay, flower, fragrance, light, mushroom on January 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The spirit of this age wants you to be like a mushroom (isolated & decaying in the dark), as opposed to a flower (absorbing the light & emitting a life-giving fragrance).
Thought for the Day – The Darkness Within
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged darkness, susceptible on January 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »
It is not the darkness that concerns me, it is that part of me that still seems susceptible to it.
Thought for the Day – Defining the Mission
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged ;ursuing bliss, mission, reflect God's character, reflect God's heart, resurrection on January 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Ultimately, it comes down to what you believe the mission is. If you believe that God is simply a loving Father who wants His kids to be happy, then you can make the journey all about pursuing your bliss. If you conclude that it’s all about getting to heaven in the end, you can pray the prayer, punch your ticket, and bide your time until the bus leaves. In such cases you never really have to consider anything other than how you feel about a particular matter.
But if you believe that God leaves us on this earth to serve a purpose, that our presence is meant to have some sort of impact on the world around us, and/or that we are meant to reflect His heart and character to a lost world, then it requires us to get beyond how we feel, and on to what will best serve His purposes. In such cases, our life is no longer our own.
Without a death, there can be no resurrection.
Bjcorbin's Blog 
Thought for the Day – Dis-Infection
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged close-knit, discord, distancing, infection, mask-wearing, transformation on February 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
For the last couple of years we’ve repeatedly heard that the best way to avoid the spread of infection is to minimize the time spent around other people, and to maintain a safe distance and/or wear a face covering when you have to interact personally. While the effectiveness of these actions with regard to the spread of COVID is debatable, it is hard to deny their effectiveness within the standard western religious paradigm.
Jesus said that the world would be able to distinguish His followers by the way they love each other, but it’s doubtful that anyone would describe “Christians” in the west as a close-knit group. Indeed, we are more famous for the contentious division that has resulted in thousands of different denominations, and other disenfranchised ministries. Even amongst these independent tribes/sects, there seems to be precious little transparency, trust, or genuine fellowship (i.e. mask-wearing). This obvious discord could rightfully be deemed “Religious Distancing”.
As individuals we need to examine our own relationship with the Lord, and wonder at the degree to which our hearts have truly succumbed to His. God means to be the end that we are pursuing, not the means by which we pursue some other end. The truth is that you cannot walk closely with Him, and not be infected with His compassion for the lost, or His burning desire to see the will of the Father done “on earth as it is in heaven”. You cannot spend time in His presence, or hear His voice without being changed in some way. But just as Paul told the Corinthians (2Cor. 3:18), we must behold the Lord with “unveiled” faces in order to experience this kind of transformation.
It is unlikely that a lost world will be infected with the love of God, by a people who seem to be immune to it themselves (1John 3:15-17).
Rate this:
Read Full Post »