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11/08/22 Follow Me as I Follow Christ

These incredible words are one of the most powerful directions a man can give to his family. Just think of it, a man who chooses to follow Christ could assure his family that no matter what happens, he has Christ as a guide for himself and them. How comforting this would be for a wife and family who are serving the Lord.

With that kind of commitment in place, the man would have a corresponding commitment to do everything to protect his family, just as Christ did for the church. He would willingly lay his life down for the ones he loves.

Can you imagine the peace a family would have in knowing that their husband and father would lay his life down for them? Do you see the impact that kind of atmosphere would create? A wife would be free to trust motives and decisions made in doing things that affect the family. The children would bask in an arena of absolute, unquestioned love. The family unit would be impenetrable. The outside forces against the family would never gain a foothold.

What a glorious picture - all members moving in unison, guided and directed by a father who is guided and directed by God alone. What an astounding plan! Maybe that’s the way our Father in heaven wants it. What do you think?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/07/22 Seeking God’s Heart Together

“You need to resolve with whom you spend your time. Find out who is really seeking My heart. Who is implementing My work with the heart of Jesus? Who is hearing the call to holiness? Who is serving others? Run away from those who choose to remain in dead, religious activity. You need to fellowship with those who are seeking My heart with all of their hearts. My heart is to spend all that you possess for the good of others that I send to you. It is what I do. It is what Jesus does. He spent His life for those who hated Him and used Him, knowing that one day some of them would realize their need of Him. Why would you think that any other posture for your life pleases Me?”

Exodus 17:12 AMP

But Moses’ hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Esther 4:13-14 AMP

13) Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther. Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

14) For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

Matthew 19:21 NIV

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”

Matthew 26:53-54 NIV

53) “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

54) But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Mark 1:40-41 NIV

40) A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41) Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

An investment in people is really a foreign concept in this world of throw-away relationships. It is, however, the foundation for all of our belief. Since the garden of Eden, Father God has invested in His people. He loves, guides, protects, and nourishes anyone who comes to Him with an open heart.

The words “Jesus spent His life for those who hated Him and used Him, knowing that one day some of them would realize their need of Him” should be foundational for our lives. How foolish we are to think that our Father does not notice that we have violated the very principles that He holds dear to His heart and uses as examples of how we are to live our lives properly.

In our foolishness, we go about our religious business thinking that we are pleasing God by throwing scraps of love, time, or resources at others - when and if we are moved to do so. How He must grieve when we take so much from Him for ourselves and give so little of it to those He loves, especially when He intends for us to focus what He’s given on those around us. We assume that His gifts to us – no matter what form - are ours to keep, instead of asking what portion of them we are allowed to apply to ourselves so that the rest can be used to build His kingdom in the Name of Jesus.

I am convinced that when we begin to serve others before ourselves, our Lord will trust us to be in association with others whom He also trusts. As these reliable associations are made, it stands to reason that He will be free to place higher responsibility with us, using us together to accomplish much in His Name.

Show me how to live for the best interests of others, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/07/22 An Incredible Heart

I wish I could give proper credit to the players in this story, but I don’t remember who they were or when the story took place. I just remember how much it impacted me.

The story goes that a father set some rules for his children to obey, so that there would be harmony in the home and Jesus would be glorified. If a violation of any one of the rules took place, the violator had to spend the night in the barn - not only for punishment, but to have that person think about how good it was to not be separated from the rest of the family. At the time, belonging to a family unit was a very important thing, so being an outcast (even for a short time) hurt.

After one of the children was sent to the barn for a violation that had occurred during the day, he heard - amid the strange groans and creaks encountered in a loft late at night - a particularly clear presence of someone else in the barn. As he cowered in fear, awaiting the intruder to make himself known, his father’s face appeared at the ladder. As he entered the loft with a pillow and blanket in hand, he said something like this. “I had to follow through with giving you the consequences you earned, so I couldn’t let you in the house; but that doesn’t stop me from coming out here to spend the night with you so you won’t be afraid.”

As a father, have you ever given of yourself even when strong discipline is deserved by one of your children? Has there ever been a big dose of love accompanying it? As it says in the Word, our Father disciplines us for our own good. Do you do the same?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/05/22 A Life of Sacrifice and Service

“How trustworthy are you? At what price do you feel that you would deny Me? When would you deny My Word? Never, you say! You are doing it every day! Each time you place your own interests above Mine, you are opposing My Word. Stop and think of that truth. I have called you to be like Jesus in your world. He lived a life of sacrifice and service, owning nothing for Himself, and caring only for others. He gave up everything, so that you could be at peace eternally. Caring nothing about His own well-being, He hung on a cross so that you could be forgiven. Even though He was part of your creation process, He gave up total control of His life, so that you could learn obedience.

"That is the kind of attitude that I desire to be in you. You daily deny Me simply by attempting to be in control of your life in any way. It is the opposite of the character of Jesus. Why would your remaining in control of any area of your life not be a denial of My Word? I know that you don’t see it that way, but it is one of the main reasons that I can’t trust you. It is the very basis for all My dealings with sin. It is called rebellion.

"You need to turn from the ownership of your life and surrender fully to the understanding that you have been purchased at a very great price. You no longer own your life and anything that is associated with it. You need to consider obedience to My will to be your only reason for living. Surrender fully to Me now. Repent of your rebellion. Submit totally to My will. Become trustworthy, so that We can walk closely together. I desire to tell you the intimacies of My heart. I am waiting!”

1 John 2:6 AMP

Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

1 Cor. 6:19b-20a NIV

19b) …You are not your own;

20) you were bought at a price…

Surrendering fully to the Lord is Christianity 101. Those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years sometimes feel that we have this walk pretty well figured out. In reality, most of us haven’t even left the starting gate.

Let’s say that we finally allow the Lord to work in our lives to the point that we learn obedience. Carrying that thought even further, let’s graduate to total obedience, understanding that our obedience is required if we are to be in line with God’s Word. Pretty cool, huh!

In reality, if we are obedient only because it is required, we are not even close to the heart of Jesus. Our obedience is still implemented so that things will go well with us. We will benefit from our obedience.

Jesus was obedient so that His Father would be glorified; and so that others would benefit, even at a great loss to Himself. He had given the ownership of His passions, desires, and every element of His life so completely, that even the remotest possibility of being disobedient was a horrible, unthinkable prospect. To do so would have harmed His Father and each of us. He would rather have died than have that happen. Oh, yeah! He did die instead of being disobedient, didn’t He?

Needing to drop my pride and go back to square one,

Jim Corbett

11/05/22 A Great Lesson

I remember the time my dad came to me at 2:00 AM with a spare tire in his hand, because I had burned the rubber off my own tires after about two months. I had a flat about a mile from home, and I woke him up to take me back where I left my car. I was sure that I was really in for it this time. He had commented on me driving foolishly for a long time, so I knew this was incredible fuel for a fatherly “I told you so” kind of lesson.

What surprised me, though, was the fact that he said nothing that night, or even after that I can recall. He didn’t have to. I knew how wrong I had been. Now, I’m not going to say that I changed my ways immediately since I went through many sets of tires before I finally wised up; but that instance had a great impact on me none-the-less.

My dad’s quiet assistance at that time said more than any lecture he could have given me. He simply served because he was my dad. In his own way, he said out loud that he loved me without saying a word in a situation where I deserved many words.

As a father, it might be good to take a thorough look at the way you are directing your children into wholeness. Are you continually correcting them, or are you giving them some space to learn some valuable lessons in ways that allow God to work on their hearts? Sometimes the most is said when no words are involved. It gives you time to pray for their best interests, too.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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