12/31/13

“Most of you understand how important it is to prepare for the season ahead. Others have become desensitized and lulled to sleep. While they rest in comfort, much is being organized against everything for which they stand. You, however, must heed My exhortations to minimize the importance of things that matter little in My economy. You must fix your heart on eternal wealth.

For those of you who are seeing the times and seasons, and have turned your hearts toward the heart of Jesus, I delight in your wisdom. You please Me. I will be able to use you during perilous times, because you have the kind of power needed to overcome any ploy of the enemy. You will exhibit My love when others hate. You will be free when others flee in terror. You will freely give away whatever does not own you.”

Gen. 25:29-33 NIV

²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.

³⁰He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

³¹Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

³²“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Psalm 3:1-6 AMP

¹Lord, How they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

²Many are saying of me, there is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

³But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

⁴With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

⁵I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.

Isaiah 48:3 NIV

“I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.”

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Have we, as followers of the Lord, lost our wide-eyed enthusiasm for the end of things as we know them? Have we become so attached to this world, holding it so close, that we fear the loss of our comfort more than relish the wonder of the Lord’s plans being fulfilled? I believe that some of us have.

I know that most of you who read these messages have ceased to play games with God and are serious students of His Word. I know you see the times and seasons, and understand the need for preparation. From the correspondence that Merry and I receive from you, your hearts are longing for truth.

As I write this, I believe that the Lord is asking me to ask you to quietly check to see if some attachment has robbed you of perfect zeal and absolute devotion. The sense that I feel as I pray is that the Lord is calling His people - the ones who have heard His heart - to make sure that no wrong footholds have been embraced because of the pressures and distractions of recent months, possibly years. Your weariness and the length of your situation are beginning to change your focus and you need to address whatever it is. It is almost like a call for an equipment check before engaging in battle. It is a call of love from a devoted Father.

Thank You for being so close, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/30/13

“Are you sure that where you place your trust is reliable? When peril comes, will what you have believed in still be strong? Will it withstand the test of relentless pressure from the enemy? Will you be able to help others from your place of safety? If anything but Jesus is the foundation for your life, you are foolish to believe that it will survive the coming times.

Look around! What is safe in these days? Where is there any security? In some instances, the most reliable has fallen. The immovable has moved. The unbeatable has lost. Choose today where you stand. Choose today where you place your trust. His Name is Jesus!”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Psalm 18:1-2 NIV

¹I love you, O LORD, my strength.

²The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, He is my shield…

Psalm 46:1 AMP

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

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The world is experiencing remarkable weather patterns. Places that have been dry for as long as anyone can remember are flooded and uninhabitable. In some cases, buildings have not only disappeared, but the ground that they stood on no longer exists. There are reports of entire communities relocating their downtown areas to higher ground to flee the potential of losing everything again sometime in the future.

What is so remarkable is that the higher ground that they seek is indicative of anyone who places their trust in tangible safety. Steel and mortar, concrete and stone have failed in less than a week of relentless pressure. Still, most of us believe that it provides security for us. We still believe that banks are safe places, that governments will protect us, that we will be able to rely on our job or our education when all else fails.

I am convinced that God is, at this very moment, telling His people to awaken from their slumber. We are being shown that there is no security away from Him and the work of the cross. Our only place of safety is in Jesus. Nothing else will remain when the proper amount of pressure at the proper moment is applied to what we think is safe. If the ground that you are standing on could disappear in a matter of moments or the organization that you believe in ceases to exist, how will you fare?

Help me to trust only in You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/28/13

“You need to guard your heart. You must be cautious about what you allow in your spirit. You need to make sure that you are functioning in truth, not in perceived notions that sound like truth, which are actually inroads designed to lead you astray. My Word is truth. The roads on which it takes you lead you to absolute truth. Make sure that you invest enough time to know what it says, so that no one can confuse you. Spend time absorbing the life of My Word, so that the death of the world cannot touch you.”

Mark 4:24 AMP

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

Phil. 3:10-11 AMP

¹⁰[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

¹¹That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

---

The enemy of our soul loves to distort the truth. He loves to mix reality with just enough conjecture to plant a seed of confusion that eventually distorts all that we do. He loves to play with our minds, so that we cannot accept truth when it presents itself. That keeps us fearful and confused. It nullifies our effectiveness in doing the work of the Lord and functioning as Jesus would function in front of others. Jesus is Truth. There is no lie in Him. He is the embodiment of the Word of God. He can be trusted.

I am often asked by people, who have been deeply wounded or led astray for a season, how to recover from whatever hurt them. There is a formula for recovery that never fails: find truth in everything you do. Start with Jesus. Study His life. Study His heart. Get to know Who He is intimately. He is the solid foundation for everything. Ask Him to show you small steps of truth that apply to everyday living.

Is what you function in absolute truth, or are you basing your thought patterns and your life on piercing words, false perceptions, wounds from others, innuendos, or flat out lies? One by one, eliminate every thought or action that is not based on absolute truth. Present everything to the Lord for His discernment before you move on it, even the smallest thoughts. Consider them nailed to the cross. Allow the Lord to replace them with thoughts and perceptions that have no falsehood in them. Apply His Word to everything. Build a foundation of truth as God sees truth.

Teach me to function in truth, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/27/13

“Do you live a life of truth? I’m not asking if your life makes sense to those who haven’t heard what you and I have discussed, and judge you with their own ideas of what following Me means. I am asking you, are you listening to what I am saying to your heart and following Me in obedience? You see, I’m not really concerned if My cold church understands your life. Most of them have forgotten how to follow Me long ago. I am concerned though that you, those of you who are responding to My training, remain faithful.

Are you doing what I ask you to do, no matter how it appears to others who cannot see? If you are, understand that you will make those who judge your life very uncomfortable. In fact, that is why I have placed you in their midst. They don’t know it yet, but I am exposing their lives through your life. I am using you to bring light to their sinful hearts and traditional beliefs that deny My sovereignty.

Keep following Me. There will come a time when I will vindicate your life. I will move on your behalf and others will be amazed. Some will even come to repentance for judging you. I will forgive them. Others will go about the business of judging and condemning with their hearts. They will eventually get to a point where I cannot reach them. Pity them, but move on with Me.”

1 Cor. 4:2 AMP

Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust].

I Peter 1:14-15 AMP

¹⁴[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].

¹⁵But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

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The Lord is shaking up His present day church. He is separating those who will truly follow Him from those who will stop short of His will when it becomes uncomfortable for them.

If you have a heart to glorify God with your life and spend enough time with Him to hear His true heart, you will, at times, appear to be a fool to those around you. You will stand when others sit, move when others are hamstrung with fear; and turn left when others can only follow a call to go right in their carnal logic. You will often be alone. People will give up on you. People will judge you according to their entrenched standards. Be at peace; you are in good company.

Few understood Paul’s life at the time He was called to live it. His actions defied the logical thinking of the day. He was considered foolish to those who had raised themselves up as leaders. Only when the Lord chose to have people understand the logic of His ways did Paul’s life make sense.

In this present time, God is calling His trusted servants to an intimacy with Him. If you have responded to that call, you will hear His heart for your life. Sometimes what you are asked to do will make little sense at the time you are told to do it. Make sure that you have heard your instructions clearly, and that they line up with His Word; then move with your Lord. Do not fear those who are standing in judgment. Follow God.

Teach me to follow only You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/26/13

“When I call you to move with Me, you will know in your heart that it is the right thing to do. If you have any check in your spirit, or are not clear as to what you are to do, stand and wait for things to unfold. There is no hurry. I would rather that you know for sure and move in confidence, than to guess and not be where I want you to be. My children do not need to guess, when I am available to confirm My directions and bring My presence to their every move. Why would you want to be where I am not? Make sure that I am the initiator of where you are going and then move with confidence. I will be there with you.”

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.”

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

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

¹⁶How 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?”

Psalm 127:1 AMP

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.

Proverbs 16:9 AMP

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

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It is such a privilege to know that we have the ability to check and double check with our Lord to make sure that we are in His will. It is also wonderful to know that the Lord desires for us to have His presence with us to accomplish things that we could never accomplish on our own.

So often we are afraid to stop and check our motives, or reverse our direction if needed, or even abandon an idea should it be out of the will of the Lord, when the Lord has provided His promise of guidance to us. He desires that we don’t make mistakes. He desires to guide us and direct us wherever we go. He wants us to be sure of our steps as we follow Him.

Thank You for Your patience with us, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/25/13

“Jesus is Lord, Master, King of Kings, Ruler of All Things, and your Covenant Keeper. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. It all started with a promise, was manifested in a manger, implemented on a cross, fulfilled because of an empty grave; and will soon burst forth from the clouds. He is Jesus!!”

John 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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Some events are so important that the enemy of the cross must attempt to tarnish them, confuse people about them, and do anything that will distract from their real meaning. As there is no Easter bunny, there is no Santa Claus and there certainly is no Grinch. There is, however, a risen Lord and Savior of the world Who was one day born in a stable so that we could be free.

He is Jesus, the Christ. He gave up everything so that we could have everything. His birth is worth remembering.

May we remove our hearts from all the distractions that are intended to modify our focus, and remember one of the most important events in all of history. God became man for the sake of all mankind.

Needing to always remember that what we believe is truth,

Jim Corbett

12/24/13

“Do you realize the power of your prayers? When you pray, make sure you are ready to deal with all of the results of your desires. I take your requests to Me very seriously. I’m the One Who allowed the cross and all of its physical consequences to Jesus, so that you might spend eternity with Me. I move on your behalf every time you present something or someone to Me. I will move heaven and earth on your behalf when your prayers are in line with My will.

The results of your prayers, however, do not always look like you may have wanted them to look, especially if you want people to turn from their rebellion and embrace Me. In those cases, you need to totally release them to Me, trusting that I know what is best to bring their hearts home. I care far less about the comfort of the flesh than I do about the salvation of the spirit. Often, My destruction of a rebellious heart has the appearance of harm taking place in the life of the person for whom you pray. It may seem as though things are getting worse as you pray. It may sometimes appear that way, but the opposite is more often true.

One of the biggest mistakes you make is when you start to become emotionally fearful while I am destroying the flesh in others, and change your prayers by praying for their safety or asking Me to protect them. Because you are Mine and We are in covenant, I honor your wishes. I need to then go to work on your heart, making you realize how damaging your prayers have become to their salvation. Again, it is vital that you release those in need totally to Me and trust that I know what I am doing. Let go, and allow Me to be God in their lives. It is My desire that they spend eternity with Me. I will do all that is necessary to make that happen.”

Proverbs 15:29 NIV

The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Matthew 11:12 NIV

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

Galatians 4:19 NIV

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you...

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So often, we forget that this whole life experience is about one thing—the plan of God. We also forget that the work of the cross and all that it accomplished is pivotal in that plan. This means, of course, that Father God is deeply concerned that everyone should have the opportunity to embrace its outcome and come to Him.

Those of us, who have been saved from our flesh, are the main instruments used to destroy the flesh of others who need Jesus. We are called to labor on their behalf and rely on the Holy Spirit to orchestrate their world, bringing them to their knees. Sometimes that is not a pretty sight. In my case, it cost me everything—my business, my family, and my reputation—before I surrendered.

After I did embrace my Lord, I found out that there were several people who loved me enough to pray for me through all of my idiocy and rebellion. If they had stopped praying for my salvation, and prayed for worldly comfort of any kind while I was being made very uncomfortable by God (even to the point of considering suicide,) it might have taken much longer for me to come to the Lord. If the weight of my sin was eased, even a little, I may not have felt the need for God to help me as soon as I did. Looking back, I am very grateful that my Lord cared little about my comfort and cared a lot about my salvation.

Needing to be thankful every day,

Jim Corbett

12/23/13

“Because you are My child, I run to you when you fall or fail Me. I marshal whatever forces are needed to bring you back into My presence. When you repent, I welcome you with open arms and love you with loyal love. You are Mine and I am with you as you grow. Never fear Me when you have done wrong. We will work things out together. As long as you are ready to repent and desire to turn from your sin, you are safe. It is when you harden your heart that you are in danger.”

Matthew 26:31 NIV

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

Acts 17:30 AMP

Such [former] ages of ignorance God, it is true, ignored and allowed to pass unnoticed; but now He charges all people everywhere to repent (to change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins),…

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God calls us to a radical life change of repentance for the sin we see with our new eyes. Before we came to the Lord, our eyes were darkened to the fact that we were in sin. We simply didn’t care. Now that we live in our new nature, not only are we accepted by God as His children, we also have the freedom to continually walk in the freedom of forgiveness. Our job is to continually go to the Lord in repentance, something only those who know Him desire to do. Doing so demonstrates His Lordship and exemplifies our submission. Repentance and submission bring His presence and His power to change us and eventually allow us to deny the sins that so easily beset us.

Thank You for forgiving me often, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/21/13

“You must understand that it is necessary to covet My relationship with you as your priority in life. It must be the most important element in your life or the enemy of your soul will chip away at it, until it no longer resembles the kind of relationship that I intended for you.

Our communion is deteriorated by many small factors that, when combined, add up to your being cold, confused, and incapable of coming to Me as your source for everything. Starting as small as holding a grudge, adding the entertaining of a lust, mixed with a small amount of unforgiveness, stirred by a smidgeon of jealousy; and little by little, you have separated yourself from Me. Is it any wonder that you can’t hear My voice, or even desire to spend time with Me? Satan has you hamstrung. He has built a fence around your heart and separated it from hearing My call to holiness.

You must resume your original zeal for Me and My Word. They must once again be your priority. Each moment that you hold anything between Us, or against anyone, the less you will want to change. Turn now. Shake off all of the strongholds and pet sins that hinder you from being free. Time is too short for you to be ineffective in doing My work. I need you to be free and able to hear My voice. I am waiting.”

Galatians 5:1 AMP

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

Gal. 5:7-10 NIV

⁷You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

¹⁰I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

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I heard once that an alligator - or maybe a crocodile, what do I know - eventually overcomes its prey one small bite at a time. I was told that it will grab a small bite with its vise-grip jaws and hold on, waiting for an opportunity to get a larger bite; and then larger still until it has gained complete control.

That premise is very much like sin destroying our relationship with the Lord. It isn’t very often that we see how a small stronghold or pet sin could be so dangerous. But it really is.

Each time we fall, it is a little easier to fall again if we don’t immediately repent. It then becomes easier to hold the next sin, until we develop patterns of cultivating little sins rather than patterns of pursuing holiness. That is deadly to true fellowship with the Lord. The subtlety of that kind of pattern is that if it becomes our lifestyle, we are already defeated without knowing it. We become desensitized to its horrors.

Never really getting intimate with God, we are constantly struggling through the mire of half-hearted service and surface praise and worship, wondering why we feel so cold. Satan loves to keep us there because we are of little danger to his plans. The Lord hates for us to be there because He knows the danger that lies around the next stronghold. He knows that we are very close to spiritual death and complete ineffectiveness with regard to souls should the pattern continue.

Needing to break all old patterns,

Jim Corbett

12/20/13

“This is a season in which I desire to deal with issues of your heart that, if left unaddressed, will cause you harm in your future walk with Me. It is time to move closer to the kind of life I desire for you. I desire that you truly walk in holiness. The perfection of My Son has been provided for you. His integrity with Me is a standard that you have access to if you so desire. His compassion for the lost, His loving obedience, and His dedication to My will are all yours should you choose them.

You need to come to Me. Tell Me that you desire all that I have for you. Submit fully to His Lordship over your life. Renew your desire for first love. I will then bring forth My wealth in you. First you will see who you are not, so that we can eliminate those issues from your life. Then you will understand who you really can be; and, in time, you will walk as He walked. All that Jesus is can be yours. It’s time to go deeper with Me. Simply ask. I will accomplish it in you.”

Deut. 1:6 NIV

The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.”

2 Chr. 16:9 NIV

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Matthew 11:12 NIV

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

John 3:30 AMP

He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]

1 John 2:6 AMP

Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

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When was the last time you became passionate about the Lord’s plans? For that matter, when was the last time the Lord’s plans for your life took priority over the other demands you face each day?

God is clearly requiring each of us to make Him our priority. Still, most of us agonize over the demands of simply living out each day - paying the rent, providing for food, etc. To stop, even for a day, and spend it entirely with the Lord should He ask us to do so would be beyond comprehension for some of us. We are convinced that the answer is heart commitment.

Merry and I believe that each and every one of us, who call ourselves Christians, must make a choice to live Christ’s life passionately throughout our very ordinary days. We are to approach the tasks and the people placed before us with His kind of zeal and unquestioning love, presenting every one of them as an offering to the Lord for His glory. We are convinced that this life is not so much about what we do as it is about the One for whom we are doing it.

If everything that we become involved in is truly offered to the Lord and placed under His Lordship, the fluff will fall away and the eternal purposes of God will become priorities to us. Living Christ’s passionate life unto the Lord will change us and those around us who are looking for answers.

Take my stuff and replace it with Your stuff, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/19/13

"Do you see how important it is for you to be exactly where I tell you to be? There is no safety outside of My will for you. There is no purpose for you to be anywhere other than where I tell you to be. All of heaven is being poised for the closing minutes of My plan. The beginnings of that plan are being played out in your midst. What that means to you is either the fulfillment of your life’s work, or some secondary task that I can use, although it will have much less impact in My overall plan to bring souls into My kingdom.

Take the time, over the next few weeks, to set aside the pressures of your normal routine and listen to My heart for you. Don’t stop pressing in until you are confident that you have heard from Me. Do not set aside the questions that come to your heart. Do not be afraid to move from where you are to where I want you to be. Most of you will realize that you have created carnal gods that you serve—obligations that make you comfortable, yet they actually hinder you from doing all that I have planned in your life. These gods have quieted My voice over the years. You can’t hear Me because they need to be fed. Do you really need them? If they weren’t in your life, would you be free to serve Me with all your heart? Would I be able to move you wherever I desire?

You must remove the word “impossible” from your thoughts as you seek My will for you. Do not entertain foolish, fleshly thoughts. Seek wise counsel, counsel you trust. Do not move ahead of My plans. All must be in order before you move. Do not attempt to rely on those with money as a means for you to accomplish any of your plans. I am your source.”

1 Peter 1:13-19 AMP

¹³So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.

¹⁴[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].

¹⁵But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

¹⁶For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

¹⁷And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].

¹⁸You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver or gold,

¹⁹But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

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I look at my life and the lives of others in the body of Christ. I am amazed at the gods we serve. In the spiritual realm, there are the usual attachments such as fear, lust, anger, hopelessness, pride, and so on. In the physical realm, some of the most prominent gods we serve are security, comfort, ownership of our time, ownership of our resources; and just plain spiritual blindness to the importance of doing God’s perfect will. In reality, most of us bow down before our personal gods before we bend our knees to the Lord and serve Him totally. Because of our surface personal seeking and prayerless days, more often than not we find ourselves serving the bills that are due every month, incapable of moving in God’s direction even if we wanted to do so. He and His work play second fiddle to our encumbered lives.

I believe that the Lord is challenging each of us to take stock in our lives and hold them up to the scrutiny of the Word and the Holy Spirit. Over the course of time, moved and directed by the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to bring things in proper order - His order. What does God really own in us and what are the gods that we faithfully serve above Him? He requires all our devotion. When we eliminate the smothering covers of this world, we will be able to discern much more readily the direction and focus that the Lord desires for us.

Rip the covers off my eyes, Lord! I want to see clearly and move easily with You,

Jim Corbett

12/18/13

“When you come to Me in prayer, do you really believe that I hear you? If you fully understood My Word, you would never question Me again.

Because of the work of the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. I did that! I was telling you that full access to My heart was now available to you. Jesus made the way for you to come to Me whenever you need to come. He is your High Priest. At that moment, the fellowship We once had in the garden, before sin came between Us, was restored. When you surrender your everything to Jesus, I covenant My everything to you in your time of need. That formula works well. You should try it. You should try it often.”

Luke 23:44-45 NIV

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

John 11:41-42 NIV

⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

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One day Merry handed me a note in which she’d written down a saying—author unknown—taken from a wall plaque she’d seen. It read, “Work like you don’t need the money; Love like you’ve never been hurt; Dance like nobody’s watching.” I think that we, as children of God, should add to that little saying, “Pray like your Father is listening.”

What an incredible honor to know you, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/17/13

“There are those in this world who can hate much deeper than you are able to love. That is very important to know, because your ability to love is the only antidote for their hate. I have planned it that way. Any war, conflict, or separation is caused by a lack of love. It may appear on the outside as a situation of attempting to prove who is right or wrong. It may seem necessary to protect rights or territory, or separate the good from the bad; but the bottom line is always a lack of love displayed toward one another.

You must grow in love—not the foolish, milk toast emotion, but the kind of love displayed on the cross. Love enough to consider nothing as your own. Love with a passion. Consider the hatred of your enemy as weakness, not strength, for that is what it is. It is an absence of My strength and My presence when anyone hates, no matter how it is disguised. Most wars are implemented as just causes and presented as important, because they attach My Name to them. It is the foolish, blind heart that initiates conflict in My Name. I am never with them. They are simply using Me to cover up their real agenda of hatred and confusion. I am not at war with anyone; I have already won.

In the coming times, you will see My plan for your world played out and implemented by those who do not understand what real love is. I am using their hatred to cause everything to fall in place. You will have choices to make because you are Mine. You can be part of the conflict, or you can be part of My solution for the hating heart. Your best weapon during the coming times is My kind of love. Study it. Practice it. Look to Jesus and His life. He showed you how to win any war.”

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.”

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

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

¹⁶How 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?”

Eph. 5:1-2 AMP

¹THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

²And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

I Peter 4:8 AMP

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

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So often, when we get caught up in the emotion of a situation, season, or cause, we become blind to God’s perspective and fail to practice His kind of love. Have you ever really questioned how the early followers of Christ could freely give away all their possessions, be at peace when imprisoned, and die in the arenas praising God? Have you ever compared their kind of strength to our puny kind of life, as we say that we are “in Christ”? The answer is simple. They understood what love really is; we do not!

We willingly hate our brothers or sisters in Christ if they offend our pride, our rights, or our established territory. We will throw away family or friends for the sake of our own gain, caring little that we have stepped far beyond the limits of the character of Christ in doing so. We will hate anyone who hates us, justifying our doing so by telling ourselves that our side is right, and thinking that God is with us when He is not with anyone who hoards or hates.

Soon, every one of us will be tested for who we really are. Those of us who have been playing games with God to suit our own needs will be exposed. How will we fare? Will we look like Jesus during those tests, or just like those who hate us, while using His Name to justify the hatred in our own hearts?

Help me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/16/13

“Jesus is Lord! That is an unbreakable, immovable law, established in the heavenlies forever. It is a pivotal truth that is counted on by all the systems I have established. Nothing moves anywhere without relying upon that promise and the implementation of that established fact.

In your world, the word “Lord” has been diluted to the extent that few really understand its meaning. It has almost become a phrase used flippantly within My church, casting aside the immense power associated within its meaning. One simple demonstration. I ask you to say out loud that “Jesus is Lord” when you first come to Me. All heaven is poised to welcome you—someone who is completely transformed from one who is unable to come near Me because of your fallen nature into the perfect character of Jesus—the moment you say the words from your heart. Think of it. Your eternal well being is dependent upon the power of the truth of His Lordship and is implemented simply by saying heartfelt words.

That is only the beginning. The truth of His Lordship implements order and establishes truth for everything that exists. Allow Me to reveal the Lordship of Jesus into every fiber of your being. Allow Me to show you the fullness of that truth. Allow Me to bring you into a working knowledge of the impact that such wisdom has. You will enter into the realm of heavenly truth that is greater than you have ever imagined as you move in it. You will see who you really are, and the immeasurable wealth of really knowing the wonder of Who you are following.”

Romans 10:9-10 NIV

⁹That 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.

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

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I tremble as I attempt to comment upon the truth of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I’m sure that I have not begun to understand the depth of this topic. I can, however, pass on to you my first hand knowledge of what I’m sure is an infinitesimal portion of its immeasurable wealth and power. (Please don’t flood me with personal doctrinal issues. That is not the point of this demonstration.)

Over the many years that I have been in ministry, I have been called upon to give counsel to many hurting Christians. In the beginning of this journey, I would find myself addressing the myriad of problems presented, a direction that seemed logical and proper. I found out, however, that few lasting changes occurred—no matter how much I talked, used scripture, and prayed. There may have been temporary changes because the Word was implemented, but lasting changes eluded me over and over again.

In one of these sessions with someone, who had been a Christian for many years but had little or no fruit to show for it, the Lord prompted me to ask the question, “Is Jesus your Lord?” The question seemed ridiculous at the time, as this person traveled to almost every church service, stood in every prayer line, and attended almost every available Bible study. She even took offense when I asked. Her response, however, made me dig deeper. She said, almost defiantly, “I’ve been following Him for many years.”

I didn’t understand the importance of that question until the Holy Spirit had me begin to pray for her. In subsequent meetings, He had me reveal the truth of the meaning of Lordship to her through the Word, and the need for her to submit to the Lordship of Jesus in her life. One eventful day, as the Holy Spirit graciously moved on her, she tearfully surrendered, and made Jesus Lord over every fiber of her being. From that moment on, she was completely changed. Her problems faded, and her life became an example of the testimony of the wonderful work of the cross and its power. She eventually became a spiritual leader, full of the hope in the Word and a demonstration of the fullness of the life available to all believers.

Over the years, I have seen this same demonstration countless times. Our enemy has had the church, in general, invite people to “altar calls” that allow them to be forgiven for their sins. People delightfully respond to these calls to be forgiven, but never address the issue of Lordship. The idea of forgiveness is incredibly inviting, but the issue of full submission—making another the Lord over your life—takes a depth of commitment that few new believers are made aware of.

When the emotional high of being forgiven wears off, the “saved” person usually flounders around the perimeter of some church until they fall through the cracks, confused and hurting. A worse scenario is when they meld into a cold, dead, religious environment, making little eternal difference, and helping to reproduce their frozen spiritual lives in their “converts.”

In days past, a “tarrying” bench was placed in front of some churches. When the conviction of the Holy Spirit came upon people, they moved to that bench to deal with the issue of Lordship once and for all. Sometimes it would take hours or even days, but when the individuals moved from that place of commitment, they understood that they had given every aspect of their lives to the One Who is Lord. They were no longer their own. From the single moment of full submission, it showed through them to everyone that crossed their paths.

You are my Lord, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/14/13

“As We are becoming closer, there are several necessary steps you must take so that you might move more freely with Me. To begin with, I want you to make a list of everyone who has offended you or caused you harm to the point where you cannot let it go, or who is still controlling your emotions in any way by their former or present actions. I want you to tell Me everyone against whom you are holding a grudge or have any unforgiveness for in your heart. You are sinning against Me by holding their offenses against them.

Present your sin to Me. You need to forgive them. I will hold you close as you do this, so do not be afraid. Next, in your time, we will deal with them. As you bring them to Me, I will heal your wounds and place forgiveness in your heart toward the offender. This could take time, so allow Me to give you power to make every presentation. Hold on to My love and have no fear. What has held you in bondage for so long will finally be removed. You will be set free.

Here is something that you need to know. Unforgiveness is bondage. You are the one who is held immobilized when you hold anything against another. You may think that you are in control of the other person when you hold his offense against him, but the reverse is always true. You live daily with what he may have forgotten long ago, so you are the only one affected by your dark heart. Determine to forgive now. It is one of the first steps to freedom and it releases My power to work through you.”

Matthew 6:14-15 NIV

¹⁴“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

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Some of the most miserable people I have ever seen are those who will not forgive offenses. Look at the nations, the countries, and the rivalries of the world. Forgiveness, even from one of the parties, would end confrontations.

Few of us realize that we are the only ones hurt when we hold any offense against the offender. A person full of unforgiveness is often difficult to be with, needs to be in control; and is more than likely overly-sensitive in other areas. His life gets out of order until the sin is dealt with. It is the “one sin judging another sin” foolishness that brings us difficulties and separates us from God. Our sin can even make us sick.

Someone once said, “Forgiveness is the ardent desire to bear the consequences of another person’s sin.” Jesus’ death and resurrection was the epitome of forgiveness. Even from the cross, He loved. When He forgave, He overcame.

If we look at unforgiveness as sin—a sin that is covered by the cross—we can deal with it just like any other sin, and go to God for His forgiveness. Then we will be set free.

Make my list for me, Lord; and show me if I am sinning against another,

Jim Corbett

12/13/13

“Do not fear tomorrow. I understand that you are recognizing the times and seasons in which you live. Your world is volatile. Your life could and sometimes will change in a matter of moments. Instead of fearing all the possibilities that may come your way, I want you to redeem the time. Allow the wisdom that I have given you to drive you to an understanding of the importance of each moment. As soon as tomorrow, you and I could be face to face. What will you hold in your hands for Jesus? You have every opportunity right now to gain crowns to present to Him then. What are you doing about it? Come to Me. Spend time with Me to gain the proper heart for your next actions. Then go forth in My power. I am waiting.”

Isaiah 8:11-14 AMP

¹¹For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand [upon me], and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

¹²Do not call conspiracy [or hard, or holy] all that this people will call conspiracy [or hard, or holy]; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor [make others afraid and] in dread.

¹³The Lord of hosts – regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].

¹⁴And He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred and indestructible asylum to those who reverently fear and trust in Him]; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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 meet the bridegroom.

²Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

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

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

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

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

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The tomorrows that we should be conscious of are those days in which our time might not be spent in pleasing the Lord. We need to consider the ways in which we might be more prepared to have what is needed spiritually to overcome the difficult situations that might be presented to us.

Are we ready to love those who hate us? Are we ready to stand when others run in fear? Will we glorify the Lord when it may cost us our lives? These are very real possibilities for the future of our land. Maybe a revisiting of our priorities might be in order while there is still time to do something about them.

Prepare my heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/12/13

“Have you noticed? The world would love you to take on a war mentality. In the heavenlies, a spirit has been released to bring an awareness of the seasons in a manner that is distorted. Its companion spirit is fear, which causes you to react emotionally. The intent is to distract unknowing, immature believers into focusing on those who act like the enemy, rather than focusing on those who are open to receive Jesus. Sometimes they are one and the same. The false spirit would tell you to hate, to protect your rights, to fight for your comforts. It would show you all the wrongs there are in the world and would have you become so busy attempting to correct them that you have little time for Me and My ways. That spirit loves to get you into fights, especially righteous sounding ones. Don’t fall for the lies.

I tell you to lay down your life for those who hate you. I tell you to return to your first love. I want you to become so enamored with Jesus that you will look past all the wrongs and spiritual illnesses that are before you and focus on the need in each person to receive His love. If you derail the carnal spirit of fear, which leads to hate and war, and do all that you can to turn back to your first love qualities, you will overcome instead of being swallowed up and heading for only dead ends and fruitless battles. Listen to Me, not the lies of the enemy of your soul.”

Revelation 2:2-5 AMP

²I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.

³I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.

⁴But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

⁵Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

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Do you remember your first focused love for something in your life? It could have been a person, a new car, or anything else that held all your attention. There was nothing more important to you during that time. Everything else was in the way of showering your love upon that person or object.

Remember when you first fell in love with Jesus and were basking in the freedom of absolute forgiveness and total awareness of the reality of God? In focused first love, there is nothing more important than the object of your love. Everything is on the periphery of your thinking. You are consumed with whatever has your affection.

The Father wants us to be that way about Jesus all the time. Not only is Jesus worthy of that kind of unshared devotion, but having Him as our true focus is the safest, most reliable road map for our lives. When we see only Him, we see only the Father and the Holy Spirit, too. That’s wonderfully safe, reliable company to keep. In them lies the Spirit of truth.

The world would have us fall for perceived truth. It would have us look at and react to visible circumstances, rather than to what is real. Reality is what surrounds the Lord. Reality is what is happening in the heavenlies, either allowed or initiated by the Lord. That is what is played out in front of us each day. Our necessary and proper response must be initiated only by having a focused first devotion to the Lord and His ways. That is freedom. That is true victory. It is why we have been born, and then reborn spiritually—so that we could function in that realm with our triune God. It is also pleasing to Him.

Wanting to return to loving only Jesus,

Jim Corbett

12/11/13

“If I gave you the same mercy that you give others, how would you fare? For that matter, if I, as your Father, devoted Myself to you with the same kind of devotion you have for Me and those around you, what would your life be like? If I were as committed to you as you are to Me, would you be able to trust Me? Would you have any reason to give Me your heart’s treasures so that I could represent them to others properly? Would you trust Me with your son’s reputation?

You know where I’m going with this. You ask Me to be faithful and I always am, I always will be; but you rarely hold your own life to the same standards. You expect forgiveness, all the while holding others to their offenses. You judge those around you, but expect only mercy for yourself. Isn’t it time to drop all hypocrisy and turn your heart toward Me? Let’s work toward truth. Let’s clean out all those dirty little corners. I want you to be holy as I am holy. Let’s go for it!”

Jeremiah 2:13 NIV

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Matthew 5:7 NIV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

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Oh, boy, in your face truth! Most of us don’t really like to have our own lives placed as a standard for how others should deal with us. How much more difficult would it be to face the perspective of God dealing with us in the same way we deal with Him or those He expects us to love?

In many cases, the old saying, “We judge others by their actions; we judge ourselves by our intentions,” is quite accurate. The problem we face is that that kind of thinking is light years away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ—a Gospel that we say we believe, enforce, and adapt for our lives on a daily basis. What then, does that really make us?

Create in me a clean heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/10/13

“Do not be too anxious to give to others those things that I share with you. Sometimes the most wonderful revelation of My Word is actually only a seed that I desire to plant in your spirit. I choose to plant it in the rich soil of your spirit to be nurtured for a season until it becomes a fruit-producing tree. If you give it away too soon because of your excitement, you will be giving only part of what I really wanted to share with you. That is immature fruit that gives little nourishment. When I show you something when We are together, hold it close until I tell you that it is ready to be shared. At that time, the fullness of My presence accompanies it to its destination in the hearts of those who receive it. It will bring forth life.”

Psalm 111:2 NIV

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

Mark 4:24 AMP

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you – and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

Luke 6:45 AMP

The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good),…

Ps. 1:2-3 AMP

²…he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

³And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

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Have you ever bounded from your time with God to share an incredible insight that you have just received, only to get a blank expression from the one to whom you were trying to explain it? Do the words, “You had to be there,” sound only too familiar? Have you ever attempted to do a teaching on what you have been shown and watched your words drop to the floor directly in front of your feet? Consider this.

Before you share with others something that the Lord is teaching you, allow it to develop fully in your spirit. Give it away only after you have spent many moments, hours, days, months, or even years with the Lord as He matures the lesson in your spirit, and you have been given the freedom to do so. You will be amazed at the result of fully grown fruit versus half-ripened fruit. Allow the Word of God to mature your gifts before you give them to others.

Teach me to own something before I give it away, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/09/13

“How much of what you do has eternal consequence? Compare that with the carnal effects of your actions. My time frame for life as you know it is coming to a close. I am about to put into effect plans that will modify most of the handles that people use to bolster their lives. Things will soon change and few will know how to react.

You need to consider your lives available for My use alone. I need to train you for the coming times. I need all of your heart, so that you have answers when others don’t. Surrender fully to Me. Make Me your priority for living. I will show you the heart of Jesus. I will show you how to prosper when the world reels in confusion.”

Psalm 25:12-14 NIV

¹²Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

¹³He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.

¹⁴The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

Isaiah 2:22 AMP

Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV

¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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It is so easy to forget why we are on this earth. The distractions of the world and everyday living take our eyes from our real purpose for having breath in our body.

Here is what I believe the Word says about our lifespan in very simple terms. I believe that each of us is born to make a choice as to who we will serve for eternity. Either we choose Jesus or we remain separated from Him forever.

After we choose Jesus, we are to develop in the intimacy that our Father God has provided for us. That intimacy will produce the character of Christ in us. We are to then present the life of Jesus - which has been developed within us - to others, so that they have the opportunity to make the same choice we did. Everything we do, as we function from day to day, either furthers that goal or hinders it.

Help me show them You, Jesus,

Jim Corbett

12/07/13

“Fellowship with Me should be your priority in life. It is where all your other comings and goings should originate. When they originate from circumstances, traditions, and emotions, you will find yourselves seeking Me for help to deliver you from wrong and harmful situations. You will need to seek Me then, so why do you not choose to seek Me first and avoid unwanted difficulties?

There is great purpose in My desire to have you spend time with Me. Most of it has become obvious to you over the years, but some of it is only evident as I reveal it to you. The obvious is My desire to simply be with you. You have been created, and then redeemed, so that can happen. It is the reason that Jesus gave His life. For you to not honor that act would be a travesty.

Not so obvious - or at least not quite as evident - is the fact that by being with Me, I take you out of harm’s way. Our fellowship allows you to avoid not only the pitfalls that will not occur while We are together, but also those that you will avoid because of the wisdom I impart to you. You benefit from Our fellowship more than you know. You can’t see what didn’t happen—those instances that didn’t occur because We avoided them together. That may seem simplistic, but it is eternal wisdom.

Before We came together because of Jesus, what was your life like? How did you fare? What controlled you, and where did it take you? You eventually saw the need to turn to Me, didn’t you? Now that you have the ability to let Me direct your steps, wouldn’t it be wise to make Our times together your priority? I would think so. I have planned it that way.”

Haggai 1:3-10 AMP

³Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

⁴Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins?

⁵Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you.

⁶You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it.

⁷Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared.

⁸Go up to the hill country and bring lumber and rebuild [My] house, and I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified, says the Lord [by accepting it as done for My glory and by displaying My glory in it].

⁹You looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it].

¹⁰Therefore the heavens above you [for your sake] withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its produce.

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I have often observed the youth who have met the Lord and follow Him closely, and compared them to those who are in the world. There is a difference between darkness and light.

Those, who do not have the privilege of knowing the Lord, follow their flesh from folly to folly, as a bull being led to slaughter. There is no hope to reach them other than by the power of the Holy Spirit because of the immense clutter that life piles upon them day after day. Real direction and purpose elude them. Any counsel is sought through worldly sources and help is temporal at best.

On the other hand, people, who have made Jesus the Lord of their lives, have access to God’s wisdom, and it is incredibly evident. The path of their lives is much straighter. Their purpose is continually unfolding before them, and the normal destructive pitfalls of life are often avoided. They visibly exude the character of Jesus and the strength of the wisdom of God. Surrounded by those with valuable resources because of their relationship with Jesus, there is hope for proper guidance throughout their lives.

Not only do we have the supreme honor of our Lord’s presence, each of us has an open door to the Creator of the universe for encouragement, wisdom, and guidance for our daily lives— and then for eternal freedom. How foolish of us if we do not take every advantage of the incredible gift we have been given!

Needing to understand fully the gift I’ve been given,

Jim Corbett

12/06/13

“Few really understand what is happening. I am choosing those who are bound for the wedding feast. I am searching within the ranks of those I have called and choosing those who desire spotless garments. Few are cleaning their garments. Few can even look Me in the eye. Few even desire to leave their fields to come to the selection process, much less surrender to My will. What a sad day it will be for those who are too busy to hear My heart.”

Matthew 22:11-14 NIV

¹¹“But when the King came in to see the guests, he noticed a man who was not wearing wedding clothes.

¹²‘Friend’, he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.

¹³“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴For many are invited but few are chosen.”

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Ah, those clean robes again! If you ever want to do a study that will change your outlook on how God perceives things within His church, do a study on clean and dirty robes and wedding garments. There is even a verse in Revelation about a group whose garments were cleaned while going through the great tribulation.

Rev. 7:13-14 NIV states: Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14) I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

This is some pretty eye–opening stuff!

Tell me truth, Lord, even if it hurts,

Jim Corbett

12/05/13

“Stand now! Be still and know that I am God. Be still for a few moments more and allow Me to work the perfect work in you. I know that much seems out of order while you wait for Me to answer your requests; but from My perspective, nothing is as it seems to you. In a heartbeat, what I have accomplished in the heavenlies will be implemented in your midst.

Most important, however, is what is being accomplished in you while you wait for Me. My concerns are not so much for your needs. My deepest concern is your need of Me that is being formed in you while you wait. Work with Me. Work to help others while they wait on Me. Focus your trust on Me. I will never fail you. You are Mine and I love you.”

Exodus 17:12 AMP

But Moses’ hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

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.”

¹⁴The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’

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

¹⁶How 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?”

Psalm 46:1 AMP

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Psalm 46:10 NIV

“Be still and know that I am God…”

Psalm 51:10 AMP

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.

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God is teaching any of His children who will listen to fully understand that He is our only source. He is bringing us to the end of our own resources, so that we finally submit to Him as our only source for everything. So we wait as Jesus waited to be resurrected. Just as there was no physical movement while Jesus waited, we must be still and fully understand that God is really our God, working a perfect work in all things.

I can’t, so You must, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/04/13

“Hold on! Remain steadfast in all that I tell you to do. Gift yourself to others. Become the conduit of love to those who need to see Jesus. Be still and know that I am your source for all that you need. Look for and hope in My Word to complete its work. Spend time with Me. I am moving mountains on your behalf. I am completing you. I am for you. I am with you. I love you!”

Psalm 46:10a NIV

“Be still, and know that I am God...”

Gal. 5:1 NIV

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I Th. 2:13 AMP

And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

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 12:1-3 NIV

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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Sometimes mountains seem immovable, obstacles appear to be strewn everywhere, and tasks become so close to your face that you find it impossible to see around them. But, there’s Jesus!

Focus for me when I can’t focus, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/03/13

“Look around! Look and see with My eyes. Count the ways that I have blessed you instead of counting your needs. Begin seeing clearly by looking back at the cross and how it has changed your life. You were helpless and now you are heading toward wholeness. Now we can talk. Now you can understand truth. Count your blessings from My eternal perspective. Remember where you were and look forward to where I am taking you. Rejoice with Me for I am with you as you run the race.”

Heb. 12:1-3 NIV

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Heb 12:1-3 AMP

¹THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.

²Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

³Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.

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I remember worrying about something several years ago. I can’t remember what I was worrying about because the Lord has taken care of it. I am deeply concerned about many things at this very moment. I’m sure that they will eventually fall in the category of “taken care of by God.”

When will I learn to trust that my Father is in charge of this race in which I’m running? He will give me whatever it takes to finish, if only I would keep my eyes on my Lord Jesus.

Teach me to trust and look only to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

12/02/13

“Do not become weary because of the trials that I am taking you through. Do not harden your heart because I am showing you all that is out of order in you and around you. Do not think that I have forgotten you because your prayers don’t seem to be answered. You are in school. You are in My extreme training course, because you have said that you wanted Me to be your everything. I am building the compassion of Jesus in you. I am placing mercy for others in your heart, which before that held judgment. I am placing the warrior spirit of Jesus in you and removing the warring spirit of the world.

In this time of training, come to Me often. Apply My Word to your life. Commune with Jesus. Speak regularly to those of the same mind and heart. Remember that you had strength for all things when you functioned in the first-love qualities of Jesus. Get to know Him again. Lose sight of those things that seem urgent and regain the vision for the things that I consider important. Be strong in the power of My mighty power.”

Eph 4:12-13 AMP

¹²His 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.

Phil 4:13 AMP

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

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Inspired by the wonderful book, In His Steps, there was a trend a while back that flowed throughout the body of Christ, and even touched the secular market. It was the phrase, “WWJD - What would Jesus do?” As wonderful as that phrase is, and even though the thought gave much to those who chose to follow it, it lacked something very essential. It lacked intimacy.

We, as followers of Christ, have been given an astounding gift. We have the privilege of communicating and communing with the Savior of the World, the Master of All Things – Jesus! As with every trend, someone came up with a modification of the original idea. In this case, the modification is more accurate than the original. Have you ever seen the bracelet, “WWYDJ - What Would You Do, Jesus?” The intimacy of asking our Lord how He would deal with any situation is far better than studying His actions from a distance. Our ability to communicate with Him has been won for us at the cross. Sharing time with Jesus gives us everything we need to overcome anything we face, as we are being trained to be like Him. We also get to know Him when we talk to Him, as well as through reading the Word and following hard after Him.

Thank You for walking with me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/30/13

“You may notice that I am requiring you to experience the messages you will be giving to those around you. I am finished with My messengers spouting other people’s lessons and teachings. Soon, only those who are willing to come to Me for their nourishment, and then live My teachings, will have My anointing to provide food for others.

How can you give away what you do not own? Why do you feel that you have the right to be exempt from “owning” the lessons you want to give away? Most of you have been giving away predigested food; food received from Me by others. Because of the anointing on it, it has nourished those in need and you have been able to survive. You, however, have become malnourished because you have not received your life directly from Me.

I am now requiring you to not only be the message; you must be well-fed from My hand, or your words will fall to the ground in front of you, giving little nourishment to others. Become hungry for My Word. Require Me as your source for life. Seek Me for your life and tell others to do the same.”

Amos 5:4b AMP

…Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMP

¹⁶Every Scripture is God–breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action),

¹⁷So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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If you chose to give someone a car that was owned by your neighbor, your gift would be less than perfect, wouldn’t it? That may be a somewhat foolish example, but it does drive home a point. Unless you really own something, you have no right to give it away.

People, who are well–equipped to share the life of the Word of God, do so from having that Word completely formed within them, given from the One Who wrote it. It nourishes and brings life to their being, and is fit to give life to others by the performance of that Word in their everyday walk. That kind of life only comes from spending time in the Word and waiting on the Lord to reveal its spiritual calories to your inner being.

Today’s malnourished church will listen to tapes, go to sermons, and read books, rather than go to God themselves for their food. These are all very good activities and well worth investing in, but they can never replace the life and wealthy counsel that is received at the hand of our Lord and from the lap of our Father.

Draw me close, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/29/13

“People will see your humble submission to Me as weakness. They misunderstood Jesus. Even after He did mighty wonders in their midst, they had no respect for His power. Laying down His life for others meant nothing to them. In their eyes, their physical prowess and worldly station filled them with pride so deadly that they couldn’t discern truth. It is the same today.

If you claim to have nothing of yourself, if you fully understand your bankruptcy without My influence on your life, if you realize that true wealth means you have no wealth or prowess of your own making, you will be one of My children who knows truth. If you confess your total submission to Me out loud and live it before others, you will be scorned, laughed at, maligned, and perceived as a weakling in the world and in most so-called spiritual circles. They did it to Jesus; they will surely do it to you. Be at peace. You are following My heart and My Word. You are flowing in the life and character of Jesus!”

Amos 5:4b AMP

…Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live!

Matt. 5:11-12 NIV

¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

²⁴Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

²⁵For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

John 4:34 NIV

”My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”

John 6:57 AMP

Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.

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God has placed us in a world that is actually out to kill us, so to speak. As Christians, we are oil floating on top of water and if we are true to our calling, we’ll never mix in because the spirit and flesh cannot function together. God has also called us to overcome that world. Our time spent with others and our responses to them allow us to seek the Father so that we can be changed in order to reflect Christ properly.

Phil. 2:12b-13 AMP …work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Once we have given Jesus Lordship over our lives, it is the Father’s intent to refine, mold, and develop that salvation in us to the fullest extent. If we are going to tell others about Jesus, we will have to be changed so that we can represent Him properly. Our words alone will usually not be enough for others to see their need of Jesus. In fact, if our lives do not mirror Him, our words will more than likely be cast aside, and rightfully so. The world can spot a phony and they won’t listen to one.

Teach me to need only You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/28/13

“Because you are mature enough to understand, I wish to make something very clear to you. There is no you without Me. So many of My people have brought Me down to their level. I have become something they have added to their lives instead of their only source of life. Do not make that same mistake. Ponder what I’ve said until it becomes truth to your heart. It will change your life, increase your faith, and renew the proper sense of awe needed to trust Me fully once again.

I gave the first breath to Adam. If I should turn My attention from you for a single moment, you would cease to exist. However, you don’t need to fear. Your days are planned by My desire and numbered by Me. No one and nothing will rob you of a single moment.

Begin to see a larger picture of things. I spoke the universe into being. I formed you and I keep you. You will live by My will. It would be wise for you to live for My will.”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

“Be still and know that I am God...”

Psalm 150:1-6 AMP

¹Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!

²Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!

³Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!

⁴Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!

⁵Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!

⁶Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 20:24 AMP

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord….

Jeremiah 15:19 AMP

Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece.

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Most of our words about our Sovereign, Almighty God have lost their impact because of familiarity and loose usage. There is no question that the blood of Jesus has given us the right to call Him ABBA, but it never gave us the right to diminish Who He really is because of our pride. Because of His abounding mercy and grace, some of us have lost perspective and minimized Him as God in our eyes. Some have brought Him to the level of being made in our image, demanding that He serve our needs.

In this present time, there is an onslaught to destroy our faith. The best way that the enemy can destroy who we are, what has been done for us through Jesus, and the corresponding wonder of our relationship with Him is to diminish Who God really is in our eyes. We need to remember that this is the very same God Moses could not look upon because of His glory.

The “smaller” our God and Lord can be made to appear to us, the weaker He will seem. The weaker He seems, the less we will be in awe of Him. That is hazardous to our walk with Him; and, consequently, to our wonder of Him and trust in Him as God.

Remember; there is only One God. He is El Shaddai. He is more powerful than any need, greater than any foe; and worthy of all honor and glory. His will brought everything into being. He is God and there is no other. He held our first breath and owns our last. It is right to serve Him and live only for Him.

Never let me forget, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/27/13

“Have you ever pictured the straight path that I have called you to travel? First of all, it is very narrow and strewn with rocks, pitfalls, and other obstacles that will make you stumble, if you don’t keep your eyes on Jesus. It is crowned in the center so that it slopes to each side where there are briars, entanglements, and multiple places where the unwary traveler could be stalled by hazards. Overhead, there is a canopy of foliage, which contains a mixture of nourishing and poisonous fruit and vegetables, its bounty sometimes hindering all light from brightening your path. This covering also conceals predators that are looking to devour anyone who is near the sides of the path and not in the very center. Off to the sides, there are winsome sirens, who call to hawk their wares and divert travelers to the side roads, which are smooth, wide, and very beautiful. These tangent paths are numerous and very tempting, filled with rest areas and refreshing places.

Most of the time, it is very dark. Sometimes a blanket of dense fog covers the road, making visibility non-existent. The road is long, sometimes very steep, and often seemingly impossible—even to the most seasoned traveler. Anyone who decides to travel the road alone is sure to fall into the briars, become side-tracked by many of the beautiful tangents, or die from choosing wrong fruit.

To each of you, My precious children, Jesus extends His nail-pierced hand. Keep your eyes on Him, never looking to the left or right, and place your feet only where He tells you to step. As you travel, He will tell you of the many wonders We have provided for you at the end of the path. You are very safe from the terrors that are waiting to harm you while you travel, and Jesus has any refreshment you will need.

If you notice, the end of the path is approaching. Be sure to keep your eyes on Jesus. Most of the journey has passed, but there are a few dangerous steps ahead. The distractions will be more intense and the path will be steeper, but the hazards will not touch you if you continue to focus on Him. I am waiting to welcome you.”

Ps. 27:11 AMP

Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

Prov. 4:25-27 AMP

²⁵Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you.

²⁶Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

²⁷Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.

Heb. 12:1-2a AMP

¹THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady andactive persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.,/p>

^2aLooking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].

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I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the traveler who was walking on a very dark night in a mountainous area. He had traveled the road once, and was aware of the dangers and steep cliffs at every turn; so his steps were cautious, knowing that he could fall off the road if he should lose his footing.

At one very dangerous place, he did lose his footing and dropped over the edge of a cliff. Grabbing for anything he could, he snagged a branch that was protruding from the side of the sheer drop-off. There he hung in the black night, unable to see in any direction, hoping the branch would hold.

Throughout the long, cold night, he prayed fervently, hands straining to keep a grip, fingers weary beyond understanding. Periodically, the words, “Trust Me,” came to His heart. When they did, he felt the urge to let go of the branch, which he fought off for obvious reasons.

Morning light, however, revealed that he had grabbed a branch above a large ledge, just high enough above the ground to keep his feet about one foot from touching solid footing. He had hung there all night in fear, unaware that safety was close at hand.

I’m not quite sure how to equate this story with the word above, so you can fill in the blanks as they apply to your life. I do know, however, that our Father is faithful to protect us even though there is no sign of His hand anywhere in sight. I also know that Jesus has gone before us and is the provision for our journey. I guess that everything other than that is simply not worthy of notice.

Sometimes wearily hanging, when I should be letting go,

Jim Corbett

11/26/13

“You need to understand that there are many things you will not understand. As you mature, you will rest in the fact that I am your God. You will find peace where there seems to be no peace. Before you learned how to wait on Me, the season that you are going through now would have you striving and fearful. Because you can rest even when all things around you seem to be falling apart, I am free to move on your behalf. There is nothing that I need help with. You are powerless to do anything anyway. That is good. Now I will do what is necessary, so that My plan is accomplished. I have not left you. I am deeply involved in your life. Just trust Me.”

Psalm 3:1-6 AMP

¹LORD, HOW they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

²Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

³But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

⁴With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

⁵I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.

Psalm 18:1-2 NIV

¹I love you, O LORD, my strength.

²The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield…

John 5:19-20a NIV

¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

^20aFor the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

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Someone once said: “Christianity in its inception is about us, as we grow it becomes about others, in its maturity it is about God.” Most of those who call themselves Christians have never left the first phase of their walk with the Lord. Everything centers around them and their welfare.

God is moving on His people so that we grow up. He wants us to fully understand that nothing matters except His will. When that truth is “owned” by us, even the direst circumstances can’t touch us for we know that our Lord is in them with us, accomplishing His will.

Today is a day that your Lord is in charge of your life, if you get your hands off of it. He will give you peace if you trust Him. He will orchestrate everything that needs to be touched if you let Him. He is your Lord. He takes that job very seriously!

Thank You for being in charge, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/25/13

“Count the days. Mark the hours. A wondrous time is at hand! I am about to implement what I have been heralding for some time. You, My chosen people, will soon be delivered from the portions of flesh that have been hindering you for so long. You are soon going to experience freedom from fear, lusts of the flesh, and all forbidden desires. Everything will not come at one time; but when you need My power, you will be amazed that your submission has allowed My presence to rise up within you to accomplish what is needed to glorify Me. You will be My workmanship, visible to an unbelieving world.

The world has been allowed to see the weaknesses in My church. They have chosen to scorn, mock, and laugh. In some cases, their ridicule has been justified. Those who supposedly represent Me have done nothing but flaunt their own immaturity. Human strength, ability, and manipulation will no longer be allowed to replace My anointing. My Holy Spirit will direct those who have been trained to flow in obedience. To the world, an honest representation of Jesus will, once again, be made visible. They will see His life in you, My beautiful children. They will observe His kind of life, even in the most trying circumstances. You will show them who He really is by your every action, and they will be in awe of His majesty.

I am building character and responsibility in you. Soon it will burst from every corner of your being. You will flow with Me as naturally as I have intended Our relationship to be all along. Those, who have eyes to see, will see; and come to Me because of you. Jesus will be seen, glorified, and embraced by the wise. That is the way it should be. Watch! Watch and be amazed concerning who you have become. You may not see it now; but when it is needed, My Spirit will rise within you for My glory. You will look like Jesus! He is worth seeing!”

Acts 4:29-33 AMP

²⁹And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,

³⁰While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus.

³¹And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.

³²Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.

³³And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all.

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A company of believers—anointed, blessed, and sent forth with power and selfless love—found favor for the appointed season, and changed the world forever. What a heritage! So often, when the promised carving away of my flesh becomes the focus of my days, I begin to forget that there is a time when the purpose for my Lord’s work in me will become evident.

We have an appointment with destiny. You and I, as believers submitting to the hand of God on our lives, have an astounding purpose. We are to represent Jesus Christ—the Redeemer and Savior of the world—to the world. There is no higher calling, no greater privilege, no more worthy mission. We are truly blessed.

Help me to always remember what it’s all about, Lord,

Jim Corbett