CJ Penn's Online Writing Hangout

The reason I write: To promote Christian truth and help Jesus get His Christianity back.

Tag Archives: Inspiration


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Freedom from Stress

The stress of work climbs onto your shoulders and tries to wrestle you to the ground.

Troubled relationships reach into your gut, mess with your nerves, and stir up an anxious soup of sickness.

The world around us is trembling with explosions and death.

Do you sometimes feel like a tortured prisoner of life?

You know what I’ll say next. Those of us who try to follow Jesus know where our freedom comes from, though it’s often hard to feel that freedom.

Close your eyes to the stress. Look away from your anxious feelings. And look to the Spirit of Jesus within you. He will calm your nerves and set you free.


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The Essence of God Within You

I am the Holy Spirit, the Voice of God.

As best you can, empty your mind of the noise of your world. Turn your back on the clutter of your life and let it fade away. And turn to me, here within you. Trust me to be here. Listen for my voice. Focus only on me. See me in your minds eye, and feel my presence. Feel me more with each breath you take, and I will renew your soul – the energy of life that is you.

Oh, I also hear the worldly racket pounding on the door of your mind, wanting to come back in. Ignore it, for now. Let you and me have our alone time together.

Do you feel me? How does it feel to have the essence of God here within you, speaking to you? That peace you feel is love, my true love. You might now be ready to open the door and step out into your day, where you can share my love.


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Do You Long to FEEL the Holy Spirit in Your Life?

I believe what many Christians hunger for is an undeniable sense of the reality of the Holy Spirit in their lives. You believe, but you may not feel… the Holy Spirit. I don’t know about you, but I really want to FEEL His presence in my life.

Look, life is hard and sometimes painful for all of us. We can’t handle it alone. Other people can only partially help us, as they have their own problems to deal with. So we look to the Spirit of Jesus, for somewhere deep inside we know that He is our only hope.

Do you feel this longing too? Even if you don’t consider yourself fully Christian (whatever that means), does your gut tell you that your true hope in dealing with this messed up world lies in some kind of relationship with God? Maybe you can’t name what you’re longing for, but you know something is missing, and you’re hungry to fill the void.

Could it be that the hunger you feel is coming from the Spirit of Jesus Himself? He may be within you now, living deep inside where your soul lives, feeding your hunger for life with Him. Do you feel it? That’s the presence of the Holy Spirit within you.


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Escaping Into Yourself

Is stress lurking around the corner, waiting for you to step out your door and head off to work or school? Or has stress invaded your house? Is it standing beside your bed, just waiting for you to open your eyes, and your mind, and let it invade your thoughts?

As you go about your day, there is a way to escape from stress. Close your eyes and step inside yourself. You may still hear the world and stress clamoring for your attention. But as you go deeper into yourself, two things happen. The noise of the world becomes muffled, and your view of Jesus becomes clearer. And the more you feel the truth of the presence of the Spirit of Jesus within you, the less you will feel the stress that you left locked outside. For the peace of Jesus’ presence will envelope you and protect you.

Oh yes, you’ll have to step outside again and deal with life. But you always have a place to escape, and a person to escape to; you and Jesus, living together in your quiet place of peace.


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The Voice of God – Really

Look, I’m real, okay. I’m not a thing. I’m not a symbol. I’m not a myth. I’m real. I am the Holy Spirit of God and Jesus Christ. Though I’m often ignored, that doesn’t make me less real.

If you wish, you can think of me as the voice of God. I am the voice of God, speaking to you. Okay, I didn’t write this blog post, though I did ask CJ to write it. But my hope is that these words CJ is writing will inspire you to quiet your mind, look deep inside yourself, and listen for my voice. That’s where you will truly hear me. For I’m here, within you… if you believe and let me in.

Please, listen for my voice, the voice of God, within you.

(Note from CJ: I used to call this series of posts “The Spirit Speaks…”. But now I like “The Voice of God…” better. So that’s what these posts will be, unless I find something I like even better.)


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Looking for Peace of Mind?

Well, maybe you need to give up and let go of your mind in order to find the peace you seek. My mind is usually consumed by all the stuff going on around me – there’s no peace there. So I try to let go and give control of my mind to God.

How do I give control of my mind to the Spirit of God and Jesus? It seems like most of the time, it’s turning my back on all the worldly stuff that screams for my attention, and letting my mind focus on nothing but Jesus, here within me, within my mind and with my soul.

And in those moments where there’s nothing and no one in my mind but God and Jesus, that’s when I feel the promised peace, the peace that comes from letting God control my mind. Just at the Apostle Paul promised, “… the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

Are you looking for peace of mind? Then please, give yourself as much time as you need to let go of all the worldly stuff that screams for your attention. And as your mind empties of the noise, let God come in and fill the vacancy. And He will bring His peace.


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Wreckage?

I’m floating in a sea,

surrounded by debris and wreckage.

The wreckage of this broken world;

the wreckage of my life.

Surrounded,

unable to clearly see the horizon

for all the wreckage.

I search the horizon for Jesus.

I look for Father God.

I know they are here;

something inside me feels their presence.

But the wreckage crowds my view.

Without God, there is only wreckage.

…

And finally, the wreckage breaks up.

And God opens a way, from Him to me.

And now He’s here;

His Spirit is within me, floating here with me.

And the wreckage pulls away from God,

unable to touch Him.

With the Spirit of God and Jesus within me,

the wreckage of my life floats off,

and I feel peace.

———————-

This is a typical morning for me, quietly sitting with coffee mug in hand, surrounded by the wreckage that fills my mind. And then God appears. Oh Lord! Dear Jesus! I love you as much as I am able. And I live because you live within me.


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The Spirit Speaks – I Cherish Your Love, As It Is

I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, am with you always. My love flows through you always. My love for you never changes. Yet does your love for me rise and fall, like the tide? Is your love for me sometimes full, sometimes empty, and often in between? Do you see your love for me as imperfect?

Well, that’s okay. Sometimes you may not feel it, especially when your love is weak. But I feel your love, even when you don’t. And I cherish your love for me, as imperfect as it is. I don’t demand perfect love, for that’s impossible for flawed humanity. But I do cherish whatever you can give me.

Now close your eyes. Look inside yourself, to me here within you. Do you see me smiling at you? I smile because every time you look my way, that’s an act of love. I love you too.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Being a Peacemaker

Are there people in your life who suffer from the burdens of this world, from conflicts and strife? Silly question, I know, for everyone suffers. But are there people you love whom you sincerely want to help find peace in this life?

If so, then look to me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, living within you. There is no better peacemaker than me. There is no better relationship healer than me, no better diplomat than me, the Holy Spirit of God. And there is no better evangelist than me.

Please, let go and let me make peace, through you. Let me heal relationships through you. Let me resolve conflicts through you. Let me evangelize through you. And by doing so, you will feel the thrill of witnessing me living through you.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Heaven

Heaven is for real

People are hungry for heaven. They want proof of heaven; they want to know that this life isn’t the end. They want to know that heaven is for real. IS heaven for real? The answer is waiting inside of you.

Heaven is not only real; it’s here, right within your grasp. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, am heaven within you. You don’t need to physically die to see heaven. Just close your eyes and look inside your soul to me. I’m here, bringing heaven to you.

When you look to me living here with your spirit, you will know with certainty that heaven is for real, and that this life is not the end, it’s the beginning.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Living in the Future

The future is worry. The future is planning. When your mind lives in the future, you either worry about what might happen, or you plan for things you hope will happen.

But I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, am not in the future, not in a way you can understand. Oh yes, I am not constrained by the dimension of time, like you are. But my concern in my relationship with you is now. This instant is what matters. The present is what’s real – the future is imaginary.

So I ask you to live for the reality of now, to live in the present. When you worry about your future, you’re not trusting me. Please, let me take care of the future. Trust me with your future.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1)


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The Spirit Speaks – of Baptism by My Spirit

In speaking of me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist said, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8)

Many people, while on their journey of faith, immerse themselves in the river of John’s water baptism. Stepping into that river is a beautiful act of faith, and John intended it as a way to prepare you for my baptism.

Whether you have immersed yourself in John’s baptism or not, immerse yourself in me. Let my Spirit flow over you, surrounding you with my love, and filling you with my presence. And where you cannot live and breathe under water, not so with my Spirit. Submerge yourself in me, open up your self and breathe me in. With each breath, you fill yourself with my Holy Spirit. And together, we will live a new life, a truly full life.


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The Spirit Speaks – of My Love for You

My love for you has brought me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, all the way from heaven to earth, to live with you. I’ve always loved you. Long ago, my love for you held me fast to the cross – it’s wasn’t nails that kept me there. And now, my love holds me tightly to you.

Please, think about what my love means to you. Look inside yourself. If you can’t feel my presence, then imagine me there, within you. See and accept my presence as fact. Now focus on the fact of my love; my love that loves you from the inside. See me in your minds eye; see my face, my eyes, my smile – all an overflowing expression of my love. Relax your mind and spirit and let my love flow through you, enveloping you in my warm caress of true love. How does the fact of my love make you feel?


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The Spirit Speaks – of Resolutions

The New Year has begun and I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, would like to ask you to make a decision today. I ask you to resolve to know me better.

Resolve to spend more time each day looking for me within you. Today, give yourself five extra minutes, alone with me, isolated from the distractions of life. Next week, add five more minutes on top of that.

My point is not to add a specific amount of minutes to our one-on-one time. I’m asking you to gradually, as this year progresses, give yourself more time with me, as much time as you can. The more time you spend with me, the better you will know me, and the more you will have my peace in your life.

And that will make for a truly Happy New Year.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Looking for Christmas, Inside of You

Are you looking for the meaning of Christmas? Are you looking for a feeling and a true sense of the presence of the meaning of Christmas in your life? Well, as you may know, all you need do is look inside of you. Look deep inside, to your soul, your spirit; that’s where I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, live.

Find a quiet place, tune out the world’s noise about Christmas, and look inside to me within you. And we will have a Merry Christmas together. And the joy and peace that comes from finding Christmas (that is, me) inside of you, will bubble to the surface and begin to splash out on the people around you. And in this way, we – you and me – can share the true meaning of Christmas with others.

May we all have a very Merry Christmas together.


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The Spirit Speaks – Give Yourself a Christmas Gift

Give yourself a present this Christmas, the most precious present of all. Give yourself time … quiet time … with me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the true Spirit of Christmas. Fill your mind with me, and I will fill your heart with the peace and joy of Christmas.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Love at Christmas

Does Christmas stir up feelings of excitement, anticipation, generosity, and love? Does Christmas give you a chance to show people in your life how much you care for them? And as you get closer to Christmas day, are you looking forward to being with friends and family, to eat good food, share gifts, and celebrate? Even with the usual family dynamics? Hey, maybe Christmas can be a chance to forgive unresolved grievances.

I hope so. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, hope that my children come together this Christmas and share their love for each other. Maybe with a plate of cookies. Or a colorfully wrapped gift. Or a card with a sincere note inside. Or a hug. Or a “sorry.”

Of course I hope you include me in your time with friends and family. But my desire goes beyond me, to others. Please, make the most of this Christmas by looking beyond yourself, looking beyond me, and look to each other. And love each other. It’s love that makes a Merry Christmas.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19)


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The Spirit Speaks – of Being Churchless at Christmas

Are you newly dechurched? Have you decided that the institutional church isn’t for you, at least for now? And will this Christmas be the first one in a long time where you will not be celebrating with a church? Or is this just one more year of a churchless Christmas?

However your answers make you feel, I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, wish no guilt be upon you. I know what you’re going through. And it’s okay.

If you can’t bring yourself to enter a church during this annual time of celebration, then bring yourself to enter into me. If you can’t walk through the doors of the church sanctuary, then walk through the door of the sanctuary of your heart. That’s where I worship. Join me within the depths of your heart this Christmas, and we will worship and celebrate together.


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The Spirit Speaks – of Being Alone This Christmas

All those people filling the stores, shopping for Christmas presents. Movie theaters packed with fans excitedly watching the new Star Wars movie. Families and friends coming together to feast and celebrate Christmas.

Yet, do you feel alone? Are you surrounded by people, yet still by yourself? Do you have no one to buy a gift for? Is there no one who will give you a gift?

Well, you have me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. You always have me, right here below the surface of you. You may not feel my presence, but I’m here.

If you have no one else to celebrate Christmas with, please celebrate with me. If you have no one else to exchange gifts with, please exchange a gift with me. Let’s give each other our time, and our love. Let’s have a Merry Christmas together, you and me.


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The Spirit Speaks – of THE Christmas Gift

Christmas gift - Jesus

Long ago I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, gave the first Christmas gift – I gave myself for you. And now, about 2000 years later, with every moment of every day, I give myself to you. I give you salvation, love, peace, and myself – my Spirit.

I offer my gift to everyone. My love and generosity have no conditions. The only conditions live within those who don’t accept my gift.

Please, look inside yourself to me, and accept my gift given to you. And Merry Christmas.