Tag: men

There have been a lot of statements over the years from supposed experts about times and seasons. A number of predictions have passed without incident or at least no visible impact. Books have been written that predicted events which many took to heart. Some people were very disenchanted when predicted outcomes fell short. I heard quite a few people breathe a big sigh of relief when nothing happened. Some even dropped the idea of needing to be focused and ready, saying it's time to get on with business as usual. Therein lies an incredibly dangerous mindset, not only to themselves, but also youthful, confused believers.

Fathers, in guiding your family, make no mistake. Whether or not those with the loudest voices have times, seasons, or dates right, it is very dangerous to act as if our Father hasn't noticed the deep sin attitude in our land, a weak, self-serving church, and the reprobate spirit throughout all nations. Christians familiar with the prayer closet and the secret place of the Most High God are being called to holiness and the pursuit of the bridal heart of Christ. Those dedicated to hearing His heart, rather than the predictions of man, are sure that overcoming and even prospering through what is on the horizon will take an intimate relationship with God and a Christ-like devotion. Not only is the world reeling under the weight of its sin; our Father is aligning all things according to His end-time plan.

If you are confused by what has or hasn't happened, feel as if there is no one to listen to, and you're looking for direction, the answer is the same as it has always been. Seek Jesus with every fiber of your being. Pursue Him at any cost. Determine to know Him as a bride would look for an intimate understanding of the one she is to marry. He not only has all the answers; He is the answer. Knowing Him and His heart will make your path straight and your footing sure no matter how many turns there are in the road or how many challenges the world will provide. Knowing the heart of Jesus will set you free from other people's opinions. He will direct your path to a safe place.

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Jim Corbett

Saying that we have respect for someone is becoming a statement that is almost obsolete. The world has turned so dark, that the qualities determining if a person is to be respected are not qualities admired. The appearance of success or power has taken the place of a life that is worth respecting by those who are watching.

When was the last time anyone in your family said that they respect you as a father or husband? When was the last time that you have exhibited a life, or even an action, that was worthy of being respected in God's eyes, and then in those around you?

God has ordained the offices of husband and father as a covering for those he has been given. We are to provide a safe place for our families to function in as they grow in Christ. You, as the one functioning in that office, are to act as Christ would act if he were in your position. Obviously you will only be able to act worthy of the kind of respect He would have if you have been with Him enough to learn His ways.

The life we live in this world is important to God. How we function in front of others determines how they perceive a man of God should act, especially those in our families. Are you acting in a manner that garners respect from your wife or your children? Do others show respect for Jesus because you act in a way that represents Him properly? What are you going to do about it if you are not?

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Jim Corbett

Most of us would answer that question in some way that has hopefully grown past the "I really love her, man" kind of statement. Let's forgo the stupidity of the "I really can't keep my hands off of her" answer and get on with why our Father in heaven has given us permission to be married.

In a nutshell, God has had us men covenant with Him to marry the one He has chosen for us, for His honor and for her best interests. I know that kind of thought has rarely passed through our world-trained, pea-brain ability to understand His ways about marriage; but it is, none-the-less, true. We are to join together with one of His precious children so that she has fertile soil to become all that she can be in Him. That honors Him!

In Ephesians 5, we husbands are called to lay our lives down for our wives in the way that Jesus laid His life down for the church. He died so that we could live. That is how the Lord can use marriage as an example of the relationship of Christ and His church.

When two people are joined together, they are given the privilege of knowing the most intimate details of the other person. They get to see whatever is undone in the other. Most of the time, especially after many years together, those cute little habits or actions become a source of irritation, sometimes even separation, instead of looking at them with Christ's heart. Jesus would hold them before His Father so that we and our wives could be healed. So should we.

God sees our job in marriage as laying down our needs, our desires, and our comforts, and living for the best interests of our wife and our children. The best interests of our circle of influence violates every area of our fleshly comfort zone. It demands that we live in the spiritual zone where Jesus lived for us. That is why He has given us someone to go through our lives with. They are to be given an atmosphere to learn how to love Him with all of their hearts. We are to provide that atmosphere by the power of the Holy Spirit. How's that working for you?

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Jim Corbett

After broadcasting a person's need for a couch over the air at our radio station, we found ourselves staring at something that once resembled furniture in the living room of someone who answered the request. When we refused the explosion of stuffing that was home for her cat, the woman said, "Well, what am I supposed to do with it now?"

Her "gift" to someone in need may be the extreme example of wrong motives, but her attitude resembles the attitude of the church throughout history. Although heartfelt generosity propels the gospel of Jesus, there is an underlying plague of corrupt thinking originally confronted by Jesus. As gifts were being given, He asked a question that rings through the centuries right up to each of us. "Who gives more, those guys over there who give out of their abundance, or the widow who gives a small amount, but it is all that she has?"

As a covering for our families, we as men are to teach those in our midst about the heart of Jesus by our actions. When referring to gifts and giving, we are stewards, not owners of everything we have. We are to teach others about the cross of Jesus by sacrifice, not by giving away our surplus. If a person has untold wealth and gives a seemingly large amount away, God looks upon the gift as far less than one who gives very little, but it is all they have.

Be assured that people who don't know Christ - and for that matter our children, - are watching us as fathers, and how we function. Without knowing it, how we act in every area of our lives is speaking much louder than our words. The freedom in which we give to others, especially sacrificial giving, broadcasts volumes to those who may not understand the cross and its work. People see Jesus in every cup of cold water given by us, especially if the water given means that we go thirsty. Are you ready to be uncomfortable?

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Jim Corbett

As I read through the Word, there are many ways in which we are to honor God. In a nutshell, I believe that honoring our Father in heaven is an attitude of the heart. I know that statement is not a lightning flash revelation, but it is something to be considered as we husbands and fathers go about the business of being an example to our families.

One of the foremost ways that I see of honoring God is found in the heart words of Jesus, when He said that He did nothing of Himself, but everything He did was of His Father in heaven. That's quite a statement. Most of us tough, independent guys gloss over those words, never really understanding the profound impact they would have on our lives if we followed them in everything we do.

Think of the major direction shift our lives would take if we refused to do anything, I mean anything, unless we did it only after we knew that what we did was in our Father's perfect will. I am convinced that would be one of the highest honors we could give Him.

Honoring God by simply finding His heart before we move in any direction would have more impact on our lives and the lives of those around us than we could ever imagine. The understanding that we are paying Him the highest honor we can give, if waiting on Him becomes one of our highest goals, is a challenge that most of us really need to consider. Will you?

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Jim Corbett