Tag: salvation

In any combat situation, there are certain skills needed if one is to survive, especially one who is called to lead others. It is very important to hone the skills necessary to win the war that’s raging against marriage and family. They may not be the typical weapons of warfare, but they are mighty In Christ.

Usually when a man enters a physical battle, he relies on his strength, his cunning, his knowledge of combat tactics, and his choice of weapon to overcome the enemy. However, the battle that comes against those a husband and father cares for is generally spiritual in nature, and only spiritual equipping will win it.

As men of God, every one of our battles is really the Lord’s to fight. The weapons we need are different than the ones we’d use if we were going to wage the war ourselves. Our strength comes from an intimate relationship with God. Our wisdom to face any challenge is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Our strategies are found in the Word. Real power is given to us as we surrender to the power of the Lord and learn to feast at His table while He wins the battle for us.

Husbands and fathers, there is no question that each and every day an attempt will be made to destroy our marriage relationship or our heritage through our children. It may not be visible moment by moment, but be assured that the enemy never sleeps. He’s always looking for weakness on any front, so that he can make inroads for his purposes. It’s time to become equipped with the ability to determine and understand the wars you will encounter as they arise. Who is going to win them for you, and what is your part in the battle?   In Christ, there is no battle too large or too small. If God is for you, who can be against you? You’re on the winning team. With His help, can He count on you?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

One of the most vulnerable spots of any animal is the underbelly or underside of its body. In most cases, it consists of soft tissue with little armor for protection. Knowing that, most any foe can do life-threatening damage once the underbelly is exposed.

In the intimacy of a marriage, all faults, traits, fears, and vulnerabilities are exposed to husband and wife. In a very real sense, the underbelly or weakest areas of who they are become known to each other. Unwise stewardship of that knowledge can be deadly in the truest sense of the word.

As a husband, you have the privilege of knowing who your wife really is behind all the masks and protections put in place over the years. You get to see all her fears and weaknesses. On the other hand, she gets to see who you really are. If either of you makes that knowledge available to anyone else, even a best friend, you have violated the trust of your mate and closed down a very important part of your stewardship of each other.

If this trust is violated, walls of protection go up and true intimacy becomes impossible from that point forward. The offended mate hides his or her vulnerabilities for protection, and the offender loses the privilege of holding his or her mate before God in prayer for healing. Wise husbands and wives never allow anyone to see the underbelly of their mate. They seal their marriage; and unless it is mutually decided to seek outside help in certain instances, they seal their lips from any outside influence, so that the Lord alone is their healer as they present those needs to Him.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

Although Father God has given us a stewardship of our wife and children, He asks us to turn them over to Him for their safe keeping. He is ultimately responsible for their best interests. We are responsible to give them and their needs to Him.

Foolish stewards look to their own strength and wisdom to protect and guide their charges. They personally take on their responsibility, instead of placing everything in God’s hands. Wise stewards, knowing that they are, in themselves, incapable of taking care of the needs of their marriage and family, give everything over to God.

Think for a moment of that exchange. Attempting to navigate the perils of this life with our weak, limited capabilities, or giving those perils over to an almighty God, capable of providing everything we need. Which is true wisdom? It’s really a no brainer. Why then do we attempt the first option almost every day of our lives?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

The world chases after possessions. They’re some of the gods we serve, whether we know it or not. Most of us men go to work to gain possessions of some sort, whether it’s bigger houses, cars, clothes - anything we need more than we need intimacy with God.

Some possessions are necessities; others are the enemy’s way of keeping us distracted and so busy that we have little time for God. An example of that would be you and your wife working harder or longer to afford the mortgage payment on a bigger house.

God’s priority is an intimate relationship with Him. Anything that minimizes or distracts from that relationship is out of His will. It is not of Him and should either be eliminated or minimized to its proper place in God’s eyes. If we hold on to anything – money, fame, material wealth, status, etc. - we lose more than we know. If we let go in our hearts of whatever it is that distracts us, we will gain the fullness of God. That fullness is everything. Holding on to nothing of this world in our hearts allows us to grasp the wonder of Who God really is and what He has done. That is true wealth! Are you ready to let go?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

In all of our lives, there are decisions, milestones, intersections, and crossroads that determine direction for us and our families. They have either a positive or negative impact on those around us, depending on our spiritual maturity. As men, we are to guide the ones we steward with the wisdom we gain in fellowship with our Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The closer we are to the Lord and the more we listen to His counsel, the better our loved ones will fare.

In every life, there are at least two turning points, specific times when our life direction and our priorities change. The first is the decision to make Jesus the Lord over everything in our lives. That decision brings the most important relationship possible to our lives and sets us on a new and wonderful direction with God as our Father, Jesus as our Lord, and the Holy Spirit as our guide.

The second most important turning point is the one in which we determine in our hearts to walk in the kingdom of heaven with God in Christ while on this earth. That decision sets us on a course to overcome all the hazards and challenges the world has to offer. Although we have been made spiritual beings through submission to the Lordship of Christ, most of us walk with one foot in the world, listening and functioning in the atmosphere of flesh and blood, and one foot attempting to follow God. We are spiritual beings in a physical world, attempting to listen to both sides of every issue that arises.

This second turning point - the decision to follow only God, walk as Jesus walked on this earth, and listen only to His Father’s heart - sets us free.  Although we remain in the world, when we choose to function in the kingdom of heaven’s spiritual atmosphere with its limitless power, eternal focus, and perfect direction for this life, nothing can touch us. We become immune to the hazards of this world, and embraced by everything God is and has done through the cross of Christ. We become spiritual beings who are focused on the spiritual world we belong in through the work of Jesus. Which kingdom do you choose?

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett