Tag: From Our Father’s Heart

“What is most important to you? What consumes your thought patterns? How close are your thoughts to My Word? If you are wondering why you have no peace or confidence in Me, why don’t you examine your motives for doing what you do? If you are full of unforgiveness, anger, self-serving agendas, or self focused direction, how can I be there with you?

“You are not listening to the heart of My Word. I cannot go where you choose to live with your heart. I will never go anywhere that denies My Word. Why do you stay there and wonder why I am not fulfilling your requests? Get your heart in line with My Word. Repent of any area of your life that is out of line. Move to Me. I am where I always am, watching over My Word to perform it.”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

2 Chr. 7:14 NIV

“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin…”

2 Chr. 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

James 4:10 AMP

Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

Rev. 3:19 AMP

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].

 

If we attempt to hold on to our lives, striving to maintain any semblance of control over them, we will lose their real value. If we voluntarily lose our lives, willingly taking the posture of Jesus by giving everything away to God, we gain more than we could ever believe possible. When we choose to make these fleeting moments in time that we call our lifetime all about the glory of the Lord, He shows us that He has far more for us than if we had been concerned only for ourselves.

It works like this: If we really do give everything away, He draws so close to us that our nature is superseded by His nature; and consequently, we care less and less about our own needs the more we come to Him. (Supersede – to force out of use as inferior, to take the place, room, or position of.) Our surrender causes the Lord to develop in us the character of Christ - a nature that is deeply in love with the Father and wanting only His desires - in place of our selfish, carnal character. The freedom achieved through our submission is the really good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God lovingly brings us out of the horrors of our fleshly nature. He places His life in us when we come to Jesus; then He adds and adds Himself each time we surrender.

Take my life and conform it to Your Word, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“If you turn your back on Me and do not listen to My Words, what can you expect your life to be? If you do not act as Jesus would act to others, how do you think your relationships will fare? When you choose to live like the world, how can I bless you? I have shown you how to live. I have given you a pattern of life to follow. His Name is Jesus.

“Living any other way is choosing to live as the world lives. I have separated you from the world. You have been told to live in the midst of others, so they can see Jesus. You are to forgive them as I have forgiven you. You are showing them a religious, powerless person who has little resemblance to who He is. It is time for you to change. Repent now! Begin to walk as He does.”

Matthew 18:21-35 NIV

21) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

22) Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26) "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28) "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29) "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30) "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32) "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

34) In anger his master turned him over to the jailers until he should pay back all he owed.

35) "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

 

So many of us ask our Lord to give us mercy, but we won’t give mercy to others. We are ready to hold up the sins of others to scrutiny, yet we ask Him to cover our own. People who are spiritually blind can only see the sins of another. Even if they get to a point where they can see their own sin, they are more than willing to walk in little or no forgiveness.

God is calling His people to treat others in the same way that Jesus treated those with whom He came in contact. Most of all, He loved them. In the end, He gave up His life for them. We may not be able to physically go to the cross; but we can lay down our own imagined right to judge others, which is actually picking up our own cross and following Jesus.

Teach me to not worry about the slivers, Lord,

Jim Corbett

 

 

“My children, you do not really understand the wonders of repentance. Most of you are afraid of humbling yourselves in front of each other to the point that you would rather keep an offense active than aggressively pursue reconciliation. It is the same way that you treat Me. You come to Me with your offenses only when I have broken your heart to the point that you can no longer stand it. Then you pour your remorse out for a moment and walk away until the next time you feel you must come. It is a vicious, unnecessary cycle. Too much wonderful fellowship is missed between times of cleansing.

“True freedom is the wonder of living a life of repentance before each other and with Me. That kind of life is not weakness; it is true strength. It is absolute, open fellowship without any hindrances. As you come to Me instantly and often, I have ample opportunity to impart Myself to you, allow you to grow unfettered by sin; and see you remain in a humble position before Me.

“You are allowed to continually benefit from a flow of My grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Because of the openness of this kind of interaction, My Word rings clearly in your spirit, My voice is unmistakable over the din of life; and My direction is clear, quieting all of the opposing opinions.

“I love to see you in a constant state of forgiveness. I love to flow continuously with you through your life. I love unbroken fellowship. Keep a short account with Me concerning sin. Come to me freely and often. You will be amazed how your life changes. You will be astounded at the power I give you to overcome the world. You will find the prosperity of continuous forgiveness so rewarding that your life as it exists now will seem dull and dreary as you look back on it from a position of freedom.”

Romans 8:1-2  AMP

1) Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

2) For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.

Hebrews 10:14b NIV

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

 

Have you ever seen someone who cherishes something he owns, such as a new car? I don’t mean someone who simply enjoys the car and drives it; I mean someone who washes, polishes, and meticulously removes every hint of dust, dirt, or even water spot. Extending that thought even further, take someone who owns a show car.

If you’ve never attended a custom auto show, you should. Go there, however, with the thought that sin is like a speck of dirt. Gross sin is mud. Separation from God is a demolished car and repentance is the restoring agent. Now walk the aisles as a judge who gives out the trophies would, looking for the slightest flaw or hint of imperfection. To the untrained eye, every one of the displays looks perfect. To the judge, however, any shortcut taken in the building of the car stands out like a flashing light.

It is the same with the owners. Any owner who has a tendency to cut corners, or not seek perfection, will attempt to direct the attention of the judge with some sort of flashy make-believe, actually seeing him as an adversary who needs to be overcome.

The owner who knows everything is in order anticipates and welcomes the judge, knowing his car is the best that he can make it. Both judge and owner are there for the joy of being part of the best, rather than simply getting by. They participate together, both enjoying the wonder of the perfection available and working toward that end.

If the judge should find even the slightest flaw, causing the owner to lose the trophy for that show, you can bet that the flaw will be non-existent for the next show. Finding the flaw is simply one step closer to perfection as far as the owner is concerned. It is not an indictment, but an opportunity to be better and more confident next time.

So it is with our relationship with God. We can look at our loving Father as an angry, scrutinizing judge who wants to find imperfections in us so that He can punish us for not being perfect; or we can see our relationship as a union, building a work of perfection together, and enjoying each step of the way.

The first attitude leads to legalism, fear, and a haphazard relationship. The second is a picture of cooperation, mutual goals, and intimate communication, which leads to a wondrous fellowship, absent of any hint of fear. Each “speck” of dust found is enthusiastically removed and considered grounds for intimate communication in a relationship designed to attain the best “product” available - one that glorifies the Father, represents and pleases the Son, rejoices in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and points to their perfecting work. That is true freedom!

Wanting to live in cooperation with my loving Father,

Jim Corbett

“Would anyone in the body of Christ miss what you’re doing if you stopped doing it? Would they feel the absence of your input in their lives? Would there be a spiritual void because the wealth you give them is no longer available to them? If there is no void, what are you really doing to advance the kingdom of God? Maybe you need to make some modifications to your life, so that you are properly responding to what Jesus has done for you on the cross.”

2 Cor. 1:8-10 NIV

8) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

9) Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

10) He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…

 

The following is a message of encouragement to the many ministers and missionaries on our mailing list, those in foreign countries and those here at home. It is a minister to minister encouragement. It is for the many who continue to ask us why they have no help to continue what they are called to do, when they believe that they are in the perfect will of God for their lives and are seeing much spiritual fruit from their efforts.

First of all, I believe that the above word is not for you. It is for those cold of heart that have ceased to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to His church.

Having been in full time ministry for many years, Merry and I know of those times everyone in ministry encounters, when it seems as if no one would care if you stopped ministry and got a job at McDonald’s. We know of your pain as you pour everything you have into others who seem to only care about themselves, when you go without even the basic necessities or the tools to continue on as others consume God’s money, time, and commitment upon themselves.

Today, Father God has asked me to encourage you. You need to know that a spirit of stupor - a dullness and inability to respond to the heart of God - has been placed within the church by the enemy. People cannot hear your pleas, nor can they comprehend your need. Most, who feel that everything is right between them and God because they have much, have been so distracted by the riches of the world, the fear of personal loss, or the desire for personal gain that the work of furthering the Kingdom of God falls somewhere behind that new car, that piece of jewelry, that bigger house, or maintaining the lifestyle they have created. They only give crumbs from their banquet tables to His work and believe that they are doing enough. If they can’t help, they don’t even see a need to pray for those on the front lines of God’s work. You are not doing something that is causing the lack of provision, they are. God will deal with them in His time.

God, however, knows your need. He asks you to keep pouring into those to whom He calls you. He asks you to continue to care when it seems as if no one cares back. He is your source. He is your provider. He is your advocate when you can find no one that cares for you and your work.

Today, you must forgive those who cannot see. Forgive those who cannot hear. Today, you take up your cross and follow Jesus. Today, you be an advocate for others who are responding to God’s call. Do not give up. Do not despair. He is for you. He sees your need. He hears your plea and will respond. You are very valuable to Him.

You must not be discouraged by the hardened hearts of those who should know better. Many need you to continue. Many need what you have. Serve them with the heart of Jesus. Do not look for response or gratitude from those who cannot see the importance of your work. Your Lord is pleased with you. He will take care of you and meet your needs.

Those of us who hear Your call will go on by Your power, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Did you know that doubt is one of the biggest hindrances to Our fellowship? It’s true! If, first of all, you doubt that I really am who I say I am, you will never embrace all that I have done for you. If, after you come to Me through My Son, Jesus, you carry any doubt that I have totally accepted you with an unqualified love, you will wallow in a partial, fumbling existence.

“You will never experience the kind of wonder that I have planned for you. Instead of experiencing joy and contentment, you will only be able to muddle through your life, confused and marginally happy. That breaks My heart.

“I would ask you to focus on this one request. Place your hand in Mine and spend whatever time it takes to settle in your heart once and for all that I love you; and that I am for you, never against you. I will always be against the sin in you, but don’t confuse My dealing with that sin and My caring for you. Get rid of any doubt in your heart. Throw away all your doctrinal teachings if they don’t line up with My Word. Eliminate all of your traditions and teachings of man. Press in to Me and require Me to open your eyes to the truth. Seek only truth, and I will show you that truth. I will show you My heart.

“Once you have settled in your heart that I am real and that I love you, you will finally realize the wonderful life that I have for you. If you never settle these basic truths in your heart, how can you ever expect to get to know Me? How can you ever expect to have peace? Come to Me now; I am waiting to give you truth.”

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

 

Let’s see… While we were still sinners, God loved us. We continually fail Him, but He continually forgives us. We deserve nothing but hell, yet He sent His Son to die for us. Over and over we fail Him, but over and over He promises to forgive us. Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?

I believe that the plan of God is such astounding news, we are sometimes afraid to fully accept it. Maybe we unconsciously think that if we did, and then discovered the plan isn’t really as good as the Word says it is, we’d be disappointed fools. Isn’t that amazing? The God of everything has provided such wealth for us, and we set it aside as if it was too good to be true.

Let’s say that a friend walked up to you and handed you a package, telling you not to open it until you got home. After rushing home, you opened the package and found a vast amount of money and a note which indicated that the money was a gift, no strings attached. You could spend it however you pleased. It went on to explain the heart of the giver and his motive for giving you the gift.  After checking back with the friend and profusely thanking him, you understood that the gift was real, and it was given to you out of honest love.

What if, however, you never spent the money, thinking it was too good to be true; and you lived in fear that someday the friend might ask you to return it? How foolish would that be?

In a very small way, that is how foolish it is to doubt God in any way. Over and over, He has written in His Word about the strength of His character, His love for us, and His astounding desire to bless us. Over and over, we refuse to believe that He really loves us enough to supply us with all that He has made available.

Wanting to no longer offend my Lord,

Jim Corbett