Tag: From Our Father’s Heart

“I am always for you. Because of what Jesus has done for you, I will never turn My back on you, no matter how many times you fail to do what I ask of you. He established Our bond, an unbreakable bond. He established your new nature that desires to serve Me. He established Our relationship. Walk with Me. I will show you what real life is as your old life falls away. As We spend time together, you will cease attempting to be good before Me out of obligation. You will understand what real love is and desire that more than you desire to sin. It is the way of the cross. It is My way. I want it to be your way.”

Gen. 1:31 AMP

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely….

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.

Romans 5:17 NIV 

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

 

The pursuit of Jesus usually begins for our good and pleasure. He meets our needs, brings us to salvation, and makes us feel good every time we go to Him. That’s good for us. There comes a time, however, that we understand the Father’s plan more clearly.

He shows us that this relationship is not only about us and our needs. He brings us to an increasing level of maturity. As we begin to understand His character better, we understand and move with His heart more often. As this action, response, action, response relationship continues, we gain more of His heart, and love more and more as He loves. We also begin to identify with His heart so closely that it becomes our heart.

The closer we get, we actually fall in love with His ways and move from admiration of Him to a love for Him. Getting to know Him and His ways leads to increasing love for Him, because we are changed more and more from being in His presence. Once we know Him, we act in a way that pleases Him because of the love for Him that has been placed in our hearts.

I submit to Your love, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“There is going to come a time in your land when I will ask you to feed many when there is no visible food around. I may ask you to bring someone back to life after they have by all appearances taken their last breath. I may ask you to go where it is unsafe, so that I can be your safety. If I do, will you go? Will you believe in the unseen if I tell you to do so? Will you speak into existence something that is not to be found unless you do what I tell you to do? One day, your life may depend on your ability to believe in Me and hear Me correctly when I speak to you. That day is not far off. I suggest that you get serious about Our relationship.”

Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 43:21 NIV 

“the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”

Matt.16:19 AMP

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be whatever is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

John 14:12 NIV

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

 

I believe that there is coming a time when many of us will be used to display the wonders of our Lord. These wonders will be far from the shams and manipulations that are so rampant these days. I am convinced that when Jesus is our only hope, He will be there for us. I further believe that the training that we are going through at this present time is building our faith and preparing us for the days ahead.

It is vitally important to realize that we are in training. We must learn the lessons that we are being taught and be willing to one day be used to implement them for our Lord’s higher purposes.

Teach me Your ways, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Would you be ready to move the instant I call you to do so? Would you be willing to go whenever and wherever I tell you to go? Would you need to know what awaits you when you get there? I want you to be prepared to do what I ask you to do, when I ask you to do it, no matter what the cost is to you. If that seems harsh, you have become complacent in your calling as My servant, and too comfortable in your world. If I can’t move you, I can’t use you as I desire. I need you to be ready to hear My voice in the season ahead. Set your heart to My ways now so that you are ready when I call upon you to do whatever I ask.”

Matthew 16:22-23 NIV

22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23) Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Out of My sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Matthew 19:21 NIV

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke 12:19-21 NIV 

19) ‘And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

20) “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21) “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

 

Why would we be the only generation that thinks it is too inconvenient to give up our comfort to do the bidding of our Lord? I wonder how many of us would sell everything we have and go wherever the Lord asks us to go. What kind of force would He have to use to convince us that it really was Him who asked us to go?

If you study the patterns of the lives of those who were powerfully used by the Lord, they were asked to do some unique things. Some were called to the arena to be eaten by lions and mastiffs. I would call that pretty radical and quite far from a comfort zone of any kind. Others were driven from their houses. Paul was beaten with rods and then got up to go preach some more.

Maybe we are more special in God’s eyes. Is that it? Maybe He doesn’t think that we should be uncomfortable because He loves us more than those poor folk. What do you think?

I think that we have hardened our hearts to the point where He can’t move many of us in the manner He would like. I think that He has called us, but we don’t love Him and His Word enough to respond. Lord, help us!

Open my ears and my heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Do you remember what Jesus said? He said that He came to give you life and to give it to you in abundance. As you trust in Him, you have every means at your disposal to have the most abundant life available to mankind. The world has only half of the story. They can only see what is directly in front of them and try to find happiness from those limited resources. Because of their choices, or their lack of knowledge, they must make decisions based on half-truths and conjecture. Their basis for truth is limited in scope because they have no knowledge of Me and of what Jesus has done for them. Their eyes have not been opened and their hearts have not been renewed.

"You, on the other hand, have been given a gift of astounding worth. The full impact of that worth will only be revealed to you when you are with Me. For now though, you see from both sides of the cross. In your new birth and in all the resources that come with it, you have every tool necessary to thrive during this lifetime. Because of Jesus, you know the beginning, the middle, and the end of everything that would impact your choices and decisions. You have hope no matter what is before you. You have unlimited help in time of need. There is nothing that you lack, should you receive. Everything that you need is yours in abundance. Draw close to Me and I will show you what is yours because of what Jesus has done. You have inherited an abundant life now and for eternity.”

John 10:10b AMP

I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

II Cor. 3:16 AMP 

But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.

 

Did you ever watch a movie where only one half of a map was found? Until the other half was joined with it, there was no way that the treasure could be discovered. That is really the essence of the story of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Before our new spiritual birth - one that we received when we accepted His life, death, and resurrection as absolute truth, making Him Lord of our lives - we were blind, foolish, and ignorant, groping for answers and using limited resources. Once our eyes were opened, we realized how dangerous our former existence was.

I came to the Lord as a dope-smoking, stupid person, totally out of answers. I didn’t even have any questions or comments left, other than: “God, if you’re real, and you want my miserable life, you can have it.”  I had no idea that a completely different life, one totally opposite to my almost surreal existence, was available to me all along.

Once, when I was just sitting in the woods enjoying Jesus, He showed me that this world has two parallel roads. At any time, we can get off the one that leads to destruction and begin traveling on the other that leads to eternal life. Before we come to Christ, however, we can only see the road that is under our feet. After we come to Christ, we have eyes to see both the new road that we are on, and the one that others are on - the one we just left. He showed me that my job was to tell those who only know of the road that they are on that another one is available to them.

Holding the other half of the map for anyone who wants to see it,

Jim Corbett

“You need to look past what is happening to what I am doing. More importantly, you need to pray past what is evident before you and fully comprehend what I am doing. Once you understand My motives and decide to belong to My plan, you will be able to rejoice, even through the hardest times. Fearlessness does not come from knowledge; it comes from understanding My purposes and embracing them.

"I have an overall plan. It has been in motion since the beginning of time. It is a plan to redeem mankind. The unfolding of that plan has been told to you in My Word. How it will end will be no surprise if you come close to Me and My Word. Everything will happen as I have ordained it. I have brought you into this plan for you to play your part in its execution. Your part has never changed. It is to tell as many as you can about the sacrifice that was accomplished for them on the cross, so they have the opportunity to embrace that gift. Everything else in your world is the working out of My desired end. Each action, every association, incident, event, and word that is said brings you closer to the culmination of all that must unfold. If you see and concentrate only on the individual piece, it may become big enough in your eyes to look like the whole for a short time. You will lose your focus and concern yourself with the immediate, instead of what is important.

"I want the last soul to have the opportunity to hear about Jesus so that he or she might not perish. I need you to maintain your focus. Remember the important, as I see it. It will always be my love for people and My desire for none to perish. If you understand My love for souls and share that desire with Me, your perspective will rise above the urgent that may be a distraction to you.”

Isaiah 48:3 NIV

“I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”

Matthew 5:13 AMP

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

John 4:34 NIV

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent Me and to finish his work.

 

Each of us must know what we are called to do. We all have a purpose in life that coincides with our Lord’s overall plan. Difficult (even catastrophic) circumstances should have no bearing on that purpose. In fact, the impossible situations we may face may make room for the miracle-working power of God.

The eternal plan of God is unfolding before our eyes. I am convinced that this generation will see the culmination of all that has been promised in the Word of God. What is taking place before us is the vehicle that our Lord is using to implement that plan. The heart and purpose behind that plan has always been, and always will be, the souls of men and women. Nothing should distract us from that purpose.

Our part in God’s plan is vital to Him. Our specific missions are planned well in advance of the daily circumstances we face. Nothing changes because we face hardships, have difficulties, or find ourselves in peril. They are part of the unfolding, but never important enough to cause us to deviate from our mission and calling. Rising above the immediate and seeing past the imminent, will allow us to freely take part in the wonder of the eternal. The view is beautiful from there because the Lord is the only focus.

Keep my eyes focused on You, Lord,

Jim Corbett