Hope for 2009

Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. KJV

Psalms 42:11 But, O my soul, don't be discouraged (hope). Don't be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God! TLB

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. NIV

"Hope does not disappoint us"! I love that phrase from the Bible. This is how I view the coming year. In less than 12 hours (here in Japan) the Year of 2008 will be finished forever. Cannot relive it. Cannot retrieve it! I also recall another Christian phrase I first heard many years ago. "Only what's done for Christ will last" Those prayers that were prayed, those praises that were raised, the tears that were shed, the acts of kindness and service, and the ministry that took place - none of that was lost. In fact most of that is eternal. Seeds were sown that may have already sprouted, but much much more has yet to be seen or realized.

As Oral Roberts used to say in crusades and radio programs many years ago, God is a Good God! I often used to and still do sing the old chorus from those days, All things are possible-only believe. The verse goes on to declare, God I believe!

That is my confession and my hope! God is Good! All things are possible! My part is to believe!

Yes, Lord I believe!

God bless you as you move into 2009! Do not in any circumstance give up your hope and faith in God! The best is yet to come!

Dan Corbett

"Reaching One Among Millions"

Balance

This is one of those blogs that probably needs more time in the oven. Balance is a word from the Lord that may turn out to be a key word for the New Year. Immediately upon hearing this word I went to the Bible concordance and was, at first, disappointed that I could not immediately locate a single verse that would explain this Biblical principle.

During the day I sort of stewed upon this word. During the Morning Prayer Time today I began to see quite a large number of incidents in the Bible that pointed to the fact that God wants His Children to live a "Balanced Life". It occurred to me that God is a God of Order and Balance. This is evident throughout the Bible even though I could not find one simple verse that totally embodied that principle.

As I said this is a blog that needs more time in the spiritual oven. I did feel I was supposed to bring it out for others to get a glimpse and begin to think, mediate or pray about "Spiritual Balance" in their lives. One reason this is important to me is that the past few weeks have been a balancing act between the global aspect of the Japan Prayer Network and local and personal ministry. As some of you may have noticed, local ministry has taken precedent over the JPN web site. Regular "Prayer Maintenance" has taken place daily, but writing and updating the site has been lacking along with getting out the last JPN Monthly Update.

One thought that came to me today was that God's view of "balance" is not what we sometimes think of as we "juggle" duties and responsibilities. Balance is not just a matter of activities. It is a state of spiritual, emotional and physical being. Some keep their check books "balanced" and eat a "balanced" diet, but in other aspects their lives are not "balanced" spiritually. Some of us are prone to extremes in many areas of life. I wanted to use the scripture of "moderation" but upon examining it more closely it did not convey the meaning I wanted.

I am afraid that the subject is going to be left as it if for the time being. Please ask God what He wants of you in respect to balance. It is going back into the oven for a little longer. I hope to be able, Lord willing, to present a more complete product in the near future. It might be titled, "Balance Continued". Please pray for me that it does not get left and forgotten in the back of my spiritual oven along with several other subjects the Holy Spirit has brought to me over the past several weeks. I have a feeling that when our lives are "balanced" as God intends that we will be both pleasing to Him along with being spiritually fruitful.

May God bless you and balance your life!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Merry CHRISTmas!

Just a short note to wish each one a blessed Christmas! This year has been different than others. Sharon baked nearly 1,000 cookies in addition to fruit cakes. We spent a full day driving around the city delivering those culinary gifts. We prayed they would become seeds of God's Love into the lives of each who received them.

Today we had a nice small family meal with the four of us. Tonight was a time of "coming down" from the intense past two weeks of nearly constant ministry and Christmas preparations. Sharon got on Skype and did a test video call to Okinawa. The quality was surprisingly good. We hope to get into some video conferencing first, on a personal basis and then soon with churches.

I am running far behind in getting out the past JPN Monthly Update. No excuse! Just six weeks on the road and a wonderful two weeks of personal ministry.

We need to say hello and thanks to many who have prayed for us and blessed us financially and in other ways. God has heard each prayer and seen each act of love and kindness.

May God bless you richly!

Dan & Sharon

Overwhelmed!

Psalms 61
1 O God, listen to me! Hear my prayer! 2 For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. 3 For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me. 4 I shall live forever in your tabernacle; oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 5 For you have heard my vows, O God, to praise you every day, and you have given me the blessings you reserve for those who reverence your name. 6 You will give me added years of life, as rich and full as those of many generations, all packed into one. 7 And I shall live before the Lord forever. Oh, send your loving-kindness and truth to guard and watch over me, 8 and I will praise your name continually, fulfilling my vow of praising you each day. TLB

This is a good time to throw ourselves on the Lord! Many things can cause us to be overwhelmed. It may be the small things of life that slowly add up until we are covered up and cannot see our way out. It could be illness or financial crises due to the recent global economic woes. It does not matter which category we may fall under, God is still our help in "Times Like These".

Call Him up right now! You will find His line is not busy. You will not be put "On Hold" as happens so often today when we seek help by telephone. He is an ever present help in our times of need. If fact, it is possible in a relatively short period of time to move from being "overwhelmed" by the troubles of the world over to the Hallelujah side in which we can become "overwhelmed" by God's Goodness and Powerful Holy Presence.

Go ahead and praise Him for the answer even before you can see it coming. God is good all the time!

God bless you as you Pray and Praise!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

No Place Like Home!

Praise God!
There were 11 flights in nearly six weeks of travel. God had me from the West Coast to the East Coast of the USA. Also from the North to the South. It was a privilege to worship with several different ethic groups of believers. The crowds varied greatly in numbers, but God's Spirit was present in each case.

I would like to thank all those who helped in so many different ways. There was assistance with transportation, scheduling of meetings, providing a warm bed to sleep in and lots of good food. Unfortunately, there was probably too much good food. Now I am going to need to move toward a planned weight loss program. I would appreciate your prayers in that area too.

We would like to thank all those who invested in the ministry of outreach to Japan and the Japan Prayer Network. We cannot determine accurately just how many people around the world are praying for the JPN and LDW ministries. We sincerely seek your ongoing prayers and support as we endeavor to share God's Love with the wonderful people of Japan. I found today that the nations visiting the JPN site have now reached 81! For this miracle we praise God!

It seems that the First Phase of Japan Prayer Network has been fulfilled. In the midst of travel and busy schedules in the USA, a close friend said, "What is next"? It took me by surprise. The past two years have been so focused and fulfilling, I hadn't noticed how quickly the time passed. The goals we envisioned two years ago have mainly all be reached and surpassed by the Grace of God!

Now it is time to seek God afresh to hear His Voice as He directs us deeper into uncharted waters of ministry. We humbly ask your prayers for us in this area of our lives. I hope and trust we will be able to stay in close touch as we partner together in "Reaching One Among Millions"!

God bless you richly!

Dan Corbett

On the road again!

Wow!
Travel can make one tired! It has been a month now. God is Good! He is Faithful to His Word!
He has had me from the Pacific Coast to the East Coast. From the south to the north. We have ministered in a Korean church, Indian church, ethnically mixed churches and several different denominations. The personal relationships and connections have been wonderful. We have shared God's Love in church meetings, on airplanes, in airports, stores, homes, restaurants and hospitals. We found many who love God and others who are hungry and seeking the truth. What a privilege to both know God and to make Him known.

We had the unique opportunity of praying and giving thanks at the nation's Capitol for the US government. We made a stop at what many call the cradle of Pentecostalism and had prayer for the churches, ministers and believers of the Pentecostal movement. This is a significant time of the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God's children all over the world.

Sharon has ministered from Southeast Asia to Northeast Asia traveling north to Tokyo this week. As mentioned on the JPN web site, in July the Holy Spirit spoke to me that Sept 1, 2008 to Sept 1, 2009 would be significant in: 1. Our ministry 2. The Kingdom of God 3. The nations of the world. Oh yes, He also said, "fasten your seat belt". That Word has proven to be true in every aspect. It has helped to be made aware in advance that a time of turmoil and rapid changes was coming. We cannot change what is happening in the world, but it is comforting to know that God is with us and is willing to let us in on some of His Plans for the world to a small degree.

It has been made very clear that we are not to fear and that this is a golden opportunity to sow and plant into His Kingdom. We are assured that the seasons of sowing and harvest will continue as long as the earth endures (Gen 8:22). As His children in a sin darkened world our small candles of His Love are shining more brightly than ever before.

What do you say, Let's let our lights shine! Keep on keeping on! Keep on the firing line! Keep on praising God in the good times and the bad! Let's keep looking up for our redemption draweth nigh!

May God bless you if you are at home or on the road. Some day soon our paths will cross and I hope that will be in Heaven around the Throne of God!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions!