Tag: Christianity

“When all your handles cease to exist, what will you hang on to so that you survive? What will you do when those things that define you are no longer available to you? You must begin to establish your identity in Jesus. Only then will you remain strong when all the world’s treasures become known for what they really are. Only Jesus will be your source for everything you will ever need. When He is all you have, He will be all you need!”

Phil. 3:8 AMP

Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs) in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One).

 

Would the loss of everything you call your own be the end of you? If Jesus was all that you had, and you had no hope to ever gain anything else, would that be enough for you?

I boastfully announced with most others around me during my younger Christian years that if He was all I had, He would be enough. When everything was taken away from me, I had to come to repentance. I was a hypocrite. I was not satisfied with only Jesus. I wanted security, reputation, a home, and the hope of things getting better. I found that Jesus, plus these things and more, made me who I was. It was a startling revelation; one that changed my life.

What makes you who you are in your own heart? If everything was taken away, would you be the same person that you are now? Really think about it and be careful with your answer.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“To those of you who have been in My refiner’s fire, remain steadfast just a while longer. I am moving you to another season soon. In the time you are to remain under My hand of vigorous training, learn the deep lessons I am teaching you.

"Rest in My presence. I will show you My heart as We spend quality time together. When this season is over, you will understand why you needed the skills I have given you. Others will benefit from your learned obedience. I will be glorified in your life as I send you forth. Be patient! I am with you. I will soon be able to trust you.”

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...”

James 1:2-4 NIV 

2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Rev. 2:2-5 NIV

2) “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.  I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.

3) You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary.

4) Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

5) Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

Rev. 3:19 AMP

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].

 

In the book of Amos, it talks of two not being able to walk together unless they are agreed. How can we expect Jesus to overlook the filth of the world’s attitudes that are still in us, when He died so that they might be eliminated?   We are, in fact, saying that His suffering and death are of no consequence, if we refuse to allow lofty attitudes to be removed from our lives.

It is time that we all acknowledge our need of God’s mercy.  It is also time that we understand that He is showing us our need; so that we, in turn, will function in His mercy towards everyone, as He has. He is being merciful at this very moment as we see who we are not.

To withhold mercy would, once again, show a wrong heart motive - one of consuming God’s mercy while showing none. It is one of the most selfish of acts, most unlike the One whom we say we represent and for whom we are waiting, so that He might take us with Him because we are supposedly like Him.

The merciless heart is very much like that of the foolish virgins in Matthew 25. They came, not for the good of the master who was to arrive, but for their own good. They are also the ones pounding on the door after it had been closed and locked.  Quite a sobering thought!

Eliminate whatever You are after in me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Be careful that you don’t become complacent during times of ease and comfort. It is important that you seize these times to refocus and readjust, making sure that you have not moved from My calling during the times of pressure. Come close to Me. I will refresh your heart. I will comfort your spirit and give you strength to continue on. I will adjust your perspective and clear your vision.

"When you are involved in a battle, it is easy to place emphasis on winning the battle, rather than seeing the larger picture of My overall plan. It is easy to limit Me when there is peril. It is in times of rest that you will be reminded of My motives and My reasons for your life.

"You are of great value to Me. Never even entertain the idea that I have forgotten you or have not noticed your situation. I am always with you. Whether you stand in the midst of great peril, or rest by a quiet stream, I am with you. That is My way.”

Pr. 3:5-6 AMP 

5) Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6) In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Isa. 30:15, 18 AMP

15) For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not,

18) And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him, [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

Isa. 40:31 AMP

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Matt. 10:29-31 AMP

29) Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice.

30) But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31) Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Heb. 13:5b AMP

… for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

 

Once we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, every moment of every day is His. We have been purchased. Our lives are owned by another. No longer our own, our lives are to be in full submission to our Lord.

The plan of God is that no one should perish. Through us, He continually brings the knowledge of Christ to everyone we meet, so that they might see and embrace Him.  We represent Him whether in difficult times or in times of ease and comfort.

When we go through difficult times, it is easy to focus on removing ourselves from the pressures that accompany them. We can become self-focused, attempting to be delivered. The best interests of God and others can be placed on a shelf, far behind our own needs during these times. We all have a tendency to forget that this life is not all about us, but about God and His plans.

In times of rest, our Father can bring us back to His perspectives, if we allow Him to do so. He can again show us the reality of why we have been bought and what our purpose on this earth is, while reminding us of the wonder of what is in store for us because of what Jesus has done. Our life in Christ becomes clear again.

Draw me to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“What is most important to you? What consumes your thought patterns? How close are your thoughts to My Word? If you are wondering why you have no peace or confidence in Me, why don’t you examine your motives for doing what you do? If you are full of unforgiveness, anger, self-serving agendas, or self focused direction, how can I be there with you?

"You are not listening to the heart of My Word. I cannot go where you choose to live with your heart. I will never go anywhere that denies My Word. Why do you stay there and wonder why I am not fulfilling your requests? Get your heart in line with My Word. Repent of any area of your life that is out of line. Move to Me. I am where I always am, watching over My Word to perform it.”

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.”

2 Chr. 7:14 NIV

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin…”

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...”

James 4:10 AMP

Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

Rev. 3:19 AMP 

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].

 

If we attempt to hold on to our lives, striving to maintain any semblance of control over them, we will lose their real value. If we voluntarily lose our lives, willingly taking the posture of Jesus by giving everything away to God, we gain more than we could ever believe possible. When we choose to make these fleeting moments in time that we call our lifetime all about the glory of the Lord, He shows us that He has far more for us than if we had been concerned only for ourselves.

It works like this: If we really do give everything away, He draws so close to us that our nature is superseded by His nature; and consequently, we care less and less about our own needs the more we come to Him. (Supersede – to force out of use as inferior, to take the place, room, or position of.) Our surrender causes the Lord to develop in us the character of Christ - a nature that is deeply in love with the Father and wanting only His desires - in place of our selfish, carnal character. The freedom achieved through our submission is the really good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God lovingly brings us out of the horrors of our fleshly nature. He places His life in us when we come to Jesus; then He adds and adds Himself each time we surrender.

Take my life and conform it to Your Word, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“When was the last time you were an advocate for Me? Have you defended Who I am recently? Have you upheld My Word when it was maligned by someone? Have you represented the life of Jesus when others were saying that the life of the world is the way to live? You are My representative. You are living where I have placed you with very specific people, for very specific reasons. Begin to represent Me properly in every situation. Defend My honor! Defend My plan for others! Defend the cross! Defend My heart!”

Matt.16:19  AMP

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth, must be whatever is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

 

So often we forget that one of the main reasons we are here on this earth is to represent God in all of our actions through Jesus. His plan is that others see Jesus in the way we live so that none will perish.

Jesus had a passion to empty Himself and live a life devoted to others. He would never lift Himself up or hold Himself in higher esteem than anyone else – even the lowliest leper.  Even though He was God, He held everyone in His heart as more important than Himself; especially those who laughed at, tortured, and crucified Him. He could not be wounded by their sin; He could only see their desperate need.

In the true spirit of advocacy, Jesus also desires to see His Father put first and is constantly looking to have Him glorified. His delight is in having Father God as the object of esteem in the hearts of those He loves. All of His mortal life, and now all of His kingly life, undergirds and points to the Father. There is no “one-sidedness,” however, as all of the Godhead - in unity of Spirit, being One - point to each other’s wealth.

As the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus, who functions as our advocate, delights to see us accepted and perfected. He would gladly go to the cross again and again, if He had to, so that we could prosper and be complete in His Father’s love; and so that His Father would continually have the pleasure of our company. (Praise God that everything was finished once and for all at Calvary!)

With Jesus as our example, and with the Father’s love flowing through us, we are to walk as advocates for our Lord, each other as believers, and then on behalf of those who have need. Our adoption into the family of God, our sonship, gives each of us the heritage and ability to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fix me, so that others see You in me, Lord,

Jim Corbett