Tag: Devotional

“Have you forgotten that one day you will stand before Me? You really need to remember that I will judge what you have done in My Name and how you have used what I have given you. You seem to have lost the significance of that event and how important it is to Me that you have an abundance to give to Jesus. You also don’t realize how your actions now reflect on and impact your eternity with Me.

"If you choose not to develop intimacy with Me now, how will your life compare to those who have? Will you expect Me to overlook your lack of desire to be with Me? Similarly, if you can’t be trusted with what I give to you to help My Word go forth, why would I entrust you with things of value for eternity? Why should I believe that you care about the things that Jesus really cares about when you ignore them as the priority of your days on earth?

"Some of you are in for a very large surprise. You think that you have need of nothing, but you are far from why I have brought you to Me. You have misunderstood My grace. You have listened to false prophets and wealth-driven preachers. You need to repent of your ways and turn to My ways before it is too late. Go back to My Word. Study My heart. Allow Me to change yours!”

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP 

24)Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

 Matthew 25:23 NIV

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”

 Luke 12:19-21 NIV

19) And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20) “But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21) “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

 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.

 Rev. 3:15-18 NIV 

15) “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

16) So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17) You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

18)  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

 

I wonder how many of us have convinced ourselves that the above verses are meant for all those other people who are in deep sin and not really for those of us who simply have a heart that has hardened just a little bit; you know, those of us who deserve God’s mercy just because we spent our lives overlooking only some of His Word in order to be comfortable?

Change is good, Lord. I say yes!

Jim Corbett

“Are you willing to carry the weight of the needs of others? Do you really care about your friends to the point that you are willing to do without so that they might prosper? What about those who offend or actually hate you? Will you pour out your life in some way that they might spend time with Me for eternity? Jesus did!”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

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.

Matthew 16:22-23 NIV

22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23) Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

 

The above verses seem to be unlikely candidates to use when talking about blessing someone. They are, however, very appropriate when you consider where our real battles lie. In the spiritual realm, the most violent spiritual actions take place in the dark kingdoms whenever someone lives out the character of Jesus.

Jesus destroyed the death grip of selfishness, independence, and the rebellion against God’s ways by giving up everything He owned, even His own life. The Christ-like character traits of obedience, servanthood, selflessness, submission, and a love for others greater than a love for ourselves are in opposition to the rebellious nature that separated us from God in the Garden of Eden. Abiding in Christ means walking with the same heart motives He has. As you walk in His kind of love, you are violently and aggressively opposing the dark realms of the spirit and continually advancing the work of the cross through the power of Jesus.

Your ways are extraordinary, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I want to be your only confidence in times of trouble. You need to work with Me towards that end. Do you have any comprehension of how much I love to intervene in your life when you are in peril? I train your heart if you are willing, prepare your spirit, and strengthen your resolve long before there is any sign of trouble, so that you are ready when it comes. Then I am readily available to you to see you through it.

"Most of My children come to Me when trouble comes their way. For some it is the only time I can get their attention. They come, however, to have Me deliver them, not to help them walk through the circumstance. They miss so much when this happens. They miss all the work that I am doing in them, work deep within their inner being, to strengthen them for future perilous times. They miss the joy of seeing My plan unfold, because they are focusing on the circumstances and are blinded to My hand of power on their behalf.

"You, however, have been in training to know better. Walk in what you know at present and receive more of Me as trials come. Begin to rejoice in My deliverance, enjoy each step, and take pleasure as you see My way of bringing you through. Give Me time to work. Give My plan time to unfold. Watch as I eliminate the persons who persecute you. Marvel at how events come into play that fulfill My desired outcome. I have brought you through battles so many times already that by now you should almost enjoy the challenges presented, just so you can observe how I am going to prosper you this time.

"Rest in Me. Take comfort in My promises. Relax in My love for you. As the battle rages, you come with Me to a high place. I will show you the wonders of the places in which I dwell. I will give you rich nourishment, even while those who hate you flounder in their folly against you. Come with Me. I will show you My hand in action. I love you.”

Psalm 20:6-8 NIV

6) Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.

7) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God.

8) They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

 

It is amazing to see the hand of our Father at work as He frustrates the plans of those who come against us. It’s interesting to see the silly gyrations, controlling manipulations, and empty threats if you have found that place of safety in Him. All that happens holds only empty threats that become evident when observed from the lap of the Father.

In the many years that I have had the privilege of walking with my Lord, I have had countless opportunities of seeing His delivering hand.  After having been in so many battles, one would think that an image of strength similar to the “Rambo” character would emerge. Those who battle in their own strength take great pride in that kind of image. It only shows their ignorance of the Word and need for self-glorification.

True children of the Lord are very familiar with the path to the lap of Father God. They understand the power of His weapons and the wisdom of His plans. They have found that it is much more productive to allow the Lord to wage any war that might come against them, rather than attempt to quench the onslaught themselves, frantically calling for help while feverishly at work. The track record of the Lord immediately comes to the mind of those who have learned this lesson.

The view of any battle observed from our Father’s presence is a wonder to behold. The counsel of His heart overshadows every threat, the sound of His voice rings above the din, and the freedom of His love annihilates any foe. It is the only place for a child of Father God to rest as the battle rages.

Take my hand, Father,

Jim Corbett

“Everything that I bring to life has an order to it. There is always a beginning, an intermediate time of development and the institution of My plan; and then there is an ending. It is My pattern for physical life. What is never fully appreciated is that My spiritual plan never ceases.

"Your development time in the physical has paramount impact on your spiritual life. The choices you make have eternal impact, not only on your life, but on everyone you encounter. Your interaction with others is My way of refining you and helping them to make proper choices. That is why I put you in training to be like Jesus to your world. Your life is no small thing. Each of your representations to others really influences them for eternity. What you do each and every day has meaning. Make your days count. They have eternal impact on someone.”

Gen. 1:27-28a AMP 

27) So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28) And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]…

Esther 4:13-14 AMP 

13) Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther, Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

14) 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?

Phil. 2:12b-13 AMP

12b) …work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

 

Interaction with others is God’s way of refining us and those around us. He has placed us in a world that is actually out to kill us, so to speak. As Christians, we are oil floating on top of water and if we are true to our calling, we’ll never mix in because the spirit and flesh cannot function together. God has also called us to overcome that world. Our time spent with others and our responses to them allow us to seek the Father so that we can be changed in order to reflect Christ properly.

Once we have given Jesus Lordship over our lives, it is the Father’s intent to refine, mold, and develop that salvation in us to the fullest extent. If we are going to tell others about Jesus, we will have to be changed so that we can represent Him properly. Our words alone will usually not be enough for others to see their need of Jesus. In fact, if our lives do not mirror Him, our words will more than likely be cast aside.

Your grace is sufficient,

Jim Corbett

“To become wealthy in Me takes time and patience on both Our parts. Because of the astounding work of the cross, you have full and complete access to Me. What you do with that privilege determines how much of My heart you acquire. When We spend time together, I give you more of My passions, plans, and desires. Again, you have the freedom to walk in them or simply take them and allow them to fall by the wayside of your life.

"The more you cherish that to which you have been privy, the more I can trust you with My heart. So many of you live your lives in spiritual poverty when limitless wealth is available to you. You have denied the power of the cross. You have refused the banquet of My love. You have chosen the desert and foolishly refuse to move to plush green pastures because they take time and effort.

"I grieve for you and wish it were not so. But then, you can’t know that because you haven’t asked Me how I feel. You come to Me for your personal reasons and miss My heart. What a waste of what has been won for you by Jesus!”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Mark 15:37-38 AMP  

37) Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life.

38) And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

 

One day I was recording songs for an internet radio station that we’d developed. The songs were selected for their impact and value in helping the listener to know more of God and draw closer to Him.  One song that has touched me deeply is a song by Larnelle Harris called “I Miss My Time with You.”

As the title implies, it is the Lord expressing how much He misses those intimate moments spent with His children. I believe that the song is a sincere call from our Father to each of us and a truth for which many of us need to repent. We miss Who our Father God is when we simply are too busy to spend time with Him. How foolish we are!

Your patience and love are amazing, Father,

Jim Corbett