Tag: Devotional

“Do you know that if you are Mine and you ask Me for anything, I would put all the infinite powers of heaven to work to accomplish what you ask? It’s true! You need to know, however, that this promise is not for the immature Christian. Many of you use the Name of Jesus as flippantly as you would use something you’ve basically discarded, when at one time it meant something to you. You ingest what is needed for your own pleasure and then set it aside until the next time it is needed. Because there is so much power in the use of His Name, and all of heaven must respond in covenant response when His Name is used, you have little idea how much harm you are doing when you invoke it unwisely.

"You need to grow up so that you can be trusted with your covenant authority. It would be wise of you to step back and remember what your relationship with Me is all about. You are redeemed so that I have friends to work with for eternity, accomplishing My plans. Are there other benefits to you while you are doing this? Of course. In fact, the benefits to you are greater than you can ever imagine. If you have the mistaken idea, however, that your best interests supersede My plan, you will be greatly disappointed; and your relationship with Me will be out of order. Study Me; study My Word. Learn My purposes and flow in them. As you do that, all will be in order and you will be at peace.”

John 15:15b-16 NIV 

15b “…I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

16) You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

James 4:2b-3 NLB

2b) “And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it.

3) And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure.”

 

So many of today’s altar calls are an injustice to the work of God. To get a response from the listening audience and to build up churches, the one making the call normally paints a picture of health, wealth, and wisdom - not to mention eternity on streets of gold. Because of this, most Christians spend their days attempting to understand their salvation, instead of becoming mature vessels fit for the use of the Master.

I am convinced that the most important, missing piece of furniture in our churches today is the “tarrying bench.” The tarrying bench was a place where the one seeking salvation dealt with all the issues of salvation before making a commitment. Sometimes it took days as the person wrestled with the flesh, understanding its total depravity. Only after he understood that his life was no longer his own, and that he was bought with a bloody price, would the person be released to commit to Christ and His work on the cross. When he was finished, he understood his position in Christ with its benefits, but also its priorities. He was a servant, not a lord - especially of his own life and its needs. He understood that prayer was not a vehicle to accomplish his desires, but a two-way interaction. It was necessary to first find the will of God, and then be a surrendered vessel, who could be used to implement His will.

When a person in proper understanding of his relationship with the Lord prays, nothing can stop that prayer. A God-initiated, Holy Spirit-ordained prayer, presented in the Name of Jesus and designed to be in perfect unison with His plans, moves heaven, all of its powerful beings, and all of earth. Not only does it accomplish much for the will of God, it accomplishes much in the one who prayed. The seeking process, which occurs as the one who prays attempts to find the will of the Lord in a given situation, accomplishes untold benefits and multiple unseen changes in the seeker’s character. That, too, is in order with the will of God.

Needing to remember to seek first, then pray,

Jim Corbett

“Soon it will become evident that you will not be able to impart to others what they need to survive. Because they have not responded to My continuous wooing to draw close so that I can give them My Spirit, My wisdom, and My life, they will have nothing to offer anyone. They will not even have enough for themselves. They will ask you for what you have, but you can only send them to Me. I am what they need. They will ask for too much, too late.”

Matt. 25:1-12 NIV

1) “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2) Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

3) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

4) The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

5) The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

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 both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil 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.’”

 

To continually remain unresponsive to the Holy Spirit’s wooing to draw close to the Lord, which is clearly evident in this land, is foolish and will reap little reward in the future. When we need what only God can give us, it must be on tap. Future seasons will be overcome with what has been gained from today’s intimacy.

Open my eyes, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Are you not aware of the times and seasons? Who has swayed you from My ways? Have you stopped looking for the soon coming of My Son? Do you plan for His coming every day? You need to shake off the things that have distracted you. They have clouded your eyes and quieted your hearing of why you have been born in this season. Listen carefully! This is not about you! The enemy of My Word is zealous to preach his lies to deceive many, while you crave more comfortable places to hide. He understands what is about to happen and is forming death grips on those who will listen. Many are hearing him because you are not living the truth of Jesus. They need to hear My voice. Who will show them if you don’t? Wake up. Realign your priorities now!”

 Proverbs 29:21 AMP

He who pampers his servant from childhood will have him expecting the rights of a son afterward.

Jeremiah 10:23 AMP 

Oh, Lord [pleads Jeremiah in the name of the people], I know that [the determination of] the way of a man is not in himself; it is not in man [even in a strong man or a man at his best] to direct his [own] steps.

1 Cor. 13:11 AMP 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

 

What I have been realizing lately is the fact that there is still a portion of me that is in this walk with the Lord for my good rather than for the fulfillment of His plans. It really boils down to the issue of Lordship. I want to be Lord over things that I need to control. As I do that, I lose sight of the plan of God for my life and make demands on Him to fulfill my needs. One day, I will realize that this life is not all about me, and He is not in the business of allowing me to live as though it is.

Forgive me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I have called you to a higher place. I have taught you to reside in that place with Me. Your world is again attempting to force you to take sides on issues, involve you in controversies, and coerce you to move in directions that are designed to distract you from the real issues that need your complete attention. The more you become involved in the daily distractions, the less you will be able to hear Me when I call you. You need to remember that I have been training you for such a time as this. Understand that others, who are not as mature as you, need you to maintain a proper presence in front of them. You must keep a clear head and remain steadfast in the mission to which I have called you.

"Do not be distracted because of outside influences. Listen carefully. I am about to make the impossible possible in many of your lives. I am about to bring forth miracles and wonders to draw many to Jesus. You need to be where I have called you to be, not in some place, reacting to something that has temporarily garnered your attention. Keep your focus. Remain steadfast in prayer. Stay diligent and on course. If you move only when I tell you to move, you will be where I want you to be. I can then accomplish My desires through you.”

Esther 4:14 AMP 

For if you keep silent at this time; relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

 

Throughout the Word, God has placed specific people in specific places to accomplish specific tasks for Him. Positioned properly, these agents allow the power and presence of the Lord to accomplish tasks. They witness miracles and proclaim His Word in due season. Leaders such as Joshua, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Esther, the apostles, Paul, D. L. Moody, Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, and others too numerous to mention continually moved with the Lord and accomplished much for Him.

Each move of the Lord required obedient, usually ordinary men and women during a specific time and place, who accomplished extraordinary missions for Him. I’m sure that each mission would still have been accomplished if that ordained individual hadn’t shown up for the job. The Lord would have used someone else. However, these people saw the presence of the Lord firsthand because of their obedience.

We are living in astounding times. If these are not the end of the end of times, (I firmly believe that they are,) future Christians could be reading about many of us who have gone before them, because of the exploits that we were involved in for our Lord. We could be the past men and women of faith to them.

In each generation and season, the life of every man and woman has great purpose and matters deeply to the Lord. Every one of us has been born for such a time as this as surely as Esther was. The training that we have been through, or are going through now, will be used in many ways and for many reasons to help fulfill the plan of God.

Would it not be wise, then, to covet our time with our Father, dismissing every distraction that would hinder that fellowship and keep us from hearing His direction every moment of every day? Wouldn’t it be even more wonderful to know that each of us is exactly where we are supposed to be at any given moment, so that the Lord is free to use us for His purposes? On the other hand, wouldn’t it be horrible to find out that someone else had to be used in a particular instance because we were not obedient?

Wanting to be exactly where I’m supposed to be every day, all the time,

Jim Corbett

“I remember the blood. I remember watching as Jesus wept and I sent comforters to Him, knowing what was in store. I stood by as He was denied any defense. He willingly allowed Himself to be governed by those I had given the authority to do so. But then We had agreed upon that long, long ago. I remember when every demon in hell took a turn at holding the whip that tore His body. I saw the weight of your sin that He carried and died for. I had to turn My back so that everything could be completed. I was able to release forgiveness to all of you because of what was accomplished by Jesus that day. I remember the blood. Be assured, I always remember the blood.”

John 19:30 NIV

…Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

 

If this were the day that Jesus was crucified for our sins, many events would be taking place simultaneously. The earthly violence was over. A new kind of death-destroying violence was about to occur.

At this moment the tomb would be quiet, the body of the Savior of the world cold. Sleepy guards have positioned themselves to stave off any unwise intruder. All heaven would be poised in horror, waiting for the Father to do something, anything. All hell is rejoicing, thinking that they had won. Most of mankind is sleeping restlessly, very confused at the events of recent days. Others are gloating over their recent victory, confident that they have accomplished God’s will by killing “that blasphemer.” A small group is cowering together, waiting fearfully for the knock on the door, sealing their doom.

To some in heaven and on earth, the unthinkable had happened. To others, the foolishness was finally over. Winning and losing had parallel camps in both the spiritual and physical worlds. Neither, however, had any understanding of what the Father was about to do. Soon He would lovingly call forth the Name of His only Son, Jesus. With brilliance beyond description, Jesus would respond by reaching to the outstretched hand of His Father.

From that moment, both heaven and earth would never be the same. God’s original order would be restored. Spiritual death would be destroyed. Eternal life with God was now available.

In the next few months, most of mankind would go about their business, unaware of the eternal impact of what had just happened. A few of the faithful would begin to tell others of the most wonderful event that ever occurred. Those would then tell others that hope could now be a part of every life.

A gift above all worth had been given to some who would receive it gratefully. Others, through the centuries to come, would care less.

Help me to always remember the blood, Lord,

Jim Corbett