Tag: Christianity

“Some of you are so busy looking for My will for your life that you miss what I have planned for you. My plan for you is to fellowship with Me. As We talk, you will know My heart and your place in what I am doing. You miss so much when you miss My reasons for getting together. Make Our time together your priority, and you will never be uncertain as to where I desire to apply My life through you.”

Eph. 3:14-19 AMP

14) For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15) For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].

16) May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

17) May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.

18) That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19) [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

 

When my daughter Jubilee was just old enough to walk, she and I headed for a tool barn on our property.  We started walking and I remember being very frustrated with her as she picked up little stones, smelled pretty flowers, and pointed to “the birdies.” I remember turning to her, urging her to walk faster, when the Lord spoke to my heart. He impressed upon me that my daughter was going for a walk with me, while I was just heading for the barn. I was so intent on the destiny that I missed the privilege of being with her.

So often it is the same with our relationship with our Lord. We become so busy “getting there,” that we even use our time with Him only to find answers, rather than experience the wondrous fellowship to which we have been invited. How foolish!

Teach me to go for quiet walks with You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“When you love deeply, you commit a violent act against the powers of darkness. When you choose the ways of Jesus over the ways of the world, you destroy strongholds set up to minimize your life. The ways of God are violent against spiritual darkness. They aggressively advance truth.

"Good has won over evil with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Good still wins over evil when you live as Jesus lived, love as He loves, and lay down your life for others as He did. It is a violent way to live, for the enemy has no power over a crucified life. The life of Jesus lived through you wins every battle, destroys every evil scheme, and aggressively advances My kingdom. His kind of love is unstoppable warfare.”

Matthew 11:12 NIV 

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

Matthew 11:12 KJV

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

John 15:12-14 NIV

12) “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13) Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

14) You are my friends if you do what I command.”

 

Jesus was brought into a world so perilous that children were killed at the whimsical edict of an evil king, crucifixions were as commonplace as morning walks, and people were held in slavery to ignorant teachers and foolish guides, yet He was absolutely fearless. His passionate love, His intimacy with His Father, and His zeal for imparting truth made Him “Teflon” in a world seething with infectious evil and eternal danger. His presence in any society was a gift of love from His Father God. We are in training to be the same kind of gift to those around us wherever our Father sends us.

Jesus could be fearless because He loved perfectly. He cared only for others and desired nothing for Himself. Even though He had all power, He was under full submission to the will of His Father. In His heart, He had given away everything, so He had no fear of someone robbing Him, even of His life. He held Himself in lower esteem than everyone, even the lowly leper, so no one could destroy His reputation. Jesus’ love was so pure that He was absolutely free from any peril that the world would attempt to place on Him.

Teach me to love as You love, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“What is your real commitment level to Me? How far will you go before you say, “Enough”? When will you set aside My requests to you and turn to disobedience? How long before the price I ask you to pay to be in My perfect will is considered too high?

"I prosper you and you pad your comfort areas. I challenge you to step out in faith and you walk in fear. I bring people to you and you turn them away. What will it take to turn your heart around? Remember the price that Jesus paid for you? I ask you to give to Me with the same kind of heart. Will you do it, or will you say that the price is too high and remain on the sidelines of My will for your life?”

Matthew 5:13 AMP 

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV 

19) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

We observe three separate heart positions functioning in the church body today, all called “Christianity.” There is the infant heart, the growing heart, and the mature heart - one that symbolizes the bridal heart, or more simply, the kind of heart that Jesus has. You will need to know and understand these three distinctive heart positions, so that you can function properly with the Lord’s help as you encounter them – either in yourself or others…

The mature heart is a wonder to behold. This is the passionate heart of Jesus. It is also the bridal heart, prepared and waiting for Christ, the one that will overcome and even prosper during the perilous times ahead. As Jesus is one with the Father, the mature or bridal heart beats in unison with Them both.

This heart sees only the Father’s will as important, only the Father’s plans as worth addressing throughout life. The world, the cold church, and all else in the physical realm hold no audience with this heart. There is no purpose but God’s purpose, no plan but God’s plan, no future but God’s future. This heart is untouchable in its alliance with God. It is in total freedom in its chosen “slavery” to only the Father’s will.

This heart has put aside most of its elementary sins against God, those choices of the flesh that have carried over into the Christian walk, the choices of doing good things vs. going deeper and deeper with the Lord. It has set aside fleshly temptations and ponders over the things that concern Jesus. Improper spiritual choices, such as moving ahead on anything without waiting for everything to develop properly in the spiritual realm, cause this heart to understand its dishonor of God and bring it to repentance for its disobedience.

Phil. 3:10b-11 AMP

10b) …and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

Because this dedicated heart is growing in the character of Christ as a priority, functioning in the world holds no promise for it. Its only desire is to be in fellowship with its source for beating - Father God, its “Abba.”

No price is too high to pay to remain in intimate fellowship. Even moving on assigned and directed missions is done only because it pleases the Father. As soon as the task is completed, this heart only wants to move back to the posture of intimacy.

Any outward expression of this heart to the world comes directly from the throne room. It does nothing of itself, but only the Father’s will. It is the heart that will come out of the refiner’s fire and beat steadily in unison with the heart of Jesus as the bride of Christ. This kind of heart should be your goal.

Make Your heart my goal, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I grieve when We are separated for any reason. If you have sinned, I long to extend mercy to you. If you are too busy, I wait for your return. If you decide that Our relationship is not as important as other events in your life, I initiate ways for you to change your heart. Whenever you repent of any sin, I run to you.

"It is true that I hold the stars in place. The winds obey My command. All the functions of your world would cease to exist if I desired that they end. I am God and there is no other. With all that I am, I still hold you at the center of My heart. You need not understand why. Just believe it with your heart.”

Matthew 10:29-31 NIV

29) “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

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

31) So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Luke 15:19-20 AMP 

19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants.

20) So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].

 

A spirit of compassionate insight (mourning) is the spirit that “drove” Jesus from His kingly station in the heavens down to earth to take on the form of one of His own created beings. He placed Himself “in the shoes” of each one of us both in this life and for eternity.

Feeling our present and future pain of separation from the Father, there was nothing that He could do but spend His life for us. His focus was on our loss. He cared about what would happen to us if He didn’t intervene on our behalf.

Having no separation between His heart and the heart of His Father, He also took as His own the loss that the Father had because of the sin of mankind, which caused separation. Father longed for all those He loved to cherish His glory for their well-being. Because the Father felt that way, so did Jesus - not in an elementary form of human caring, but with all of the compassions of the Father. When He moved in compassion, our needs and pains were taken on by Him as His own.

Thank You for never giving up on me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Get up! Arise! Today is the day for you to step out of the prison of your old lives. It is your resurrection day! I have removed the gravestone of those past days. I will remove the grave clothes of your former lives. Out of the ashes of the refiner’s fires I have guided you through, I will build a fortress of love that will guide others to Me through you.

"It is time to step deep into the anointing I have placed on your lives. As you celebrate the brilliant life of My Son, I will celebrate the victories that We will walk through. You have been faithful with little; now I will give you the stewardship of much to be used for My kingdom. Walk only with those I have called to you. They will be the support of your hands and the energy of your feet. Be wise with what I place in your hand. Honor Me in all that you do. You are about to begin to flourish in the season for which you’ve been trained.

"Rejoice! I am about to overcome every challenge that comes your way. I am about to win every battle that you face. I am about to fulfill every plan I have ordained for you from the beginning of time. I am about to have you enjoy the fruit of your obedience. I love you!”  

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.

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 127:1 AMP

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps a city, the watchman wakes but in vain.

 

The Lord often takes His loved ones through intense refiner’s fires. Sometimes these fires are seemingly so consuming that we feel as if we are going to perish. Sometimes we wish we would somehow be relieved of them. Even our death would be a relief, or so we think.

There comes a time, however, when the Lord breaks His fast for our lives and says that it is time to get up and get going. The fire is past. It’s time to move forward in the new life that He has established for us. At that time, we are to get up, shake off all the residue and ashes from the fire, and move in His newfound power and freedom. We are to look only to the future and forget the perils from the past.

It is time to retain a rock-solid belief that Jesus is Lord, you are His, and He loves you and has given you His presence so that you can move forward. If this is your time, do it now. Walk in freedom.

Tell me when to get up, Lord,

Jim Corbett