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9/02/22 Entertainment or Quiet?

“Do you see that as you respond to My call to spend time with Me, the ways of the world are becoming tasteless? At the same time, you are cultivating taste buds for the desires of My heart. The closer you come to Me, the less appeal the world and its ways will have. I plan it that way. I would have you observe, however, that fewer and fewer people in the “business-as-usual” church will desire to be with you as these changes take place.

"As We spend time together, you simply lose interest in going where they love to go, so they fall away. If your heart’s desire is to spend time with Me, if you choose Our time together rather than looking for frivolous entertainment, if you love to seek My desires over yours, you will find yourself on the outside of most activities.

"Fewer and fewer people will desire to be with you. Since you really have no use for their ways, it will be freedom for you. It will remove clutter from your life. Make Jesus your best friend. The closer you come to Him, the more time you will be spending with Me. It works well!”

II Chron. 15:15 AMP 

And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him [yearning for Him] with their whole desire, and He was found by them. And the Lord gave them rest and peace round about.

Ps. 51:6 AMP

Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

Hosea 6:6  AMP 

For I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings.

Mark 4:19 AMP 

Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

Gal 5:16-17 AMP 

16) But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

17) For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

Rev. 22:17 AMP 

The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.

 

The call to intimacy is not heard by many. It is a call that might appear to the uninformed as one that leads to loneliness, when the opposite is actually true. It is freedom.

The world and the cold church scurry to find ways to be entertained and fulfilled, rather than be with God. It is a plan of the enemy to keep them so busy that there is no time for them to have the intimacy with our Lord that is intended for us as His children.

People delightfully find replacement gods to serve at every opportunity. Most of these false gods take the form of “blessings.” The hard-of-hearing saints buy bigger and crave more “things” from God, rather than more of God. The result is that they must work harder to pay for whatever it is that then owns them and their time. Countless fellowships, Bible studies, activities, more activities, meetings, and more activities consume days; and when overdone, also destroy the desire for more of God.

Marvelous things happen, however, when you respond to the call of holiness and head for the bridal heart of Jesus. Your world becomes quieted, because your first desire is to spend time gaining intimacy with your Lord. Your tastes and desires change. You change. Ultimately, your friends change if you have any left. Your world is freed up to honor the things that your Lord and best Friend cherishes. Most of the time, you will do it only with Him. That is a good thing!

You design my world, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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9/02/22 Our Covering

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

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9/01/22 Amplified Blessings

“In whatever you put your hand to, always leave room for My presence to amplify your blessing. Never allow others to think that you have accomplished what I have increased. I am a jealous God. Make sure that you take no glory for yourself, or I will curtail the flow of blessing until you repent. I have set you in position so that you will prosper. Keep your heart in line with Mine. Move in boldness when I tell you to move. Keep your eyes on Me. I will give you My kind of increase.”

 Deut. 1:6 NIV 

The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.”

2 Chr 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Psalm 111:2 NIV

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Psalm 127:1 AMP

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…

Proverbs 16:9 AMP 

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

 

The Lord impressed me to use this message to encourage those of you who have been in the financial refiner’s fire. Take this message to heart and hold onto it. Many of you have been steadfast in faith, as you wait on the Lord to teach your heart His ways and destroy yours. Soon, some of you will be entrusted with enough to share with others.

I believe that this message is to be held close to your heart for the proper time when you can embrace its promises and heed its warnings. That exact time is between you and the Lord. Take time to earmark and remember the words above for when the Lord brings them to your memory, and you are to move out to claim them as yours. For some of you, it will be a very short time; for others, wait patiently for His timing. He is faithful.

I wait on You, my Lord,

Jim Corbett

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9/01/22 How Did Jesus Do It?

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

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8/31/22 Dead to Self and Alive in Christ

“If you have not already done so, from now on you must cultivate a time with Me to listen very carefully to My heart. It will be very important for you to do so, for your sake and for the sake of those around you. Most of you have known for some time now that you have been called to a sincere walk with Me. While most of the church seemed to be able to conduct “business as usual,” you have heard the wooing to deeper prayer and focused commitment, which caused you to discern the times and seasons that are at hand.

"Because of Our communion, you are now well aware of the fact that some very intense times are coming throughout the land, times similar to those of My early church. I will be using those of you, who have cultivated ears to hear My voice, to guide and give solace to those who have been too busy to prepare. They will be wide-eyed and drooling at the mouth because of fear. You must keep your eyes on Me, so that I have a people who are able to function properly and carry out My will.

"I am calling you to live a crucified life, dead to yourselves and alive to My perfect will. You have been in training for that kind of life for some time now. Those who have not followed Jesus’ example of living and dying will have no idea how to function when it is the only way to survive. Their “success-oriented” lives will be of no benefit to My kingdom. They will reel with the prospects of pain and loss. Unable to have any success from their formulas, hyper faith teachings, and “positive” doctrines, they will flounder foolishly with the rest of the world, instead of being My example for others to see.

"You must be there for them, holding them close, until they recover from the shock of seeing that I meant what I said all along. You remember the power of My might. You lead the way. Serve others as Jesus did.  Listen only to Me. I will be there for you.”

Isaiah 42:9 NIV

“See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Hebrews 12:12 TLB

So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves, but become strong.

Ephesians 1:17 NIV 

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

 

I am reminded of the time when Mt. Saint Helens (the volcano in the state of Washington) blew up. For some time before it erupted, warnings went forth to everyone near. They were told to evacuate their homes by increasingly intense warnings, as the expected time grew closer.

I remember hearing of some foolish people who did not heed the warnings, trusting in their own fortifications, or simply believing that they would be able to weather the blast. They had no concept of the devastating power that was soon to be unleashed in their direction. Because of their ignorance, they perished.

For many years, our gracious Lord has been calling for His people to prepare for times and seasons that will be extremely difficult. He has been calling us to fortify ourselves with His Word and cultivate a relationship with Him that is focused and trustworthy. The posture for which we have been in training is not one of survival; it is one of service and implementation of His will.

Very much like those who perished when the volcano erupted, most of the church has not heeded the warnings that the Lord has presented. Having never before experienced the impact of what is about to happen, they have based their decisions on their own interpretation of what is about to occur. The magnitude of the impending devastation eludes them.

I don’t believe that most of us realize how much of our “American dream” has already eroded. Our safety can no longer be promised because of our supposed might as a nation. We are in a different kind of time with a different set of rules that eludes those who do not know Jesus intimately. Proper preparations for these times are not those that are designed to protect personal safety. Physical fortifications will fall. The only safety will be in Jesus. There, nothing can touch us.

Needing to learn how to “tuck in” now,

Jim Corbett

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