Category: From Our Fathers Heart

        "What is your part in My plan? Do you even know? I'm not talking about how much you go to church, or how much is required of you to maintain your lifestyle. I am asking you if you really have spent enough time with Me to know why I have called you into being.

        "What is the purpose for your life? In the seasons ahead, those in the world will have to adapt themselves to the changing times. They will have to modify their direction and rethink their lifestyles to adapt to the dictates of their circumstances. Many of their hearts will fail them because of fear. What they have valued and coveted as their god will have vanished. All the times they worshipped and served that god will have been in vain and absolutely fruitless. There will be no evidence of their life's work.

        "Will you be the same? Will there be a need for what you do in the near future? If there is not, what will you do? How will you respond to the changes that take place? How will you bear up under the pressure? Better still, will you prosper because you flow easily from what is viable at present, directly into what is needed at that time?

        "Have you sought out your anointing and are you honing your gifts, so that they are sharp and fruitful when you are called upon to use them? Do you have the souls of people constantly in mind now and are you actively doing something about them? Do you care about the needs of others at present? Do you care about the calling that I have for you, or are you so caught up in your own needs that you can't even take time to find out what that calling is?

        "What if I needed you tomorrow and allowed your world to change overnight? Will you be able to hear my directions, or will you be cowering in fear just as the world will be? You need to be in training and listen even now. Flow in My anointing now, so that you will be ready then."

Ps. 31:15 AMP

My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me.

Isa. 55:6, 8-9, 11 AMP

6) Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near.

8) For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.

9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

11) So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Jer. 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."

Acts 8:1b, 4 NIV

1b) On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

4) Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

 

Have you ever tolerated one of those comedy shows where one of the main characters is placed in a position for which he is not qualified? When called upon to function in that position, he flounders, flubs, and generally goofs everything up, all accompanied by canned hysterical laughter. By the end of the show, however, everything works out. Those who are hurt by his foolishness are nowhere to be found, and all is well. We're ready to go on to the next plot in next week's show.

We are Christians. We have taken the Name of our Savior; and, in essence, we have promised our Lord that we would represent Him properly in our world. Someday, possibly someday soon, we are going to be called upon to act as Jesus would act in possibly very dire circumstances. How will we fare? Will we flounder through the situation with the same kind of recklessness as the character in the sit-com, because we haven't submitted to the required training and have no idea what He would do?

We have a problem if that is a possibility in our lives. The problem is that no one will be laughing when we cower in fear along with those of the world. There will be no happy ending for those who did not hear the gospel of salvation, because we could not tell them how Jesus could be found amidst the hatred and murder in the world. There will be no "show" next week for the person who perishes before seeing Jesus in us and wanting Him, because of the way you and I conduct ourselves. There will be no good way to explain His power to overcome anything, when we don't experience it in our own lives. Things won't work out for the best for those who are counting on us to help them, if we can't give them what is required. His Name is Jesus and we are in training to be like Him - for the good of others, and the glory of God. Maybe it is best that we make it our priority to get on with it.

Needing to submit to the training now, so that others can benefit then,

Jim Corbett

        "I spoke and the worlds were formed. By My will, everything remains in existence. I am the Righteous Judge. I am Almighty God. There is no other. With everything that I Am, with everything that I have done, because of what Jesus has done for you, I invite you to such intimacy that you may call Me ABBA. You may come as close to Me as you desire. In fact, I often wait for you."

Gen. 1:31 NIV

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Psalm 46:10 NIV

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

Psalm 111:2 NIV

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Psalm 119:89 NIV

Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Psalm 119:160 NIV

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

John 14:13-14 AMP

13) And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.

14) [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM].

Ephesians 1:17-19a NIV

17) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better.

18) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints

19a) and his incomparably great power for us who believe...

Heb. 4:16 NIV

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

Our relationship with God through Jesus is, above and beyond anything else, a wondrous love story between an omnipotent Father God and His precious children. It is the foundation of all of history, the focal point of all past and future generations; and the promise that we have for eternal well-being. No other biography in all of time is packed with more adventure, intrigue, danger, excitement, and moment-by-moment thrills.

If you were to take all of the imaginations of mankind, all of the wealth, knowledge, and power of all of the men and women that have ever lived and combine them, multiplied by one million to the millionth power, it would not compare to the wonder of one moment of God in His ordinary (for Him) daily activities and interactions with us. With all that our Father God is and has and has done, His heart has favor toward the opportunity He created for those He formed from the ground of the earth to be in association with Him.

This love association is an unparalleled drama that has overwhelmed the mind of the scholar, disgusted the heart of the bigot, softened the heart of the needy, and filled to overflowing the heart of the child. In all of the wonder that is our God, the most amazing aspect, which has baffled mankind throughout his time in existence, is the well-put phrase in the Book of Psalms, "Who is man that you are mindful of him?"

To grasp the concept that our Father God is the originator of all life is more than enough for most scholars; but to understand that He loves us deeper than we could ever know and that His focus is on our existence for this time in creation is the most difficult truth to understand. It is beyond our scope of thinking. It must be received by the faith in your heart that He really means what He says, if you are ever to grow closer to Him.

How can I ever thank You, Lord?

Jim Corbett

        "Do you realize how much I cherish those around you? I love them as much as I love you. Some are already Mine. Others are being given chances to see Jesus in action through you. Make sure that you love them. Make sure that you become aware of their needs and give those needs as much credence as you give your own.

        "Devote your life to them as Jesus did. They are at the center of My heart just as you are. Hold them close for Me. Show them My love. Show them Who Jesus is by showing them who you have become because of Him."

1 Cor. 11:1 NIV

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

2 Cor. 5:20a NIV

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

I John 3:16-18 AMP

16) By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him].

17) But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?

18) Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).

 

Some people, who come into your life, you will be able to embrace. Others, you won't. Some will embrace you. Others will cheat you. Most will tolerate who you are. A few will love you. All those who come into your life are brought to you by the Lord, so that they can see who Jesus is, process what they see; and decide if they want to know more about Him. How well are you representing Him to your world?

Help me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

        "Have you noticed the hardness of heart in some of My children? Have you missed the joy they once had? Do you see the unrest settling in My church as they begin to trust the world's ways for their security? So many are working harder to get ahead, when I am calling them to spend time with Me. So many are working for the things they have purchased to calm their unrest.

        "In their attempt to buy possessions to give them happiness, they have substituted a false god for their provision. That god has never really met their needs and is powerless as things become darker. The god they looked to has now become the god that has no answer. Everything they purchased from him to satisfy their foolish needs are now the overwhelming burdens for which they must pay.

"Make no mistake - I am God. Serve no other gods. Turn back to Me with all of your hearts and I will give you true rest. Turn completely to Me and I will give purpose to your life."

Joshua 24:15 NIV

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Psalm 25:12-14 NIV

12) Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

13) He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14) The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

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.

Matthew 5:13 AMP

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

 

As the purifying of the children of God intensifies, those who say that they love Jesus - but really only love themselves and the world - become distinguished by their actions. True motives for living are revealed as trials and challenges are placed in their lives. As sad as it is to see and as horrible as the prospects are for these selfish hearts, it brings great opportunity to function as Jesus would in their midst. We can learn to care as He did for their souls. We can be an example of inspired living in a dark world. We can show confidence in a Father Who is all and everything that's ever needed.

The life you and I live is important to God, to us, and to others. It is important to God, because we are placed as His presence in a dark world, as the life of Jesus flows through us to those who need to see Him. Our lives are important to us, because we have found the answer to life in Jesus Christ and are aligning our hearts continually with His heart, as we walk with purpose through our days in service to the Lord. Our lives are important to others, because God can use our Christ-centered lives to show them His unconditional love, address their needs, and share His plan of redemption and reconciliation. Hopefully, they too will be drawn into their own relationship with Him.

Teach me to not waste a minute of my life, Lord,

Jim Corbett

         "Wait! Stand just a little longer! Soon I will move on your behalf. You will see how I have answered your prayers to Me. It is My delight to give you what is best for you. Look through what is visible at first and rejoice as your answer unfolds."

Psalm 111:2 NIV

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 66:9 AMP

Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God.

Matthew 10:29-31 NIV

29) "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

30) And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

31) So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Sometimes we don't recognize answered prayer when it comes. More of the character of Jesus is the best answer we can ever receive. It is the gift that compounds itself - straightening our path, meeting many needs; and even modifying our future prayers and petitions as we properly respond to His heart working in us.

True crucifixion means that a death must happen. We are called to be dead in Christ, so that His life can be lived through each of us. The hardest thing about being dead in Christ is lying on the slab as if dead until He calls us forth or answers our prayers.

Most of us, instead of patiently waiting for the Lord to intervene in our lives, get up off the slab, pace around the tomb, kick at the stone; and yell at God to roll away the stone because we feel we've been there long enough. When our patience wears out, we take a pry bar, move the stone ourselves (doing whatever we can do in our own strength to get us out of our pressure situation,) and go forth in very much the same manner as we did before - powerless, fully alive to our own strength, and "lean of soul" in the work of the Lord. We have no real power to give others, because we have not allowed Christ's power to be formed in us.

Give me the patience to wait for You to answer, Lord,

Jim Corbett