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8/29/22 Seize the Moment

Being a man who’s lost one of his children, I’m often reminded of the many wasted moments, wrong decisions, and times when other things appeared more important than devoting time to her. I look back and wish I had seized every opportunity to enjoy her, instead of placing other supposedly more important things ahead of her.

As husbands and fathers, we are truly blessed. We each have the honor of witnessing the lives of those God has given us. As we observe their days, it’s our privilege to share in the delights they experience and grieve with them when they’re in need of a shoulder to cry on. All investments in them add to the wonder of participating in the life God has given them.

At certain points in the din of everyday life, most of us lose the importance of time spent with those standing close to us. Instead of grasping every instant to appreciate those precious moments, challenges, decisions, needs, and schedules cloud the wonder of family life, sometimes to the point of being too late. How I wish I had redeemed the time! How I wish I had seized every opportunity I had to participate in my first daughter’s life! Today I determine in my heart to not make the same mistake with those who remain.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

8/27/22 Heading Toward Holiness

“Few of My children travel the narrow road to holiness. Most choose to remain where they are with some attachments to the world in their hearts. Not only is that foolish, but it grieves My heart. They miss so much. They could feast from full meals of My provision, but they are satisfied with simple nourishment.

"As you make your daily choices, begin to choose My ways throughout your days. Make proper use of what I have provided for you. Ingest My Word. Become nourished on the things that I hold dear. Head toward holiness. It is where you have been reborn to live.”

Hebrews 10:14b NIV

…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

I Peter 1:13-19 NIV

13) Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

14) As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15) But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

16) for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17) Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

The concept of holiness often eludes us. We generally see it as this unattainable goal, available only for those “other” Christians like Paul, Peter, and Mary - you know, those holy guys and gals.

Father God says: "Be holy, because I am holy.” That means that holiness - a state of heart attitude in full accord with the heart of God and complete freedom from any attachments to the world - is available to any of us who have been made new through the blood of Jesus. I wonder why we are foolish enough that we don’t pursue it with all of our hearts?

I want to be holy, Lord,

Jim Corbett

8/27/22 We Don’t Understand

As a man who understood so little for so long regarding the spiritual impact my actions had, all I can do now is fall before the Lord in repentance as He reveals them to me. Don’t get me wrong; I know I’m forgiven, and each day I’m reminded of the wonder of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus. Those truths give me the privilege of relying on Christ every day.

My point is: in observing the actions of the world and even the church, it’s painfully noticeable that few of us men understand the spiritual significance of our words and actions until they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. As men, does it register, for example, that adultery in any form rips apart the spirit of those we sin against, including us? Do we understand that placing anything before our marriage and our children causes untold spiritual damage to the inner beings of those we steward? It rarely crosses our minds that our sons, and especially our daughters, can spend years attempting to fill gaping voids because of our careless words, thoughtless actions, or lack of involvement in their lives. Because it’s rarely seen for what it is, and the consequences of our foolishness add up little by little in most cases, it’s often too late to repair the damage without a powerful move of God once we realize what we’ve done.

It’s time for men to dig in with God and ask Him to show us the corresponding consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions - good and bad. It’s time to assess what’s happening in the spiritual realm when we move through our lives doing this and saying that, often unaware of the spiritual damage we do to those near us. God is always looking to restore families in both large and small ways.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

8/26/22 The Answer for Every Evil

“The challenges you face these days are minor compared to what is in store for your land. Dark minds with evil agendas are gaining footholds in every corner of the world. Evil is being called good, and good is laughed at or declared evil. Your leaders are puppets of darkness! They are blind guides, leading the blind to destruction.

"You, however, have an answer for every evil. His Name is Jesus! His ways are honorable. You must follow Him to places of safety. You must look neither right nor left. Keep your eyes only on Him and you will find peace when everyone around you is at war in their hearts. Learn to follow Him with all of your heart now or you will follow the blind guides when things become dark.”

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 20:6-7 AMP

6) Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

7) Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.

Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying “This is the way; walk in it.”

Jeremiah 12:5 AMP

[But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

Heb. 12:2 NIV

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For many years, the Lord has been exhorting His people to draw close to Him, to take their nourishment only from the Father. Many have! Those who have done so find their entire worth in Jesus. He is their only safety! He is their only joy. His ways are their only guide for living. Those who haven’t are beginning to reel in confusion. A gnawing spirit of fear is taking hold deep in the recesses of their hearts. Unless they fully submit to Jesus and find everything in Him, they will soon be overcome with fear. They will attempt to find safety when there is no safety other than in Christ.

Where do you stand? Is Jesus simply a convenient add-on to your life or is He your entire reason for breathing? You must choose this day whom you will serve.

I choose You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

8/26/22 Foolishness

In my teens, I had this car. It was relatively unremarkable, but I used it to show my bravado and came close to hurting myself due to my stupidity every time I got behind the wheel. I loved to look under the hood at its three carbs with chrome pots. Over the life of the car, I replaced two engines, three transmissions, and two rear ends. I burned through three sets of tires and the favor of several neighbors within a matter of a couple years. I can only look back on that period of my life and shake my head in wonder at the idiocy displayed in those days.

I guess that was the beginning of my pattern of foolishness before the Lord got hold of my heart and showed me its real value. Looking back, there are so many things I would’ve done differently if only I’d known better. Country singer Roy Clark recorded a song called “Yesterday When I Was Young.” In it, he laments over his foolish approach to life. Boy, I can identify with that song!

In the song, however, the singer unfortunately has no answers and no forgiveness. I’m so grateful that I do in Jesus. My Lord erased my past with its hopeless future and designed a new bright plan for my life. His love has built a hedge around me to protect me from my own foolishness. His power is available to me whenever I begin to travel blindly through the gears of my life. I praise Him for it! So does my family!

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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