Tag: Faith

“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I sometimes hear you ask that nebulous question of each other and then inwardly assess your lives. Being comforted by your personal judgment and impressed with the number of bibles you own, you peacefully fall asleep, confident that you are a stellar example of My Son’s character before people and worthy to call yourselves by His Name. Let’s just suppose that I am the One who will determine if you represent Him properly. By the way, I am!

"Let Me pose some of the easier questions to you to use as plumb lines in assessing your life. Do you hold anything as your own? Have you recently wept bitterly for anyone because you knew that he was not saved, and resolved to devote your life to his salvation, no matter what the cost? Have you thrown a “pittance” to My workers, keeping an abundance for yourself because you “earned” it? Do you only crave to do My perfect will? If someone were to beat you within an inch of your life, take everything that you have, destroy your family and then mock your name to your friends, would you love him? Better still, would your love for him increase? Would you fall on your face in gratitude to Me for allowing you to be privy to his sin for the single task of holding it before Me, that I would not hold it against him? Would you give everything you own, even your very life, for the soul of someone who hates you?

"The One Whom you say you represent did! If you didn’t do so well with these elementary questions, there is still time. I will help you if that’s what you want Me to do.”

Luke 23:33-34 NIV

33) When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left.

34) Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

I Cor. 3:11-15 AMP

11) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

12) But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13) The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done.

14) If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward.

15) But if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire.

I John 2:5-6 AMP

5) But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

6) 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.

 

We are a fascinating group of people, those of us who call ourselves by our Redeemer’s Name. Not only do we judge others by their actions and judge ourselves by our intentions; we feel that God is going to do the same. Somehow, we have come to believe that we are going to be graded on a curve rather than by the Word when we stand before the Lord and are given crowns to lay at His feet.

Our lives, if held before the intense light of the Holy Spirit, need some tailoring, to say the least. We judge everyone, condemn the lost, lie to others, lie to God, hoard His wealth, hold grudges, harbor unforgiveness, care only for ourselves, overlook our sins; and then say that we represent the character of Jesus. Not very credible criteria for a defense of our actions.

I know that we are relying on grace and mercy, but what about the reputation of our Lord? What about His feelings? What about His desires about how we are to act? If Jesus is really our Lord, shouldn’t His wishes and examples for living be a little more important to us? I believe that His Father thinks so!

Needing to use the Word as my plumb line and consider the cares of my Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Have you ever wondered why the church is powerless? Of course, there are many reasons, but one of them is that you have been calling for Me to pad your comfort areas for so long that I have done so. You live in a world that has blinded your eyes to what I consider valuable. You have looked in that direction for so long, that you can’t even hear My call to holiness anymore. Even with the threatening times and seasons directly in your path, you make plans so that you will remain safe, rather than doing everything to allow My plan to go forth.

"Because you have not understood My plan, I have also allowed for you to remain lean to the wondrous things of My Word. You have cried for success; I have allowed most of you to achieve it. You have cried for help; I have been there as I promised. I always keep My promises. If only you would have cried for more of Jesus like My remnant has. I love to give His heart and desires to those who ask. If only you would have desired to take His cross, rather than seek the ways of the world.

"You have taken the way of ease and comfort, denying every opportunity to place yourself in a position of needing Me. Now you are unprepared for what lies ahead. Your money will not save you from times when money can’t buy anything. Your lack of spiritual strength will cause you to flounder, when only the spiritually strong will prosper. All of your worldly skills will cause you to be bankrupt, when only spiritual skills will be places of safety. You have fed yourselves on predigested food that I have given others, rather than come to Me yourselves for real nourishment.

"To My remnant, prepare to be needed desperately by those who have not called to Me to become like Jesus. In their fear during the times ahead, those of you who have been laughed at and scorned will have the strength, wisdom, and answers that they need to remain safe. That is all that they desire. Focus your attention on souls, rather than on the comfort of those who would not listen when I called. I love them, but I have trained you for different purposes in a time such as this. Do not let their need distract you from that purpose. I wish that none should perish; again focus on souls while there is still time. Remain focused; I will bring the eternally needy to you. Show them Jesus.”

Psalm 106:12-15 AMP

12) Then [Israel] believed His words [trusting in, relying on them]; they sang His praise.

13) But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them.

14) But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.

15) And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls and [thinned their numbers by] disease and death.

Hosea 13:6 NIV 

“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”

Zechariah 7:13 NIV 

“When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen, says the Lord Almighty.”

Matt. 25:28-29 NIV

28) “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

29) For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

 

Our God formed man to have fellowship with Him. When man broke that fellowship, God pursued him to the point of bringing Jesus into the world to die. His desire has always been that none should perish. He brings people to Himself, and then uses them to go get others.

Mankind doesn’t always see it that way. In fact, more often than not, we don’t think about it at all. Most of us care little that our neighbor, family members, and friends will spend eternity in the torment of hell. We are more concerned about what God can and will do for us.

What is not understood is the fact that if we don’t do it God’s way by becoming all that we can be in Jesus, so that the world has a chance to be saved, we lose out big-time. When we continually approach God with our selfish requests, never caring about those who are perishing, He gives us stuff; but He rarely gives Himself. We never experience the kind of life that we were meant to have.

Leanness to our soul is a soul on junk food. It describes someone who has little quality of life, no strength, and dies early. That describes the church of today. Those with an abundance (I’m not particularly talking about money,) in whatever form that fulfills their desires, usually feel that they do not need God desperately every moment. That is certain death. The result is a cold, lifeless church that is unable to truly impact the world around them.

The remnant, those who have only God’s purposes in mind, is given God Himself because He is their hearts’ desire. Soon there will be an accounting. What has been the real purpose for all that we have done? There will be many surprises for those who see things God’s way for the first time. Weep for them.

Wanting to see clearly now,

Jim Corbett