THE GIFT OF CHRIST’S INDWELLING PRESENCE

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”  (Colossians 2:9-10 NIV)

Jesus is the whole package. He is not part of the package, part of the solution, part of the hope. Being in Him, living in union with Him, and having Him dwell within us, is the complete, sufficient, and enduring hope of the human heart.

There is no hope for the heart that matches Jesus. There is no other ultimate solution for the ills of humankind. And no one who has truly discovered the power of Christ’s love and the gift of His indwelling and healing presence would want it any other way. 

-- Excerpted from “The Wake-up Call” with Dan Wilt 

#6072

THE INNKEEPER’S RESPONSE

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  (Luke 2:7 NKJV)

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it's easy to become like the innkeeper in Bethlehem. When Mary and Joseph sought a place for the birth of Jesus, the innkeeper wasn't hostile or unkind; he was simply overwhelmed and preoccupied. His inn was full, his hands were busy, and his mind was occupied with the demands of his day. This is a reflection of how many of us respond to Christ today. Our hearts and minds are crowded with various interests and responsibilities, leaving little room for the Savior.

The story of the innkeeper is a poignant reminder of the importance of making room for Jesus in our lives. It's not that we are opposed to Him or reject Him outright; rather, we are often too busy or preoccupied to give Him the place He deserves. This preoccupation can lead us to believe that we can manage just fine without a deep, personal relationship with Christ.

A touching illustration of this comes from one church's annual Christmas pageant. A small boy, playing the role of the innkeeper, was supposed to turn Mary and Joseph away. However, moved by compassion, he deviated from the script and said, "There’s no room in the inn,… but you can come over to my house." This child's innocent gesture speaks volumes about the openness and hospitality that we should extend to Jesus.

Today, Christ is often turned away from many places and hearts. He is not always welcomed into our lives. But have you invited Him into your home, into your heart? Is the busyness of life crowding Him out? Is sin blocking the door? Are you afraid of what others might think?

As we reflect on these questions, let us remember that Jesus desires to dwell within us. He wants to be a part of our daily lives, guiding us, comforting us, and transforming us. In reflecting on the innkeeper’s response, let's make a conscious effort to clear out the clutter and make room for Christ. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#6017

GOD LIVES WITHIN YOU

Jesus said to His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 NKJV)

Dwell on the fact that God lives within you.  Think of the power that gives your life.  The realization that God is dwelling within you may change the places you want to go and the things you want to do today.

-- Max Lucado

#5960

DWELLING WITH THE WORD

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly." It is very different to read and know the Word than it is to let it "richly dwell" in your very spirit. This means we find the purpose and pleasure of God's Word. It means that God's Word directs our paths and that the very core of our being is filled with the Word. We don't have the Word as a mere visitor to our lives -- Sunday morning Bible readers! Rather we take the Word of God and let it sift through the "stuff" of our lives until it rests richly in our heart. Then we find the Word on our fingertips and tongues in each and every situation we encounter. As God's Word dwells richly we reap the rich rewards.

-- Pastor Gary Stone 

#5807

CHRIST LIVING IN US

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:19b-20 NRSV)

The great difference between present-day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters (New Testament Epistles) is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them, it is a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or, at best, a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life altogether. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them. 

-- J.B Phillips in his introduction to “Letters to Young Churches”

#5372

THE SECRET TO LASTING JOY - Part 2

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.”  (John 15:4a NKJV)

The other half of the secret of lasting joy is that Christ abides  -- lives -- in us. He gives us exactly what we need in any moment: assurance that we are loved in our problems, forgiveness for our mistakes, wisdom to discern what He wants to do to bring good out of difficulties, and supernatural strength to do what He guides in untangling our problems.

There is no joy when we are worried about whether we will have what it takes. But equally so, there is no joy to be compared to the joy we feel when we know that we are empowered by the Savior of the world! That means accepting His strength pulsing into us as branches inseparably connected to Him, the vine.

-- Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems”

#4681

ALLOWING GOD’S WORD TO FILL YOUR LIFE

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”  (Colossians 3:16 NRSV)

God has communicated to men and women through His Word -- the Bible. The Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. Through the Scriptures you can get to know God better, understand His desire for your life, and discover new truths about living for Him. God commands believers to let His Word dwell richly in them. So it is necessary to give yourself wholeheartedly to allowing God’s Word to fill your life. God places great emphasis on the act of meditating on His Word because effective meditation leads to understanding and personal application. Meditation and application will not only help you get into the Bible, but will also allow the Bible to get into you.

-- from “Growing Strong in God’s Family: A Course in Personal Discipleship to Strengthen Your Walk with God”


#4657

THE POWER OF THE INDWELLING LORD

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

It is amazing how few Christians today have claimed the power of the indwelling Lord. They believe in Him as Savior but side-step His lordship over their inner hearts.

In his book “Can I Know God?” W. E. Sangster put it pointedly. “It is not enough to have Christ near to us. Oh, it is wonderful, of course, in contrast with not even believing in His existence at all or knowing Him only as a name, but, for the highest spiritual life, it is not enough. You see, we do most of our living inside us. Our thinking, feeling, and willing are all within. External events press upon us, but they have meaning only by our internal interpretation. We discover that when we are dealing with the troubles of life. The important thing is not what happens to us but what happens in us. The same thing can happen to two different people and a precisely different thing happens in them… If, therefore, we are to be helped in our battle against temptation and in our war with fear and worry, selfishness and greed, we must have help within. Not there, but here! Not outside, but inside.”

-- Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems?”

#4401

A LIFESTYLE OF REPENTANCE

My college roommate, Steve, was neat. Not just neat in the sense of a lot of fun but neat in the sense of not sloppy. I on the other hand, tend to be sloppy. Why make up a bed you’re going to sleep in that night? Steve was very gracious. Little by little he helped me change. I learned the purpose of hangers. The reason for toothpaste lids. Our four years of rooming together were four years of regular repentance. Then he turned me over to [my wife] Denalyn and she’s still working on me.

The same thing happens to Christians. As Christ moves in and takes up residence in one’s life, the Christian sees how sloppy he is. Over time, his language changes. His habits change. He lives a lifestyle of repentance. The longer we hang out with Jesus, the more we see what needs to change. Repentance becomes a lifestyle!

-- Max Lucado in “Max on Life”

#4297

THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The Christian should honor and care for his/her body as the very sanctuary of God.  We no longer belong to ourselves, but to God, who purchased us as a prized possession through the gracious giving of His Son.

-- from “Believer's Study Bible”


#4220

THE STRENGTHENER

Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you.”  (John 14:16,17)

The word "Comforter" as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some vigorous term. Literally, it means "with strength."  Jesus promised His followers that "The Strengthener" would be with them forever.  This promise is no lullaby for the faint-hearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living.

-- E. Paul Hovey


#4211

A LIVING HOUSE

"I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me."  (Galatians 2:20)

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you know that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of -- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself!

-- C.S. Lewis in Counting the Cost

#3873

THE CROSS-SHAPED ATTITUDE

The cross is the symbol of Jesus’ most radical expression of submission and servanthood. At the center of Good Friday was Jesus’ “obedience unto death -- even on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). This cross-shaped attitude is a pattern for us to implement and imitate. By opening ourselves to the shaping power of the indwelling Christ, we grow into the likeness of Christ. Serving is one of the most important disciplines because we act our way into Christ-likeness.

-- Dr. Maxie Dunnam

#3705

SEEING GOD IN YOU

"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.." (Colossians 1:27 NIV)

I am weary of celebrity religion. I have had my share of honors, but when I die, unless my family can say, "There is something of God in that man," then I will have failed.

-- Stephen Olford


#3406

PREPARED FOR WHATEVER THE NEW YEAR BRINGS

I do not advise that we end the year on a somber note. The march, not the dirge, has ever been the music of Christianity. If we are good students in the school of life, there is much that the years have to teach us. But the Christian is more than a student, more than a philosopher. He is a believer, and the object of his faith makes the difference, the mighty difference. Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation. 

-- A.W. Tozer in The Warfare of the Spirit


#3349

A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I know I'm about to do some serious meddling but too often this important issue of our physical well-being is ignored.  A sobering passage for those of us who are Christians is found in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."  Could the point be stated more clearly?  Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  We need to honor God with our bodies.

How is it that we manage to separate the issue of how we treat our bodies from our devotion to Christ?  Not just our spirits but also our bodies have been claimed and redeemed and loved.  Christianity does not teach a view of life that disdains the body while it elevates the spirit.  In some mystical and incomprehensible way the Holy Spirit indwells our bodies and thereby calls us to the high privilege and heavy responsibility of using our bodies to honor His presence. 

-- Bill Hybels in Making Life Work: Putting God's Wisdom into Action

#2945