Tag: Jesus

“When evil men plan their evil schemes, I am still in charge. Throughout history there have been those who have attempted to take My timetable into their own hands. They have erroneously thought that they were in control of the times and seasons. Not only have they been foolish, but they have been dead wrong; and it has cost them dearly. Conversely, many of My people have misunderstood the seasons that are being played out before them. They have chosen to blind their eyes to what I am doing for the sake of their own agendas, leaving those that rely upon them in peril. That is just as foolish.

"My people, you who know better, I am calling for valiant stewardship of all My resources. I am heralding a call to My leaders to rise up and be strong in the power of My might. You who have been given resources to hold for Me, it is time to use them as I have planned, so that My Word goes forth to those who need to hear it. Hold on to only what I allow you to keep for yourself. Any more than that will be burned, wasted, and removed forcefully from you by My hand. You who have been given a stewardship of My Word, cast down the imaginations that have held you for so long and begin to preach only what has been given to you from My throne room.

"To do that, you must come to My throne room to receive truth. So many of you have never been here. Now is the time to come. I have much to say to you. I have strong food to give you to nourish My children who have been trained to digest it. To My true church, separate yourselves from any foolish traditions and teachings. Receive what you need from Me and Me alone. Cast aside anything that is not from Me, no matter who is saying it. Learn now to discern the difference. Devour My Word. It will feed you.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV 

11) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12) to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

13) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining  to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

If you had a job to do and were given a choice of equipment to use for that job, how would you go about selecting which piece to use? I would assume that you would select the tool that would perform the best for you. If you were given choices of the same kind of tool, but they were of different quality, more than likely you would select the best quality tool, knowing that it will help you do a better job. The reason it will work better is the fact that each part of that tool is functioning at its optimum performance with no tolerance for failure.

Our Father is once again refining His church. He is, so to speak, adjusting the tolerances to His requirements for the seasons ahead. Because of the task at hand, there is no room for sloppy operation of any part of His end-time machine.

Obviously the comparison of God’s holy church to a machine leaves much to be desired, but the point is clear. The only church that is fit for the Master’s use is a people who function with optimum characteristics - those of Jesus Christ. For too long, we have felt that inferior performance in areas of our calling would suffice. Often it has appeared that we have gotten away with sloppy attitudes and workmanship because the horrendous damage that was done was not readily evident. In the times ahead, however, badly functioning parts will be exposed for what they are – immediately - when their function does not suffice for the task at hand.

In less critical times, bad, unanointed preaching and teaching would be tolerated because the havoc it caused could be covered by someone else over time. That is no longer the case when shepherds have flocks hungry for only absolute truth to take with them for immediate life and death situations. Bad money stewardship will manifest itself quickly when there is silence from those who require it to function for the Lord. The lack of personal fellowship with God and His Word will be quickly evident because of foolish actions and empty words that fall short of the need.

The Lord will soon be able to use only those who have submitted to His refining processes in their lives and in their areas of service. Others will soon be set aside, unable to function properly for His very important, rapidly-approaching tasks.

Needing to submit everything to His hand,

Jim Corbett

“I miss My time with you. To you, Our time together is expendable. You seem to come to Me only when you have need. That’s alright for now. As you understand how important it is to seek Me for your every need and praise Me for all that transpires in your life, you will come to Me more often. Seeking Me builds integrity and shows your understanding of Lordship. That resounds throughout the heavens and glorifies what Jesus has done on the cross. Praising Me builds truth and wealth in your inner being. You are now spiritual beings living temporarily in physical bodies. Praise builds your inner man who has been born to live with Me. That inner man thrives on praises.

"As it pours forth, I respond with My presence. That is health and wealth to you. To Me, however, your staying away is hazardous. You have been formed to “fit’ into My presence. To not do so means that a part of My heart is missing when you are away. I love you, and long to be with you every moment. It is hazardous to you also. You have no real idea of how much would change for you if your priority in life was to be with Me. Your focus and direction would be so different because of Our fellowship that nothing would be the same as it is now. Now you have only pieces of what your life could be You are only a shadow of who you would be for Me. Turn your life around now. Become complete. Let’s spend more time quietly together. I have much to share with you.”

Ps. 31:19-24 AMP 

19) Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!

20) In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

21) Blessed be the Lord! For he has shown me His marvelous loving favor when I was beset as in a besieged city.

22) As for me, I said in my haste and alarm, I am cut off from before Your eyes. But You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You for aid.

23) O love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully pays back him who deals haughtily.

24) Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!

II Co 4:16 AMP

Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.

Eph 3:16 AMP 

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

 

Over and over, I hear our Father in heaven calling us to spend more time with Him. Do you think He knows something? Maybe He wants to help us make it through what is on the horizon. Maybe He just wants to bless us. Ya think?

All kidding aside, it makes sense to me that fellowship with us is important to Him. He originally designed us to be with Him. He sent Jesus so that could happen again once sin was destroyed. It is obviously His priority.

Can you give one good reason why being with our Father in heaven is not a priority in our lives? I can’t. Sure, there are all the well-worn excuses, but every one of them is easily set aside when crisis occurs or need arises. It almost seems as if we are using Him. Has He become the “great vending machine” in the sky? You know, drop a prayer in the slot and out comes the answer? Can you imagine the pain it must give the Father when we take the sacrifice of Jesus so lightly? He was scoffed at, beaten, nailed to a cross, all so we could have access once again to Father God. God did it for fellowship, out of love. We do it for convenience, out of selfishness. What an astounding indictment!

Bring truth back in my life, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“As I take you to places that refine you, you must know that I have not forgotten you, even though it may seem as if you are alone. How you respond during these trying times determines how long you must remain there. Squirming and complaining shows your immaturity. Attitudes of defiance or anger show how much work needs to be done in your heart. Lack of faith in Me should drive you to study My Word.

"Times of refinement are for your good. They allow you to see how far you really are from the way you should be if you are a follower of Jesus. They show you your self-focus. They reveal benchmarks of your spiritual life. During these times, repent of any areas that are out of line with My Word. Stop complaining and grow up! I am making you more like Jesus! You should be rejoicing about My love for you, not complaining about the fires that refine you.”

2 Cor. 7:10 NIV

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Eph 4:12-13 AMP

12) His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and the completeness found in Him.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…

James 1:2-4 NIV

2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 4: 8-10 AMP

8) Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].

9) [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].

10) 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].

I Peter 4:12 AMP

Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.

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].

Show me Your perspective on everything, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“You can rely on My Word. It is always true. He is always Truth. I am always Faithful.”

Psalm 111:2 NIV

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT

14) When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,

15) the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

16) I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

17) And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.

18) And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

19) May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

 

Few of us realize the wealth that we have because of the integrity of God. As the world reels in deception upon deception, attempting to form some semblance of order in which they can live, we have the Word of God - absolute, reliable Truth.

Thank You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“When I look upon your life, there is nothing but mercy and compassion in My heart. I realize how far you have to go to understand and walk in what I have provided for you. I also realize how far We have come together. I see that you are doing the best that you can do and will continue to do so from now on. Even when you fall in deep sin, throw away your friends, judge others, gossip, hate, and little resemble Jesus to the world, it is sin, yes; but it is the best that you can do. As you grow up, you will be able to do better. Because that is fully understood, My heart is always for you and never against you. Keep doing your best. Give others the freedom to do the same, and We will walk together as you mature in Me. I love you. You love others. It is My way.”

Luke 23:34 NIV

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Heb. 13:20-21 AMP

20) Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament),

21) Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).

 

Those words from Luke 23 were said as Jesus looked down from the cross at those who had just crucified Him. They were said to the soldier who probably still had the hammer in his hands, the once filthy leper who Jesus had touched, the young man who was possibly still being fed by the loaves and fishes incident several months ago; and many other jeering, spitting, and cursing people.

I am convinced that He was saying, “Father, I know that every one of them is doing the best that he or she knows how to do. I am glad to do this for them. I know that You are, also. Let’s forgive them over and over until they can see things better. One day, when Our love overcomes their ignorance and hate, they will need what We have. I gladly forgive them and I know that you do, too.”

Once, after Merry and I had just been “sucker punched” almost to the point of giving up, the Lord whispered to us: “They did the best that they could.” He was saying, “They had jealousy, so they had to try to destroy you so they could survive. They were so broken, that you were a threat to them. They were full of pride, so you seemingly stole some of their parade. You need to forgive them and understand that in their immaturity, they did the best that they could.”

The concept of everyone doing the very best that they know how to do, even the worst of sinners, allows us to understand the mercy that Jesus had on the cross a little bit better.

While I’m doing my best, please heal those whom I might hurt,

Jim Corbett