The presence
Of Emmanual,
God with us,
Jesus Christ,
The Creator
In human flesh,
Is continual,
Not annual.
Christ doesn’t go away
And come again
Each Christmas Day.
He came to stay.
Jesus said:
“I am with you always!”
Although Jesus is now
Seated in Heaven
At the right hand
Of God the Father
He now also lives,
Present and active,
Inside His true followers,
And what we do
To the people
We consider to be
“The least of these”
We do to Jesus.
“Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum”?
Christ is not a yo-yo.
He doesn’t come
Every Christmas
And then go-go
Like Santa
And his “Ho. Ho. Ho.”
That kind of thinking
Is a no-no.
It turns Christmas
Into a show-show
To row, row, row
The world’s economy,
But “Christ in you”
Is “the hope of glory.”
Let the living Jesus
Daily empower you
To stand toe-to-toe
Against depression
And to never
Allow your life
To be so-so.
The word Christmas begins with Christ. How can such an obvious fact be so widely ignored? I went to a Christmas concert yesterday and heard a very entertaining band exclusively play Christ-less Christmas songs.
One of the band members asked the audience, “Who are the three main characters in Christmas?” Of course, someone said Santa and the band member smiled. But then two people yelled out Jesus, and the band member appeared to be shocked. He said, “Well, yea,” and stumbled over his words so much that I didn’t hear his second character. Then the band sang a song about his third character, the Grinch. (Too often Santa and the other holiday characters ship Jesus out of Christmas on Santa’s sleigh.)
Can Christ-less songs truly be Christmas songs? Let’s be honest and call a holiday song a holiday song.
Christmas (along with every other day of the year) is a great time to sing about the living and ever-present Jesus Christ! O, come all ye faithful; let’s sing about and celebrate the risen Jesus — God in human flesh! Let’s go tell it on the mountain and honestly answer the question, “What child is this?
When someone doesn’t have a heart that is kept rigorously ablaze with praise for Jesus, “Christ in you” is replaced by the haze of routine religion and dispelled from daily life. Christ came into the world so that He can live in and through you. If that doesn’t raise your heart to blaze with passionate praise for Jesus, what will? Continually gaze at Jesus with the eyes of your heart so that He can amaze you day and night. Follow His ways, not your own!
If I could change one thing about myself, I’d dump my fear and intimidation of personally talking to people about Jesus. I’m bold in talking about Jesus with my blog and my Facebook page, but when it comes to talking about Him with the people who I encounter throughout the day, I’m usually too afraid to do it.
Being free to talk to people about Jesus as openly and freely as I can talk to them about the weather has been a deep desire of mine for many decades. Yet, I’m still a long way from doing it.
Talking to Jesus will change your perspective and give you hope. Talking to the risen Jesus is a beautiful way of life. It’s not just for emergencies. When people humbly and honestly talk to Jesus together they become connected heart-to-heart.
Talking with Jesus is supernatural therapy. When you talk to Jesus with a humble, sincere heart you discover the reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now is the best time and wherever you are is the best place to start talking with Jesus.
Who needs to talk to Jesus? The more we’re aware of the darkness within our own heart, the brighter Christ’s light will be to us and the more we’ll feel the need to continually talk to Jesus.
Continually talking to the living Jesus will help you make wise choices so that you don’t wind up stuck in bad circumstances. To get started talking to Jesus, finish this sentence: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, . . .”
When people start talking to Jesus together, they begin to be led by His Spirit and His presence is manifest among them. The family that talks to Jesus together stays together. One of the most powerful things Christians can do is to spend a lot of time talking to the risen Jesus together. When Christians talk to Jesus together their faith grows stronger. I love talking to Jesus with my friends (and even with strangers).
True thanksgiving is about talking to Jesus and telling Him thanks. The best way to celebrate Christmas is by talking to Jesus.
Talking to the living Jesus is habit forming. I’m addicted to ongoing conversation with the King of Kings.
Start talking to Jesus.
Let the words roll
From deep in your soul.
Spend some time
Talking to Jesus.
Soon you’ll start
To hear Him
Speaking in your heart.
Talking to Jesus,
Saying His name,
In my heart
He burns as a flame.
Talking to Jesus
In openness,
How glorious!
There’s a huge difference between Spirit-led speaking that flows in the moment from a heart touched by God’s presence and scripted speaking. Christians are called to be Spirit-led (Romans 8:14), not office, position, or title led. Christians need to function as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers so that they can help train all believers to freely and boldly live their daily lives talking to the living Jesus and doing Spirit-led ministry.
The Joy of Relinquishment
Voluntarily
Hand over your will
To Jesus.
Step aside.
Continually
Surrender yourself
So that Jesus
Can freely
Live inside
And make you whole
By taking control
Of your soul.
Lay down
Your personal desires
And let God
Empower you
By His Spirit
To be and to do
What He inspires.
To relinquish yourself
To the unseen working
Of Christ in you
Is the most powerful
Thing you can do.
Mere information
About Jesus
Without His direct
Personal inspiration
And divine revelation
Can't restore
Our separation
From His presence.
We need to grow
Closer to Jesus
Instead of just
Trying to know
More facts about Him.
To extinguish
Your sadness,
Fully relinquish
Your heart
To Jesus.
To overcome
The devil,
You need to take
Your love for Jesus
To a higher level.
My two favorite things to wear are a smile and the presence of the One who makes me smile. “Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ.” This statement is found in the Bible (Romans 13:14) and I’ve discovered it to be a reality. I can put on Christ and wear His presence like clothes. When I do, He keeps a smile on my face, even in my most difficult times. That’s why I’m a huge Jesus fan!
Our one job is to be a true, sold-out Jesus fan. The world needs more Jesus fans who will connect with His heart and celebrate His presence and glory.
Jesus fans lose sight of their own agendas and stay caught up in and carried away by His presence and power. The Kingship of Jesus and the glory of His presence can be seen in the passion and devotion of His true fans.
The body of Christ is a tapestry of His worldwide fans whose hearts are woven together by their passion for His presence. When I meet a true Jesus fan, we have an immediate sense of belonging and connection as we celebrate our excitement about Him.
Be a Jesus-groupie. Focus on spending all your time with Him and His biggest fans.
Jesus fans aren’t content to hear a weekly lecture about Him. They personally interact with and celebrate His presence day and night! Jesus fans don’t passively follow a script. They keep their eyes on Christ and interact with Him from their heart.
Attending church doesn’t make someone a Jesus fan. Letting your heart be continually consumed by His love and presence does.
Fans focus on the person or thing they most adore. I’m a Jesus fan! Here’s my cheer: “Brighter than the sun, Jesus is the glorious eternal One!”
The more that people get to know the risen Jesus the more they become His on-fire fans and the more love for Him burns in their hearts. Attention, Jesus fans: Let’s enthusiastically put Christ back in the front of Christianity. A Christian’s primary job is to be a true, sold-out Jesus fan.
When Christianity isn’t Christ-focused it’s unfocused. The journey from church-focus to Christ-focus is amazing! The early Christ-followers were called Christians, not churchians. Christless Christianity is powerless to change culture, so it puts its hope in politics.
Without snooze-control it’s easy to sleep thru life. It’s time to lose the snooze and wake up to the reality of the risen Jesus!
Use technology. Don’t let it use you!
The technology of distraction has no attraction for me. If you’ve read any of my blog posts, you’ve probably noticed that I have a deep sense of calling and meaning in my life, so I strive to avoid the technology (and anything else) that distracts me from my purpose.
However, I greatly appreciate my computer and my phone because they both give me a way to utilize many platforms to tell people about how real and amazing the risen Jesus Christ is. I avoid online distractions and use the internet as a tool for proclaiming the love, power, and presence of Jesus. I go online as a missionary, not as a mission field. I want to share the good news of Jesus, not consume online negativity, conspiracy theories, and unkindness.
Christians are called to non-stop, day and night awareness of and surrender to the risen Jesus. Nothing should deter us from that mission. We need faith that is firmalized.
It’s time to firmalize our faith by making it steadfast and immovable, not formalize it with religious routine. Firmalize your faith. Cultivate daily dependence and ongoing reliance on the living Jesus. If you’re a Christian, refuse to snooze (even briefly) in your relationship with Christ.
Without snooze-control it’s easy to sleep thru life. It’s time to lose the snooze and wake up to the reality of the risen Jesus!
When demons try
To get you
To misuse
And abuse
Your mind
With tempting or
Tormenting thoughts,
If you snooze,
You’ll lose.
Resist the devil
And he will flee.
Christianity is about being Christ-led throughout each day. That’s a hard decision to make every day, but I’ve found that it is infinitely more than worth it! It’s especially hard to be Christ-led if you act like Jesus is dead or treat Him like He’s stuck in history or in Heaven.
O my God! The obvious order that we observe around us didn’t originate out of nothing! It cries out: “Be Christ-led!”
Christ-led time is the best time of the year. (How much time do you spend listening to and obeying Jesus?) May your days be merry and bright and may you always delight in being Christ-led. To be Christ-led is to talk about Jesus with your words and demonstrate Jesus by obeying what He prompts you to do.
People who are being led by the living Jesus shine Christ-led lights everywhere they go. Open your heart to daily receive the Christ-led gifts of the Holy Spirit. I love to sing and rejoice with Christ-led songs.
There’s more to Christianity than being preacher fed. Decide to be continually Christ-led. May your days be merry and bright and may you always delight in being Christ-led.
Take your faith
Beyond a book
That you’ve read
Or something that
A preacher said.
Learn to be
Christ-led.
When an angry guy named Saul
Saw the risen Lord Jesus
And heard Him speak,
He learned to be Christ-led
And now we call him Paul
And have his writings
In the Bible.
Since Jesus is risen
From the dead
We can all learn
To be Christ-led!
Every appetite
Isn’t right.
Every desire
Shouldn’t require
That you obey it.
Without discerning,
Wrongful yearning
Will keep on burning
Within you,
But daily learning
The art of self-control
Can make you whole
And help you be Christ-led.
The best way ahead
Is to be Christ-led.
The living Jesus
Is the way!
Our culture has so much Christmas; so little Christ-led joy and peace. Have a Christ-led day, but even better, a Christ-led life! Our time on earth ’tis the season to be Christ-led! Let the Spirit of God fill you with Christ-led joy now and forever!
People who have never experienced being Christ-led don’t have a testimony about Him. (Is that why testimonies are rarely heard in church?) Chruch needs to shift to ekklesia. Ekklesia is Christ-led because it creates an environment where people learn to listen to, submit to, and obey the risen Jesus as their active and present Head and King. Have yourself a very holy Christ-led life!
Jesus told His disciples: “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit.” As opponents spoke against Stephen (a table server, not a preacher), “They could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” That’s Spirit-led speaking!
When we’re speaking from God’s Spirit, He gives us wisdom “as we speak.” Words, ideas, and statements flow out of us without our having to prepare them ahead of time. This happens in casual conversation all the time. However, when it comes to talking about Jesus, we’ve labeled that preaching, formalized it, and limited it to a professional pastor who almost always prepares it ahead of time by studying and writing with his mental abilities.
The “wisdom” from typical sermons is quickly forgotten. (Ask someone to tell you what the last sermon they heard was about.) As Stephen passionately spoke from the heart about the risen Jesus: “They could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” What the world need now is Spirit-led speaking!
People need to hear the wisdom that God gives as we speak, not the results of our own ability to study, memorize, and systematize religious ideas. They need to sense that it’s not us speaking but the Holy Spirit speaking in and from our heart. For that to happen, we need to say whatever is given to us by the Spirit at that time.
So, does that mean that sharing the Gospel with others, testimonies, and sermons shouldn’t be prepared ahead of time? Actually, it means that we should change the way we prepare. We should prepare our heart to be always connected to and open to the inner flow of the Holy Spirit, instead of preparing and scripting the exact words that we are going to say. That’s what Stephen did! That’s why he was so powerful.
Will you (whether you call yourself a preacher or not) began to set aside formal oratory and begin to (like Stehpen) spontaneously talk about Jesus from your heart in the moment? If you will, you’ll begin to experience wisdom that God gives as you speak. Try it today. Spontaneously open your heart and freely talk about Jesus the way you talk about your favorite things. Let God’s Spirit-led speaking flow from within you.
Following Christ isn’t about church attendance and passively listening to a scripted sermon. It’s about hearing and obeying Him from the heart and being led by the Spirit in all that you think, say, and do.
Christianity shouldn’t be localized, formalized, systematized, and centralized in a building. Obey Jesus wherever you are! Open, heart-felt, Spirit-prompted preaching and sharing are amazing!!! Bring it on!
Even when I’m asleep, I focus my time and attention on Jesus. He comforts me, refreshes me, protects me from torment, and fills my mind and heart with wondrous thoughts. He’s my King and I sleep under His kingdom authority.
The kingdom of God comes where people allow themselves to be Spirit-led and begin to intentionally follow God’s will instead of their own will (or human programs). God’s will, will be done in and through us, when we humbly do it, not when we ignore it or rebel against it. His kingdom comes and is manifest in and through us as we listen to and obey the living Jesus.
God spoke like this: “A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.’” After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into a cloud and disappeared from sight. However, when the Holy Spirit came, Christ’s followers were made aware of His ongoing presence and power. They were overcome by the awe of His living residence within them and of His manifestations among them. As long as they opened their heart to focus on King Jesus, they experienced the supernatural kingdom (government) of God.
Let Jesus be your daily-coordinator and call all the plays in your life. Run His plays not your own. Gather with Christ-followers in order to experience the reality of the risen Jesus together (like the disciples did), not just to hear a message about Him. And when you sleep, sleep in His presence and peace.
If we weren’t fallen and sinful human beings, we would have no need for Jesus’ actual presence. We could get by just hearing a weekly talk about Jesus. We could earn and deserve a ticket to Heaven because of our church attendance. However, that’s not the case. We humans need more than religious words about Jesus. We need King Jesus and His present reality continually working within us and causing our life to daily reflect His glory. That’s the assignment day and night.
I believe in Jesus because I experience His presence throughout the day and night. What a joy life is with Jesus!
Free Gas for Your Think Tank -- Short Reflections, Lasting Encouragement 