Tag: Jesus

“You need to take stock of what you have used to replace intimacy with Me. What have you used to comfort yourself, instead of allowing Me to do a deeper work in your heart? Do you not know that you are working against Me when you do such things? I am fulfilling My promise by making you into the character of Jesus, while you are buying things that you really don’t need and taking on activities to make you feel better. How counterproductive is that?

Observe why you are doing what you are doing. Compare it to what I would be doing to make you more like Jesus. Spend enough time with Me to know what is truth for your life. Submit to My hand upon you.”

II Samuel 14:14b NIV 

“But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.”

Romans 2:4 NIV 

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Romans 5:1-5 NIV 

1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

3) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

4) perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

1 Cor. 13:11 AMP 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

 

I cringe when I attend evangelistic altar calls where the preacher promises health, wealth, and a trouble-free life if someone comes to Jesus. Usually, it is only a matter of time before a person who has responded to come to Christ for those reasons finds himself disenchanted, confused, and looking for other ways to soothe the need he has inside.

Our submission to Jesus as Lord should be for one reason and one reason alone. We are to submit to His Lordship because He is the only Lord, and we are created to love and serve Him.

Through the working and wooing of the Holy Spirit, we come to Jesus. Once we respond to that call, our lives are a continuous series of submissions to the hand of our Lord and changes that are completed in us because of those submissions. We are being made into the image of Christ. To do anything to fight against that process is actually working against God. No wonder we are so exhausted so much of the time!

I quit wanting my own way, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Delight in Me. I am your light in the darkest parts of your journey. Take My hand. I will walk with you. I am always near you. I will guide you through the perilous parts of your journey. Do not look around at the things that will bring you fear. Look into My eyes. Focus your attention on Me. You will finish your tasks and bring glory to Jesus. On the other side of this specific path, there is light. You will make it because I am with you.”

Acts 4:29-33 NIV 

29) “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

30) Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

32) All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.

33) With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

 

As you know, most of these Father’s Heart messages are for me first. Since I gave my life to the Lord, they have come to me as comfort, encouragement, and exhortation when I seek Him in prayer.  I have been told to share them with those of you who desire to read them. Many of you have said that they are pertinent to your life and your personal walk when they arrive; that they are a word to you as well. Praise God!

Those of you who read these messages are the “very few.” People seem to be able to discard or ignore what we believe to be the heart of God as they would yesterday’s news. It can be very discouraging at times when these messages and our writings are not desired by the church in general, even though they all are a call to the only answer during these challenging times—a closer walk with Jesus. At times we wonder if we should continue. We know, however, that we can’t stop heralding the call. We would be living in disobedience if we did.  Our Father wants His words to go to those who will hear. That is who we are asked to serve, no matter how lonely it feels.

If you are called to draw near to the Lord or have been under attack because of what you are called to do for Him, be encouraged.  Never give up. Jesus is with you. Your Father is at your side. The Holy Spirit will guide you. You need to commit to pay whatever price is required to continue in the direction in which your Lord and Father has called you. Stand! Trust in Jesus! He is your Lord.

Shake the room and pour out Your grace on those of us who need more of You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“You are in an enviable position. You have found the answer that everyone is looking for - the answer to life. While the world runs after anyone and everything that appears to appease their pain and address their needs, you can rest in Jesus. You know where to go when you are in need. You have access to the answer to your every question if you take the time to search My Word. You have peace in your eternity. You are truly blessed.”

Romans 8:28 NIV 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Phil. 4:6-7 AMP 

6) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

 

So many of us forget to rest in the fact that we have the answer to life. His Name is Jesus.

In Jesus, we have access to the heart of our Father God. We are invited into His presence for any reason, anytime, as many times as we need. We are never alone and never without because we have been given the Holy Spirit. When our time on earth is over, we have the promise of an eternity in the presence of God. We are truly blessed!

Let me always remember, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“As a whole, My church has been weighed and found wanting. You who hear need to come out from her. You must come back to My Word and its fullness, or you will experience the judgment that is about to be placed on those who will not hear. I have seen the falling away. I have tolerated the self-serving attitudes of those who have attempted to form Me into their image. They have misused My words, redefined My purposes, and turned their backs on the Spirit Who once was accepted as truth, defining truth to suit their own agendas. They have witnessed to others that My presence is with them, when I am nowhere near where they are. I don’t come to their ways; they must come to Mine. They sing songs of praise because of what I have done, instead of praising Me for Who I am. Deep down, they credit themselves for their prosperity and blame Me for their trials.

"I have allowed the cold, hard heart to run its course and have asked you, who have eyes to see and ears to hear, to make choices. Some of you have seen what has happened to My people and hate what you see but have needed to know for sure what to do. I now call you to come out. Cold fellowships are religious activities that only make participants feel comfortable where they are. Cold preachers are no longer My messengers. They allow My children to be complacent.

"I am about to deal with them. I have never been, nor ever will be, part of religious folly. Time is too short to play religious games. If you do, you will miss what I am really doing. You come away with Me. You get back to My Word. You join with others who see, and live the life of Jesus before those who need to know Him. Ignore the sound of judgments that are bringing those who would not hear to their knees. In their independence, they would not come to Me. Soon they will submit. You do My work, endued with My power that comes from being in My presence. I am with you.”

Amos 5:21-23 NIV 

21) I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.

22) Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings I will have no regard for them.

23) Away with the noise of your songs. I will not listen to the noise of your harps.

 

There comes a time when the Lord says, “Enough.” Just before that time, He always calls out those who can hear His call and separate themselves from those with whom He is displeased. They miss His judgment because of their obedience.

For many years, I believe that the Lord has been calling His people to pursue holiness and intimacy with Him. In those years, most of us have seen many fellowships resist the call to holiness and replace it with programs and events. Those, who have closed their spiritual ears to the call of God, busy themselves with religious activity, rather than spend the time needed in prayer and fellowship with the Lord, so that they can hear His heart.

Merry and I are incredibly blessed in knowing honest lovers of our Lord all over the land. So often we hear aching hearts crying out for a fellowship near them that doesn’t compromise the call they are hearing, a call to holiness. The common lament is that a call to participate in activities and doing good things has replaced the message of spending time with God. Spending quality time in prayer is avoided. Hours in prayer is considered radical and sometimes unheard of, even by leadership. They say that they have no place to go, so they congregate with one or two like-minded believers in their own homes, continually searching for a strong Word and a call to intimacy, wherever they can find it.

The call to become a holy, separated people, who are dedicated to intimacy with devoted, bride-like qualities, is becoming louder and more urgent each moment.  At the same time, cold, dead religious activity vies for the hearts of the unaware. It feeds on those who have closed their ears and hardened their hearts to the Holy Spirit and are too busy doing good things to spend time with their Lord.

Wanting to hear clearly and respond properly,

Jim Corbett

“Do you know what a prostitute is? It is someone who is willing to sell his or her false affections for a price. Can you imagine the heartbreak of the father of the prostitute? In the world, the rationale would be that his actions must have been less than perfect to cause his child to become so calloused toward himself or herself and others, that he or she is able to function as a prostitute.

What have I done to cause you to care so little, that you give yourselves away to any lover that is willing to satisfy your required price? I have purchased you for a great price. You have gladly received the benefits of My purchase and have consumed them upon yourself. While you say that you are Mine, I notice that your eyes are wandering to and fro, attempting to find the next lover that will satisfy you in some way. As a Father, I grieve. Nothing that I have done causes you to care so little. Nothing that you have been given would cause you to be unsatisfied. But you are. You constantly need more from Me to fulfill your wandering desires.

Unlike someone who would give up on you because you care so little, I never will. Unlike a wounded father who is incapable of giving any more, I will continue to lavish My love on you until you can see clearly and turn from your ways. Each time you repent of your wandering, I will forgive you, knowing that as soon as other lovers come along, you will follow them again. I will forgive, and forgive, and forgive. I love you. Nothing you will ever do will stop Me from loving you.”

Romans 2:4b NIV

….not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

I Cor. 13:4, 7-8 NIV

4) Love is patient, love is kind….it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

13:8 Love never fails.

 

I remember going to the Lord for what must have been the thousandth time with the same sin, grieving over my failure; and knowing that I would soon be back in the same position, confessing once again. In the beginning, I would go to the Lord so that I could feel good, so that I could be clean again. His forgiveness and the promise of complete restoration of our fellowship always drove me back to that place of cleansing. In my hurt, undoneness, and immaturity, however, I could never really come to true repentance - a complete turning from my sin. I came to Him for my good, so that I would feel better. In His great love, He was always there. He knew that I’d be back the next time I stepped on His love, but He never turned me away.

Eventually, however, something wonderful happened. My reason for coming to Him with my sin began to change. Because of the astounding love of my Lord, Who always accepted me and never gave up on me, I was free to come to Him until the Word that was working in me could change my heart from within.

I began to come to Him with my sin, not only to become cleansed; but because I began to see how much my sin grieved my Father. He hurt when our fellowship was broken. He grieved as He saw me fall back into my own vomit. He was more anxious to clean me off than I was to be clean.

Eventually, I no longer wanted to offend Him. His love became more powerful than my desire to commit that sin. He held me while I was too immature to see clearly. Then He changed me as He said He would. This happened to sin after sin after sin. It is still happening and will continue to happen until He calls me home. What an incredible promise. What an incredible God!

In Him,

Jim Corbett