11/25/19 A Friend Forever

        "How do you feel when people you love violate every trust you've given them, break every promise they've made to you; and choose to be friends with those who desire to harm you? What if they never defend you, even if they call you their friend? What would you do to those people?

        "Well, I choose to love you, forgive you; and continue to invest all that I am in you. I will never give up on you! I have purchased you with a great price and I call you My friend forever."

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

8) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

9) "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Romans 2:4 NIV

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

It is so very easy to observe the behavior of others and miss our own foolishness. In the beginning of this Father's Heart, most of us would have empathy with the Lord as He asks us the questions above. When we discover that we are doing the very same offenses against Him that we surely wouldn't want done against us, it becomes a much different story.

To top it off, we also find that while we were offending Him, He was pouring grace and mercy our way. That should bring all but the hardest heart to a life change of repentance. It should make even the coldest attitude do an about face. Did it make you choose to change any of your ways?

Break my heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/25/19 Motivated by Love

Everything that God does for mankind is motivated by love. His creation process brought companionship. His patience with fallen man, the redemption process, and His plans for our future have an astounding, unbelievable love as their foundation.

As a father, everything we do is to be done because of the love we have for Jesus and the privilege of overseeing those He loves. Above everything else, we are to love others as He first loved us. The idea that our stewardship is an obligation or something to dread is foolish worldly thinking. We have the privilege of loving.

The next time the cares of the world seem a little overwhelming, it might be good to go back to the understanding that your Father in heaven is hovering over you with His boundless love. He is pleased as He sees your submission to His plans.

Think of how you feel as a father when you see your son or daughter do well in any given situation, then multiply that feeling to an unlimited degree. That's how your Father sees you as you go about your days. Bask in that thought and then pass it on to those who need it.

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/23/19 Walking Through the Opening

"The brightness of the light you exhibit to your world is directly dependent on the depth of your intimacy with Me. I don't mean the flashy, impressive-talking kind of religious light that carries many shadows. I mean the world-changing, eternity-impacting, Christ-representing kind of light that changes lives. That kind only comes from being with Me enough to be able to take what I give you and share it with others, without it having lost any of its effectiveness.

"When We are together, I give you Myself. When you are interacting with those around you, how much of My presence you are able to share depends on how much or little there is of you - how much there is of you that has not been given over to Jesus. Come to Me for real life, not for things. I will use you to affect your world."

John 6:57 AMP

Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.

Gal. 2:20 AMP

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

1 Cor. 6:19b, 20 NIV

19b) ...You are not your own;

20) you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Christ wrote His life into ours when He died on the cross. We have the privilege of sharing that life with others; in fact, it's our life's work if we choose to accept it.

It fascinates me how much we misinterpret the way we are to show Jesus to the world. We study books, go to meetings, pray for things; and do many activities that look and sound as if we are spiritual. We fail, however, to take the path that has been laid out for us - the path of being intimate with God.

At the time of Jesus' death, the veil to God's presence was torn in two pieces, giving us complete access to the Almighty. Foolishly, few of us walk through that opening often enough to take His real presence to others, which we have been given the honor of doing.

Help me wear out that path, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/23/19 Power for Service

I was reading about David's mighty men the other day and one thing struck me as never before. The "mighty" part of these men was used for service. I know that sounds a little obvious, but when you think about it, what else should a powerful ability to do anything be used for? It would only justify itself if it were used to help someone less powerful, or even helpless. On the other hand, power misused is so very detrimental to those on whom it's applied.

Let's talk about the power we, as men of God, have been given. Holding the highest offices of husband and father - offices dear to our Father's heart, we, in the clearest sense of the word, have God's ear. He is for us. His power is available to us. His compassion bears witness to our needs in supplying whatever is useful for the proper stewardship of our families. That's some pretty powerful stuff!

Men, the next time your marriage hits a bump in the road, think about how important its restoration is to God and then move as He directs to heal it. The next time you see that one of your children could use some help in making decisions, or help out of a harmful place they've gotten into, what better assistance could they have than a father on his face before God - the One who cares more for the child than even the father does. Think about the power available to overcome these situations. Then think about the way you may have ignored, misused, or simply not applied it to help those you love. If you are convinced of its availability, how are you going to use that power now?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

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