Faith | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

11/02/23 Why Prepare?

I once wrote a story about a foolish trainee who attended school for jungle warfare. In his ignorance, this unwise person slept through tactical training courses, joked his way through hand-to-hand combat rehearsals, thought nothing of the importance of parachute packing; and dismissed survival school as something needed for a later date since things were relatively calm at present.

The day came when he was up in the air with other trainees on their way to a jungle jump zone. Remorse for his foolish behavior helped little as the door of the plane opened up and he was next in line to jump. After surviving the jump and because of his rank, he found himself in charge of other recruits because their leader had been critically injured. With no skills and little understanding of what was needed to overcome the extreme hardship at hand, this man put himself and those in his charge in incredible danger due to his foolishness during training.

And so it is with you as the leader and spiritual covering of your family. Any thinking person can see that extreme times of incredible hardship are on the horizon. Spiritual wisdom, Christ-like confidence, fearless action, and intimate submission to the Lord may not be found when the battle rages. These unbeatable skills are learned over time at the feet of Father God in His throne room. The ability to hear His directions clearly when the battles are raging will only be available to the person well practiced in knowing His still small voice.

Figuratively, the plane warming up on the runway is just about ready for take-off. As a husband and father, others are relying on you to have what is needed when called upon for any situation ahead. How do you think you will fare when all the handles you’ve been used to during this relatively calm time disappear? When spiritual business as usual is as ineffective as a cup of water against a raging forest fire, how will you lead others then if you choose not to be equipped now?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/01/23 Don’t Carry the Weight

“Place all your fears, your needs, and your cares upon Me. Give them all to Me because I really care for you and will carry the weight of them for you. It is your right to do so, because of what Jesus has done for you at the cross. It is not right for you to carry the load and the pressure yourself. Your doing so is pride. It is actually a rebellion against your submission to Me. Once you really understand your desperate need of Me and humble yourself enough to accept My help instead of handling things yourself, you will be forever free. It is My desire for you to flow in the freedom of submission that has been earned for you through Jesus.”

Ps. 55:22 AMP

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

1 Peter 5:6-7 AMP

6) Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.

7) Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

It is most difficult for us to understand that in complete submission, we are totally free. It is also difficult for us to understand that carrying the load of our needs is sin if we say that we have submitted our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is rebellion, and a lack of trust in the Lord to be faithful to carry them for us.

Charles G. Trumbull wrote: “Worry is sin, a black murderous, God-defying, Christ-rejecting sin. It is a sin to worry about anything, anytime, whatsoever. We will never know the victory over worry and anxiety until we begin to treat it as sin. For such it is. It is a deep-seated distrust of the Father, Who assures us again and again that even the falling sparrow is in His charge.”

Forgive my sin, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/01/23 Unlimited Power

One of the reasons the enemy attempts to destroy the offices of husband and father is to eliminate a powerful threat to his plans. He understands that there are no offices closer to the heart of God and no institution more loved by Him than the family.

Far more significant than being a simple breadwinner, God has placed his mighty men in a position to oversee the future men and women of influence from the very beginning of their earthly lives. A man with enough wisdom to be aware of this incredible opportunity also understands the favor Father God has for the servant leader who seeks Him.

There is no more powerful person than an aware, humble steward who continually seeks direction for his family from the lap of His Father God. One, who makes continual visits to the throne room for intimacy, guidance and submission with a loving heart, has all the available power of heaven at his disposal. No weapon formed against the man who has placed himself under the complete Lordship of Jesus Christ will prosper. A man, who submits himself and his family to the Lord and knows the authority he possesses when on his knees in prayer, wields a deathblow to the plans of the enemy. Guaranteed! Is this the life you desire? Maybe not, but it is the one you need.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

10/31/23 Knowingly or Unknowingly

“When Jesus was born, all the world had been prepared to receive Him. I don’t mean that all present at the time understood Who He was or were even aware that He existed. What I do mean is that when Jesus was present in the world, I had moved everything into its proper order to accept the work that I was doing. All the proper people existed at that time. All the needed technology was present; everything was in My order. Even the nations that were needed to accomplish My goals were in existence so that My plan could unfold. Every player did his or her part. Knowingly or unknowingly, they positioned themselves into My plan and performed exactly as needed; so that all things could be accomplished according to My will. It is the same today. You are raised up for such a time as this. I am aware that those words have been used so much that they have almost lost their meaning, but they are as true today as they were when I first said them through My servant who was placed as a player in that specific work.

"Because you understand that I am completely capable of accomplishing everything that I have set in motion, you can be assured of this; I am aware of you. I know who you are, what you are doing, and where you will end up. It is not that you have no free will – because you do! It is just that I have already seen the end of everything, so I know what happens. Look at My Word. Is not everything spelled out very clearly? Have I not foretold the result of everyone’s actions - what they did - so that when it is all combined, the result is My plan?

"You are now fulfilling what is necessary so that the results of everything being accomplished will remain My planned outcome. You must know this so that you will not see anything that comes your way as bigger than I am. You must also rest in the fact that you are placed exactly in the position that I have formed for you. If you need to move, I will show you and you will respond. I am capable of doing what is necessary in your heart to move your feet in My direction. Be assured that I am aware of you.”

Esther 4:12-14 NIV

12) When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,

13) he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.

14) For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Eph. 2:10 AMP

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

In Esther 4:14, the Jews were going to be delivered; that was God’s plan. Esther could choose to participate, or she could walk away from what she had been called to do. Many people, when considering the fact that God knows everything, then assume that every action in their lives really matters little. That makes no sense.

Father God knows the beginning from the end of all things. He has “already been at the end,” so He knows the outcome of every thought and every action of every person. Free will still comes into play at every moment, but there are no surprises in His world. He knew Esther was the proper person for the task at hand because of what He had completed in her. She, at the proper time, needed to give the proper response to the circumstance in which she found herself. God places, orchestrates, creates, and develops everything and everyone — all to His desired end.

Every present moment, every choice we make and its subsequent action should be vitally important to us. Seeking God’s will is paramount to our being exactly where He has ordained us to be. It is much more than something that is good for our well-being; it is necessary for us to know what His will is - the same as it was for Esther - so that we might play out our part in His plan. That “well done” stuff will then come later.

Needing to seek only His desires,

Jim Corbett

10/31/23 It’s Never Too Late

What if your life up to this point has been out of line? What if your family is so fractured that it doesn’t even resemble a Christian family? What if your marriage is nothing more than two people going through the motions? What if you’ve missed it in every aspect of your responsibility to oversee a life-giving, Jesus-serving, people-reaching family? What if your children are serving the world and want nothing to do with you or the Jesus you supposedly serve? What if your life holds little significance regarding the work of God through what you and your family have done?

Today the Lord would say to you, “So what!” What do any of those excuses have to do with the opportunity to change things around completely by the power of the Holy Spirit? All of the above are physical observations. They have nothing to do with what God can do if you, as the holder of God’s highest office, choose to repent of your failure to be a proper steward of your family and turn from your sin.

Look at what the Word reveals in James 4:7-10 AMP. So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. 8)Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. 9)[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. 10)Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

So resist the devil by being subject to God. A significant life for you and your family in God’s eyes is only a heartfelt repentance away. As a steward, wouldn’t it be wise to start today? As you turn your heart in God’s direction, your family has a better chance to do the same.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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