1/15/20 All Smoke and Mirrors

Have you ever heard someone say that magic tricks are all smoke and mirrors? The magician deceives us by using tactics that distract us from reality and turn us to the false reality he wants us to accept. His illusions and deceptions appear genuine in our minds, unless we uncover his secrets - his use of false images and just plain trickery.

Believe it or not, the devil does the same kind of trickery every day in each of our lives. He continually goads us to believe that what the world presents is reality. He flashes false wisdom, creates seemingly insurmountable scenarios, tries to plant his own thoughts in our minds, and attempts to deceive us into thinking that he holds the keys to our days.

Well, as real as his plan seems, it's all smoke and mirrors. The Word says that we're to look past what we see with our earthly perceptions, and focus on the eternal, the truth of what's really happening. We're to allow the Lord to retrain our thinking. We're to look past what seems normal, and see what the Lord has done and is doing in every situation. We're to believe more in God's kingdom principles than the principles we've been taught by the world all our lives.

There is no smoke and there are no mirrors with God. His Word is always true. His promises are always reliable. What Jesus has done for us will always be real, no matter how much it is distorted by the world and its ways. You can rely on the fact that God is far more powerful than any situation you face. God said it; therefore, it is clear, honorable, smokeless truth. Do you believe it?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

1/15/20 Not in Your Own Strength

        "Do you know that your job is simply to trust Me to do whatever is necessary in your life? When you have a need, turn to Me. When I show you who you are not, submit to Me and surrender to Jesus that He might live His life through you.

        Why do you try to live this life in your own strength? Turn to Me for your every need. Turn to Me for the changes that are needed in you. Trust Me to do what is necessary to make you who you are to be in Me. All this is My idea. Allowing Jesus to live through you is My plan. Trust Me to perform what I have promised. I am faithful."

Gal.3:3 NIV

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Gal. 5:22-23a AMP

22) But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

23) Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence)...

 

Most of us really love to play the Holy Spirit in our own lives. We love to participate in our own getting better before God, when God has always said that our place is to die. We are to die to our own strengths, our own abilities; and most of all, our own attempts to be like Jesus. This is all God's work, not ours. The sooner we believe this fact and choose to walk in it, the sooner we will have freedom to overcome our doubts and needs and rest in the Jesus Who loves us.

Teach me to rest in You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

1/14/20 Mind Wars

Does this sound familiar? You're finally able to clear your busy schedule and find those few quiet moments you've been looking for to spend time with God, only you're unable to focus on Him. The Bible study part comes relatively easy because you can focus on the words on the page; but to sit quietly and simply wait on Him for intimate communication is an incredible task. Your thoughts go to incidental stuff that needs to be done, old sins, the work load that's waiting, etc., etc. Finally, you give up and walk away, feeling that your time was wasted or even that you've failed God one more time.

Most of us don't realize the real war we face. The enemy has relatively little trouble with us going to church, attending men's breakfast meetings, feeding the poor, or participating in any other spiritual in nature activity. However, if he can keep us from building an intimate relationship with our Lord, he wins. His deadly fear is that believers - especially men who are stewards of others - will develop an intimacy of love, power, and spiritual wealth with their Father in the throne room. The enemy is already defeated through the cross, but he loses all battles in every area of our lives if we get our strategies directly from God.

Therein lies the battle. We, as believers, need supernatural wisdom to overcome the world. The only place we can get this kind of wisdom is in quiet intimacy with our Father God. Since the enemy knows this, he will do anything to keep us from that kind of interaction. He will use extreme challenges, distractions, business, remembrances of past fishing trips, anything to keep us from developing that relationship.

Understanding the war and knowing the primary battle is the first step to winning. The battle plan is to keep going to God and pressing in through His power. Cast down the imaginations placed in your way. Give them over to the Lord. Seek God for His power to keep your mind focused. Press in, press in, and press in some more until the only desire you have in your heart is to be with your Father. Delight yourself in the Lord, and all the heart desires and needs you have will become part of the full, mature, loving relationship for which you've been born.

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

1/14/20 Moving with God

        "Properly overcoming in the spiritual realm has less to do with your understanding of the power that I have given you, and much more to do with your submission to Me. Many of My children know the Word and the authority that they have in the Name of Jesus, but few of them are really accomplishing My will because they haven't learned to listen to Me. They bind this and cast that, thinking that they are doing My will; but they are far from what I desire.

        "You - those of you who have been in My special training fires - you are gaining My strength, My unlimited power, and the fullness of My resources because of your thorough understanding of your weakness when you are not in My will. That understanding gives you what is necessary to be truly strong. Your covenant authority imparted to you through My Word, combined with learned submission to Me, brings the fullness of your authority into proper order and focused power.

        "When others flail about, using the Name of Jesus to accomplish what they need for themselves, you wait with Me until I tell you when and where to move. When you move with Me, My presence is with you. That is good!"

Exodus 33:15-16 NIV

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?"

Matt.16:19 AMP

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

Matt. 7:21-23 NIV

21) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'

23) Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Luke 10:19 KJV

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

John 4:34 NIV

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

 

Most of us rarely consider the damage that we do if we use our authority without consulting with the Lord before we use it. We use logic, need, fear, and many other reasons to push aside the evil that we believe is hindering us, but do we spend enough time with our Father in heaven to have Him direct our steps? Sometimes, repenting before Him in true remorse for our sins accomplishes much more than all of the huffing and puffing against perceived weapons formed against us will ever do. Wow!

Do I ever need you, Lord,

Jim Corbett

1/13/20 The Captivity of Activity

Each of us has seasons in our lives, which are designed by God to further our walk with Him or to challenge us to find His power to win the war against our drawing near to Him. One of my more recent seasons was spent on a porch in North Carolina, where I enjoyed the view of a wonderful mountain landscape. For five years, weather permitting, I was able to spend hours and hours with Him. I had been given no purpose but to sit and wait in His presence, find His direction, and then come back to His lap when any assignment was completed. Even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time, this season was more marvelous than I can express in words.

My season has definitely changed. At present, the demands of my life cause me to fight for moments with the Lord. I know He's always available, waiting for me to join Him; but now, obligations are pressing in on all sides. There is a continual war raging to keep me from those quiet moments I had learned to cherish. The freedom to be with Him at almost any time I wanted now has to be fought for in the midst of the business of my life. If I don't recognize the war and engage in the battle to be with Him, I become captive to all the activities that demand my attention. It's a conscious battle that must be fought moment by moment if I want my life to be really significant in Him.

As husbands and fathers, you have the most important battle of your lives facing you every moment of every day. The demands you face and the choices you make will determine how well you are able to carry out your offices. If you don't recognize that your priority must be to develop an intimate relationship with Father God and fight desperately for it, your life and the lives of those in your care will be greatly affected. Instead of a vibrant, world-overcoming love relationship with your Lord, you will find yourself and those around you counted among the lukewarm masses, unable to lead others to a significant life, the one bought for you at the cross. You'll be held captive by your activity, unable to break loose from your bondage or help others to overcome their war. Is that what you want?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

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