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?
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.
Please, no matter what path you have followed in life, no matter what injuries you may have inflicted upon your soul, no matter what sins fill your past, know this truth: I want to be your friend. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, want to give to you my unconditional friendship.
I know some people have a problem with this image of me being friends with the likes of sinners. Some people can’t visualize God hanging out with sinners. But that’s why I came to earth over 2000 years ago! And that’s why I come to you now… to hang out with you, to live with you, to be your best friend, to love you.
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” (Matthew 11:19)
Where money is the currency of the world, love is the currency of heaven. I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ desire love, not money. I’m not impressed by what you give; I just want you to know me, to love me. But if you are blessed with those things that other people dearly need, such as money and your time, please, don’t give out of a feeling of obligation. For this is not true giving, this is not true generosity. Again, what I want from you is for you to know me, for you to let me into your life. And my presence will fill your heart with my generosity. And your giving will come from a desire more powerful than obligation. Your giving will come from love. Love must come first; generosity is an outcome. And true love comes from knowing me. “I don’t want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don’t want your offerings – I want you to know me.” (Hosea 6:6, Living Bible)
I am the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My hearts desire is to live with you, within you, sharing your life. How does that make you feel? If you feel uncomfortable in any way, that’s okay. I understand. I was human once, like you. I know the fragility and vulnerability of humanness.
There are days when you feel like you’re under attack from all sides; so many things of this world fighting to win control of your mind. And then this guy comes along, claiming to be the very Spirit of God and Jesus, who now wants to take over, and take control of your life, changing everything you’ve ever known.
But wait! That’s not why I’m here. I’m not here for me; I’m here for you. I’m here because I love you and I want to be your friend. I’m not here to take control; I’m here to help. Friends don’t take control; friends listen, friends cry with you, laugh with you, and are always there for you to lean on when you’re feeling weak. Friends give you strength to continue standing against the battle of life.
But I understand your discomfort with this idea of me, the Holy Spirit. Yet I’m more than an idea – I’m real. And I won’t push you; I will only gently touch you. And I’ll patiently wait for you. Because I love you.
I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, love you with all of my being. My love for you is perfect, true love. Do you love me too? And does your love sometimes feel weak, half-hearted, and far from perfect? Please, don’t feel bad if this is your heart. I cherish your love, just as it is. I gratefully accept your love, weak or strong. I encourage you to accept it too.
Many of my Father’s children hesitate to come to Him because they feel they are not worthy. They feel their love is too weak or their sins are too strong. I come to you today to ask you to put aside your self-judgment, and come as you are. God accepts you as you are, God loves you as you are. And I, God’s Son Jesus, love you as you are. Please, look within yourself to me, and love me, as you are.
I am the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the very Spirit of God, present with you, living within you. If you believe. And you are my child. I know; you may be very familiar with my title of Heavenly Father… too familiar. I see that within many of my children, the true meaning of our relationship is lost.
I AM your Father, your perfect parent. As my child, I love you unconditionally. My love cannot be diminished by anything your do or think or feel. My love for you is constant and pure.
Think of the most loving parent you know, and how they feel about their child. Get an image of them and their love in your mind. See how such a parent shows their love, with far more than words. See how they share in their child’s joys, and their suffering. See the power of their compassion. See their wisdom in how they guide their child into adulthood. See how all of this is an expression of their love for their child.
I love you even more.
I have sent my Spirit to live with you, to care for you and watch over you … and to help you see the reality of your childhood.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14-16)
[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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
What do you think of humanity? If you were on the outside gazing in, how would it look to you? Beautiful, or sometimes ugly? I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, have a unique perspective, for I am right in the midst of humanity, within the bodies of all who believe. Yet I’m also on the outside, with our Father in heaven.
To me, humanity looks broken. Evil, pain, anger, selfishness, and pride have consumed humanity. Though these things are not what I want for God’s children, they are just a part of human nature. Yet, even with all these flaws, God loves His children.
Our Father’s love is true love, for it is unaffected by behavior. You may get angry with your children, but you still love them. Yet as much as the most loving parent is able to love a wayward child, my Father and I love His children more, no matter how wayward they may be.
Yes, like you, God gets angry with the poor choices and evil behavior of his children, but His anger is always mixed with love and compassion. And God feels sorrow, for His misbehaving children are victims, victims of their own human nature.
When you look at humanity, do you get angry at people who exercise the flaws of their human nature? Do yourself a favor; please don’t let your own human flaws define your reaction. And mix your anger with love, compassion, and a bit of sorrow.
Here’s one more thought for you: what is a common human reaction when faced with unconditional love? Is it sometimes to improve behavior as a way to validate that love, and in a way… earn it? Well, this is how I hope God’s children will react when they come face-to-face with His unconditional love. And I’m here, within you, to help.
Do you desire quiet, intimate moments with the ones you love? I do. Are there times when your desire grows to an emotional craving, where it’s almost as if your wellbeing depends upon the hug you desperately seek? For me, nearly always.
I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, crave intimacy with the ones I love. I crave intimacy with all of my Father’s children. Yet my intimacy is unique and very precious; I crave spiritual intimacy. I hunger for spiritual hugs.
You will find and feel my intimacy when you look inside your self: I am there, with my spiritual arms reaching out for you, waiting for you to reach out to me. Close your eyes, picture me there, within you. See me reach out to you. Now, step into my arms, lay your head on my shoulder, and hug. Feel the peace. Feel my strength. Feel the soothing calm. Stay with me here for a while, please. Oh how I love you my child.
Do you love me? Are there times when your arms ache to reach out and hug me, and to feel my arms hug you, my arms that once stretched out on the cross for you? For a spiritual hug, just look inside yourself. For a physical hug, hug a friend, for I may be there too, within them.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command. And I, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, have only this command… love each other.
You are my friends if you love one another. Look, I’ve already taken all your burdens upon myself; I’ve already paid the penalty for your sins. All I ask of you, the only burden I leave with you, is to believe and to love.
What does it mean to you to be a friend? Does it mean being there when your friend needs you? Does it mean caring for what your friend cares about? Does it mean feeling pain, when they are in pain? Does it mean celebrating their joys, when they are joyful? Does it mean being a listener, when they need someone to share their concerns with?
This is what it means to me to be your friend. This is what I offer you, as your friend; I offer you love, compassion, sympathy, empathy, and a shoulder to cry on. And I’m always right here, by you side. More than by your side, I’m within you, living with your soul. Look inside yourself; your feelings will tell you of my presence. If you feel I’m not there, just look inside. This act of faith will open the door of your heart and I will enter.
“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)
Dear one, I long to fill you with my love. I am the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As God is love, so am I. To have my Spirit within you is to have love filling every part of you. To know me is to know true love – unconditional, humble, other-centered love. My love, true love, knows no limits and imposes no requirements. It just is.
Yet do you sometimes hold back my love, as a dam holds back a wall of water? Look inside yourself. Is there a wall within? My loved ones often build such walls, with stones of pride, and fear, and doubt, selfishness, greed, guilt, and the world. Gently lower your wall and my love will flow and flood your entire being. My love will overflow you, and splash onto those around you.
Do you feel empty at times? That empty feeling is your soul, hungry for my love. Please, let me in.
The Bible makes it clear what God thinks of homosexuality as a life style – God despises all sins, including homosexuality. Yet the Bible also makes it abundantly clear what God thinks of sinners. Though God despises sin, He loves sinners… as His children. Though God despises homosexuality as a life style, God loves homosexuals… as His children.
Look, I’m a sinner. I happen not to be homosexual, but I have plenty of other sins that I seem to daily re-visit. These sins are just part of who I am as a person. But my sinful personal nature does not affect God’s love for me. Even in the midst of my sinning, God loves me just as I am.
Are you homosexual? God loves you just as you are. The pain comes from too many of us focusing all our attention on the sin, and forgetting about the love. Let’s all hold onto God’s love, a love that heals all pain.
(First posted 4/1/15, but I felt like posting it again)
Here I sit in my man-cave office – actually, mixture of storage room, cluttered desk, and dust. But it’s my quiet space, isolated from distractions, where I have some of my best one-on-one time with God. This morning is like every morning… coffee in hand and God on my mind, and in my heart. Today I look back over my shoulder at yesterday.
Reflection… looking back I see that yesterday was like most days. More than once, I turned my back on God and abandoned Him. It may seem like nothing, just a typical reaction to life. Like getting consumed by a project at work and venting a bit of frustration at a co-worker. But in that moment, I can’t see God, for my back is to Him.
Yet every time I turn around, there He is. And like the father of the prodigal son, God does more than patiently wait for me to come back to Him. As soon as He sees me turn around, He runs to me, wraps His arms around me, and welcomes me home. Every time. Such is His love for all of us. And I’m so grateful.
5:30am – an hour to go before the call. No big deal. Just an early morning work conference call, where I’ll be giving a presentation. But for my co-workers and me, this is a big presentation. I want it to go well. And so my tendency would be to get stressed out. But I don’t want stress. Stress would hog the next hour and keep me from doing what I want to be doing – writing.
So I pray to the Holy Spirit of Jesus within me, and this is what came into my mind: “The presentation doesn’t matter. It’s purely worldly and has no value. What matters is relationships, and love.”
As the reality of this truth settled into my mind, the approaching stress-cloud melted away. And I’m so grateful.
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