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1/11/23 Getting Honest with Yourself

Men, if you are typical of the Christian man of today, you function as if you are unable to recognize your spiritual impotence to the point that you do not desire to see the character of Christ reproduced completely in you or in those around you as your priority in life. As a typical Christian man, you have chosen to set aside God’s desire for your life in order to fulfill your own concept of what your life should be, or maybe just survive in an incredibly difficult world. You feel that you are spiritually comfortable and adequate, and see no need to consistently act as Jesus would act and love as He would love in your family.

Like a gelded horse that no longer has an interest in mares, most of you have little Christ-like spiritual enthusiasm toward the people within your circle of influence or for your part in God’s plan for mankind. Remember, we are talking priorities. If you would really get honest with yourself, your thoughts are not continually on where others will spend eternity or on who they could become in this lifetime through your influence on them by the way you represent Jesus. Even the spiritual well-being of your family, those God has entrusted to you as His steward, falls somewhere behind economic challenges, your job demands, the home and yard work, the toys you want to acquire, and the sports teams you idolize. If this is you, you are impotent in discerning the things that are important to God.

As an example of your impotence, if you sports fans would also get honest with yourself, you’d admit you focus more on whatever teams you follow than on the spiritual condition of your wife and children. Even if you do care about their spirituality, you probably have little ability, little desire, and few tools to foster their spiritual growth, to do whatever it takes to have them able to present a significant life to God. If you are not that heavy into sports, you can substitute the word “sports” with any other personal god, such as worry, fear, work, success, money, or worldly power, etc., to which you’ve pledged your allegiance.

[Even attempting to gain a significant life for your own good shows your spiritual impotence.]

If you take that same “getting honest with yourself” and carry it further to the point of getting honest with God, you will have to admit that the things that are important to God have been placed somewhere behind the things that give you some semblance of purpose for your life here, not eternally. Focusing on your personal fulfillment for so long, you may have actually become impotent in even discerning the things that are important to God.

Think of the eternal impact of those last statements if they are true for your life. Ask the Lord to reveal how accurate they might be for you. They may not be exactly where you stand with God; but more than likely, they’re quite close to the spiritual impotence you experience every day, if you are like Christian men in general. To whatever degree you are dealing with spiritual impotence in your life, the sooner you realize and admit it, the sooner you will be on your way to a significant, world-overcoming life in God’s eyes.

(From The Father Factor by Jim and Merry Corbett)

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

1/10/23 Your Place of Safety

“Do you see the signs? Can you hear the rumbles? Storm clouds are forming. A tempest is brewing. What do you have that will not withstand the imminent peril? What is false shelter in your life? The world is becoming wide-eyed with fear. All the safety nets in their lives are being destroyed. All their secure places are eroding. Their wisdom is proving to be false. The loves of their hearts are fickle at best.

"You, however, have a strong tower. You have a proven ally, an unbeatable advocate. His Name is Jesus! No weapon formed against Him can prosper. He is your place of safety. He is your proven friend. You can be assured that the wind is coming. The storms are on their way. Return to Him now with your whole heart. He is the reliable shelter from the imminent peril.”

Psalm 46:1 AMP

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Matt. 5:11-12 NIV

11) “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

All of mankind has a tendency to run and hide from storms. We find shelter to wait out any inconvenience. The kind of covering that is in Christ, however, is a shield that is designed to face the storm head on. It is a search and rescue power that seeks out the cowering masses and brings them to safety.

There is no question that many changes are taking place around us. Only those who have closed their eyes and ears out of ignorance or fear have missed the signs declaring the imminent peril on the horizon. By the same token, those who see what is coming and have chosen to hunker down for their own safety are equally as blind to the ways of God.

You and I are called to see and hear, so that we can prepare to put to use all for which we have been trained. When we see a time of peril, we should understand that we are entering into the finest hour of the work of the cross. It is the time when the cross takes on an eternal brilliance, when the character and integrity of Christ become shining examples to those wild with fear.

Those of us who are in Christ must run to Him when we see the storms forming. We must rest in His safety. We must prepare to weather the storm in His power. We must call upon Him for wisdom. We then must go in His Name and rescue those who are cowering in their vulnerable places. It is a time when what we have been taught will be proven to be true. It is a time when who we have been will no longer be seen and Who He is will come forth through us.

Teach me to walk under Your shield through the storm, Lord,

Jim Corbett

1/10/23 Too Many Times

When I was young in the Lord, I had many besetting sins. Even though I loved the Lord with all my heart, the bondages had not yet fallen away. The Lord was removing them one at a time and I had many left to address.

Once after many failures, I cried out to the Lord, asking Him how He could continue to forgive me. It seemed like the thousandth time I had come to Him. In the quiet of the evening, He came to me and said, “Do you know that I forgive you no longer unto My remembrance? I don’t have a bad memory; I choose to forgive and forget, never remembering the last time you offended me. Your sins are as far as the East is from the West.” He then told me I had a million “forgivenesses” in my account and many more after that if I needed them.

Our Father is on our side. He knew how many times we would fail Him even before He asked us into His kingdom, and He still asked us! He is in the forgiveness business as long as we are in the repentance business. That means we always have His power available to us to do whatever tasks we may have on hand with the knowledge that He is with us.

Men, there are times when you and I fall down on the job concerning our families. If things are so bad that the possibility of reconciliation seems hopeless, we can be confident that the Lord is with us in our time of need. He is waiting for us to call out to Him, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, He will do whatever it takes to help us overcome our situation.

You can’t fall down one too many times. He will be there, enabling you to repent. Your life is His. It was His idea in the first place, and He delights in your need of Him.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

1/09/23 Just Ask

“I love you. I know that you have heard that before as one of those trite encouragements; but when I say that I love you, it means more than you could possibly realize. My love is not limited by your understanding. Think about this so that you might grasp a small corner of understanding. I have created your planet so that you might have a place to live while My salvation plan is being worked out. Air is made so that you might be able to survive. That is just the very beginning.

"My thoughts are always toward you. There is never a time when you are not in my heart. There is never a moment when I am not focusing on your needs. My attention is continuously toward you for your good. The kind of love that you can perceive does not resemble the all-encompassing, never tiring devotion that I have for you. If you ever would like to experience what My love really is, just ask Me. I will pour My love toward you in a season that you need it most. You must be ready to receive it or else you would be overcome. I would love to show a little more of My love to you each time you ask for it. Ask Me and you will never be the same.”

Eph. 3:17-21 AMP

17) May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18) That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

19) [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

20) Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

21) To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

So often we are told, “This walk with the Lord is not about us, it’s about Jesus and the plans of God.” That is very true. Every one of us should get our eyes off ourselves and focus on what God is doing. We should not misuse His mercy and grace. He is not a push button God to be used for our every whim. Salvation is about His plans and not ours.

Something wonderful, however, is also true. This life with the Lord is about us. Father God formed us. He breathed His own life into us. His mercy never gives up on us. Jesus embraced agony for us. We are the focus of every Word in the Bible.

You are so valuable to God that everything stated in His Word is about His noticing you and me and our need of Him. Everything we read about has been done and is being done, so that we can have freedom in Him. Everything is about a loving Father releasing Himself to us so that we can prosper.

To understand that we are at the center of His attention is almost too much to comprehend. To grasp that nothing we could ever do could stop Him from loving us with His God kind of love – the kind that never gives up on us, never condemns us, always is for us - is enough to boggle our minds.

During one of those times that I was overwhelmed with this “trying to be good, becoming like Jesus stuff,” He impressed on my mind a small glimpse of His love and mercy. He showed me that in His plans, He goads us to the perfection of Jesus; but it is not our job to even attempt to get there. It is His job to take us there. He desires to do it all. The only thing we can do is submit to His working, and even that is done by His power. In the process, He said that all He wanted is to be with us. Everything that Jesus did was so that we could once again be with Him, available to and capable of receiving His love and attention.

The thought of the Creator of everything noticing us, caring for us, embracing us, having mercy on us, perfecting us; and, above all, loving us forever is quite overwhelming. That love, however, is the very core of the gospel. It is the essence of the character of our God. It is motivation for the cross, and we are the privileged recipients. What an astounding, glorious Lord! What a wonderful freedom!

Needing to remember to bask in His love and embrace His favor along the journey,

Jim Corbett

1/09/23 My Weakness Brings His Strength

So many men, whether they admit it or not, don’t like to be labeled as weak in any area. All the criteria dictated by society tells men from the time they are little boys that they need to be strong and good in bed, must have answers; and, in general, never let anyone know that they are frightened by anything. That kind of attitude has been ingrained in men for so long, that it permeates everything we do without us even being aware of it.

I’m convinced those teachings are some of the major stumbling blocks that hinder men from giving themselves over to the complete Lordship of Christ. Letting go, giving it all over, is so foreign to our thinking that most of us have to be broken before we’ll even consider surrendering everything to Him. In most cases, being out of control is very unfamiliar territory to a man.

God asks us to surrender everything we have and everything we are to the Lordship of Jesus. He asks us to rely totally on Him and His Word in everything we do without question, no matter what the consequences. In God’s economy, full surrender to Him is the opposite of weakness. Total reliance on Him is the strongest, most powerful position any man can take. It allows God’s limitless power, wisdom, and caring to flow in our direction, making us capable of overcoming everything the world has to offer.

Men, it’s time to finally lay down all false dictates and fully surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. It’s time to become weak, so we can become strong in Christ. It’s just time, isn’t it?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

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