Tag: Christianity

“I would like for you to remember something incredible. It was My idea to bring you to Me in the first place. It’s true. I was the One who initially decided that you would spend eternity with Me. Through Jesus, I determined that any separation that was between you and Me would cease to exist. Now you have full access to My heart. Some of you are misusing that privilege by consuming what I have done on yourself. Some of you have not really taken the time to fully understand what I have provided for you. You are so busy with your life that your future with Me is not worth your time to investigate.

"Then there is you, My true church. Wow! I love your seeking heart. I am honored at how valuable My Word is to you. It pleases Me to see you setting aside any time required to hear My heart and flow in My love toward others. I love Our quiet times together. I love the times that We sing together. I truly enjoy your company and am becoming impatient to show you the fullness of what I have provided for you. There is so much that I have to share with you. In the meantime, thank you for appreciating My Son, Jesus. Thank you for upholding and honoring His Name before your generation. Thank you for not denying Me when challenges come your way.

"Work hard for those whom I need to come with you when I call you home. Look to that time with steadfast zeal but be sensitive to the times. Don’t become so busy in your mission for Me that you change your focus from one of abiding and waiting, to one of busyness - even doing My work. Keep yourself attentive to what I am saying. While others are consumed with whatever is their heart focus, I want you to hear Me when I call.”

Zephaniah 3:17 AMP

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy: He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.

 

While I was writing this, I felt the most intimate moment. It was as if the Lord was observing all of us who call ourselves Christians. It was as if He was observing the different camps to which we belong.

There were camps for: those who consume - they were lounging around; those who strive - they were so busy that they had little time to receive anything He might pass their way; those who fear - they were walking around with their noses in books, looking for promises; those who were oblivious - they kept wandering around looking for food; and those who were so busy that they were unaware of Him altogether. Although His love was flowing toward all of the people in these camps, in my heart it seemed He was observing with a special interest a small camp of people who were - in the midst of their toil - intermittently looking up at Him and smiling.

They were going about their business of methodically cleaning their houses and planting seeds in their fertile gardens with great zeal, astounding peace, and continuous joy; but they periodically just looked up and listened attentively. Some stopped for long periods of time, just to enjoy what the Lord was saying. He in turn, joyfully gave great attention to them, sometimes even touching their upraised hands - like the hands of a small child who wanted to “go uppey” – reaching down to respond to their loving gesture toward Him.

He seemed overjoyed with this last group. He responded to all the needs of the others -  monitoring, directing, and implementing much – and addressed their needs in a very loving way; but it seemed that all the time He was doing this, a portion of His attention remained sensitive to those in the group who raised their hands to Him.

Desiring to want only to “go uppey,”

Jim Corbett

“When was the last time that you did something simply to bless someone? When did you give someone a gift that was wildly beyond the norm, and did it anonymously? When have you covenanted to pray with another until their need was met, and really did it faithfully? Let’s go deeper. How about blessing someone who has harmed you in the past, really blessing them? Or forgiving so completely that you have their best interests at heart every time you think of them. Do you know that the kind of life mentioned above should be the way you function every moment? It is the way that Jesus thought and acted. It is the way you should, too, if you say that you follow Him.”

 Romans 12:9-21 NIV

9) Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

10) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

11) Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

12) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

13) Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

15) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

16) Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

18) If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19) Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

20) On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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.

 

The world understands hatred, hitting back, and demanding payment for wrong that has been done to them. Just look in the Yellow Pages under “lawyers.” What the world is desperately trying to understand is the kind of love that Jesus showed when He walked on this earth. His love made the hardened soldier, who had seen daily crucifixions, say of Jesus, “Surely he was the Son of God!

I believe that centurion had observed Jesus before and was saying, “He must be who He has been saying He was. He lived and died what He preached.”

Our heritage is to live an honorable life with higher standards than even the most honorable person in the world. Jesus did; so must we.

Show me how, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Watch the times and seasons and see how they are straining to fall in line with My Word. See how everything is lining up with what I have said would come to pass. Everything is in order. What should that tell you about your life? How should you be acting? You should be focusing on preparing your heart to see Me. You should be preparing as a bride. You should have oil in your lamp. Now is not the time to have a wandering heart. Now is the time to cleanse your garments. Become watchful. Set aside everything that distracts. Pay attention to My Word and My heart. Regain proper priorities.”

Matt. 25:6-13 NIV

6) “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7) “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

8) The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9) “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for us and you. Instead, go to those who sell and buy some for yourselves.’

10) “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11) “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir! they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

12) “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

13) “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Luke 17:26-30 AMP

26) And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man.

27) [People] ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, right up to the day when Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28) So also [it was the same] as it was in the days of Lot. [People] ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

29) But on the [very] day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all.

30) That is the way it will be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

2 Pet. 3:9-12a NIV

9) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

11) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

12a) as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

 

If something is said often enough by enough people, it becomes truth in the heart of the hearers. If that same something takes the form of a warning, and the fulfillment is long in coming, people stop hearing the urgency of the message because they have heard it so often. That is the danger that I believe is occurring today. We, as believers, have been told to prepare, look at the times and seasons, watch what is happening to Israel, Jesus is coming soon. We have been told it so often, that we almost ignore the continued warnings. We overlook God’s longsuffering and patience, and become weary in waiting. That is a grave mistake, which has an eternal impact.

Keep me focused, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Few of you understand the depth of commitment I have made with you. I have covenanted with you and sealed that covenant with the blood of Jesus. There is no more unbreakable agreement ever made. That means that I have placed Myself and My integrity on the line, so that you can be safe. You need to study what you entered into when Jesus became your Lord. You would be amazed how much My commitment to you is at work every moment of every day.”

Mark 4:24 AMP 

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

Luke 23:44-45 NIV

44) It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

45) for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

John 3:16 NIV 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 6:57 AMP

Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.

 

The astounding mercy of God was made evident upon the arrival of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His power was made evident when Jesus was raised from the dead. His covenant with us was sealed forever at the cross.

You and I function daily under the power of the most incredible agreement, made especially for us. Jesus is the mediator of a covenant so wonderful that we will bask in the results of its far-reaching impact for eternity.

Thank You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Why don’t you practice stepping out of your comfort zone? Determine in your heart to forgive anyone and everyone immediately. Set no limits on your giving to those who have need of any kind. Go “the extra mile” for someone who will never be able to pay you back. Make a big sacrifice secretly. Do something that has no benefit to you in any way. You get the idea. Take some time to implement the life of Jesus so quietly that it resounds throughout the heavenlies for eternity. Practice living His life to others when only you and I know you are doing it.”

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 under foot by men.”

Luke 9:23-25 AMP

23) And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].

24) For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death].

25) For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?

2 Cor. 9:7-8 NIV

7) Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

 

Sometimes we are so busy following the letter of the covenant that we have been given that we forget the heart of everything that has been done for us. Unlimited, overwhelming, unending, selfless love is at the center of all the freedom life we have been given in Christ. Not the “stand in your face, look what I’m doing” kind of love, but the “I lay my life down continually because I was loved first” kind of love. Everything else is a bondage of some sort.

Teach me, Father,

Jim Corbett