2/15/20 Action Reaction

Men, in general, function on an action-reaction basis. If you hit a nail with a hammer - action, the nail will be driven into the wood - reaction. Sometimes it's hard for us to understand God's action-reaction principles. Let's take prayer for instance.

If we take the time to pray - especially about something specific - we wonder why we don't immediately see the results of our prayers. We forget that the simple act of praying - turning our need over to God instead of just handling it ourselves - glorifies God. That act in itself is the right thing to do, especially when we put aside something we deem important to do it. We honor God by praying and recognizing that He is the source of our answer. (In His great love, He even provides answers throughout our lives for things that aren't even on our radar screen, just because He chooses to bless us.)

Those seeming delays to our prayer requests accomplish far more than we can imagine. Only God can see the whole picture. While we're waiting, He's refining heart motives, orchestrating circumstances, clearing a path, developing patience ... and maybe even preparing our hearts to receive the answer to our prayers. This may take some time. In terms of action-reaction time, it could become days, months, even years! As husbands and fathers, we need to put aside the concept of immediate answers and trust in the principles of the kingdom of God.

If you are seeking God for a specific need, don't give up if He hasn't chosen to work on your timetable. He started swinging the hammer at the time of your prayer, maybe even before. The nail will be impacted in God's proper timing.

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

2/15/20 Following the Perfect Example

        "When was the last time you were an advocate for Me? Have you defended Who I am recently? Have you upheld My Word when it was maligned by someone? Have you represented the life of Jesus when others were saying that the life of the world is the way to live? You are My representative. You are living where I have placed you with very specific people, for very specific reasons. Begin to represent Me properly in every situation. Defend My honor! Defend My plan for others! Defend the cross! Defend My heart!"

Matt.16:19 AMP

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth, must be whatever is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

 

So often we forget that one of the main reasons we are here on this earth is to represent God in all of our actions through Jesus. His plan is that others see Jesus in the way we live so that none will perish.

Jesus had a passion to empty Himself and live a life devoted to others. He would never lift Himself up or hold Himself in higher esteem than anyone else - even the lowliest leper. Even though He was God, He held everyone in His heart as more important than Himself; especially those who laughed at, tortured, and crucified Him. He could not be wounded by their sin; He could only see their desperate need.

In the true spirit of advocacy, Jesus also desires to see His Father put first and is constantly looking to have Him glorified. His delight is in having Father God as the object of esteem in the hearts of those He loves. All of His mortal life, and now all of His kingly life, undergirds and points to the Father. There is no "one-sidedness," however, as all of the Godhead - in unity of spirit, being one - point to each other's wealth.

As the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus, who functions as our advocate, delights to see us accepted and perfected. He would gladly go to the cross again and again, if He had to, so that we could prosper and be complete in His Father's love; and so that His Father would continually have the pleasure of our company. (Praise God that everything was finished once and for all at Calvary!)

With Jesus as our example, and with the Father's love flowing through us, we are to walk as advocates for our Lord, each other as believers, and then on behalf of those who have need. Our adoption into the family of God, our sonship, gives each of us the heritage and ability to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fix me, so that others see You in me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

2/14/20 Credentials

The two reasons you or I would never have access to dinner with the Queen of England are: first, we haven't been invited; and second, we don't have the credentials. Only those who have fulfilled the requirements it takes to qualify will ever partake of a meal with the Queen.

Our flesh will never be able to gain an audience with God. Flesh simply doesn't have the credentials to do so. Adam and Eve were removed from His presence as soon as their fleshly nature controlled their decisions. Their reasoning ability separated them from the purpose for human creation - to be in a position where God is our God, and we are His devoted, dependent people.

Men, pride is the most distinguishable cause of why we don't want to submit to God's requirements, although ignorance and a myriad of other reasons also stop us from going there. Fact is, we simply want to be in control of our lives and are unwilling to give that up, even if it means that we may never have the answers we need to become the husband and father our Lord intends; or worse yet, will never enjoy the true presence of our Creator God. How foolish!

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

2/14/20 Live Like Jesus

        "If you turn your back on Me and do not listen to My Words, what can you expect your life to be? If you do not act as Jesus would act to others, how do you think your relationships will fare? When you choose to live like the world, how can I bless you? I have shown you how to live. I have given you a pattern of life to follow. His Name is Jesus.

        "Living any other way is choosing to live as the world lives. I have separated you from the world. You have been told to live in the midst of others, so they can see Jesus. You are to forgive them as I have forgiven you. You are showing them a religious, powerless person who has little resemblance to who He is. It is time for you to change. Repent now! Begin to walk as He does."

Matthew 18:21-35 NIV

21) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

22) Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26) "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28) "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29) "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30) "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32) "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

34) In anger his master turned him over to the jailers until he should pay back all he owed.

35) "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

 

So many of us ask our Lord to give us mercy, but we won't give mercy to others. We are ready to hold up the sins of others to scrutiny, yet we ask Him to cover our own. People who are spiritually blind can only see the sins of another. Even if they get to a point where they can see their own sin, they are more than willing to walk in little or no forgiveness.

God is calling His people to treat others in the same way that Jesus treated those with whom He came in contact. Most of all, He loved them. In the end, He gave up His life for them. We may not be able to physically go to the cross; but we can lay down our own imagined right to judge others, which is actually picking up our own cross and following Jesus.

Teach me to not worry about the slivers, Lord,

Jim Corbett

2/13/20 Water in the Desert

Even after the Israelites saw God part the Red Sea for them, they had little faith that He would provide water for them where there was no visible sign of it. Their faith in Him was under attack.

At times, when I comprehend the awesome responsibility of my offices of husband and father, great fear rises up in me. I can only see how impossible it is to fulfill these offices. My eyes turn toward the power of the world and the war that I'm facing, and how weak I really am to the point that I become immobilized. Sometimes even hopelessness temporarily sets in.

When this lie invades my thinking, it's time for me to remember Who my God really is and who I am in Him. It's also time to remember that it's not my job to overcome my fears. I'm only called to submit them to God and surrender to His faithfulness to allay them and change me.

God did part the Red Sea for His people. He did provide water for them. He did take care of their every need. He is the same God today as He was then. I am His child and He will take care of me and my cares, just like He took care of theirs. As soon as I remember that, I can find a place of rest in Him and wait for His promises to be as real to me now as they were to His children way back then. I have no need to fear!

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

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