Do you feel close to me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ living within you? Do you feel my presence? Have you grown to rely on me to be with you, always there when you need me? Do you feel the peace of our shared life together, our shared love together? Do you hunger and thirst for my presence, and do you feel a sting of panic if you don’t immediately sense my presence when you look my way?

One more question, a request really: imagine how you would feel if you looked for me and I was no longer there. Imagine what your life would be like without me.

If you feel a sense of utter, overpowering despair, then you have a small taste of how I felt when I died for you on that cross. For when I took the burden of the sins of humanity, my Father God and I were separated, no longer together, no longer one. His presence was gone. And I fell off that cross and into the black, empty void of despair… into hell.

But do not despair, for I will never leave you. I will always be with you, to the very end of the age.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head, one that keeps playing over and over in your mind? It may drift away for a while, but soon you notice it playing again. And it may back to you during odd times during the day.

Well, wouldn’t it be fun to get me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, stuck in your head? Wouldn’t it be fun to be totally conscious of my presence within your mind, speaking, and maybe singing to you as you go about your day?

Come, sing with me. Look inside yourself, deep into your mind and soul. See me there, within you, a real part of you. And join me in the love song of your life. Leave the worries outside and just enjoy the music with me, the Son of God, living and singing within you.

You may know of me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, for I’m so present in the life and teaching of a Christian. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that’s me on the end, tacked on yet often unknown and misunderstood. But I’m also all three… Father, Son AS the Holy Spirit. I am the Spirit of God and Jesus, here with you.

And my hearts desire is for you to truly know me, to experience me, to feel me as a very real part of your life. Please, look inside yourself; that’s where I live. Quiet your mind. Empty your thoughts and make room for me. And then you will see me, and feel me, and know me.

It takes practice. That’s why I keep writing to you to encourage you. Please, never give up. Persevere. And… “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

Does it seem like your conscious mind is overflowing with clutter? Scattered thoughts and worries about work, school, relationships, desires, chores – these things and more make a mess of your mind.

Yet I’m right here, just below the clutter. Today, find a quiet place away from the world, close your eyes and grab your broom. If you can sweep clean a corner of your mind, you will find me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, right here within you. I’m always here, waiting for you to look for me. And you will find me when you look hard enough.

Please look. I so want to have time together, without the clutter getting in the way. And when you push the clutter aside, and we look on each other, eye to eye, you will see peace, you will feel peace, you will be peace.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Come to me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Come, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. When you look within, to me, for help while traveling the path of your life, I will take your hand and guide you. Come to me, and the burdens of your journey will become lighter, for I will lift them from your shoulder. Oh, the burdens of humanity don’t go away. But I will help you carry them… sharing the load.

By my human death, I, Jesus Christ, saved your soul. By my Spirit within you, I can save your life. Just look within and come to me, please.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

[Look, something brought you to this blog post. But if you’d like to see something else that may be more worth your time, please check out the blurb about my soon-to-be-published novel on my new website. It’s basically about seeing a different perspective of Jesus, through the eyes of some background characters in the Bible. New website: cjpenn.com]

Has someone ever invited you into their home, and you walked into a house full of clutter and filth? Dirty clothes scattered on the floor, random trash ignored in the corners, tattered furniture, a floor barely visible through the debris, thick dust, and a stale locker room smell – home sweet home. How would you feel walking into such a place and invited to sit on a drink-stained couch? Uncomfortable? Disgusted? Looking for an excuse to leave? Or, maybe you could look beyond the surface filth, to the person who lives there. Maybe you could give more attention to the relationship than the clutter.

I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, look beyond the clutter. Many of you have messy lives, and you may believe that the filth of your humanity turns me off. But I look beyond the filth, to you. The greatest desire of my heart is to share your life with you, to live with you in the living room of your heart. And I don’t care how messy your heart is.

Please, invite me in.

In this world, surrender paints an image of imprisonment. Yet I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, am not of this world. And when you surrender to me, I will set you free from the shackles of the world that bind your mind and weigh down your soul.

Judgment, expectations, pride, selfishness, greed, worry, fear, anger… sin; these are the links in the iron chain that binds you in the dungeon of human suffering. But you can escape by surrendering to me. Let me inside you; let me free your mind of the shackles that weigh you down. And with my freedom, you will find true life and true peace.

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. … You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:6, 9)

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)