2/19/21 How Did Jesus Do It?

From the book, The Father Factor, by Jim and Merry Corbett

In studying the pattern of the life of Jesus, we must come to realize that every aspect of His life pleased His Father. Several glaring examples stand out and should be applied to our own lives. They are attainable only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father even to the point of His death. All of His heart determination fell in line with His Father’s desires. What the Father wanted, He did without question. Jesus considered nothing His own, even His life. Everything belonged to His Father. Jesus did nothing by His own reasoning or the logic of the day. Everything was done of His Father in heaven. Do you see the pattern that is acceptable and significant to God and the one we are to follow?

We have been bought with the blood of Jesus. We are owned by God. Everything we have is owned by God. Every breath we take is given to us by God. Every thought, action, dream, and desire is to be confirmed by God before it is determined valid enough to act upon. In this life and beyond, we are to be empty vessels, conduits so that the life of Jesus can be lived through us and the plans of God can be implemented through us, as seen through Jesus’ example.

Our true legacy is to impart the importance of leading a significant life for the glory of God to everyone with whom we come in contact throughout our time on earth. By the power of the Holy Spirit, this honorable legacy, then, is the impartation of the character and integrity of Jesus to everyone we meet through the way we live our lives, teaching them by our words and actions who He is and how He lived as an example for their lives. This continues the plans of God. This is important to God. This makes our lives significant to Him. This is our honorable legacy, which will continue uninterrupted through those who knew us and saw Jesus enough in us through word and deed, so that they, too, had the opportunity to choose and follow Him when He called.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

Open post

2/18/21 What About Today?

“Look around! What have I brought into your world today that is important to Me? Make it important to you. I may want you to pay a little more attention to your mate. You might be called to go the extra mile for someone who needs to see the love of Jesus. Maybe I will call you to give a simple smile in a place where they are rare. Just open your heart to what I might have in mind for someone today. Live My heart.  Bring the heart of Jesus to barren places. You will be amazed at what will grow beautiful.”

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.”

Mark 1:40-41a 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.

Luke 6:36 NIV  

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

 

Over the years, Merry and I have really attempted to define the life of Jesus in simple terms and then focus our lives in that direction. This has sometimes been a conscious effort and other times the Lord has forced us to desperately find His heart because of intense situations or extreme circumstances.

I can’t speak for Merry, but I have found that seeking the heart of God becomes relatively easy when I consider the Lord’s desires or the best interests of others before my own in any given situation. That may seem oversimplified, but it has taken quite a while to really go there.

I have also found that functioning in His kind of love usually is not the first reaction that presents itself. My old nature rears its ugly head and has to be quieted before I can see or hear clearly enough for truth to come to me.

God is love. Jesus lived His love as our example. Isn’t it about time that we allowed others to see that love, and subsequently see Him because of our bringing it to every situation to which we are called?

Show me who to love today, Lord,

Jim Corbett

2/18/21 Unconscious Advance

Often we forget that God is continually at work on our behalf and for the good of those we love. He has called us to the position of husband and father. He will equip us for the task if we seek Him for His power. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. He will continually advance His plan for our lives and the lives of those we love. There are no “off days” with respect to His hand on us accomplishing what He desires.

When the obligations of my offices overwhelm me, and my failures seem to far outnumber any semblance of success, I remember a comment made by a dear pastor who is now enjoying the Lord's company face-to-face.  He used to say, "There has never been an emergency meeting of the Trinity."  If we could only remember that every moment, maybe we could stop setting those meetings up down here because we see no evidence of change in us or our circumstances.

Is God  trustworthy  and all-powerful or not?  Of course He is! I guess that puts the ball back in our court. "Lord, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that has the ability to trust You completely!"

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

Open post

2/17/21 Through My People

“Are you doing your part in your community, knowing that you are the only ones who understand the spiritual war you are in? I ask you, do you consider yourself a spiritual citizen? Are you beginning to realize that your world is spiraling out of control at an alarming rate, and that it is a spiritual problem? Allow Me to share something with you. I have always asked My people to make a difference wherever they are placed by Me. Few of you have chosen to seek Me enough to understand what that really means. World calamities were never near enough to your door for you to need to call upon My power. Have you noticed how that is changing rapidly? Evil abounds and is becoming more blatant, even on your very doorstep at any given moment. It is going to continue, so you had better begin to realize your position as My spiritual warriors in your physical world.

"Start by praying for wisdom for the authorities to find those who harm others. Seek Me to confuse harmful people so that others are protected. It is all training, for you learn how to do battle when it directly affects your immediate world. Often in the past, I have blinded the eyes of the enemy during perilous times because of the prayers of the righteous. I have caused confusion to prevail in those seeking to do harm so that My children are protected. I have even allowed some of My children to walk in miracles on a daily basis so that My will is accomplished - all for the purpose of having My plans implemented through My people, who are winning the war on their knees.

"I am not asking you to simply transfer your selfish prayers to do warfare on your behalf. I am training you to see the needs of others and intercede on their behalf. Then I am asking others to do the same for you when you are in need. It is how the spiritual war is won on a world-wide basis, and also at a very personal level. Begin to prepare now. Soon you will need to be very familiar with My kind of warfare.”

Esther 4:14b AMP

…And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion.

Acts 21:13 AMP

Then Paul replied, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart like this? For I hold myself in readiness not only to be arrested and bound and imprisoned at Jerusalem, but also [even] to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

There is no question in my mind that our world is changing at an alarming rate. The “Leave it to Beaver” life no longer exists, no matter how much we long to reside there.

We have some real, immediate choices to make as the children of God. We can bury our heads in the sand, ignoring our responsibility to seek the Lord for our role in all of this; or we can submit to the changes, understand the seasons, and accept our place in the Lord’s timetable.

For many, many years the church of Jesus Christ in this land has been looking inward. We have consumed all the provisions of the Lord to heal our own wounds, pad our comfortable nests, delight ourselves in miracles; and for the most part, call upon God to be our personal servant, ad nauseum. Most of us have ignored the call to a crucified life of service for the sake of the Lord’s plan and for the benefit of others. It has always been the Lord’s priority, but we have gravitated to the teachings of wealth and prosperity.

That was never our portion as children of God. Now, on the brink of drastic changes, few of us even know what to do when there are no answers to be found - when things may never be better than they are at this very moment. We have thought only of ourselves for so long that our ability to enter into the real war, the spiritual one, is horribly hindered. Our spiritual muscles have atrophied. Our spiritual mind has dimmed.

God is shaking us awake to the season at hand. It may be the season that ushers in the coming of our Lord. Are we willing to prepare ourselves properly so that we fulfill our part in His plan during these times?

Needing to first cast off a spirit of complacency before I become totally blind and completely ineffective,

Jim Corbett

2/17/21 Our Privilege

Have you ever thought about the privileges we have as husbands and fathers? Though there are many, one of the most wonderful is the ability to hold those we love before the Father for His blessing upon them. Not only do we observe their days; we also have the honor of laboring in prayer for them as we see their needs.

Think of it. God has chosen us to be a valued asset in the lives of those we love, to lend a hand for their best interests, to undergird them in their times of need or challenge by presenting them before our mighty God for His faithful intervention. That’s some pretty powerful stuff!

The apostle Paul talked about being in pain as if in childbirth until Christ was formed in his circle of influence. He considered it his task to hold them before the One Who can do something about their real need. We can do the same for those we love. It’s our job, our moment by moment assignment! It’s our calling and privilege!

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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