Prayer | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

4/12/24 For Reasons You Can’t See

“I love how many of you are becoming so sensitive to My leading. I know that We’ve talked about this many times, but it really is important to Me. I need to tell everyone that they have been reconciled to Me. You are My missionaries. From My perspective, I know when and where you can be effective. That is where you must be. When you learn to hear Me correctly, I can trust you to be there as My agent.

"While you are learning absolute obedience, many times it may appear as if you have made a mistake in following My direction. You may look as if you have missed My will completely. Sometimes that may be the case, but don’t be alarmed. I can handle that. Sometimes, however, you will be exactly where I want you to be, and everything still appears as if you did not hear Me properly. Nothing works, nothing fits, and nothing seems right. You may still be in My perfect will.

"I may be using you for many reasons that you can’t see at the time and will possibly never understand. These are the times that you will hear foolish words like “Where He guides, He will provide” from the uninitiated, ignorant, or success-oriented Christian. Many tender, obedient hearts have been stifled by those who don’t understand My ways. I may even be allowing you to appear as a fool, so that I can reveal the unfair judgments and hardened hearts in the lives of those who are watching you. Your reaction to what looks like a mistake on your part is as important as your reaction to success.

"Don’t listen to those who have not spent enough time with Me to really hear Me and understand My ways. It will only confuse you and hinder My life from flowing through you. I will take much pleasure in guiding you throughout your time with Me. You continue to learn to listen to My voice and move in obedience. The outcome of your obedience is up to Me. Keep walking, keep trusting. I am pleased. You are My special project! I love seeing you grow up.”

John 7:6,8 NIV

6) Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right…

8) You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”

Acts 21:12-14 NIV

12) When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13) Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

14) When he would not be dissuaded. We gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Jesus was on a mission. Totally obedient, He moved when and where He was told. Fulfilling prophecies, personifying feasts, He had to count every step as ordained, for it was. No one understood His mission and His reasons for doing much of what He did. His death signified to those who had no understanding that He had definitely made a wrong turn somewhere.

I can’t tell you the number of times I have personally experienced or seen my faith-walking friends standing bare-faced and looking foolish because things seemingly did not work out following a step of obedience. I’m not talking about people making rash decisions. I’m talking about those with honest hearts, who spend months, years, and even more time seeking the Lord for their direction, only to seemingly find no answer after they step out.

Following the Lord does not always result in the American dream kind of ending. Jesus was crucified. Paul did go to jail. Most of the apostles died what appeared to be untimely deaths. Many, many people have been martyrs for the Lord because of their obedience and dedication.

Never let the perceived outcome hinder your ability to praise the Lord - knowing that you have been obedient - or hinder you from moving with Him the next time He calls you to a work. You are on a mission. Many in the church have been nullified by the need to look cool and prosperous. They can’t hear God. He can’t trust them.

You are being taught to hear His voice and move with Him, no matter what the others might do. The remnant heart longs only to please the Lord. Nothing else satisfies.

In the coming season, I am convinced that two functions will determine the true church of Jesus Christ. The first will be absolute obedience to the Lord. Listening and following only Him, the church will move in unison to accomplish His end-time work. The second will be looking only for the Lord. Fully ready, fully prepared, she will be purified and waiting hopefully.

Learning to listen and look,

Jim Corbett

4/12/24 It’s Not About You

How would you fare if you found out that nothing in this life is about you - nothing? What if you fully understood that there may be no Hollywood ending for you; that you were asked to burn yourself out for Jesus and no one will ever know about it? What if you were called to pour yourself and all that you had into others out of obedience? What if, in God's eyes, there is really no other way to live?

As a father, husband, and man of God, your job is to seek out the life of Jesus and then live it out in front of those around you. That means that you do nothing of yourself or for yourself. It's called the crucified life - a life of laying down your own for the best interests of others and for the glory of God.

Jesus overcame the world from the cross. Although that kind of life is foreign to us, He asks us to do the same. He asks us to provide a smooth path for our wives to become all that they can be in Christ. He asks us to guide our children to the life that has been bought for them from the cross. He asks us to be an example of Him to our friends and acquaintances. We are stewards of their precious lives. When we stand before Jesus He won't be impressed about how much money we made, or how big a house we had; we will answer for the lives that God has placed in our path to direct and love.

How much time have you spent to find out what this life is really all about? The more you devote yourself to the Word of God and spend time in His presence, you will see that your life is to be spent for others, not yourself. That's what the life of Jesus looked like. That's what ours should look like. What does yours look like?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

4/11/24 Imaginations

2 Corinthians 10:5(AMPC) [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

What if everything we have been taught to hold dear since we were old enough to reason has been a lie of the world that has set itself up against the Word of God? What if all of our thoughts, self-strengths, abilities, or anything that does not have God as its center or source is not of God, so we are to cast them down? If that is truth, they are strongholds that set themselves up against the will of God in our lives.

Jesus walked above the world and all of its ways. There was not one thing of the world He accepted or based any decision on. He only listened to His Father and did what they had agreed should be done. The lie of sickness and disease, the lie of doing anything without consulting the Father first, the lie of fear, dread, even death when it was not time, like Lazarus, were called to account by the kingdom laws of His Father. He lived in the realm of higher laws. Gravity even meant nothing to Him when He disappeared into the air.

With our limited carnal abilities and reasonings, the things that Jesus did, those that we are able to comprehend, are sometimes held as good stories for us to learn from. But what if we are supposed to really walk as Jesus did? He was Spirit and flesh. We are flesh and of the Spirit because of the covenant of the cross. He was the first born of many. We are the "many" that followed Him in our born-again experience. We are called to do even greater things than He did.

Maybe it's time to really seek the Lord's opinion on how we are to live this life, looking above the ways of the world and casting down anything that doesn't agree with the Word of God. Jesus didn't like them; should we live under their dictates? What do you think?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

4/11/24 A Father’s Love

“Do you realize that I have a Father’s love for you in the purest form? Because of what was won for you at the cross, We are in covenant. You are Mine! I watch over you. I desire to guide you and protect you. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you grow up properly. My heart is for you and never against you. I love you!”

I Th. 5:24 AMP

Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

Hebrews 13:5b AMP

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

Children prosper under a good father, one who functions in love. There is always fertile soil to grow strong and healthy, which produces ripe, healthy fruit and feeds many with its goodness.

Father God provides rich soil for us to grow in. His heart is for us. His love is toward us. How wealthy we are as His children! What an opportunity to grow good and strong!

I love You, Father,

Jim Corbett

4/10/24 Priorities

When was the last time you made a pursuit of the awe of God your priority? For that matter, how often have you set aside anything - your job, a sports event you love, even good things at church - to spend time with the Lord? I don't mean a couple of moments you throw at Him when you have nothing else to do; I mean scheduling times, possibly complete days or more for Him - times that are normally consumed with "important" things.

One of my biggest challenges is my war against the intrusions on my time with my Father. Things considered normal, even good things, are continuously presenting themselves as roadblocks to the path of quiet moments spent in pursuing an intimate relationship with ABBA God.

What I have discovered is the enemy hates anyone to go there because of the power and wisdom found by those who do. He hates us, especially men, to do all that we do from the warm, protected place on the lap of our Father. He has no power against the destruction it causes to his plans.

Have you ever wondered how you have been robbed of the tastebuds for that kind of intimacy? Doesn't it make sense that your real enemy loves to keep you so busy with urgent things that the things God sees as important are placed on a back burner, or forgotten about all together? Maybe your life and the lives of those around you will really prosper in Christ if you make time with God your priority rather than meeting Him when it’s convenient for you? What do you think?

Let's talk more!

Jim Corbett

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