"There is a separation that is occurring within My church. Often, and in many ways, I have revealed My desire for you to seek Me with all of your heart. Some of you have done so. Others of you have continued on your way, acknowledging My calling; but wandering in your own way and denying My heart. To you, I say, "You have set your own course; I will allow you to follow it to its end. The path that you have chosen is full of briars and thorns, all designed to purify your heart."

        "To you who have responded to My calling over the years, even though you see little progress in your life, I know your allegiance. I am blessed by your sincerity and will honor your feeble attempts to heed My call. Soon, I will equip you beyond your wildest imagination. You will become who you have desired to be. You will be made holy. You will be empowered to proclaim My glory, free from any hindrances that you possess at present.

        "I will have a people. Because you have sought Me with all of your heart, because you have not given up even in your times of weakness, I will make you My mouthpiece. I will bring you to intimacy. I will pour My life through you so that others can embrace Who I am.

        "You will walk above the ways of the world, and into the ways of the Spirit and overcome. You have given Me all that you have. In your eyes it was very little. In My eyes, it was enough to hold you with high esteem and trust you with much. Keep pressing in. I am with you. I am about to move on your behalf."

Acts 4:13 AMP

Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting many people in different stages of their walk with Christ. I have seen those who appear mighty in the Lord, those who look as if they have little to offer Him if anything, and many in between. In my foolishness, I have often judged who is most "holy" by what they have and how much they seem to be blessed. In my infant days, some of my friends and I would follow "anointed" ministers, hungering to find truth and a firm grasp on what Christianity really was. We longed for power, miracles, and the presence of the Lord. Sometimes we saw it manifested.

Over the years, I have learned that the Lord judges what is in a person's heart, not what is evidenced by his abilities. To do otherwise would be unfair to those of us with limited resources. It would mean that He is selective in His process of bringing us to Him.

I am convinced that He responds in favor of those who cry out in their weakness, rather than those who believe that they are progressing steadily and have no need of being brought low. It has become evident that the humble heart is the heart that can receive the Lord in His fullness and the independent heart has little room for His presence.

In the times ahead, I believe that the Lord will manifest who He really is, as He has always done, in those who have little to offer in their natural abilities. To do otherwise would confuse the message with the messenger. The time for the slick evangelist, the charismatic preacher, and the well-oiled, highly practiced presentation is over. The presence of the Lord will be manifested through those who have no ability within themselves. Their desire for intimacy with God as a priority will generate the presence of the Lord in their lives. Absence of self will bring the character of Christ to the forefront. They will disappear; Jesus will be seen.

Jesus, make me invisible so that You are visible,

Jim Corbett