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)
I know it’s hard to see me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, within you. I know it’s difficult to feel a connection with me. The distractions of the world rise up like a wall, between you and me, blocking your view.
But as you tear your mind away from each distraction, the stones in your wall will begin to fad. As each distraction disappears from your mind, so it disappears from the wall, until the wall is gone and you and I again stand face to face.
Yes, the distractions in your world are ever-hungry, craving your full attention. But I ask you today to not give up with your efforts to look away from the distractions and look to me, within you. No matter how long it takes you to find me here, I will never give up on you. I’m patient. I’ll wait for you. Please, be patient too. Please, don’t give up.
[Look, something brought you to this blog post. If it was a mistake—sorry. But if you’d like to see something that is probably 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]
Good morning. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, just want to say I love you. Remember when I said that the most important thing for you to do is love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind? Well, this is how my Father and I love you. I so hope you can feel our love. My children expend much effort trying to express their love for me. Yet they sometimes forget to relax and soak in my lavish love for them.
Today, please make a quiet moment for yourself. Find a place to block out the noise of the world, close your eyes, and look inside yourself, to my Spirit within you. And then relax, open your heart and let my love flow through you. For I love you, with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.
Have you ever felt a special moment with me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ? I’m talking about a moment where you truly feel my presence within you, where you feel the closeness between the two of us. Whether you’ve felt my presence or not, does your heart crave closeness with me?
If you’ve ever felt the tears of joy and love that come with those intimate moments, please know that I’ve felt those joyful tears too. Oh how I crave those special moments with you.
That’s why I’m always looking to you to turn your sights inward. You will always find me there, within you, waiting for you to sweep away the clutter of your mind, the clutter that piles up between you and me. I’m waiting for you to make a clear path for the two of us to come together and embrace; my Spirit and your soul. Oh, those moments are like medicine for an aching heart, aren’t they?
Your childhood is now. No matter how old you are, no matter where your heart is, no matter what you think about me – the Spirit of Jesus Christ – or my Father, you are a child of God, right now.
I know some people who believe that you are only a true child of God once you believe in me and accept me as your savior. Some believe that God considers you His child only after you show true faith in Him and me. But what kind of father is that? That sounds like a father who loves with conditional love, a love that’s given as a reward for belief. But my Father’s love is unconditional. My Father’s love is true, and constant and never changing.
Look, I once told a story about a wayward son who left his father. You may know this as the story of the Prodigal Son. The son disowned the father, in effect declaring the father dead to the son. But the father never disowned the son. In fact, the father kept looking for the son to return home, and when the son finally changed his ways and headed for home, the father ran to him and welcomed him with compassion and love. The father in this story is an image of God. And like the father in this story, your Father God never lets go of you as His child.
You are a child of God. And your Father is ever scanning the horizon, looking for you to turn to Him. And when you do, He will run to you, and pour His love into you.
I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, have spoken of The Wall before, the wall of false ideas that stands between you and me. The stones in this wall are all the beliefs about me and my Church that are not true.
This wall of lies is built on the foundation of natural human pride. For it’s pride that twists the truth to meet the self-interests of humanity. Look, pride focuses on self rather than others. Pride focuses on personal preference, rather than truth. Therefore, pride stands in the way of a healthy relationship with others, and with me.
Though I despise the wall of pride that blocks your view of me, I still love my pride-filled children. For pride is not a choice you make. Pride is a plague that infects all of humanity. Yet it’s a plague with a cure, and I’m the doctor who can cure it. Look within yourself to me, within you. As you focus more on me, the wall of pride will begin to fade, as will your own prideful nature.
The world is ravenous for your attention. The world wants all of you. All the things going on in your world compete for a piece of your mind. Work or school demands a large chunk. A troubled relationship demands more. And dozens of other daily distractions clamor for whatever scraps of your mind fall their way, until there’s nothing left for you.
Drag your mind away from the things of the world and look inside yourself to me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Escape from the noise of the world, find a quiet place, and rest with me. The more you practice being with me in your quiet place, the easier it will be to find me again when the world is loud and hungry all around you.
Give me not just a piece of your mind, but all your mind. And by my presence within you, I will give you peace of mind.
Are you a dechurched Christian? I am. Survey’s show that there are millions of us American adults who once were active in a church, but attend no more. We are called the “dechurched.”
Yet there is a church for us. Though I don’t attend church on Sundays, every day can be a church day. Every day can be a day with God.
Jesus founded the church and then passed it onto the apostles. The apostle Paul defined the new church as follows: referring to Jesus, Paul declared, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22-23, emphasis added)
The church is the collection of believers in which the Holy Spirit of Jesus lives… the body of Jesus Christ. As Paul also said, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? … for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Church is not a building or manmade organization. Intimate and quiet time with the Spirit of God within you is what real church is about. As long as we look to the Spirit within us, we are not “dechurched.” We ARE the church.
My life was short. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, walked this earth as a human for only a brief span of years. You might think my life was a bit tragic, having died so young.
But I can walk the earth again, today, on your two feet. Please let me in, let me share your life with you, and I will walk with you on your journey of life.
My promise is as certain today as it was 2000 years ago… “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) As you walk through your day today, look inside yourself and see me there, walking with you. You don’t need to walk alone.
As you walk along this journey of life and follow the path before you, what markers on your trail shine brightest as the most meaningful times of your life? For me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, though my journey on this earth was short, the most meaningful moments were the intimate times with my friends.
Though I no longer walk the paths of earth on my own two feet, I’m still here, as Spirit, traveling through life with God’s children. And my most meaningful times are still spending intimate moments with my friends… with you.
Are friendships important to you too? Then please, look within yourself to me, dear friend. Let’s hang out together as much as we can. And you may find that your friendship with me will help you nurture your friendships with other people. I so enjoy spreading love through my friends.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13-14) … “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
Yesterday I spoke with you about the wall – the wall of false ideas that stands between you and me. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, see this wall clearly. I can bring down this wall. But first you need to see it for yourself; you need to experience its reality. Then you will be able to feel the true magnitude of my love as I bring the wall to ruin.
How can you see a spiritual wall? Well, first you need to see each stone for what it truly is. Everything you’ve ever heard about me and the church I built, that is false – it’s these lies which are the stones in the wall, blocking your view of the truth. To see the stones of lies, you need to first know the truth.
You will find the truth in my written word… the Bible. And in prayer, for prayer is where you will find me. I will open your mind to the truth, for I am the Spirit of truth. And my truth will set you free from imprisonment behind the wall of lies.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17)
“When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)
There may be a wall between you and me. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, see this wall, and I patiently wait for you to see it too. This wall is built of man-made stone. You’ve placed some of the stones in this wall – stones of doubt, stones of fear, stones of your self-sufficient ego. Other people have also placed stones in your wall: false messages coming from the pulpit, deceived friends, or the media – stones of deception and lies, about my church and me. Anything that gets in the way of your view of the truth of my presence within you is a stone in this wall.
Can you yet see the wall? Can you reach out and feel it standing there in the midst of your mind, blocking your view of me?
Yet this wall is weak. You have the power within you to bring it down. You can look right through the wall, to me. And as I come more into focus within your mind and heart, as my presence becomes more real to you, I will crash over this wall as a wave of love. And my love will flood into you, overflowing you and spilling out through tears of joy and love. And the wall will be no more.
Please, look through the wall of false ideas, to the truth of me, within you.
What is the one true Church? What is the Church that I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ created? The Church of which I am the cornerstone, is not an organization run by people. The Church is not a collection of buildings.
My true Church is the collection of God’s children who let me live through them. Look inside yourself; look for me there. I am within you. The Church is within you.
Do you believe this? If you do, then YOU are the Church, the one true Church of Jesus Christ. For the Church is the body in which I live, and if you believe, then I live within you too.
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? … for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)
“For we are the temple of the living God.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
A new day begins. What lies ahead on the path you will wander today? Does stress prowl around that bend up ahead, waiting to pounce and devour? Or will you stroll through a meadow of peace and solitude, daydreaming your way along the flower-lined path? Or, will the trail lead along a cliff of despair, with a solid rock wall to your right, and the shear drop on your left? Will you have to cling to the wall with an aching heart, trying not to fall into absolute misery?
Wherever your path leads you today, please take me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, with you.
Alone, stress can indeed devour you. But together, we both can fight it off.
And including me in your moments of peace makes those daydreams so much sweeter. You will find the meadow of peace more refreshing when you share it with me.
And you may find that isolation may actually lead you to the cliff of despair. But with me living within you, we can find an easier route around that cliff, together.
Please, look inside yourself today, for me. I’m waiting for you there. And together we can march into the adventure of this day.
I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, know your love for me is real. But do you ever feel confused about how to show me your love? How do you show love to other people in your life? In some way, you give them your attention; you give them your time.
Every time you think of me, I feel your love. You’re showing your love right now. Be at peace and know that, even in the midst of your distraction-filled day, I know your love. And with me, cherish those moments when we can be alone together. Those are the sweetest.
Now, as I live here within your heart, I want to show you my love by giving you a hug, a hug from the inside – out. Close your eyes, look within, and feel my arms around you. Now let’s go have a great day, together.
Today, please, find some quiet time in a solitary place to free you mind and be with me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Yet even as you sit quietly with me, the things of this world will pop up in your mind. Chores on your to-do list, tasks at work, your plans for this weekend, relationships, and of course worries – these things are like walls that rise up between you and me. Yet all you need do is look through the wall, to me, and that wall will come crashing down, for now. Find a quiet place, knock down the walls of worldly distractions, and focus your minds eye on me, within you.
We are living together within your self. Try not to let the world come between us. For together, we can face the world. Together, we can conquer life’s problems and challenges. And besides, it’s more fun living together, than alone.
Some of God’s children carry around a heavy burden… their past. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, weep over the children who cannot let go of painful memories. They believe God will not forgive their past. So their memories become a barrier between them and me. They cannot let me in because they believe they are just not good enough… because of their past.
Is your past a burden for you? Please, open your mind and hear this truth: your past is no longer real. It’s like a vapor, blown away by the winds of time. It’s gone. The only time that is real is now. That’s the time that matters.
And please accept that God’s love is not conditional; He does not judge His children as being “good enough” for His love. There is no favoritism with Him. He’s not that kind of parent. God loves all His children equally because your behavior cannot influence His love. God’s love forgives, and God’s love forgets… your past.
Please, if your past weighs heavy on your heart, let go of it. And as it turns to vapor and drifts away, I can enter in.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
“He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” (Ephesians 6:9)
Do you believe that I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, can live within you, sharing your life with you? Do you believe this, yet not feel my presence? If you seek me, you will find me when you seek me with all of your heart. But what does this mean to you, to seek me with your heart?
You will find my story in the Bible. Read the Bible and you will know something about me. But you can only truly know ME, as a presence within you, as a person living with you, when you seek me inside yourself.
Yet the world, always in your face, blinds you to me. You must first shut out the world before you can see and feel me. As you close your eyes and mind to the world, you will begin to see me more clearly. Look inside yourself for me in your prayers. Reach within to me, with all your heart and all your love. Practice seeking me as often as you can. And you will find me within your heart, for that’s where I live.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
I love writing. Every time I sit down to work on the book I’m trying to write in three months, I have fun. Mainly because I’m not writing alone. I’m writing with the Holy Spirit.
But in working on this book, the message that’s coming into my mind and then onto the paper is really touching my heart. I believe this message can touch the hearts of other people too. So now I have a growing desire to make this book available to a lot of people. That’s where marketing comes in.
Marketing. This doesn’t sound as much fun as writing. But it could be, as long as I don’t do it alone. In fact, while praying about it on my drive to work yesterday, an idea came into my mind that seems fun to me.
It goes like this: I’m planning to self-publish this book on Amazon Kindle. I’ve always wanted to initially offer the book for free, mainly for all of you who have periodically checked in on the progress with my book challenge. As a way to thank you, I want to give you the book. I had then intended to later put some random price on it. After all, I could use the money.
But here’s the new fun idea: while the book is on Amazon for free, I will ask all of you who download and read it to leave a review. It’s a short book, so it won’t take long to read. Then, after there’s a good collection of reviews, I’ll see what the consensus is. If people perceive the book as poor, with little value, then it will not be worth putting a price on it. If people see value in the book, then I’ll basically set the price based on how may stars it gets – more stars equals higher price. In this way, those who first read and review the book, will set the price for the book. After all, it’s the readers opinion that counts, not mine.
What do you think of this idea? Does it sound fun to you?
(September 19, 2015: day 64 down, 29 more to go, of The Challenge… to write a book, from concept to self-publish, in 3 months.)
[Look, something brought you to this blog post. If it was a mistake—sorry. But if you’d like to see something that is probably 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]
What does it mean to you to trust me, the Spirit of Jesus Christ living within you? Please, take some time right now and think about trust. How does it look? If you completely trusted me, what would today look like? What would be your experience as you go through this day?
To me, trusting is relying on me to guide you, help you, and protect you. Trusting is believing that I will gently steer your life to where I want it to be, which might be exactly where you are right now. Trusting is offering control of your life to me; trusting is surrender.
Do you feel you can trust me, the Son of the creator of all that exists, to direct your life to what’s best for you? Or do you think you can do a better job? Please, trust me. And by that trust, you will experience the peace that goes beyond human understanding.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” (Romans 12:1)
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