Tag: Christian

“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

“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

“Deception has become so commonplace that few of My people even anguish over it anymore. The line of holiness has been moved by those who do not pursue holiness. Standards that I have not set have become the guidelines for behavior, even in My church. No one grieves over sin. My people care little about those who have no idea of My perfect will for their lives.

"So many have been allowed to go their own way because My people fail to show them Jesus through the way that they live in their midst. When there is no visible evidence of real truth, the foolish make up their own truth from deceiving influences. How sad it makes Me to see My creation become blinded, lame, and stumbling in folly.”

Hebrews 12:12-13 TLB

12) So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs,

13) 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.

 

When I was a kid, one of the other kids in my neighborhood took great joy in getting everyone else in trouble. He was about two years older than the rest of us, so naturally we all followed him wherever he decided to take us. The tone of our lives was directly affected by what he did, how he felt, and whether or not you were his friend at any given time. I remember that it was very important to be his friend. If you were, somehow, you were more important than the others. The problem was, he accepted and discarded “friends” on a whim, accepting another into his fold. Each of us took turns in his favor. This caused continual disharmony. No one was able to have peace, as we were all pitted against one another many times at his bidding. He would then sit back and enjoy the strife that he had caused.  (I hate to say this, but he became a lawyer when he grew up.)

I remember one day, for some reason, we all woke up. Somehow, within about a week, we all realized that he was really a friend to none of us. His actions were exposed, and we all quit playing his game. Soon afterwards, he found people outside of our neighborhood to influence. He was old enough by then to leave our little circle, so he went on to others, no doubt following the same pattern with them. When he left, peace prevailed.

The above Father’s Heart and the Bible verses remind my heart of the importance of influence. We, as Christians, have been given the joy of truth. We have also been given the authority to lead anyone who will come to the saving grace of Jesus. Our mission is clear, and our influence is important to the world.

The problem is that we are not really leading, and few are following us. Because we have ourselves rejected the passions and desires of our Lord, few can see the wonder of His love and come with us. Our direction is unclear and without authority. People are gladly following someone who does have a clear direction and a passion for what they do, even if it is wrong.

So here we are. God has called us to be the strong influence in the world. We are called to make straight paths for people to follow, protecting them from harm as they go about their lives. Instead, most of them follow any big kid in the neighborhood who will take great joy in leading them to a path of strife and bondage. How pitiful! One day everyone will wake up to a truthful account of their lives, but more than likely it will be too late.

Needing to follow closer to Jesus, so that I can lead others to truth,

Jim Corbett