Category: MASH United

From the book, The Father Factor, by Jim and Merry Corbett

Chris stared at the needle tracks in his arm, a constant reminder of the choices he had made to bring himself to this point in his life. Once a successful businessman on his way to the top with a loving wife and family, he could only lament over the turns his life had taken because of his addictions. How could he have fallen so far? How could his needs mean more to him than those he once loved and who once loved him?

He had to make a choice, or he was going to die as one more hapless vagrant in some garbage-strewn alley. He had to choose either life or death. He knew it and he knew how difficult the road back would be. Picking up the filthy needle, he inserted it in his arm once again. As the drug flowed through his body, he resolved that maybe he would choose to love his wife more than his habit tomorrow. Maybe he could help his kids tomorrow. Maybe … Chris rolled into a smelly corner near a large dumpster and passed out.

Across town, Jerry turned the corner and drove into the parking lot of his club. Late for his meeting, he had shaken off the pleading look in his son’s eyes that said, “Please, Daddy, stay here with Mommy and me.” Business once again called. It was going to be one more late night, one more closed deal that allowed him to live the way he wanted. “Success has its price,” he thought to himself. Anyway, to change direction in life now would be almost impossible. He was way too far down the corporate road to give his family the amount of personal time with him they seemed to need.

Maybe one day his wife and family would realize that he was doing this all for them. It was a time in life to set them up, so they wouldn’t have to grow up in poverty as he did. They needed to realize that. He was sure that God knew that.

“Why don’t I have peace in my heart, Lord? Why can’t I shake off the look that Tommy gave me? Why do I feel so bad when I’m doing so much for them?”

As he locked his car and headed for the club entrance, Jerry resolved to spend more time at home tomorrow. Tomorrow he would give some special time to his wife, Susan. Tomorrow, he would really focus on her insistent need to be with him and make some changes that he knew were necessary to be the husband and father she and Tommy wanted. Oh wait, tomorrow was that conference in Detroit …

Whatever vehicle Satan uses to hinder the work of God, whether dismal failure, monumental success, or anything in between, the results are always the same - an insignificant life standing before Father God one day. His entrapment is so diabolical that the road back is impossible to embrace without God’s involvement and intervention.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

From the book, The Father Factor, by Jim and Merry Corbett

Father God’s goal for your life is that you become all you can be in Christ Jesus. So if your goal is to head toward becoming a pathetic, frail, atrophied, self-serving loser in this world, while claiming to be a follower of the ways of His glorious, all-powerful Son, don’t look for Him to help you get there. There is no more important mission on His heart than the mission that Jesus has for you. There is no more powerful way for Jesus to be glorified than to have valiant spiritual warriors, who are unwilling to compromise, unwilling to turn away until the battle for souls has been won and the last enemy of the cross experiences the eternal consequences of his choices.

The Lord is cheering you on and doing everything in His power so that you can come to a full realization of who He created you to be both now and in eternity. His great desire is that you walk in the fullness of the overcoming, victorious life in Christ that is available to you.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

From the book, The Father Factor, by Jim and Merry Corbett

God has established the most powerful, unbreakable, eternal covenant with us through Jesus! Before that was accomplished, Father God established many other covenants with trustworthy Old Testament figures to propel mankind closer to the cross of Christ. He established covenant in long ago generations for their protection and safety, as they would covenant one with another. He is doing the same today.

God Himself will anoint and reinforce your relationship with Him in very visible ways. He will anoint your marriage so that it is a brilliant representation of the relationship between Jesus and the church. He will anoint your children and your children’s children to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He will bring forth holy business alliances for the purpose of fulfilling His will and flowing resources to accomplish His plans through trustworthy stewards.  He will create kinsman friendships for the protection of you and your family during perilous times. He will do all of this so that His plan on earth can go forth and because you have submitted to Him to make you trustworthy with the stewardships He has given you.

God is in the business of doing these things not only so that none should perish, but also that they will be brought to maturity in Him. It is part of His plan that spiritually potent men properly oversee the offices He has given them so that others can see Jesus. This kind of life has never been expected on our part, because He has not had enough trustworthy men to make it clearly visible. That is not the way it will be for the coming church, as they wait for the return of Jesus and live His kind of life while they wait. His real church, those who allow His life to flow through them, will be engulfed with powerful holy alliances, unbreakable covenant relationships among valiant men, women, and children, and family-like kinsmen friendships that overcome anything the enemy has in store for them.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

From the book, Manna Moments, by Jim and Merry Corbett

I was once told that in the spiritual realm, we are surrounded by hosts of God dedicated to protecting us from any harm. At no time can the enemy pass that globe of protection. The spirits of lust, fear, anger or any other harmful agent are helpless to intrude into this powerfully protected area. They must remain outside and harmless to us.

Harmless, that is, unless we choose not to move according to the commands of the Word of God. Any time that we willingly choose to entertain any spirit that is not of God, these protective forces must obey our wishes, and allow for a breach in the perimeter so that whatever we choose to invite in can have access to us. The more that we allow this to happen, the easier that spirit is able to enter.

I am not sure how accurate this picture really is. I am sure though, that it portrays a concept that is well worth remembering. It is well known that our Lord is more than ready to come to our rescue in times of trouble and also that He will never leave us or forsake us. We, however, have a free will to do as we please, to entertain whatever our hearts desire. Our choice will be the difference between eventual life or death.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

From the book, The Father Factor, by Jim and Merry Corbett

In studying the pattern of the life of Jesus, we must come to realize that every aspect of His life pleased His Father. Several glaring examples stand out and should be applied to our own lives. They are attainable only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father even to the point of His death. All of His heart determination fell in line with His Father’s desires. What the Father wanted, He did without question. Jesus considered nothing His own, even His life. Everything belonged to His Father. Jesus did nothing by His own reasoning or the logic of the day. Everything was done of His Father in heaven. Do you see the pattern that is acceptable and significant to God and the one we are to follow?

We have been bought with the blood of Jesus. We are owned by God. Everything we have is owned by God. Every breath we take is given to us by God. Every thought, action, dream, and desire is to be confirmed by God before it is determined valid enough to act upon. In this life and beyond, we are to be empty vessels, conduits so that the life of Jesus can be lived through us and the plans of God can be implemented through us, as seen through Jesus’ example.

Our true legacy is to impart the importance of leading a significant life for the glory of God to everyone with whom we come in contact throughout our time on earth. By the power of the Holy Spirit, this honorable legacy, then, is the impartation of the character and integrity of Jesus to everyone we meet through the way we live our lives, teaching them by our words and actions who He is and how He lived as an example for their lives. This continues the plans of God. This is important to God. This makes our lives significant to Him. This is our honorable legacy, which will continue uninterrupted through those who knew us and saw Jesus enough in us through word and deed, so that they, too, had the opportunity to choose and follow Him when He called.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett