Tag: From Our Father’s Heart

“Whenever you move out from your comfort zone, I am always there to meet you. You must know that when you move from that place, you are functioning as I have planned for you to function. It is when you have need of Me. When you remain in familiar, comfortable places, most of what you do is in your own strength, wisdom, and power. In essence, you are independent of Me. That is opposed to everything that I have taught you and why I have formed you. You are designed to trust Me for your every breath, word, and action. Step into the fullness of needing Me desperately. Never be afraid to trust Me for your next anything. I will be there. I will show you what to do and make a way for it to be done.”

John 5:19-20 NIV

19) Jesus gave them this answer: I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

20) For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does

Ephesians 1:17-19a NIV

17) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints

19a) and his incomparably great power for us who believe…

 

There is nothing as amazing as our Father God creating situations and modifying circumstances right before your eyes when you need Him most. So many times He uses natural means to provide. He may bring the right person, possibly waking him or her in the middle of the night in answer to the need of one of His trusted soldiers. Often food shows up, money comes, words that minister pour forth supernaturally, and so on.

Every so often, however, He simply provides in His supernatural way. These times are something that can never be taken from you, and more than likely occur when we have stepped from our comfort zones.

I remember one of the times I was waiting on Him for food. There was little to be had anywhere in the cupboards and several very Christ-like guests came unexpectedly. One of the few provisions was the last flakes of a box of instant mashed potatoes. We made what there was, knowing there was not enough for everyone to have their fill; but each could have a very small taste.

We asked our Father to bless the small amount and began to pass the bowl around. To our amazement, each person took some and placed it on their plate, but the amount in the bowl did not decrease. We even passed the bowl around again and again and had some left over when we were finished. Honest!

I remember us trying futilely to see how He multiplied the potatoes. We couldn’t. What an amazing God who meets us in our need. Sometimes He even has fun with us, just to encourage us to step out the next time.

Remind me of the wonder of Your love more often, Father,

Jim Corbett

“If you love My Son, I call you perfect. You have gone from being separated from Me to Me calling you My friend and My child. I have longed for these days since the very beginning. I have planned for them, so that I will have My people to share the wonders of My heart. Never think that you are the same as those who are still outside of My choices for them. Never see yourself as unacceptable in My eyes just because you don’t act perfectly. I am simply not through refining your motives and purifying your heart. It will happen. I will complete My promised work in you.

“For now, look past who you are now and understand that I welcome you in My arms every time that you come to Me. Jesus has done that for you. To Me, you are perfect.”

Romans 8:17 NIV

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…

2 Cor. 3:18 AMP

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

2 Cor. 5:17 AMP

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ, (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Hebrews 10:14 NIV

…because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

 

Throughout our very ordinary days, you and I are shown how imperfect our lives are and how little we resemble the life of Jesus. From God’s perspective, however, we are seen as perfect because of our acceptance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Because we have submitted to His Lordship over our lives, an astounding thing has happened. We have been spiritually changed. We are no longer outside the family of God. We are now called His children, His greatly loved children.

The next time you are blinded to what Jesus has done for you and in you, remember how your Father in heaven sees you. He sees you as perfect and on your way to living perfectly by the power of the cross and the continued work of the Holy Spirit.

Thanking You just doesn’t seem like enough, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“One of the most wonderful effects of the work of the cross is that you and I can be together just as Adam and Eve were with Me before they fell into rebellion. I used to walk in the cool of the day so that I could be with My loved ones. Now that I have torn the veil of separation between Us, We can spend as much time together as you desire. I make Myself available to you. You have been formed and reborn so that We can communicate.

“Come to Me today. I love Our time together. Each time you come, you can remember the power of what Jesus has done and be grateful for His love for you. He knows how important it is for you to be with Me.”

Gen. 3:8 NIV

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Mark 15:37-38 AMP

37) And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life.

38) And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

 

Few of us fully appreciate all that the cross of Jesus Christ has done for us. God, our Father, is at all times showing us that intimate fellowship with Him is the position for which each of us has been created. We are made to function hand-in-hand with our Father in Heaven. The guidelines on how to function that way have been made available to us in His Word.  His constant urgings to be like Christ, to lay our lives down, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to make God first in our lives are love messages to the bridal heart of Jesus. He also promises to do everything to initiate and accomplish those changes.

True intimacy is our privilege.  If we look to our own needs and place our Lord somewhere behind them, our precious, loving Father promises to bring His priorities back in order in our lives. He has committed to do so. We have committed to need Him to do it.

Make me more aware of what You’ve done, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Have you noticed how hard the hearts of the world have become? Have you noticed the absence of joy wherever you go? Have you sensed the uncertainty in the air? People are losing their bearings. Those who are not drawing close to Me are finding few places of rest.

“As your earth reels as if in the pangs of childbirth, safety can no longer be found in familiar strongholds. As those who choose to strike terror in the hearts of others become multiplied, hearts are beginning to fail from fear. As your world becomes disjointed, there will be many who become wide-eyed and fearful. Handholds will become slippery. Typical footing is becoming unstable. Jesus, however, remains constant. Jesus remains Lord.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV 

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 2:22 AMP

 Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?

Isaiah 8:11-14a AMP 

11) For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12) Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.

13) The Lord of hosts – regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

14a) And He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear and trust in Him;

           

During extremely challenging times, things that were once held in high esteem become replaced by necessities. Once important appointments fall as dim memories. Things that a person thought he or she could never do without fade as foolish comforts. Sad to say, in most cases, personal survival supersedes any eternal work for the good of others; unless, of course, priorities have been established long before the hardship presents itself.

When peril comes, most of those who call themselves Christians will “hunker down” in an attempt to be safe; but they’ll be powerless to protect themselves. In a time when the Jesus they have said that they serve is needed most, they will not know how to call on Him or even know who He really is. Therefore, they will hide in fear, thinking that they will find a place of safety. Wherever they go, however, it will be a tomb for them spiritually speaking.

The only place of safety is to be solely and completely locked up in Jesus Christ, living His passionate life. In times of peril, His overcoming presence will not be with the cowering masses. He will be displayed in all of His radiant glory through those who take the time this very day, perhaps this very moment, to surrender fully to Him and His ways. He will be with those who use their every breath of life for His benefit and the benefit of those who need to see Jesus.

Prepare my heart now so that I will be of value to You when You call on me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Few of My children really remember who they are when they are in need. If they did, they would never be in fear, never turn to the world’s systems; and never use their own resources to overcome challenges that come their way. I am, however, raising you up as an honorable representation of My Word. I am refining and perfecting you to look nothing like those around you and care nothing for the empty and shallow promises the world has to offer.

“You, My lovely mirrors of Jesus, will have borne the brunt of scorn and ridicule, received the scars of chastisement and rejection; and labored under the weight of judgment from your peers before you come home to Me. You will have learned to find solace only from Me as you toil in the gardens of those who either refuse to or are unable to toil for themselves. You will be familiar with the pains of the wounded, the fears of the children, and the savage treatment of the martyr because of your heart of integrity that weeps for the needy.

“Walking the road of life alone except for My presence, your most familiar direction will be towards Me as you carry afflictions on behalf of those too weak and frail to carry them for themselves. You may not be pretty by the world’s standards but in My eyes, you are a wonder to behold. I call you beautiful. I call you glorious. I call you Mine.”

John 26:33 AMP

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

2 Cor. 2:14-16a AMP

14) But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere.

15) For we are the sweet fragrances of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

16a) To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh].

Gal. 4:19a NIV

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…

 

In every generation throughout history, there has always been a small core group that followed hard after God. Most of their names are unrecognizable by the world. Few of them have done anything of note to be remembered in history books or the chronicles of nations.

The patterns of their lives run in a different direction than the well-worn path toward success, heading 90 degrees from notoriety and 180 degrees from sin. In some circles, they are called foolish, ridiculous, and stupid, having no earthly good. In God’s circles, they are called holy and esteemed as a prepared bride.

You and I would do well to study the life patterns of those people who have patterned themselves after Jesus. We would do well to find the kind of moxie that it takes to set aside all of our longings for comfort and wake up to the fact that Jesus doesn’t reside there. He never has and He never will. He will never be found with the weak but pretty church, the heralded entrepreneur, or the highly praised world system. He will be found working with the hopeless and needy, the broken failure, the desperate, and those with no real answers for their lives, telling them of a better way.

Jesus is our example of living. His life has been birthed in each of us who have called out to Him. His heart is our guiding light to success as God sees success. What will never be found in the world will easily be found in the quiet embrace of His love.

Help me follow only You, Lord,

Jim Corbett