Tag: Devotional

“When are you, My children, going to wake up? When will you finally decide to shake off the spiritual lethargy and sell out to Me? Don’t you see the signs that your world is changing at a rapid pace? Soon, the freedoms that you have to proclaim My Word will no longer exist. At present, you have no power to resist. You have no endurance to withstand the coming onslaught against My ways. What is worse, you have no desire to be My standard unless it is comfortable for you. I call you to intimacy with Me, because I know that the time We are together will show you My heart; but you do not come.

"My Word tells you that the ability to love as I love is vital to your representation of Who I am. After all this time, you are still thin-skinned and angry when I place you in training or when someone offends you. You are no different than the world. You are not ready for what is about to take place. If you don’t make Me your priority, you will not overcome when times change. Look at what is happening in your world. It is out of control. Wake up! Draw close to Me for My instructions. Draw close to Me, so that I can show you My heart. I am waiting now.”

Isaiah 48:3 NIV

“I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”

Jeremiah 12:5 AMP  

[But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

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.”

2:Cor.10:3-5 NIV

3) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

Loving as Jesus loved is unspeakable violence in the dark world of sin. Taking thoughts captive, so that they align with the heart of God, destroys one of the enemy’s most effective strongholds against God’s children. Intimacy with Father God violently destroys the enemy’s weapons that hold our hearts captive.

The Lord Jesus Functioned in a Spirit of Purity – So Must We

To Jesus, everyone and all things were pure. As He walked through this world and saw everything through His Father’s eyes, even the vilest action or the filthiest motive could not cause Him to remove Himself from His Father’s plan - the salvation of souls.

The Oneness that He and His Father shared left no room for worldly ways to interfere with His purpose for being on earth in the first place. Because we do not determine to see everything from God’s eternal perspective, our hearts will remain impure and our lives will remain unusable for the purposes of God.  Only as we become a study of His motives and commit to trust Him at all times will He be able to fully use us.

Wake me from my slumber, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Life, as you know it, could change in an instant. Are you living this day to the fullest? Are you taking every opportunity to focus on the wonders of your life with Me with joy and love, or are you wasting your energies worrying about what will happen tomorrow? Have you chosen to be free from every bondage in which the enemy of your soul would desire for you to wallow, or have you forgiven and forgotten every offense against you? Are your daily concerns self-oriented, or do you strive to see the needs of others before your own?

"You see, the highest caliber of life is available to everyone who has given his or her life to Jesus. All of the resources of heaven and earth are poised to provide what is necessary to those who understand My way of life. Why then, do you look and act and attempt to emulate those who do not know Me? Jesus was free from every hint of the world and its ways. You should be too! He established the pattern of living for those around Him. So should you!”

Genesis 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]…

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 underfoot by men.

 

Someone who is motivated at anything becomes a study of whatever has his heart. If he is really motivated, nothing stands in the way of the fulfillment of his desired end. He will work tirelessly, study endlessly, and spend whatever resources necessary to “own completely” the object of his affection, whether it be the ability to excel in sports, business, the love of another, or worldly possessions. What has his heart has his life.

When I first came to know Jesus as my Savior and Lord, He had my heart completely. There was nothing more vital than pleasing Him. Nothing would be powerful enough to stand in the way of whatever He desired. He was more important than anything and everything. He was the only One I could see or hear, my food and my drink, my very reason for living.

Somehow, things far less important have replaced Jesus in some areas of my life. Somehow, smaller, more fleeting loves have acquired portions of my heart to the point that I have forgotten the incredible wealth of knowing and desiring Him and only Him. My first love wonder has been modified to “mature” love; and although it is steady and real and obedient, it lacks the lover’s zeal it once had. I miss that “everything, Lord” zeal. I want it back and I believe that Jesus desires my heart to be that way for Him again also.

Bring me back, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“To understand mercy and grace, you need to understand perspective. From My perspective, everyone I observe who is not functioning as Jesus does is simply not capable of doing so. I fully understand that. If they have never accepted Him as their Lord, they obviously have not been born of My Spirit; and, therefore, have no capability to understand His love. How can they function any way other than to follow their flesh? How can they do anything but follow their carnal nature and the world’s ways? All of their actions, thoughts, and decisions can only come from basic instincts, which draw from their sin nature that has not been renewed. That is why I pursue them so ardently. I see their hopeless situation and extend mercy and grace toward them so they might know better. I understand their incapability of doing any differently. So should you. It is the same with My church.

"For many reasons, as stated in My Word, My love is extended toward those who are not functioning in the fullness of the love of Jesus. One reason is, again, My seeing that they can do nothing more than function within the wisdom they have received. Functioning any way other than that is impossible until more of My wisdom is received by them, more of the depth of My Spirit. There is an accountability for what is known; there is mercy and grace for what is not yet known. You must function in the same manner toward one another. Instead of judgment and condemnation toward those who offend you, you need to understand that most immature actions come from an immature heart.

"As a child is not expected to function beyond his years, do not expect someone to function beyond the depth of his relationship with Me. Extend mercy, extend grace, knowing that your fellow believer is on his way to learning more of My ways, the same as you are. He is flowing in My mercy every step of the way. So are you as you grow. Be gracious to your brother and sister as they grow. Forgive, and then forgive again and again and again for as long as it is needed. Your perspective will change as you understand their limits and their incapability of functioning any other way. More depth and maturity is not “in” them or they would not offend. They couldn’t if they were flowing in My Spirit. When you understand this, forgiveness, mercy, and grace toward them comes easily. You are free from any hold that the spiritual immaturity of their actions would have on you.”

 Romans 15:1-7 NIV

1) We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

2) Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

3) For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

4) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5) May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,

6) so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7) Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

 

Someone once said that we judge others by their actions; we judge ourselves by our intent. When we falter because of our immaturity - which leads us to a false perspective and into carnal behavior - we desire mercy, grace, and understanding.

When others around us falter, the extending of mercy, grace, and forgiveness is normally subject to whether they ask for our forgiveness or not; rather than understanding their incapability of doing anything differently. What if it is impossible for them to ask for forgiveness because their spirit is so badly wounded? Is it our Father’s will to hold back His love toward them when that is exactly what is needed for them to be healed? Would He hold back His love toward us if we had the same wounds, or would that deep love keep us coming to Him until we were healed - actually so that we can be healed?

We don’t get it. When Jesus was walking with His apostles, He never condemned them for their lack of understanding. Here He was, a perfect man, knowing all there is to know, walking with very imperfect men and loving them deeply - right where they were.

To carry that thought past those with whom He chose to walk and on to those who hated Him, He forgave them from the cross because He understood they knew no better. He was dying for their inability to function any differently. He laid down His life so that they could, first of all, be born anew; and then, so that they could begin their travel on a road to see more and more clearly the ways of His Father. His perfect perspective responded to their need, rather than to their sin against Him.

Needing to see clearly and respond Your way, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“In the world, your inheritance is divided by all the members of your family. That is because there is only so much to be divided. No matter how large the estate might be, it is limited. With Me, each of you has an inheritance that is yours alone. That treasure is not something that is to be shared with anyone. It is yours alone, specifically designed for you. My resources are unlimited, My estate is eternal. You came into this inheritance with the death and resurrection of Jesus and your acceptance of His Lordship. Now you are family.

"In My economy, you can add to your treasure. The additions, however, are not for your consumption. They are eternal additions of presentations to Jesus for His glory. They are something that you give away. This means that you need to purify your motives and practice the life of My Son to make them yours. Some of you have seen fit to work little for treasures that will be given away, even to Him. Since you do not benefit from them directly, you feel it is not necessary to involve yourself. How selfish your attitude is. What you don’t understand is that your lack of desire to bless Him indicates the hardness of your heart. It reveals an opportunistic heart and is the cause of much of your dilemma at present, and your empty-handedness in the eternal future.

"Hidden deep within the shadows of your heart, all of My plan is still all about you, for your benefit. I am after that scar. Those of you seeking the heart of a purified bride will submit this seed of selfishness to Me so that I might destroy it. When it is completely destroyed, you will begin to understand full and absolute surrender. You will have begun the process of cleansing your garments. I will then make them spotless, so that you will be prepared for the wondrous time that is soon to come.”

 Rev. 19:7-8 AMP 

7) Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come and His bride has prepared herself.

8) She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white – for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteous (the upright, just, and Godly living, deeds and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God’s holy people).

 

Any seed of selfishness destroys the purity of our walk with the Lord. When we look out for our own advantage in any situation, our lives no longer resemble the life of Jesus. He held nothing for Himself. He even gave His last breath for us.

Have you ever noticed Christian marriages? By all standards and elementary observances, most marriages seem to be in order. Deep investigation in many cases, however, reveals deeply disguised self–centeredness somewhere, especially with those less happy partners.

When marriages are not working well, there is generally a craving on the part of one or both spouses to gain some comfort for themselves from the marriage, whether it be security, communication, time, or whatever else makes the person feel wanted, needed, or loved. That seed of discontent colors all other aspects of the marriage and hinders it from being the example of Christ and the church. Joy has usually left long ago and demands, spoken or silent, replace selfless service to the other.

What is not understood by married couples is the fact that the very elements of discontent in their marriage are the motives that the Lord is correcting in their own hearts. That seed of discontent is what must be destroyed before they can be ready to meet their eternal Bridegroom.

The bride of Christ will have the same heart that Jesus has. She will be totally dead to any need to be satisfied. Her only desire will be to satisfy her Lord. As He died for her, she will have died to everything in her that has self–motive as its source.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord, and renew right motives in me,

Jim Corbett

“The road to holiness has no options. There are no easy ways to achieve the character of Jesus Christ. The cost is everything that you are and all that you have.”

Galatians 2:20 AMP

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

I give up, Lord; live through me,

Jim Corbett