9/30/13

“Are you prepared for the coming of My Son? For that matter, are you prepared for the changes that must continue to take place in your world as a prelude to His return? Much is about to transpire that will challenge your comfort zones. I am also causing challenges to come your way to prepare and strengthen you. You will need to solidify your commitments to Me and My Word, if you desire to overcome what is about to transpire and be of use to Me. Now is not the time for self-focused agendas. Now is not the time for complacency. You must draw close to Me. Become familiar with My voice. Understand My heart. Desire My ways. I desire to use you as a voice of reason when the world listens only to lies.”

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...”

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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For many years there has been a call to the followers of Jesus to prepare for very difficult times in this land. Instead of embracing the heart of God and His wishes that we prepare ourselves, most of us have grown tired of hearing it and push it aside.. Most Christians tune out any kind of communication that would make them concerned or worried about their personal safety and challenge their lifestyle. It is very much like the proverbial ostrich putting his head in the sand.

Truth will not go away. God’s plans will prevail. As followers of Jesus, we have only one choice if we say we are His. We must move in the direction of His heart and learn His way of living in these times. It is our only wise course of action. It is the only way to honor Him.

I choose to honor You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/28/13

“Do you remember what your life was before you gave it to Me? Do you realize how far you’ve come? You may think that not much has happened, or that you’re not progressing far enough; but I see things differently. I see you as righteous. That is something for which you have no benchmark. I see you as being on your way to holiness. Your mind has little comprehension of what holiness is. I see you as becoming more prepared to thrive in the heavenlies each day, as your worldly ways diminish within you.

You are a new creature. Your old life is no longer part of the world in which you are functioning. As you learn more of the spiritual world’s truths, you will cast aside the lies of the physical worlds that formerly controlled you. You are becoming freer each and every day that passes. Do not become discouraged at how little progress seems to be taking place. I see progress that you don’t. Keep coming to Me. I will change what needs to be changed. Your life is in My hands. I am very capable of doing what is necessary. Just keep coming. I am waiting.”

2 Cor. 3:18 AMP

And with all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another, [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

Heb. 10:14 NIV

“because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

Gal. 2:20a AMP

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]: it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me…

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We might as well make up our minds that we don’t see what God sees. Because of the cross, we have become new creatures, prepared for a new eternal world. We are also becoming more familiar with that world every day as we keep drawing close to our Father God. We don’t get how it’s happening, but that doesn’t really matter. Our Lord does understand how it works and we can trust Him and His Word to accomplish it in us.

Thank You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/27/13

“Are you defending the truth of My Word by the way you love others as Jesus did? Is the work of the cross alive and well because you live it in front of others? How often do people laugh at Me because your form of religion is laughable and powerless? Grow up! Live as Jesus lives. That is why you have been given life and then life again. Use your life to show others Who will always live. His Name is Jesus!”

Luke 6:45-46 AMP

⁴⁵The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?

Luke 12:48b AMP

For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.

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In the deepest, surest sense of reality, the Master of all things, Jesus Christ, is coming very soon for those who are truly His. Upon the command and approval of His Father that all things are complete, Jesus will send forth the Holy Spirit to herald His imminent appearance. (We are convinced in our hearts that the heralding has been present for several years, and is increasing in intensity each day. The Holy Spirit has directed those who have ears to hear to prepare in earnest.)

While the foolish perceive the time of waiting in this present day as a time to learn only of the ease and comforts they have inherited because of the wealth and love of their Lord, those with a bridal heart – you, the waiting ones – are choosing to study and learn only of Him for His delight when He comes for you. You are studying and applying heart lessons, so that He will be pleased and glorified.

As the unconcerned boast of their position in Christ by attempting to change their surroundings with their authority, the devoted hearts see their need to be changed from within that they might truly please their Lord. As the foolish rest in the promised wealth that is theirs, the true bridal heart reexamines her wedding garment over and over to make sure all is in order to honor and glorify her approaching Bridegroom. Her heart has considered the cost of His approval and has covenanted to do whatever it takes to please Him.

Teach me to live as You live, Lord

Jim Corbett

9/26/13

“Wait. Wait on Me. Wait for My plans for you to develop. I set them in motion because I care for you. You, however, go about your business, often giving little concern to what I have in mind for you. When will you wake up? When will you understand that the way to My kind of life is through an understanding of My heart? As you go about your own business in your own strength, without concern for My approval, you are moving out from under the Lordship of Jesus and His ways. That is not a good thing. It is not good for you, and it hurts My heart. You need to change your ways. You need to consider your life and find out how much of it is out of order, because you have cared little if I am where you have gone. You need to repent to Me, and then change your ways.”

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 37:4 NIV

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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.”

Haggai 1:7-10 AMP

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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We forget how harmful it is for us to go back to our old ways after we have come to the Lord. It is rebellion plain and simple. God is after the heart that desires to serve Him and Him alone, not the one that wants its own way.

Forgive me, Lord

Jim Corbett

9/25/13

“Do you know that I desire to be with you every moment of every day? I choose to walk with you, attending to your every decision, challenge, and success. I desire to be intimately involved with the minutest incidents of your life so that you will prosper. When you fully understand that Our relationship is not part-time for Me, you will begin to understand the intimacy that I desire with you. You will also understand your heritage. What could possibly harm you, confuse you, or bring fear to you if you have accepted the fact that I choose to be with you in your every encounter throughout your life? You have a choice to make.

Allow My Word to show you that My presence is with you as long as you are moving in My will and My direction. Allow My Word to also show you the alternative existence if you choose to go your own way, even for a short time, very much like you have been doing most of the time. It’s time to make wise choices.”

Psalm 106:12-15 AMP

¹²Then [Israel] believed His words [trusting in, relying on them]; they sang His praise.

¹³But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them.

¹⁴But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.

¹⁵And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls…

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.

Heb.13:6 AMP

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

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When I ponder Psalm 106 above, I get a picture of most of us following after God. It talks about a people who praise God, believe His words, and rely on Him; but they do not wait for His plans regarding them to develop. Basically they go about their own plans and pray that God will honor what they do.

The verse that really strikes caution in my heart is verse 15: “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls…” I wonder how many of us have leanness in our souls because of our insistence in getting our own requests fulfilled instead of desiring God’s prosperity. (I don’t mean money.)

The impression I get when I think of someone who always wants his own way, continually seeking God selfishly, is a person who is unaware of anything but his own needs - clueless about what is really important, and void of anything that resembles the life and character of Jesus. What an incredible price to pay for not honoring God, but going our own way - shaking off His desire for intimacy with us, and settling for some pottage!

Help me, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/24/13

“Have you really studied Jesus? Have you observed His life, His character, and His heart so closely, that you know Him? Have you positioned yourself to allow My Holy Spirit to reveal everything about Him? If not, what is your reason for living? Jesus is the embodiment of everything that I hold dear. He is My Word and My Words! He is the breath of all things created! He is the only life worth living. He is now living through you if you have given yourself to His Lordship. Can you think of one good reason why He should not be your priority over everything? I can’t!”

Genesis 1:26 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…”

John 1:10 NIV

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

Heb.1:3 AMP

He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high…

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So often we become so spiritual that we forget why we do what we do, say what we say, and live what we live. In all of reality, there is one truth that is pivotal to everything. His Name is Jesus. He is Lord. He is God.

Praise You, Jesus,

Jim Corbett

9/23/13

“I have told you that I will be putting holy alliances together. These are relationships that you will be able to trust completely. They are designed to accomplish My will in the times ahead. They will be My kind of alliances, held together by My power, not the power of the flesh. These covenant relationships will be the example of what My church should be. They will not fall apart because of the intrusions that the world and the church place on them. Tried in the fire of affliction and having stood the test of the enemy’s onslaught, I will be able to use the gifts and talents of one to complement the others and fulfill any task that is ordained for their particular association. What a joy it will be to see trustable friends working together to accomplish My will and represent My church as I desire My church to function one with another.

Soon, I will also establish safe harbors throughout the land, similar to My “cities of refuge.” They will be places where My presence dwells to protect those who are implementing My plans. These will not necessarily be communities or large areas. They might be a single home, building, or piece of land. People that I trust will be able to function there when there is little else being accomplished in the land. Supernatural forces will oversee these places to keep out intruders as long as I desire. They will not be for the faint of heart who desire to save themselves. Those who dwell in these havens will have given away their lives long ago, hold on to nothing but My Word, and desire to do only My will. When the land burns, these places will bring forth the refreshing water of My Word and the life of My Son to a parched land.”

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.

Acts 4:29-30 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.

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There is a fascinating scenario that is continually played out by those who call themselves followers of Christ. It depicts the contrast between the ways of the world and the ways of God.

In the wisdom of the world, riches and power are usually achieved through personal strength, hard work, and dedication to self preservation. God’s contrast to achieving true wealth and unlimited power is to give away all strength and submit totally to the power of the Lord. Preserving one’s self never enters the picture; in fact, He desires us to hold nothing as our own, not even our lives.

As the “rattling of swords” becomes louder and louder, the typical worldly reaction is to find a safe harbor for all of the possessions that hold one’s attention. The objective is always one of striving to hold on to as much wealth and safety as you can and emerge unscathed when it’s all over. The remarkable thing is that in the Lord, that very attitude is the most dangerous place one could be. It is so foreign to the character of Jesus, that God cannot honor it and remain true to His Word.

In contrast, at the first sign of peril - especially on a large scale - those who really love their Lord spring into action. They see such times as opportunities to carry the life and love of Jesus to people who would never entertain the possibility of serving Him when things are safe and sane. It is a time when all the training employed by God before perilous times arise becomes evident in unstoppable power.

Similar to the contrast described above is the different attitudes evident within the body of Christ. There are those who see God only as their provider, protector, and implementer of their desires. However, true believers understand the price paid for their salvation and live only to prepare for and implement the plans of their Lord. In the times ahead, one will seek his own safety and find none, while the other will seek God’s will and find safety in His promises.

Just needing the ability to hear and the power to walk in obedience,

Jim Corbett

9/21/13

“You need to remember that I am a God of sudden actions. All My Words will be fulfilled. All My warnings will come to pass. All the attempts to make you complacent about My plans will fall away and be proven to be the lies that they are. Everything will happen suddenly! You will have no time to prepare. You will have no time to scramble around to know My heart. You will need to find safety in Me, but I will have closed the doors to My ways for you. I have often asked you to repent of your independent ways. I have asked you to spend the time with Me to know My heart. I have cautioned you to prepare. You have gone about your business instead of learning of My business for you. Suddenly, everything is going to change and you will be unprepared. What will you do then? You still have time. Don’t wait for the suddenly.”

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.”

Isaiah 66:9 AMP

Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God.

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.”

Jeremiah 12:5 AMP

[But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

Hosea 13:6 NIV

“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”

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Noah’s flood came suddenly after one hundred twenty years of preparation. The day that Israel was told to move from the desert came suddenly after forty years of waiting for the Lord’s promise to be fulfilled. The sandals of the Messiah stepped on the shores of the Jordan River suddenly, after four thousand years of promises.

Our Lord has invited us to draw close to Him for many years. He has shown us of the times and seasons in which we live. Over and over again He has asked us to prepare our hearts for Jesus as a bride would prepare for her wedding. Suddenly, when all things come to pass, the promised fulfillment of everything He has been saying will show us how foolish we have been.

Help me to understand and submit to You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/20/13

“Do you have any idea what you are doing? I don’t mean, do you know how to do what you do? I mean, do you know why you do what you do? Let’s talk. I have a very specific plan for each life that is Mine. Each of My children has been born into My family to prosper in a specific calling. In My plan, each of you has a specific role to play so that My will is accomplished. All of your life’s experiences have happened, so that you flow freely while doing your part in My plan. When you function in that role, however, you not only fulfill My desires; but you also are completed and fulfilled yourself because you are doing what you have been created to do.

Is it any wonder that most of My church flounders through their lives, moving and being moved by the dictates of wrong decisions and fleshly-motivated actions? Most of you have not sought Me enough to have even a clue as to what you have been created for. You now find yourselves unhappy and without joy, plodding through your days, handcuffed by and serving the gods that you have created. My desire for you is that you prosper. My desire is for you to show the world the joy of serving Me, so that they will have taste buds to do the same. Come to Me today and submit your will to My perfect will for you. You will be surprised at how wonderful your life becomes when We flow together.”

Prov. 19:20-21 AMP

²⁰Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.

²¹Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.

Phil. 2:12b-13 AMP

^12b…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.

Heb. 13:20-21 NIV

²⁰May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

²¹equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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I once knew a husband and wife who were called into the mission field. The call had been confirmed to them many, many times.

Over the years, while the call was being given to them, they acquired many “things” and submitted themselves to a lifestyle that demanded their full attention and daily service. After several years of not responding to the Lord, the call on their lives became quieter and quieter until they could no longer hear it. Having counseled with them often during the time of their struggle to respond to the Lord, the specific time when they said their final “no” on the Lord’s timeline was very evident. Their joy left. Their needs and wants now totally stifled the voice of the Lord.

Their lives became a sad myriad of religious activity without true joy and void of real meaning. They had chosen their way, rather than the plan for which the Lord had created them.

Praying to desire to hear and respond only to the plans of God,

Jim Corbett

9/19/13

“I am deeply concerned with your lack of response to My warnings. I don’t want you to begin to strive to do anything that I ask you to do. I do, however, ask you to submit yourself to Me, so that I might change you. It is for your good that I ask you to observe the times and seasons in which you live. It is for your good that I ask you to draw close to Me. I know that you are hearing the same requests over and over again, but it is necessary for Me to tell you so that you make some proper decisions regarding your priorities. Listen to this. Time is short. I need those who follow Me with all of their hearts, undistracted by the world in any way.

Things will soon not be as they are now. You must heed My call to sell out while you can, so that you will be able to be used by Me fully. Most of the world and many in My church will wander around, wide-eyed and drooling at the mouth from fear as circumstances change. I will need leaders who remain clear thinking and full of My passions. They will be used to bring reason to an unreasonable time. My people must now prepare, so that they will have what is needed for those who are unprepared. Please listen and begin a life of submission.

Do not believe in your faith to uphold you. Believe in My commitment to you and you will be a beacon in very dark places. I will soon do a new thing in those who heed My call. I will be strong for them. Those who do not respond now will not be able to find the kind of wealth that will be needed to overcome when darkness prevails. Come to Me now with longing hearts. Be like children, so that I am free to make you mature missionaries, who are free when others only feel bondage.”

Isaiah 28:9-11 NLB

⁹They say, “Who does the Lord think we are? Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, barely old enough to talk?

¹⁰He tells us everything over and over again, a line at a time, in very simple words!”

¹¹Since they refuse to listen, God will speak to them through foreign oppressors who speak an unknown language!

Jeremiah 12:5 AMP

….. If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take to flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

John 12:35 NIV

Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.”

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The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I’m convinced that preparedness is a key. Throughout the Word, God calls His people to prepare; then He acts. Those who heeded His warnings and encouragements thrived, because they acted on His call. Others, who did not listen to Him, were overcome by the foretold circumstances.

I may have shared this with you before, but it brings home a point. Suppose you were in jungle combat training, but felt that things could not be as bad as everyone said they were, or that you knew enough to get by. Because of your foolishness, you decided not to attend the survival training meetings, or the hand-to-hand combat seminar, which was held on the same night as the football game; and parachute training was somewhat of a bore. Things would go pretty much as usual for a while as you slept in the safety of your barracks. Your life would seem relatively safe, at least until you found yourself in line to get on the plane that takes you to the drop zone over the jungle. About then, I suppose that your eyes would be pretty wide with fear.

As you were in the air, I imagine your focus would be to attempt to get some information from the others around you. More than likely, you would ask some pretty pointed questions regarding what they had learned in training.

About the time you hit the jungle floor, (if you survived the jump,) you would probably realize that you are really no good at what you are called to do. Not only are you unreliable, you are now a hindrance to those around you because you require of them what you should have learned yourself long ago. Bankrupt of any real skill, your survival now depends on their knowledge and skills.

Let’s carry this a little further. What if they never went to classes either?

Wanting to really hear and submit,

Jim Corbett

9/18/13

“Whenever you allow anything or anyone to make you function outside of the character of Jesus Christ, it replaces Him as your god. What you serve is really the lord of your life. Partial service to Jesus is double-minded and not worthy of the kingdom life. You must take account of your life before I take account of it for you. Where are your treasures? If you harbor anger and hatred, a murderous heart governs your life. You have lost the heart of Jesus.

If greed is your god, you will not share My spiritual or material wealth with others. You consume what I make available through you on yourself and rob from Me. You do not care enough for them to give away what is rightfully Mine to give to them, wanting to use you to do it. You have lost the heart of Jesus. If you are motivated by the lusts of this world, if others determine how you act, if your own needs dictate your daily activities, your manmade gods are your rewards. You have lost the heart of Jesus. I have made Jesus’ heart available to you. His heart cares only for My desires and for the needs of others. It is the way of the cross. It is life. Why would you choose any other life unless you really desire that life as your lord? That is not a wise choice!”

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.”

Prov. 28:14 AMP

Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of the circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

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.”

Matthew 25:23 NIV

"His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’”

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There is an old saying about a shepherd who is stationed as a watchman over his sheep: “The watchman has lost his perspective when he begins to enjoy killing wolves more than he enjoys protecting sheep.”

In this saying, the merciful watchman has positioned himself to protect those that cannot protect themselves. He is showing mercy. Even if he should have to kill a wolf, his heart position is one of mercy toward the sheep.

In contrast, the other kind of watchman is simply a murderer. The true motives of his heart may be masked by the task that he is asked to perform - in this case, protecting sheep - but his joy is really fulfilled in the killing of wolves.

He is merciless, without any love, even for the sheep he is hired to protect. His job is only the covering for him to satisfy his murderous heart. Both watchmen look as if they are performing the same task, but the position of their respective heart motives separates them. There is no common ground for the two of them.

In the same way, we as Christians cannot say that we are following in the steps of Jesus simply because we are doing the “good” things that we think He might do. If our purpose for doing all that we do is not one of showing those who have not found the Lord who He really is; then, we have no common ground with Him.

In our religious activities, in all of our associations, in every act of kindness, if we don’t have the desire that the recipients of our actions see Jesus in us that they might be saved; then our heart is no better than the shepherd who enjoys killing wolves. From a heavenly perspective, we really are like murderers. A person with a murderous heart cares little if anyone lives or dies, unless he somehow benefits from either prospect. We are merciless. Jesus, in contrast, willingly gave His own life, so that everyone would have the possibility of truly living. His heart was, and still is, full of mercy.

As our Lord prepares us for His coming, He is showing all of us how little we truly represent Him, even though we call ourselves by His Name and pretend to care as He does. He will not truly be joined with anyone who does not have the same heart attitudes that He does in every area.

Teach me to serve only You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/17/13

“Don’t ever deny My power to change you. Don’t limit My desire to make you like My Son. Don’t underestimate the working promises that have been given to you at the cross. You see yourself, your sin, and how far you have to go, and you wonder why I would even desire to be with you. I only see you through the blood that was shed for you. You see what you are not. I, however, see what I have promised to make you. You stay away from Me after you have sinned, thinking that I don’t want to be near you because of it. I long for you to be clean. It is in those times that My love flows to you more, knowing your hurt; and I pursue you with zeal to restore Our fellowship.

Don’t you see? The work that has been done on the cross is spiritual. It is eternal. It is complete. You have been brought next to Me forever. It was all My idea. I knew who you were. I know who you are now. I know who you will be. I brought you to Me when you were filthy in your sin and gave you Myself as your inheritance. Do you think that I would leave you now because of what you have done or may do? Never! I love you. That is My promise, and it lasts forever.”

Hebrews 13:5b AMP

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

Rom. 2:4b AMP

Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?

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Sometimes, when I feel that the Lord doesn’t want to be near me because I have failed Him for the millionth time, I remember the picture of Jesus carrying the little lamb on His shoulders. That lamb looks incredibly content.

Someone once told me that the lamb on the shoulders of the shepherd is probably the most rebellious of all the lambs. It is the one that’s always wandering in harm’s way. It is the one that probably couldn’t follow the others, continually going off on its own, oblivious of the pitfalls and peril that inevitably happen to the stumbling, slick-footed, weak creature.

In real life, I am told that the shepherd - knowing what’s best for the lamb - bruises, or even breaks the hind leg of that lamb so that it can no longer wander from the safety of the others. He then lifts the lamb to his shoulders and carries it until it is totally healed. During the time that the lamb is being carried, it becomes familiar with the shepherd as he feeds it, talks to it, and caresses it. The lamb, in its helplessness, can only receive the shepherd’s love. It is too broken to do anything else.

Once the lamb is healed enough to walk on its own, the shepherd sets it down next to him. The lamb - now familiar with the shepherd and his love - follows close, never wanting to leave his side.

No matter what it takes, Lord, create in me a longing to only want to be by Your side,

Jim Corbett

9/16/13

“The world is racing to my desired conclusion. Watch for milestones along the way. As each event falls in place, come to Me to determine your direction. Study My Word. You will need only My wisdom if you are to prosper during the changes in your world. Clean your house. Be ready to spiritually move in My presence. Discard those things that hinder you from following My smallest wish. Learn to walk hand in hand with Me. I will guide your every step.”

Ps. 19:8 AMP

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.

Ps. 119:105 AMP

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

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If I were to be called anything in the Lord, it would be a watchman. I live with my eyes and nose peering over the top of spiritual walls, observing what is going on out there. All I can say is, “Boy, is stuff happening!” In the spiritual realm, there is tremendous movement. The Lord is posturing numerous events to take place very soon. He is fulfilling His Word right before our eyes in this generation. Everything in my spirit is goading me to prepare spiritually. Any physical preparation must be initiated in the spirit, at the feet of our Lord first, or it will be of no use.

We need to pray! We need to wait on God for everything as our moment by moment existence. We need to share the wonder of Jesus with everyone we can while there is still light to do so, for the darkness is on its way! We also need to rejoice as we remember the sovereignty of our God and know that He is the One Who is truly in charge of all things. May we align ourselves with Him and go forth in His anointing with peace and expectancy in our hearts!

Make Your lap my home, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/14/13

“It is right that you honor Jesus. His work is the most pivotal work in all of history. Because you have embraced Him and made Him the Lord of your life, I choose to embrace who you are and always direct you to who you can be in Him. I take great delight in you. I choose to hover over your life to make sure that you prosper. I choose to invest in your life to make sure that you become like Jesus. I choose to walk with you so that you can know Me, know My plans, and know My heart. I have promised to become involved in your life for all eternity. You are now Mine and I will never leave you.”

Hebrews 13:5b AMP

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

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…

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God, our Father, is at all times showing us that intimate fellowship with Him is the position for which each of us has been created. We are made to function hand-in-hand with our Father in Heaven. The guidelines on how to function that way have been made available to us in His Word. His constant urgings to be like Christ, to lay our lives down, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to make God first in our lives are love messages to the bridal heart of Jesus. He also promises to do everything to initiate and accomplish those changes.

True intimacy is our privilege. If we look to our own needs and place our Lord somewhere behind them, our precious, loving Father promises to bring His priorities back in order in our lives. He has committed to do so. We have committed to need Him to do it.

Thank You for all that You have done, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/13/13

“What are you waiting for? What is your hopeful expectation? Whatever expectation is the priority of your heart will determine the actions of your days. You should be waiting for Jesus! He should be the hopeful expectation of your life. If pleasing Jesus were the reason you existed, your only priority would be to prepare for His return. Nothing would distract you from that event. Nothing would be more important to you.

Those who walked on earth with Him thought that Jesus would return for them personally. It was the hope that drove them to do wondrous achievements to further My kingdom. It was the motivation behind their pursuit of Me, so that they could live His life in front of those around them. I have placed that hope in each generation for very specific reasons. The hope of His return will keep you in constant preparation. It will cause you to strive to be like Him. It will motivate you to become as a waiting bride. Press in, My faithful ones. The time is soon.”

1 Cor. 1:2-9 NIV

²To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

⁵For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—

⁶because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.

⁷Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

⁸He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Rev. 22:17-21 NIV

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

¹⁹And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

²⁰He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”

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One of the golden threads that weaves its way through every generation of believers is the hopeful expectation of the return of Jesus Christ and their subsequent removal from this earth and its cares. It is the driving force behind every thought, prayer, and move of the ones following hard after the things of God. Unfortunately, to the carnal believer, waiting and preparing for the return of Jesus is foolishness. It is the stumbling block that allows them to remain in their shallow representation of His life to the world, because they do not believe His return is near.

As you study the wonder of the Word of God, and the eternal genius behind concealing the specific time and place of His return, there is nothing to do but fall prostrate in thankfulness and praise to God. What better stimulus! There is no more powerful driving force to keep us heading in the proper, safe direction.

As wondrous as all that is, you and I have the privilege of looking back through the corridors of time and applying all of the keys to His coming that are found in the Word of God. If we study the Word with diligence, there is no question that the event of His return is very near. What other generations could only speculate, we see fulfilled with precise, surgical implementation, almost every day. What was the hope of other generations, I am convinced will be the fulfillment in ours.

Our preparation for the return of our Lord for us may seem foolish to the skeptics. The enemy’s attempts to convince us that the Lord’s return is far off could be used as a tool to discourage believers from becoming all that would please our Lord when He comes for those who are like Him in every way. That preparation, however, is the most important feature of our lives, simply because we know what our spirit, in line with the Holy Spirit, is saying. I believe that I am being told to look to the skies in hopeful expectation for my Master each and every day.

Maybe today, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/12/13

“True wealth is only found in the heart of Jesus. All worldly wealth is useful for a moment in time and fades with seasons and economies. You need to share in Christ’s passions, so that you can know His heart and gain His wealth. You need to spend your time searching for His honest riches. The world and its ways have little regard for His ways. They don’t understand His kind of prosperity. Gaining the true prosperity of Jesus will cost you everything. It is a small price to pay, however, considering its eternal worth.”

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].

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Most of us will gladly sell the true wealth to be gained in a refiner’s fire for one morsel of comfort and ease. We would trade the spiritual gold that is gained only from intimate, devoted times with the Lord for second-hand head knowledge from some book or sermon. True riches such as the heart, character, and desires of Jesus being formed in us only come from the Lord Himself. They are costly, but those who seek these kinds of eternal riches are considered truly prosperous by Father God.

Teach me to desire only true prosperity, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/11/13

“Many in My church have been lulled into a complacency that is certain death to the kind of deep spiritual life that I desire for them. They observe that their “big” sins are gone, so they think that everything is in order. They do not know how far they are from the truth. They don’t know how much of a hindrance their complacency is to My work, because they have not sold out enough to hear My voice above their works-oriented religion. They can only see through eyes that are carnal, so they understand little about what I call “big” sins. Big sins to Me have little to do with the visible sins of the world. Removal of initial sins is part of My covenant promise because of the cross. The undiscerning see themselves being healed of obvious sins, layer after layer; then they stop pressing in deep enough to allow Me to show them a mightier walk, a walk that I wish all My children could experience. A big sin to Me is compromise, which is caused by rebellion regarding My ways.

Another is keeping what is Mine, so that they can pad their comfort areas. One that is prevalent now is complacency toward the seasons in which they live. I grieve over a prayerless life. You who do see, you who have sold out, you who are surrendering fully must understand that only radical intrusions into their comfort areas will shake them loose. Do not spend your time attempting to teach the crucified life to those who choose not to be taught. It will only cause you frustration and hardship. They do not understand your devoted life, so they must judge you by their standards. Concern yourselves with souls, those who need to hear and be saved. Cultivate the young hearts to fully submit to Me, before they are swayed by the cold church. Save them from complacency by exhibiting the life of My Son before them.

Serve the teachable. Set aside those who choose not to see the times and seasons. They are not willing to do what it takes to be ready when I need them. You find those who will hear and see. I will soon deal with those who have chosen to go the way of complacency.”

Ps. 86:11 AMP

Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name.

Rom. 13:11-12 AMP

¹¹Besides this you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah).

¹²The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.

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Navigating through the New Testament, we see the writers covering many things concerning this new belief that had come upon the people of that time. Jesus had set a standard that no one had even thought possible before His death and resurrection. We see stages of this kind of life presented and worked through as spiritual matters impacted and modified very human men and women.

Once Jesus had laid the foundation and set the example for living, those closest to Him continued on with His teachings to the early church. Initially, simply repeating the Words of the Savior was enough to change the hearts of listeners. Many embraced the new and wondrous life that had been sent from on high since His sandaled feet hit the shores of the Jordan River.

Something happened, however, as time went on. Human nature entered into the picture. Fledgling churches and new converts began to need more guidance to work through their lives as they grew in their new found faith. Disagreements, interpretations, and fleshly desires started to impact the purity of what Jesus had presented. Very real daily problems needed pertinent solutions, so we find the writers not only teaching what is needed to grow in the faith; but also addressing situations that came up because of the sin nature that was being exposed. As they had to teach, exhort, chastise, correct, encourage, and even threaten disciplinary action, the whole New Testament presents a picture of very real people who acted in a very real manner.

A golden thread that weaves its way through all the New Testament books, actually all of the Bible, is the call to a deeper, more intimate life with the Lord, available to those who choose to pay the price for it. Woven through most of the books is the call to come back to the original purity of the initial church, the life exhibited by Jesus Himself. Human nature, imperfect as it is and spurred on by the deceit of the enemy of their souls, migrated from the purest form of service to cold, dead religious activity and false interpretations of what was intended. It all had to be addressed.

So it continues through all of church history right up to this day. God is continually presenting the standard of the life of Jesus to anyone who will embrace it. Every generation has allowed every kind of distortion of the life that Jesus presented to exist within the church, and the Lord has continually presented a better, deeper way– the one that was established by Jesus and copied by the very first believers. This generation is no different. Today, our Lord is raising the standard from what we once were to Whom He wants us to emulate once again. If we are wise, we will answer the call.

Needing to respond whole-heartedly to what I am hearing from the Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/10/13

“What has happened to My Word? Who has taken it and used it for their own glory? Who has attempted to conform Me into their own image rather than in the way that is right? Who has called upon Me to serve them, rather than bow down before Me in holy awe? Who has become proud of their salvation and lorded it over those who need mercy, rather than weeping for them?

Look around. See what is going on in My church. See who is preaching another gospel, using My Word to support their imaginations, so that they can grow mega-churches and develop large followings. Watch who tickles the ears of the foolish. Listen as the sweet-tongued carnival barkers manipulate and cajole My children to look only to themselves, rather than lay their lives down for others as Jesus did. Look at them with My eyes. Listen to them with My ears. Leave their presence if they are misusing My Word for their own gain and telling you to do the same. I am not where they are even though they say that I am. You come to Me. Allow Me to take you to the cross and show you truth.”

Jer. 23:28-29 AMP

²⁸The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat [for nourishment]? says the Lord.

²⁹Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?

Jer. 23:31-32 AMP

³¹Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their [own deceitful] tongues and say, Thus says the Lord.

³²Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and tell them and cause My people to err and go astray by their lies and by their vain boasting and recklessness—when I did not send them or command them; nor do they profit these people at all, says the Lord.

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A false anointing is very deceptive, especially if the Word of God is manipulated to prove what is being said. False teachings are rampant throughout the church. They always have been and, sad to say, will continue until this season in God’s timetable is over.

I used to think that the preaching of “another gospel” would be easily recognizable by anyone who says that he is following Jesus. It amazes me to see intelligent believers swayed into lives that are in no way similar to the life of Jesus. I am deeply concerned for the teachers who took them there and those who will do so in the future.

Forgive me, Lord, if I ever cause even one to be side-tracked,

Jim Corbett

9/09/13

“I am requesting a standard of excellence from My people. For too long the world has not seen Jesus in those who call themselves followers of Him. It has caused much hardship for those who need to find truth for their lives. Many have fallen by the wayside because My people would not love as He loves. Now only those who have submitted to My refiner’s fires will be entrusted with the working of My Word in this closing season. I am raising up a holy people, people who look and act like Jesus to a world dying and out of answers. Do you choose to be part of My remnant warriors? Will you turn completely to My work in you? Will you surrender fully to My hand upon you to train you to love as Jesus loved? Will you surrender your life as He did?

I need you to say “yes” before I begin a deeper work in you. If you choose not to submit to this preparation, you will not be part of what I will do through My holy vessels. You will observe from the sidelines and long to be able to join in My work, but you may not because I cannot trust you. The price to be part of this bridal preparation will be everything you are and everything you have. How far will you go with Me? What are you willing to give to glorify Jesus? Make your choice now. I am waiting.”

Esther 4:13-14 AMP

¹³Then Mordecai told them to return this answer to Esther. Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

¹⁴For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?

2 Cor. 5:20a NIV

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

Heb. 12:9-10 AMP

⁹Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?

¹⁰For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.

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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Throughout most of our lives, the enticements that the world offers us, not the passions of the Lord, have proven to be the focus of our attention. They are the basis for our selfish pleadings to our Father and really are the gods that we serve.

Because of our lack of desire to focus on our life in Christ as the only reason that we breathe, when the world grows darker as predicted by the Bible, most of us will be so consumed with fear that we will be unable to represent Jesus to those who desperately need Him. We will walk around the same as those in the world, wide-eyed and drooling rather than being able to rise above all of the clamor as Jesus did.

The Holy Spirit is wooing the church of Jesus Christ to prepare as a bride would prepare for a coming wedding of hearts. Through trials, tribulations, and extreme challenges, He is posturing each of us to get our priorities straight. By leading us to the end of ourselves, and placing a new hope in those who will listen, He is calling us to set aside all of the ways of the world and embrace the ways of Jesus as our only reason for living. In doing so, we will be prepared for His coming and able to overcome the hazards that are soon to come our way.

This call is a call to holiness - a pursuit oftentimes not considered attainable or even a necessary part of every Christian’s heart - which will initiate a bridal heart desire that will allow the Lord to live His passionate life through devoted, surrendered vessels. It can be one of the most exciting adventures of your life if your heart’s desire is to increasingly make room for more of the most priceless treasure ever given to anyone – Jesus Christ. As you respond to the heart of God and increasingly develop a posture of waiting for Jesus’ timely return, you will then guide others to His heart as more hear the same call.

Make me passionate about what You are passionate about, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/07/13

“Savor the fragrance of those I send your way. Those who know Jesus and come to you carry His life within them. Treat them as you would treat Him. Those who are not Mine yet, treat them as Jesus would. Love them with His kind of love. Flood them with the same mercy I have given you. Do whatever it takes to show them Who Jesus is and what He has done for them. Meet their needs. Have patience with their searching. Embrace them as brothers and sisters when they embrace the love of Jesus, no matter who they were before or what they may have done to you. Honor Me. Live your life as a testimony of His love. Rest in My love. Have a significant life!”

Matthew 5:7 NIV

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

Luke 6:45-46 AMP

⁴⁵The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?

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To live out Christ’s life in the world around us with the same passion and heart commitment that Jesus lived when He walked among His creation is:

1) the only fitting response to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2) the proper and honorable representation of Jesus to a world that is dying and out of answers.

3) the highest form of praise that can be given to the Lord as you emulate Him.

4) the proper response to the call of the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart as a waiting bride for the return of Jesus.

5) the only way to overcome the perilous times and seasons in which we are the living, so that you can fulfill your purpose in life.

I choose that others see You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/06/13

“Why do you hang on to your old sin as if it were something to cherish? I have killed it. For you to still consider it alive is like hanging on to the carcass of a pet that once meant a great deal to you. It is dead. The life that you loved no longer resides within the decaying shell. So it is with your sin. It was given a fatal blow when you gave your life to the Lordship of Jesus. He now resides within you. You are new inside. His life is now available to be called upon for the power to overcome anything and everything. Allow His life to be lived through you. Release yourself to Jesus. He will make a way.”

1 Cor. 13:11 AMP

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

II Cor. 5:17 AMP

Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ, (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Gal. 2:20 AMP

I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

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I have heard that in a culture long ago, one form of punishment for murder was to strap the murderer to the one whom he had killed, face to face, body to body. The murderer would carry the rotting corpse of his victim around until he died. I assume he died, among other things, from the poisons he breathed in day after day as the corpse decayed.

You and I are new creatures altogether, if we have submitted everything that we are or have ever been to the Lordship of Jesus. Who we once were and what we once desired to do no longer lives. You will notice I said “Lordship,” not some emotional altar call or half-hearted commitment.

Once that true submission has been made, our old nature and each specific sin, once they are submitted, are dead in us. The vibrant life of Jesus Christ now lives in us.

Why would we carry around the carcass of our old death-dealing, sinful nature - something rotting and decaying - when Christ’s life-giving, sinless nature is within us? His nature insures abundant life. Our old nature is sure death.

Set me free, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/05/13

“So much is poised to break forth in the spiritual realm. So much is ready to be fulfilled. Soon you will see many foretold events fulfilled with lightning speed. Soon, what you hold in your hand will be of little importance. What is held in your heart will be what matters. Make room in your heart for the ways of Jesus. Make room for His character and His obedience. Invest in those things that have eternal value. Cultivate a heart for the souls of men. Make it your priority in everything that you do. In doing so, you will be functioning with Me, heart to heart. When that happens, I am blessed, you are fulfilled, and My plan is going forth.”

II Sam. 16:7 AMP

But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Eph. 1:17-19a NIV

¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

¹⁸I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

^19aand his incomparably great power for us who believe.

II Peter 3:9 AMP

The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.

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It is so easy to lose God’s perspective. From a heavenly perspective, our scurrying around, attempting to store up those things that are passing away, must seem a little silly to say the least. Sad to say, I believe that our foolish actions break the heart of our Father.

If you begin in Genesis and end in Revelation, one very clear point is made. God wishes that none should perish. It is the thread of truth that weaves its way throughout all of Scripture. It is why Jesus did what He did. It is what we are in position to do every moment of our lives.

Let me move with You, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/04/13

“I have designed you to be advocates one to another. I have called you to watch out for your brother’s or sister’s best interests before your own. You are to lay your life down for them. That is the very basic heart involvement toward one another if you call yourself followers of My Son. There are no options. If you act in any other way toward each other, you are denying My love to them. You are a hypocrite if you do not love one another and then profess love for Me. Your praises are empty. Your worship is nothing but lies. Turn from carnal feelings and sensual motivations. Love one another as freely as you breathe. You will then testify of My love for you to a world that needs to understand the wonders of the cross.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

³⁵All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

John 15:12-14 NIV

¹²“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

¹³Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command.”

1 John 4:20a NIV

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

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It is always fascinating how we pick and choose the Bible verses that allow us to remain in our carnal ways of thinking, by-passing those that are definitive commands to follow. The Word is very clear about how we, as followers of Christ, are to act one to another; yet we gloss over some of the commands - not suggestions - of the Lord as if He really didn’t mean what He said.

The word “friend” in John v.14 above is a covenant term. Jesus was making a covenant statement about how we are to act one to another if we say we are in covenant with Him. It looks like He said we are “in covenant” with Him IF we love each other in the same manner that He loved us. Wasn’t He the One who gave up His life for us?

Yikes, Lord! Turn my heart to Your ways,

Jim Corbett

9/03/13

“Submit your needs to Me. I will cover them with My love. Submit your plans to Me. I will apply My wisdom, so that they have eternal value. Most of all, submit your heart fully to Me as Jesus did. I will enlarge it to include all that I am as your God.”

Proverbs 16:9 AMP

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

Proverbs 20:24a AMP

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord.

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.”

Matthew 10:29-31 NIV

²⁹“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

John 5:19-20 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.

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

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What an astounding privilege - to have a loving Father Who cares about all of our days and desires to be involved in them for our good!

A spirit of compassionate insight (mourning) is the spirit that “drove” Jesus from His kingly station in the heavens down to earth to take on the form of one of His own created beings. He placed Himself “in the shoes” of each one of us both in this life and for eternity.

Feeling our present and future pain of separation from the Father, there was nothing that He could do but spend His life for us. His focus was on our loss. He cared about what would happen to us if He didn’t intervene on our behalf.

Having no separation between His heart and the heart of His Father, He also took as His own the loss that the Father had because of the sin of mankind, which caused separation. Father longed for all those He loved to cherish His glory for their well-being. Because the Father felt that way, so did Jesus - not in an elementary form of human caring, but with all of the compassions of the Father. When He moved in compassion, our needs and pains were taken on by Him as His own.

Own my heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

9/02/13

“There is great tumult in the spiritual realm. Much is being done to fulfill the times and seasons that will continue to usher in what you might call the end times. All is going as planned. All is in order as I see it. As I observe both the spiritual and physical realms, I see a great wonder to behold for those who are discerning enough to enjoy what is transpiring. To the casual observer, chaos, fear, uncertainty, and upheaval of their normal lifestyle will be all that is evident. What is happening in their little world will be so large to them that they will miss the wonder of the fulfillment of My plans that is taking place in their midst. Sad to say, that will be the plight of most of My church.

As a woman in labor can only focus on the pain of childbirth ,the world, and most of My people, will focus on only the physical manifestations that are before them. They will be tossed in every direction, responding to their own pain and fear. Trying to hold their tiny world together, they will struggle to survive rather than see the wondrous opportunities to bring souls into My kingdom. Those who have heard My call over the years and have been trained to interpret what is happening from My perspective, however, will have the strength and wisdom to look past what is evident and see the forthcoming birth, not the pain of labor. They will prosper. They will not waste a moment of the precious time that is left in padding their own comfort zones. Powerful, loving, and totally free, they will go about My business with only My plans and My desires in mind. Thankful for the time, they will relish the time that is left as opportunity and promised fulfillment. One in heart with Me, My real church will see clearly, love deeply, and rise above their physical lives. Moving in My power, they will walk under My anointing and bring many home with them.”

2 Cor. 2:14-16a NIV

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us everywhere spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

^16aTo the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

2 Cor. 4:17-18 AMP

¹⁷For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparison and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!],

¹⁸Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.

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I am amazed at how alive and well my flesh is after all these years. For many years, I have studied the times and seasons. I have often preached about the coming of the Lord and the chaos that will happen just before that wondrous event. I know that only the strength of the Lord will allow any of us to overcome what is ahead, but in that strength we will be able to prosper and truly be victorious. Why then, do I bounce around between wonder, joy, and fear?

Forgive me, Lord. Give me Your strength. Let me see and function only from Your perspective,

Jim Corbett