Tag: Prayer

“Death and life! You own them both with your life in Jesus. You are called to bring the life you have been given to others. Your words should only be My Words. Your actions should only be His actions. He only gives life!”

Exodus 33:13-16 NIV 

13) “If I have found favor in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

14) The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

15) Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16) How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Matt.16:19  AMP 

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth, must be whatever is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

Romans 10:9-10  NIV 

9) That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

 

So many people have followed the teaching of speaking positive things so that positive things will happen to them. I believe that the Lord wants us to speak His words, which are absolute truth, rather than the words that come from our fears, misunderstandings, or foolish doctrines.

God is in the absolute truth business. There is nothing that He has ever said that cannot be trusted. He is in the life-giving business. The life we have been given in Jesus is a life that is available to anyone who desires it. When we talk of Him, we bring the opportunity for life to others. When we serve others through Him, others see the difference between the darkness of the world and the brilliance and the wonder of Him. We do have life to give when we give to others in His Name and His power— through His Word and by our words and actions.

Have me give only life to others, Lord,

Jim Corbett

“Make sure that you are where I want you to be, and with whom I have planned for you to be. It is paramount for the work of your ministry. In the coming times, I will require you to move in My direction and My direction alone, not sidetracked by fleshly emotions and fears. Sometimes, there will be little time to hesitate when specific directions are given. Controversy between you and those that are with you will be costly. Indecision could be life threatening. Before these times come, you need to cultivate friendships that you can trust. Remember “holy alliances.” As I join you with those who are put together for specific tasks, I will tailor a common heart, so that you can move swiftly and decisively when necessary. In those times, My supernatural power and My wisdom for the moment will be instant and clear to those who have learned to listen to My heart.

"Start seeking your companions for reasons other than surface pleasure. Begin to see the nature of others as I see them. Are they looking only for My life to be developed in them? Do they see My kind of integrity as mandatory if they are followers of Jesus? Are they aware of the times and seasons in which they live? Are the priorities for their lives lined up with My Word? Are they trustworthy? These character traits will make the difference between a smooth implementation of My plans, and times of confusion and discord that will waste much needed moments.

"Start to ask Me who your friends should be. Let Me bring proper associations to you. When I do, cultivate all interactions to be in line with My Word. Make it your priority to be obedient to Me and to glorify My Name. I will then be present in all that you do.”

Acts 15:36-40 AMP 

36) And after some time Paul said to Barnabas, Come, let us go back and again visit and help and minister to the brethren in every town where we made known the message of the Lord, and see how they are getting along.

37) Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark [his near relative].

38) But Paul did not think it best to have along with them the one who had quit and deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

39) And there followed a sharp disagreement between them, so that they separated from each other, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

40) But Paul selected Silas and set out, being commended by the brethren to the grace (the favor and mercy) of the Lord.

 

So much for unity for the sake of unity. Wimpy, self-serving relationships work for church socials, but when you are about the business of God, the reliability and integrity of those associated with you are very important.

I had the privilege of observing a former gang member scrutinize a fellowship to which I had brought him, while he was making his decision to follow the Lord. I don’t remember his exact words after he met and talked with some of the people, but they were not something I had ever heard before. He inquired as to why he would ever hang around with anyone in that church, stating that none seemed to have enough integrity to be relied upon if he was ever in need.

You see, he had lived with people who had covenanted to be “for” each other in times of need, no matter what the cost. He stated that he knew hundreds of people, some who didn’t even know his name, who - without hesitation - would actually die for him if they were called upon to do so. They were in covenant, one to another, because of their code.

When he observed the church, he could see only surface relationships and empty, hollow greetings of acceptance. (By the way, this man was pointed to Jesus, not people, and serves Him now. He is one of the most trustworthy friends I have ever met. I have observed his life and have learned much from him and one other friend, also a former gang member, who preceded him to the Lord. Few people have the character qualities of these two friends.)

The church knows little about honest relationships with each other and, therefore, few people stand with unquestioned love towards the other in times of need. We shoot our wounded and choose our friends for all the wrong reasons. That will no longer suffice if we are to move with God in the coming times.

Paul understood the importance of trustworthy relationships in the season that he was called to proclaim God’s Word. To him it was important enough to separate himself from Barnabas, so that he could rely on all his partners in the work that he was called to do. I believe that discernment of God’s kind of character in those with whom we associate will be most critical in times to come. Each of us must pray for the wisdom to choose our friends wisely and separate ourselves from those who serve only themselves and live to fulfill their own needs. The work of the Lord will count on our ability to do so.

Needing the character of Jesus to discern proper character,

Jim Corbett

“How close is your heart to the heart of Jesus? Your answer is very important, so respond carefully. My desire is that it beat in unison with His. Understand this. Your life is really a time of preparation. Please understand how important your goals are as you walk with Me. It is important that you seek to be like Jesus in every way. My goal is to empower you to do so. 

"In this life, you, My church, prepare for one of three situations, depending on your maturity. You prepare for your personal security, you prepare for war, or you prepare for marriage. Those of you preparing for personal security do only what it takes to spend eternity with Me. You spend your days confident in the work done for you at Calvary, and that is enough. The thought that I desire more for you is rarely in your heart, so you have become immovable and complacent, ill-equipped for even the smallest mission, unless it is for your benefit.

"If you are preparing for war, you have chosen to go deeper with Me, understanding that there is much more to your preparation than your personal security. You seek Me with all your heart and live a crucified life, allowing Me to eliminate your carnal nature at every opportunity. You are truly after My heart and My desire. You desire to represent Me with all your heart. You are valiant.  I can trust you with much.

"Marriage preparation goes much deeper. It has all the characteristics of a warrior, but also includes a cleansed heart that beats with radiant, intense, holy love for Jesus. Your days are filled with preparation for Him as you represent Me. Your focus is His pleasure, as you prepare for His return. Nothing is more important to you than your understanding of His ways, so that your garments are spotless and ready. While you joyfully complete any mission that you are called to do, your eyes are ever looking upward, your heart is always waiting for His call. You have the heart of a waiting bride.”

Matt. 25:1-6 NIV

1) “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to met the bridegroom.

2) Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

3) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

4) The wise, however, took oil in their jars along with their lamps.

5) The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6) At midnight the cry rang out ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!’”

Rev. 22:17 AMP 

The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported and strengthened]: and whoever desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink of the water of Life without cost.

 

I am convinced that we, as members of the body of Christ, must look past all of the daily distractions, and understand that we should be preparing as if we were getting married soon. Within the church, there are many varied teachings concerning who or what the bride of Christ is. Some say that anyone who is born again is automatically the bride. In Revelation, the bride is represented as a city. Some believe that in the city resides the true bride. Most interpretations have enough Bible verses to back their theory with gusto. True Bible scholars have contended these and other viewpoints for centuries, all convinced that their opinion is correct.

I am certainly no Bible scholar, nor am I an expert in any way. In my study, the only thing I’m sure of is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the Messiah who said that one day He will return. We should take comfort in that promise. From that base, however, it seems that the Lord is continually addressing the heart and motive for everything we do as the body of Christ. If that is truth, wouldn’t it be wise for every one of us to seek to position our hearts as close to the heart of Jesus as possible - for His pleasure?

As Jesus desired only to please the Father in every way, we should be doing the same as our daily pursuit; that’s a given. I see that as basic Christianity 101. To make that pursuit complete, however, there are many verses throughout the Word that goad us toward a holy motive, a pure love, a deeper calling — one characterized by the heart of Jesus — that is attainable through the power of God. Wouldn’t Jesus be most blessed if it were our mission to be as much like Him and waiting only for Him as a pure waiting bride? Why would we think He is worthy of anything less if we call Him Lord?

Wanting to have pure motives,

Jim Corbett