October 2023 | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

10/23/23 Survival Skills

In any combat situation, there are certain skills needed if one is to survive, especially one who is called to lead others. It is very important to hone the skills necessary to win the war that’s raging against marriage and family. They may not be the typical weapons of warfare, but they are mighty In Christ.

Usually when a man enters a physical battle, he relies on his strength, his cunning, his knowledge of combat tactics, and his choice of weapon to overcome the enemy. However, the battle that comes against those a husband and father cares for is generally spiritual in nature, and only spiritual equipping will win it.

As men of God, every one of our battles is really the Lord’s to fight. The weapons we need are different than the ones we’d use if we were going to wage the war ourselves. Our strength comes from an intimate relationship with God. Our wisdom to face any challenge is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Our strategies are found in the Word. Real power is given to us as we surrender to the power of the Lord and learn to feast at His table while He wins the battle for us.

Husbands and fathers, there is no question that each and every day an attempt will be made to destroy our marriage relationship or our heritage through our children. It may not be visible moment by moment, but be assured that the enemy never sleeps. He’s always looking for weakness on any front, so that he can make inroads for his purposes. It’s time to become equipped with the ability to determine and understand the wars you will encounter as they arise. Who is going to win them for you, and what is your part in the battle? In Christ, there is no battle too large or too small. If God is for you, who can be against you? You’re on the winning team. With His help, can He count on you?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

10/21/23 Learn His Heart

“If you are casual in your relationship with Me, you will not prosper enough to help others in the perilous times ahead. To be able to hear My voice when the loud voices associated with extreme challenges are all around you, you need to seek intimacy with Me now. You need to learn My heart. You need to learn to rest in Me. There is a place of safety for those who can hear My voice clearly, no matter what circumstances they may be facing. That gift only comes from a practiced intimacy, a loving practice of My presence. Casual prayers and flighty commitment to My ways will not do. Come to Me now. Learn of My heart. Become familiar with Who I really am. I will give you the power to overcome any challenge. I will allow others to see My presence in you.”

Exodus 33:13-16 NIV

13) “If I have found favor in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

14) The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15) Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16) How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Prov. 28:14 AMP

Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of the circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Isaiah 48:3 NIV

“I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Jeremiah 12:5 AMP

[But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

The Infant Heart

The infant heart beats only for itself. All of the things that God does center around their needs in some way. The salvation process was for them alone. It was put in effect by God specifically for them, to make them safe after they die.

The Bible is simply a book of promises that they can call upon to relieve their hurts in time of need. God is perceived as this wonderful benefactor, who is waiting for their next need to occur, so that He can help them through it; and prayer is solely a channel by which they can make their needs known.

In essence, everything that God has done, is doing, and will do hinges upon the perception that mankind is at the center of it all; and they have somehow tapped into this incredible opportunity. So, God is all about them and for them alone. There is no need to go any further; it is enough, and it is very good. Sadly, a lot of today’s church functions in this religious arena.

God has also been brought down to their size, perceived as functioning for them and in service to them. To be with most infant hearts is a roller-coaster of highs and lows, happy and sad, good days and bad days, all of which are determined by how they perceive their prayers are being answered, or how much of an “attack” they might be under.

Very much like infants in diapers who are not capable of understanding that the world around them is not about them, these spiritual infants cry when they have need, demand when these needs are not met; and are only truly satisfied when they are comfortable in all areas, without giving the slightest thought to the importance of anything going on around them. Everything that they can do to make themselves comfortable is done without question. What they own is all theirs. God has some rights to their money, but never more than 10%. The importance of anything else or the needs of anyone else mean nothing when there is personal need to be addressed…

Make my heart beat only for You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

10/21/23 The Underbelly

One of the most vulnerable spots of any animal is the underbelly or underside of its body. In most cases, it consists of soft tissue with little armor for protection. Knowing that, most any foe can do life-threatening damage once the underbelly is exposed.

In the intimacy of a marriage, all faults, traits, fears, and vulnerabilities are exposed to husband and wife. In a very real sense, the underbelly or weakest areas of who they are become known to each other. Unwise stewardship of that knowledge can be deadly in the truest sense of the word.

As a husband, you have the privilege of knowing who your wife really is behind all the masks and protections put in place over the years. You get to see all her fears and weaknesses. On the other hand, she gets to see who you really are. If either of you makes that knowledge available to anyone else, even a best friend, you have violated the trust of your mate and closed down a very important part of your stewardship of each other.

If this trust is violated, walls of protection go up and true intimacy becomes impossible from that point forward. The offended mate hides his or her vulnerabilities for protection, and the offender loses the privilege of holding his or her mate before God in prayer for healing. Wise husbands and wives never allow anyone to see the underbelly of their mate. They seal their marriage; and unless it is mutually decided to seek outside help in certain instances, they seal their lips from any outside influence, so that the Lord alone is their healer as they present those needs to Him.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

10/20/23 What God Has Planned

“Do not become weary in your work for Me. Do not give up when your heart is tired of the warfare. I will never allow anything or anyone to destroy what I have planned for your life. Battles rage against you because of the plans that I have for you. You are garrisoned all around, so the enemy takes notice of your life. As intense as the battle in the heavenlies is, My forces are much stronger than all that comes against anything you do. There may be small inroads that attempt to hinder you. There may be some detours that I will allow for My purposes, but the end result will always be the same. You will win if you keep coming to Me. This day come to Me. Allow Me to give you the peace and rest that is needed so that you can continue. Be still with Me. You are Mine! I am El Shaddai!”

Psalm 46:1 AMP

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

11) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

12) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.

13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Our Father always arrives in the nick of time. He always finds a way for us to be able to make it another moment, day, month, or year. In the past, I would often ask Him why He would not give me the abundance needed to overcome all the daily pressures that come my way. One day He responded this way: “Then you wouldn’t need Me continually. You are too immature for Me to allow you to be left on your own.”

I love how my Father in heaven loves me. I am continually in awe as He changes me, holds me, and protects me from myself. We grow weary. He never does. We fear. He has none. We become discouraged. He becomes our strength. He is truly our provider and very present help when we need Him.

Thank You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

10/20/23 In His Hands

Although Father God has given us a stewardship of our wife and children, He asks us to turn them over to Him for their safe keeping. He is ultimately responsible for their best interests. We are responsible to give them and their needs to Him.

Foolish stewards look to their own strength and wisdom to protect and guide their charges. They personally take on their responsibility, instead of placing everything in God’s hands. Wise stewards, knowing that they are, in themselves, incapable of taking care of the needs of their marriage and family, give everything over to God.

Think for a moment of that exchange. Attempting to navigate the perils of this life with our weak, limited capabilities, or giving those perils over to an almighty God, capable of providing everything we need. Which is true wisdom? It’s really a no brainer. Why then do we attempt the first option almost every day of our lives?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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