Tag: Church

“When I remove My hand from something, only darkness is left. When I bring judgment upon something, it must reel under the weight of My purposes. It must eventually surrender to My will or it will simply cease to exist.

"People have become used to My grace upon this land for so long that it has been taken for granted. As My judgments flow, many will curse Me; others will see that I am doing what I have promised all along, allowing everyone a final opportunity to turn to Me.

"Even judgment is really My mercy and grace for it brings you, My people, to Me. You really come to Me only because you have need, but you do come.”

Rom. 8:28-31 AMP

28) We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

29) For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

30) And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

31) What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]

 

To say that we are blessed is an incredible understatement. I think of my life; when I realize what I really deserve, all I can do is fall in a heap at the feet of Jesus, thankful for His mercy toward me. He accepts me when I don’t deserve acceptance. He loves me even when I have no idea how to love Him back. He is with me even when I choose to be far from Him because of my choices and failures. I will be with Him forever because He loved me enough to die for me.

The mercy of God is beyond understanding. First, there’s Jesus, the epitome of mercy toward a creation that had no hope of any kind of deliverance from its sin. He came even when we didn’t want salvation; but in God’s mercy, He came to us.

Now, in the closing moments, the incredible patience and mercy of God is the only power holding back the close of all things and the final damnation of all those who scorn God. God wishes that none should perish, so he is giving more time to those who need to repent before He closes the door. Even the tribulation period - with its judgments, horrors, and overwhelming dismay - is God’s mercy. It is a final chance to repent. Those who wouldn’t bend their knee in good times are put under so much pressure that they either bend and repent or walk away cursing.

What an incredible God! What mercy! Thank You, Lord.

Walking with a grateful heart,

Jim Corbett

“Throughout My Word, I require that you trust Me. You must trust Me to be the God that I say I am. Trust Me when I say that Jesus is Lord and that He has done and is doing what My Word proclaims aloud. You must believe in My covenant and all of its provisions, and trust that what has been provided for you after you close your eyes for the last time will come to pass. I require you to trust Me with your every moment of life; that I will direct your steps and that you will prosper if you do so.

"Because I require you to have an unlimited amount of trust in Me, I place Myself in a position of being trustworthy. If that were not so, then all that I have said and all that has been done would be a lie. You can be confident of My promises because I am in covenant with you. You can be assured of My ability to direct your steps and fulfill My promises for your life. You can rest in the fact that I am your God, worthy to be honored. You may walk in some dark places surrounded by thorns but rest assured that I am with you. I will never leave your side, nor will I ever forsake you. I promise. You can trust Me.”

Eze 2:6-8 NIV 

6) “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.

7) You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

8) But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Ac 20:22-24 NIV

22) “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23) I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

24) However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace...”

Ac 21:11-13 NIV 

11) Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

12) When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13) Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

 

If we look at this relationship with God through Jesus as a means for us to become “healthy, wealthy and wise” in this life, we will be sorely disappointed and deeply discouraged. We will make ourselves vulnerable to any attack of our enemies, and eventually distrust God completely. Should we expect and demand only a bed of roses, our life with the Lord will be one miserable experience. Few, if any, will see reason through us to embrace Jesus as Lord.

Whatever difficulties we may encounter have little or nothing to do with the trustworthiness of God. He never said that our life would be easy. In fact, He has often said that to follow Jesus would involve hardships, trials, and even death.

The Word says that if we say that we abide in Him, Jesus, we should walk and conduct ourselves in the same manner in which He walked and conducted Himself. He walked and conducted Himself in a world that mostly hated everything He said and did. The visible outcome of His actions was a miserable death on a slivered cross.

Paul - one of God’s most used messengers - was imprisoned, beaten often, and lived a good part of his life in squalor. In his eyes, however, none of that mattered. His God was not only worthy of trust, He was worthy of all praise and worship because of the honor of serving in that capacity.

We need to grow up and shake off all of the old teachings that proclaim that we call the shots with God, that He owes us wealth and success in some way. That kind of teaching is man-made foolishness and directly opposed to the Word of God, no matter how many times the Word of God is manipulated to try to prove that premise.

We have been bought with a price and have entered into God’s plan for the redemption of anyone who will hear. We are to carry God’s message of reconciliation to a dark and dying world that hates us and our message. It is a war won every day in the heavenlies and played out in each of our lives.  We are God’s vessels, designed to implement His will, no matter what the cost might be to us.

His promises to us are that He will be with us every step of the way, guiding us and protecting us from faltering; and above all else, loving us. He can be trusted every moment of every day to do that. Praise Him for the privilege of serving a trustworthy Lord.

Turning my heart toward home,

Jim Corbett

“Many people are waiting for you to become all that you can be in Christ Jesus. To some, you are the only Jesus they will ever see. To others, you will be just one more weak, religious hypocrite who cares little about them or others. Whether you want it or not, your life is placed in full view of everyone in your whole world as soon as you take on the Name of My Son, Jesus. You stand out because you are different. I have designed it that way.

"Understand this! Whether they know it or not, every heart that exists has a need for Jesus. It is a part of the life process that I have created. Embracing Him is the only answer to life, the very reason for living. Every man, woman, and child is in search of this answer. Whether you like it or not, you are representing the life of Jesus before them. When you consume His life on yourself, they see it and turn away. When you spend His life for others, they see it and desire more. When His life in you is selflessly devoted to My will, they see it and embrace Him.”

Isa. 30:21 NIV 

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Hos.  4:6  AMP

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge…

Matt. 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.

John 4:34 NIV

”My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

Eph. 3:16 AMP

May He grant you out of the rich treasure 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].

 

Have you noticed that as soon as you acknowledge in some way that you are a Christian, people look at you in a different way? Have you ever wondered why? I have a theory! I believe that all people are looking for the answer to life. I know that Jesus is that answer. Deep down in the inner being of each and every person, I believe that they know it and hunger for it.

When you and I somehow make it known that we represent Jesus, the inner being of those around you is immediately at attention. The inner being that is in search of life becomes alert to everything you and I do and say with spiritual vigor, because we have said that we represent the truth for which it is seeking. How well we represent that truth from that moment on determines how free the Holy Spirit is to move that person closer to embracing that truth. I believe that the clarity with which we represent Jesus to every person in our little world is very important to them and to Father God. Just a theory!

Needing to understand the importance of my actions everywhere I go,

Jim Corbett