• Jim Corbett
  • 08/17/2021
  • 0 Comments

“Whenever you allow anything or anyone to make you function outside of the character of Jesus Christ, it replaces Him as your god. What you serve is really the lord of your life. Partial service to Jesus is double-minded and not worthy of the kingdom life. You must take account of your life before I take account of it for you. Where are your treasures? If you harbor anger and hatred, a murderous heart governs your life. You have lost the heart of Jesus.

"If greed is your god, you will not share My spiritual or material wealth with others. You consume what I make available through you on yourself and rob from Me. You do not care enough for them to give away what is rightfully Mine to give to them, wanting to use you to do it. You have lost the heart of Jesus. If you are motivated by the lusts of this world, if others determine how you act, if your own needs dictate your daily activities, your man-made gods are your rewards. You have lost the heart of Jesus. I have made Jesus’ heart available to you. His heart cares only for My desires and for the needs of others. It is the way of the cross. It is life. Why would you choose any other life unless you really desire that life as your lord? That is not a wise choice!”

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.”

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 6:19-21 NIV 

19) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 25:23 NIV

"His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’”

 

There is an old saying about a shepherd who is stationed as a watchman over his sheep: “The watchman has lost his perspective when he begins to enjoy killing wolves more than he enjoys protecting sheep.”

In this saying, the merciful watchman has positioned himself to protect those that cannot protect themselves. He is showing mercy. Even if he should have to kill a wolf, his heart position is one of mercy toward the sheep.

In contrast, the other kind of watchman is simply a murderer.  The true motives of his heart may be masked by the task that he is asked to perform - in this case, protecting sheep - but his joy is really fulfilled in the killing of wolves.

He is merciless, without any love, even for the sheep he is hired to protect. His job is only the covering for him to satisfy his murderous heart. Both watchmen look as if they are performing the same task, but the position of their respective heart motives separates them. There is no common ground for the two of them.

In the same way, we as Christians cannot say that we are following in the steps of Jesus simply because we are doing the “good” things that we think He might do. If our purpose for doing all that we do is not one of showing those who have not found the Lord who He really is; then, we have no common ground with Him.

In our religious activities, in all of our associations, in every act of kindness, if we don’t have the desire that the recipients of our actions see Jesus in us that they might be saved; then our heart is no better than the shepherd who enjoys killing wolves.  From a heavenly perspective, we really are like murderers. A person with a murderous heart cares little if anyone lives or dies, unless he somehow benefits from either prospect. We are merciless.  Jesus, in contrast, willingly gave His own life, so that everyone would have the possibility of truly living. His heart was, and still is, full of mercy.

As our Lord prepares us for His coming, He is showing all of us how little we truly represent Him, even though we call ourselves by His Name and pretend to care as He does. He will not truly be joined with anyone who does not have the same heart attitudes that He does in every area.

 Teach me to serve only You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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