Tag: Christian

“Do you know that I am aggressively at work, changing your perception of others? That is one of My main focuses on your path to becoming like Jesus. When I get you to see other people as He did, you will be well on your way to being a useable tool to accomplish My will on the earth. Before you have His heart toward others, all of your actions are tainted by your faulty perceptions and opinions. They are worthless in accomplishing My will. Jesus saw everyone from My perspective from the beginning of creation. His coming to earth was not just “happenstance;” it was an outward expression of Our unity. Long before the sin in mankind was expressed outwardly, even for the very first time, all was prepared to accomplish the work on the cross. We saw your need!

“Have you ever thought of My Words to you and those actions toward you through the centuries - those written and those expressed in the life of Jesus - as the epitome of love? Everything that has been done was done for your benefit from a heart of love. I am bringing your heart to that same place of love. I need you to love others as I do. I want no one to perish, not even your most aggressive enemy. Set a gauge as to how close you are to being in accord with My heart. How much do you love others? I would venture to say that if you were really honest with yourself and with Me, you would find that you have little love toward those in My family, much less toward those who hate you.

“You mutter, judge, and set your face against anyone who does not see as you do. How does that compare to the words of forgiveness that Jesus said from the cross? It is where you must go. It is where I’m taking you, before you are completely usable in My work.”

Luke 23:33-34 NIV

33) When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals -one on his right, the other on his left.

34) Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

 

More than likely the soldier who drove the nails in the hands and feet of Jesus still had the hammer in his hand. It’s possible that the men who vented their demonic aggression toward Him earlier with their whips, followed him to the place of the cross for the satanic thrill of final victory. Some scholars say that some in the jeering crowd, even some of those who only days before called Him the Son of God, spit at Him and gnashed their teeth against Him. In their grief, they hated Him for dying and disappointing their hopes. The religious leaders probably stood off to the side with smirks of prideful power, some possibly already plotting their next juicy bit of learned wisdom to give to their inquiring students.

For everyone there, and for everyone in the future who would laugh at His life, at all that He was, and at His gruesome death, Jesus asked His Father to forgive them. TO FORGIVE THEM! Of all the words that the Son of God could have said, of all the power He could have invoked against those who had murder, rebellion, ridicule, and every other base emotion toward Him in their hearts, He only spoke words of compassionate forgiveness and astounding love. His heart broke for those who killed Him. Even then, in the midst of unimaginable pain and horrifying death, He could only see their desperate need as they wallowed in their sin.

After many years of basking in that same kind of love toward me from my Lord, I probably still would want to call down legions of angels to get those ungrateful, pompous bigots if I had been Him; maybe even jump off that cross and shown everyone who’s really in charge. Why, I would…

Needing Your mercy and forgiveness more than ever, Lord. Please change my heart and how I perceive others, so that You can use me,

Jim Corbett

“Do you remember that I own every beat of your heart? What if I were to call you home today? Would you have fulfilled My desired plan for you? Would your life have been of consequence?

“You really have a choice. You can do many great and not so great things. You can look to others as if you had a deep relationship with Me because of your many activities. But I know. I know if We have spent enough time together for you to fully understand My will for your life. I know the difference between good activities and anointed steps guided by My heart. Come to Me now to learn of My purpose for giving you more beats of your heart. Come and allow Me to make your life of great consequence.”

Proverbs 16:9 AMP 

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

Proverbs 20:24 AMP

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?

Isaiah 2:22 AMP 

Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?”

 

If you were to take all the imaginations of mankind, all the wealth, knowledge, and power of all the men and women that have ever lived and combine them, multiplied by one million to the millionth power, it would not compare to the wonder of one moment of God in His ordinary (for Him) daily activities and interactions with us. With all that our Father God is and has and has done, His heart has favor toward the opportunity He created for those He formed from the ground of the earth to be in association with Him.

This love association is an unparalleled drama that has overwhelmed the mind of the scholar, disgusted the heart of the bigot, softened the heart of the needy, and filled to overflowing the heart of the child.  In all the wonder that is our God, the most amazing aspect, which has baffled mankind throughout his time in existence, is the well-put phrase in the Book of Psalms, “Who is man that you are mindful of him?”

Thank You for caring about my life, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“When are you going to start believing the truth? When will you decide to trust all that I say in My Word, instead of trusting how you feel or what the enemy of your soul has told you? Any part of you that you allow to believe a lie causes strife and contention. That area of your life does not allow My Holy Spirit to reign over it. Only discord and the disruption of My peace prevail. Why would you allow that to happen?

“My ways - the ways of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and My Word - all point to a way of absolute peace and freedom. I have provided that abundance for you. Choose to be in accord with truth. Love deeper. Forgive more. Care for others. Trust Me! Bring life, not death, in all that you do. Believe and walk in the truth. It is the way of the wise. It is the way that I have chosen for you.”

Psalm 127:1 NIV 

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Gal. 5:22-26 AMP

22) But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

23) Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].

24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

25) If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

26) Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.

I Thess. 2:13 AMP

And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

 

A while back, I had the opportunity to observe two families. The setting was at a swimming pool at a hotel. One family was Christian, and the three children had been home schooled all their lives with God as the center of their schooling and the Bible as the foundation for all that they lived. I know this because I talked to the parents. The other family had all the trappings of the world and typified what most would call the “beautiful people.” Their children were enrolled in a secular, private school and seemed to lack for nothing materially. Both families were there for some educational competition and seemed equal socially.

The families did not know each other, so I was able to observe them in their own environment, separate from each other yet in a common atmosphere. There were differences in age and gender, so they had little reason to interact and remained as autonomous family units.

Over the course of the afternoon, each family obviously had opportunity to interact, resolve differences, and engage in conflict if they were so inclined. That is where the striking differences came forth. The secular family functioned as separate people, loosely joined by a family bond, seemingly only tolerating each other because of that bond. They trudged through the afternoon, demanding their individual rights, imposing their diverse opinions on each other, and biding their time until something more interesting occurred later that day. All had something different planned for their individual lives once the pool time ended.

The Christian family was bonded in love and respect for each other. They were a delight to behold as they each seemed to strive to please the other. They embraced the fullness of the day, sharing and loving openly, whole-heartedly enjoying, respecting, and building each other up. They lived the truth of God’s Word as a family. The difference was remarkable, the contrast astounding, and the impact of the truth of the Word in action was evident every moment of the afternoon. The concepts of God and His Word were so lived out by this family that they were “bright” with living truth. Their lives were such a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that everyone there - even the parents of the other family - noticed that something was different about them. The foundation of their lives, individually and collectively, was biblical truth - and it showed.

Show me how, Lord,

Jim Corbett