Faith | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

5/13/22 Nurturing vs. Disciplining

Our Father God disciplines His children. All of His discipline is for our good in the end. He is also the kindest, most loving, most nurturing Father there is. His provisions to us as His children allow us to find a way out of any and all of our wrongdoings. His promises bring us hope. His Words envelop us in love.

Many earthly fathers have missed the mark in trying to carry out their role as a guide for their children, which causes separation between the father and his children. Continual correction and subsequent discipline in the form of consequences, without the corresponding love needed to balance it, brings despair and rebellion. No correction or guidance brings confusion and a spirit of abandonment.

Have you ever seen a true craftsman nurturing his apprentice to help him become a craftsman, too? He cares about the skills he’s imparting. He guides the hands of the apprentice, so they eventually function as his hands do. He passes on his wisdom in every area of the trade. He is always “in the corner” of the apprentice, knowing that only loving guidance will help the apprentice become the skilled craftsman he is called to be.

You are supposed to be a craftsman in the things of God, nurturing your children to become skilled in the things of God also. You are called to pass on those things you have learned from the lap of your Father in heaven. You are not called to be a disciplinarian only. Doing so allows the enemy of your family to plant irreversible inroads and insurmountable divisions between you and those you steward. Nurturing, however, is God’s way of imparting wealth. You can make your children wealthy craftsmen if you nurture them toward the love of God.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

5/12/22 Gold Refined in the Fire

“For a long time now, I have called you to be like My Son, Jesus – to be complete in Me – but many of you have refused to listen. You have chosen to remain in your sinful nature, denying My power to change you. You have a form of godliness, but you do not let Me complete the work that is necessary for you to show the world My Son, Jesus. Soon, My Holy Spirit will be moving in a direction that is new to those who haven’t chosen My ways. He will execute My bold judgments to make you bend to My ways, instead of allowing you to continue in your ways. There will no more be the kind of grace from Me that has allowed you to be less than I have determined for your life. The kind of grace that I will send will overpower your hardened heart.

"I advise you to buy gold from Me that has been refined in the fire, before I refine My gold in the fire of judgment, which is also designed to change you. Come to Me now. I am waiting. Now is the time. This season is My final call - My bridal call. Do not turn from Me again, or My eyes of judgment will turn toward your life - for your good and for the glory of My Son, Jesus.”

Hosea 10:12 AMP

Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.

II Tim. 3:1-5 AMP

1) But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

2) For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3) [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4) [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

5) For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Revelation 3:10 NIV

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

I remember when I was a teenager. (Boy! That was a long time ago!) My dad would observe some of my behavior and then take me aside to show me that if I continued on the path I was walking, there would be consequences to my actions. Sometimes he would even show me very clearly what those consequences might be, should I decide not to heed his warning.

Usually I would stand there, hear what he had to say; and then continue on my way, doing exactly what I had done before. As I look back, there must have been some kind of “stupid filter” in my brain that allowed only foolishness in and filtered out all wisdom.

Good stuff - like wisdom, understanding, thoughtfulness - seemed to be a foreign language to me. It was not so much that I didn’t want to think clearly; I just don’t remember thoughts of having any need to do so. Take the importance of driving carefully, for example. It just didn’t enter into the equation as soon as I heard the sound of my mufflers or thought of the three carburetors under the hood.

The thought of applying wisdom to any of my actions never entered my mind once I started the engine. Logic and understanding were also nowhere to be found when I got in my car. I would probably have invited them to go with me as I drove; but somehow, I don’t remember them even being available. It was as though they were not part of my brain cell group.

Sitting on the front lawn on a Saturday night, staring at my impounded car over and over again, eventually eroded some of that “stupid filter.” What a concept. If I would listen to my dad, things would go better in my life.

In our walk with the Lord, “stupid filters” are commonplace. We just call them little sins. God, however, sees the horrible ramifications of our indulgence. He knows the terrible difference between being with Him completely and never really seeing the need to sell out to His ways with all our hearts. Eventually, because of His great love for us, He must take Fatherly action to curb our foolishness. He knows that the consequences are too great for Him to leave us where we are.

Needing to heed what is being said by my Father,

Jim Corbett

5/12/22 Get with God’s Plan

In my years of working with adults, I’ve found that many of them are fighting inward fights from many years ago. Most of these people are living their lives trying to measure up to the expectations - real or perceived - of their fathers. Their lives are way out of control because of things that have happened between them and their dads.

When the father is out of line, generally the whole family goes south. Most fathers have little idea that in the process of directing their children, they assume the role of authoritarian. This role, when out of focus, can lead to many years of sorrow, pain, and confusion for their children. If the father was too harsh, the spirit of the child is broken. If he is absent, either physically or emotionally, the child replaces him with whatever role model he or she can find to fill the void, and so on.

Fathers, your role is very important to your children. I don’t mean the role of physical provider only, but the role of father, guide, and friend. God has placed your office as the covering over your household for good reason. If you have sold out to the Lord, your spiritual depth protects your household. If it is shallow, the lack of spiritual covering and discernment allows for destruction from the enemy to enter in. You hold the office because of God. You can’t possibly be the kind of father He intends you to be without Him.

It’s time to make some quite important decisions if your household is out of order, or if you are a new dad. You need to understand what is required of you by the Lord for the good of your family. You need to get with God’s plan. Your children are depending on it! Are you?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

5/11/22 God’s Gifts

“Never judge the gifts that I give you with your carnal mind. Never judge what I am doing because things look dark. I am always looking out for your spiritual well-being. My church is cold and far from Me. Now they will need Me. As things become darker, My light will be brighter to those who turn to Me with all of their hearts. As you need Me, I will be there for you. I have told you of difficult times on the horizon. I have counseled you to cultivate an intimacy with Me. Now you will have need of knowing My will and My ways to overcome the challenges that come your way.

"It is not too late. Look upon those things that are happening around you as My gift to you. Anything that draws you to Me is very good for you. I am waiting for you to fully understand your need of Me. When you need Me, you will come to Me. That delights My heart for I know that it is My best for you. I am waiting!”

II Chr. 16:9a AMP

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Heb. 4:16 AMP

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

James 4:7-8a AMP

7) So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

8a) Come close to God and He will come close to you.

Because of what has been prophesied in the Bible and what is happening all around us, I am convinced that in the very near future, you and I will have difficult choices to make. With those choices, we can either succumb to the temptation to protect what is ours and be consumed with our little world, or we can rise to the challenge of overcoming the world’s darkness.

We can dig in with God to find our portion of what He is doing and about to do to further His kingdom. That is the only place of safety. Our flesh may want to reel in fear. Our spirits, however, know that we will be drawn to the Lord as never before. If we submit to His power, we will overcome all of the challenges that will come our way. That is the only option for us if we say that we follow Jesus. It is our act of worship.

Allow me to receive Your gifts with Your heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

5/11/22 The Dog and Pony Show

For many years, the errant, undiscerning church has embraced various ways that they interpret as the presence of God being with them. False prophets, so-called evangelists whose agenda is to build a following, and even just plain, honest people needing to hear from God have manipulated the Word, tapped into the wrong source of supernatural power, and even flat out lied in their claims of supernatural intervention – some trying to convince their audience that God is real, others to make themselves look credible and important. The world has watched this dog and pony show for so long, that they’ve cast aside any need for this kind of foolishness in their lives.

Make no mistake. God is real, and He is about to separate make-believe religion from the cross-won relationship given to us by Jesus. I believe that He is about to clearly define Himself to the true church and to the world. In fact, He has already been proving Himself strong in other parts of the world, and beginning to do the same here in America.

As a husband and father, you need to become very discerning in the days ahead. Business-as-usual policies will not be an answer to the needs and challenges on the horizon. Only a real relationship with Jesus and a determination to walk in the world as He did will allow you to overcome as He did.

It’s time to stay away from the dog and pony shows and seek out honest believers, who are only concerned with the souls of men and women, the truth of the Word going forth, and glorifying the Lord. Hang with them and you will walk right into an atmosphere ripe and prepared for the overwhelming, wonderful presence of our majestic God and Father. It’s a good place to be.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

1 2 3 … 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 … 644 645 646

Posts navigation