Tag: Jesus

“Can I help you? In these times, I am calling you to continually head toward a deeper relationship with Me. I am asking you to pursue in earnest the death of your flesh, so that you can take on the character of My Son, Jesus. I am telling you that soon your world will be turned around and will become almost unrecognizable as My Word is fulfilled in your lifetime. Everything that I am saying, you must realize that it is very important. You must take heed. With all of this coming your way, I sense your feelings of helplessness to change, probably because you see little change in you so far, even though you feel that you have been trying for many years.

"Sometimes I see you heading toward hopelessness. You are missing the point of My message. Your job is not to change; your job is to submit. If you really understood the concept of Lordship, you would realize that it is totally foreign to your normal way of thinking and acting. You could struggle all you want; but after all of the fussing and struggling is over, your heart would still choose rebellion - doing things your own way - rather than being in total submission to Me. I am not asking you to change; you can’t. Only I can accomplish the changes that are needed. I am asking you to acknowledge who you are not, so that I am free to make you into who I know you can be. I must keep encouraging you to be like My Son.

"The world needs to see Him in you. I must continually make you aware of the times and seasons that are upon you. I must make you aware of your shortcomings, so that you know that change is necessary. But I never said that you should do it in your own strength. That is foolishness. You can no more modify your heart now than you could change it by yourself in the first place. You just keep coming to Me. Let’s talk. I will bring forth the changes.”

Galatians 3:3 AMP 

Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh?

I Th. 5:23-24 NIV

23) May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24) The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

 

Do you realize that a good number of people you identify with in the church are former reprobates? Included in the group of your best friends are murderers, con men, street fighters, gang members, prostitutes, liars, cheaters, and so on and so on. Whether or not we want to accept it, we are a group of the forgiven - not the elite. We are chosen, not for what we were - for not one of us was capable of being anything good in the sight of God - but for what our gracious Lord saw that we could be.

The only qualification for entering this sorry group of now lovable people was to have realized - at one time or another - our bankruptcy as we cried out to the Lord in hopelessness. When that happened, all the past covenant promises of God invaded our sin-driven lives and implanted a new spirit. He changed us from within.

Now, He has taken it upon Himself to bring everything else in line with the new heart that has been placed within each of us. Moment by moment, we are continually being changed to reflect all that He is and all that He wants us to be. The Word is at work, the Holy Spirit is at work; and all the promises of God are at work to bring everything together in proper order.

In the same way that we all cried out to the Lord for help to change us, it is necessary to cry out for all that we need to become like Jesus. He calls, notifies, and woos us.  We respond by understanding that who He is asking us to become is an impossible task for us to accomplish and that He must do the changing.

Needing Him to even train me to submit, cry out, and surrender,

Jim Corbett

“Is your life of eternal consequence to others? Are you affecting those around you in a positive way? When was the last time you sought My counsel about a small detail in your life? I know that you pray. I know that you seek Me when you are in need. What about the details of your life that still remain yours. You said that you will give Me everything. To Me, that means everything. What does it mean to you? Jesus never held anything as His own. That’s the kind of heart I require of you. I am looking for your absolute submission to Me. Then I can trust you to be part of what I desire to do in your circle of influence. I will direct you to a significant life for the sake of My Word and for the best interests of others.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Matthew 21:28-31 NIV

28) “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29) “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30) “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will sir,’ but he did not go.

31) “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

Matthew 25:23 NIV

"His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’”

John 4:34 NIV

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

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.”

 

A pure heart is in complete union with the heart of God and therefore comes to God for God’s reasons, and to facilitate only God’s desires. There are no personal agendas, no hidden motives, and no quiet longings for independence of any kind.

Prayer is never a laundry list of needs, but a quiet waiting to hear the desires of the Lord and a zeal to implement whatever is required. A person functioning with a pure heart never second guesses or questions anything the Lord does. He is completely satisfied with all things, knowing that his very personal Lord is in control.

Teach me to submit completely to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I want you to hold up the arms of a friend. Do what it takes to help them through whatever challenges they might be facing. Pour yourself into his or her need with reckless abandon. That’s what Jesus did for you. Now you show others who He is by living the way He did.”

Exodus 17:12 AMP 

But Moses’ hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

John 15:12-14 NIV 

12) “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13) Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

14) You are My friends if you do what I command.”

 

Have you ever felt the chill of someone who cares little or nothing about anything or anyone but himself/herself? On the other hand, have you ever basked in the warmth of Christ-like love that was limitless in its scope?

We, as followers of Jesus, are called to pour out all of our life’s juices for the benefit of others, just as He did. If you feel that my last statement is a little extreme, ask the Lord to show you how He desires all of us to serve.

Show me how to live Your way, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“I am calling for a new honesty from My people. I now require that you be honest with Me and honest with each other. Have you noticed that for many years, My power has been present in some of My children when their lives were tragically out of order? Many of you wondered how that could be. I did it so that you could learn to separate the holy from the defiled. You could see the foolish actions of those who were supposedly “anointed,” but then had to discern that the power in itself did not mean that I was with them. Their lives did not hold up to My standards. You set most of them aside, and rightfully so. What is important is a pure heart that follows only Jesus.

"Now, I have given “eyes to see” to those of you who have begun to separate yourselves unto Me. Most of you no longer follow the foolish because they seem to have power; you desire only truth. I have done that work in you. Power for the sake of power no longer means anything to the discerning. In fact, many ambassadors of the enemy will soon show great signs and wonders. Many of My people will not remember this lesson and will again be fooled. You must not be part of them. 

"Holiness must be your pursuit. A holy life will mirror the life of Jesus.  There will be no fleshly, flashy exhibitions that supposedly demonstrate that I am there. There will, however, be wonders to behold at My hand by trusted servants in the midst of the deception. I will place My presence in those who have no desire to be seen and are not building their own “ministry.” Big cars, big houses, big names are part of the past. Now I require honesty.”

1 Thes. 4:7-8 AMP

7) For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity].

8) Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure).

2 Thes. 2:9-12 AMP 

9) The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels—[all of them] lying wonders—

10) And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved.

11) Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false.

12) In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

Everywhere I turn, I encounter believers who are sick and tired of the side-show religion that is masquerading as Christianity. They are finally rejecting the false influences of slick operators and charismatic personalities that supposedly represent God’s power. More and more people are walking away from and holding God’s money from showboat artists who do “wonders”- supposedly in the Name of Jesus - while living lifestyles that do not resemble Him.

In my early years of walking with the Lord, I had the privilege of participating in signs, healings, and wonders. While all of those things were happening, my life was far from being holy. I loved God as best I could; but I was so undone that much sin was still prevalent in my life.

In my quest for what I thought was important at the time, and because I had seen His power, I asked the Lord why I couldn’t be used to start at one end of a hospital hallway and heal everyone in every room. His answer was somewhat surprising then, but after many years it has allowed me to separate truth from make-believe when it comes to the gymnastics that are sold to the unaware as God’s power supposedly at work.

He said that He would not allow me to walk from one end of the hall to the other because “you would not be the same person at the end of the hall that you were at the beginning.” He was right. As soon as I would have seen all those people get out of their hospital beds, thanking me for being such of a spiritual guy, I would have gone down to the first print shop and had “Jim’s Healing Services” cards printed up. Nothing or no one - possibly not even God - would have been able to talk me out of taking my “gifts” on the road - band, singers, and the whole enchilada. I could have hurt a lot of people. I simply couldn’t be trusted.

Over the years, I have seen a whole bunch of characters, like I could have been, doing “stuff” that was accepted as “anointed,” but was light-years from having the Lord as part of it. We, as a church, have swallowed almost everything that someone said was from God and anointed by Him. A lot of people have been discouraged, disillusioned, and hurt badly because of their inability to see through the religious-sounding talk.

I’m convinced, however, that new eyes are being given to be able to walk away from the hype and wait for and want only the Lord. I also believe we are entering into a time when God’s honest anointing will again be with His people.

Wanting to get really honest with God,

Jim Corbett

“Prepare to see Me move! If you are in rebellion, soon I will say “Enough.” Prepare to see Me move! If you are in a refiner’s fire, soon your answers will come. Prepare to see Me move! If you are in need, soon I will be your provision. Prepare to see Me move! If you are longing to be like Jesus, soon I will do a mighty work in your heart. Prepare to see Me move! You need to be prepared for the time when I move on your behalf. The day will come that all of My promises to you will come to pass. Prepare now for that day, for it will surely come. Prepare to see Me move!”

Isaiah 46:9-10 AMP

9) [Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me.

10) Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose.

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.”

 

God is always faithful. No matter what happens in between the time He initiates something and its conclusion, you can be sure that what He has said will happen. There is no doubt.

If you are rebellious, it is just a matter of time before He tightens your life so that you fully submit. If you have needs, it’s just a matter of time before they are met if you have submitted them to Him. If you are in a refiner’s fire, you can be sure to see His hand move when your lesson is learned.

You and I serve a faithful God. All of His promises are true. All of His Word is true. All that He has said about Jesus is true. You can count on it!

Teach me to trust You, Lord,

Jim Corbett