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10/13/23 Getting Honest with Yourself

Men, if you are typical of the Christian man of today, you function as if you are unable to recognize your spiritual impotence to the point that you do not desire to see the character of Christ reproduced completely in you or in those around you as your priority in life.  As a typical Christian man, you have chosen to set aside God’s desire for your life in order to fulfill your own concept of what your life should be, or maybe just survive in an incredibly difficult world. You feel that you are spiritually comfortable and adequate, and see no need to consistently act as Jesus would act and love as He would love in your family.

Like a gelded horse that no longer has an interest in mares, most of you have little Christ-like spiritual enthusiasm toward the people within your circle of influence or for your part in God’s plan for mankind. Remember, we are talking priorities. If you would really get honest with yourself, your thoughts are not continually on where others will spend eternity or on who they could become in this lifetime through your influence on them by the way you represent Jesus. Even the spiritual well-being of your family, those God has entrusted to you as His steward, falls somewhere behind economic challenges, your job demands, the home and yard work, the toys you want to acquire, and the sports teams you idolize. If this is you, you are impotent in discerning the things that are important to God.

As an example of your impotence, if you sports fans would also get honest with yourself, you’d admit you focus more on whatever teams you follow than on the spiritual condition of your wife and children. Even if you do care about their spirituality, you probably have little ability, little desire, and few tools to foster their spiritual growth, to do whatever it takes to have them able to present a significant life to God. If you are not that heavy into sports, you can substitute the word “sports” with any other personal god, such as worry, fear, work, success, money, or worldly power, etc., to which you’ve pledged your allegiance.

[Even attempting to gain a significant life for your own good shows your spiritual impotence.]

If you take that same “getting honest with yourself” and carry it further to the point of getting honest with God, you will have to admit that the things that are important to God have been placed somewhere behind the things that give you some semblance of purpose for your life here, not eternally. Focusing on your personal fulfillment for so long, you may have actually become impotent in even discerning the things that are important to God.

Think of the eternal impact of those last statements if they are true for your life. Ask the Lord to reveal how accurate they might be for you. They may not be exactly where you stand with God; but more than likely, they’re quite close to the spiritual impotence you experience every day, if you are like Christian men in general. To whatever degree you are dealing with spiritual impotence in your life, the sooner you realize and admit it, the sooner you will be on your way to a significant, world-overcoming life in God’s eyes.

(From The Father Factor by Jim and Merry Corbett)

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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10/12/23 Expressing God’s Heart

“There is far too much compromise for the sake of peace and unity. Too many of My children remain in their sin because you, My mouthpieces, are afraid to tell them truth unto repentance. I am talking to those of you who have grown past selfish agendas, mindless doctrines, and the need for personal gain from others. Make sure it is My heart that you are expressing, not your pride, for I will call you to account for your words. If you have, however, taken up your cross for Me, seared your heart, and desire only the heart of Jesus, you must send out My wake-up call.

"Most of My church is asleep as if in a drunken stupor. Most of My people are not hearing the call to holiness. Who will tell them of their danger if you don’t? Who will herald My heart of urgency? You must! Love them enough to tell them truth. After and only after you have laid down your life in prayer for those to whom you are sent, tell them of their need to repent. You must do it for their good only. Some may still listen. Most will separate themselves from you, calling you names. That’s O.K. You be obedient when I send you. Time is too short for you to walk in fear and compromise. You must function in love. I call you to speak My truth, but only after you weep for those to whom you go!”

Isaiah 8:11-13 AMP 

11) For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12) Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.

13) The Lord of hosts – regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

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.”

Hosea 4:6 AMP 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge…

2 Cor 12:15a AMP 

But I will most gladly spend [myself] and be utterly spent for your souls...

Gal. 4:19 NIV

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…

 

Paul spent most of his Christian life exhorting, challenging, and exposing the hearts of those in the church. He could be his Father’s mouthpiece only after he had ached for others as he knew His Father ached; and only after he had their best interests at heart. His words were never condescending, never for his own gain, and never from anyplace other than the throne of God. They could be focused, strong, and reprimanding because he spoke as one who cared more for his listeners than he cared for his own life. He was a mouthpiece to a generation who would establish a pattern for everyone else to follow. Their lives needed to be in order and the Lord called him to show the way.

In these end times, God is once again calling for surrendered vessels who will proclaim His heart to a needy church. Patterns and faulty practices, which some people follow in the Name of Jesus, need to be exposed for what they are and brought back in line with the Word of God. People who proclaim them or practice them are in danger. Someone who loves them must tell them before it’s too late.

Break my heart for others, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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10/12/23 Too Many Times

When I was young in the Lord, I had many besetting sins. Even though I loved the Lord with all my heart, the bondages had not yet fallen away. The Lord was removing them one at a time and I had many left to address.

Once after many failures, I cried out to the Lord, asking Him how He could continue to forgive me. It seemed like the thousandth time I had come to Him. In the quiet of the evening, He came to me and said, “Do you know that I forgive you no longer unto My remembrance?  I don’t have a bad memory; I choose to forgive and forget, never remembering the last time you offended me. Your sins are as far as the East is from the West.”  He then told me I had a million “forgivenesses” in my account and many more after that if I needed them.

Our Father is on our side. He knew how many times we would fail Him even before He asked us into His kingdom, and He still asked us! He is in the forgiveness business as long as we are in the repentance business. That means we always have His power available to us to do whatever tasks we may have on hand with the knowledge that He is with us.

Men, there are times when you and I fall down on the job concerning our families. If things are so bad that the possibility of reconciliation seems hopeless, we can be confident that the Lord is with us in our time of need. He is waiting for us to call out to Him, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, He will do whatever it takes to help us overcome our situation.

You can’t fall down one too many times. He will be there, enabling you to repent. Your life is His. It was His idea in the first place, and He delights in your need of Him.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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10/11/23 Love Intensified

“There is nothing you could ever do to stop Me from loving you. It’s true. My love is beyond your comprehension. You look at the actions of all those who are in your world and determine if they deserve your love. I desire that you see past that childish way of thinking. Love is not supposed to be diminished when people fail you. It is supposed to be intensified because when someone fails to love, you can see and discern a need in that person. Look at Jesus! He loved those who hated Him. He had joy at the prospect of vile, hating people being made clean and new. You were once unlovable by the standards to which you hold others. Aren’t you glad that those are not My standards?”

Matt. 7:2 AMP 

For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

I Cor. 13:5b-7 AMP

5b) …Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

6) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

7) Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

Heb. 13:5b AMP

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

 

I sure am glad that the ways of my Father are far above my ways. I hate to think what would happen if He used my standards for loving, and forgiving, and mercy, and …

Forgive me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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10/11/23 My Weakness Brings His Strength

So many men, whether they admit it or not, don’t like to be labeled as weak in any area. All the criteria dictated by society tells men from the time they are little boys that they need to be strong and good in bed, must have answers; and, in general, never let anyone know that they are frightened by anything. That kind of attitude has been ingrained in men for so long, that it permeates everything we do without us even being aware of it.

I’m convinced those teachings are some of the major stumbling blocks that hinder men from giving themselves over to the complete Lordship of Christ. Letting go, giving it all over, is so foreign to our thinking that most of us have to be broken before we’ll even consider surrendering everything to Him. In most cases, being out of control is very unfamiliar territory to a man.

God asks us to surrender everything we have and everything we are to the Lordship of Jesus. He asks us to rely totally on Him and His Word in everything we do without question, no matter what the consequences. In God’s economy, full surrender to Him is the opposite of weakness. Total reliance on Him is the strongest, most powerful position any man can take. It allows God’s limitless power, wisdom, and caring to flow in our direction, making us capable of overcoming everything the world has to offer.

Men, it’s time to finally lay down all false dictates and fully surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. It’s time to become weak, so we can become strong in Christ. It’s just time, isn’t it?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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