Christ In You

How many times a day do you stop and think or remember that the Creator of the Universe, the One who holds ALL things together, the One who tore the vail so we could be near to Him, is actually living inside of YOU. I know I don't stop and think about it nearly enough. Half the time I don't even acknowledge His presence. I think that is absolutely so sad.

Y'all, how differently would we live our lives if we understood the power we have within us. No, not our flesh, but our spirit. I mean truly, Christ rose people from the dead for goodness sake. That is some POWER. And we have that in us? YES, you, dear friend, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, YOU have that power in you. I'm not saying to go raise someone from the dead, but you get the point. We feel so weak at times, so defeated. We feel like we just can't break that addiction, that stronghold, whatever it may be, but I think we forget that in our own strength, no, we will never be free, but with the Spirit, you bet you can be free. It IS for freedom he set us Free!

Christ in me is something that so intrigues me. Have you ever walked away from somebody and truly felt like you've been near God? Have you walked away from somebody and been in awe that you can completely see Christ in them? That it truly radiates from them? I know I have, and I know that I want that.

I want people, complete stranger who are walking down the street to see Christ in me.

I want to be someone that forgives like HE forgives, and that surely LOVES like He loves, but y'all, it's so hard. There is a song, Hosanna by Hillsong that has been my absolute prayer the last few months. The bridge says, "Heal my heart and make it clean, Open up my eyes to the things unseen, Show me how to love like You have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks Yours, Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause, As I walk from earth into eternity."

The only way that I could ever become this is to not only pray, but live like I KNOW Christ is in ME! And ACT like it and pursue it.

Beth said something at the conference that has stuck with me. She said, "Our anointing will never go higher than our intimacy with God." Wow. So true. There are so many times I pray for the Lord to anoint me, but y'all, to be completely honest, my intimacy with God doesn't prove to me or Him that I actually deserve the anointing. My intimacy with God is so lacking, in so many ways.

My first Beth Moore bible study was Living Beyond Yourself. I was 18 and a freshman in college, and finally decided to go with my mom to see what this Tuesday thing was all about. And boy did I fall in love. Not only did I fall more in love with Jesus. But I couldn't get enough of Beth. Not only did she crack me up, but you could see how much she loved Jesus, and I wanted that. I mean, the girl totally intrigued me. I think for 10 weeks I talked about nothing else but bible study. I am sure my friends and family got annoyed. The next semester we did When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, and yet again, I was totally smitten. At that point, I just wanted to know Beth. I wanted to hug her. I just wanted to talk to her and tell her that those bible studies were the first I had ever actually completed my whole life and that I wanted to pursue Jesus on my own because of her. This is when I put her on a pedestal. And she didn't come off of it for about a year. In my eyes, Beth was perfect, she had it all together and I wanted that. I wanted to be "just like her!"

Soon after, I felt very convicted about that. One night we were at bible study and Beth said something she totally regretted, and all night she kept apologizing to us about this one statement.

I got in the car that night and told my mom she was human. She makes mistakes, too. I am sure she thought I was crazy, because yes, Beth is indeed human. And yes, Beth makes mistakes. I mean, hello, if not she wouldn't be here anymore.

That was the night I also took her off the pedestal, and put the right person on the pedestal. That person, you wonder? Oh yes, Jesus Christ!

I realized that it's not that I want to be like her, but I want to be like Jesus.

You see, when Beth is teaching, IT IS NOT HER! It is totally the spirit in her. I constantly have to remind myself of that. I mean, I still want to give credit where credit is due. Beth is an amazing woman, and a "spiritual giant" as Melissa put it. Beth is so very humble, anointed, obedient, learned, wise and tons of other things. Yes, yes she is. But y'all, she KNOWS what's she's got inside of her. I mean, home girl is blessed because she studies her socks off. (I don't know, maybe she keeps her socks on!) Her anointing is huge because her intimacy with God is huge and it is so evident. She is still, and I think always will be, my favorite teacher.

It was good for me to go to school and here some other amazing teachers, and learn more about myself and grow more in love with Jesus than ever. It was good for me, because I know that anyone can have a love for Jesus that Beth has, or Afshin has, or Bert has or Walt had, or whoever your favorite teacher has. I see these people and learn from them, that they got this way because they spent time in the Word, they pursued and intimate relationship with Jesus, and in return, HE blessed that. I know the same can happen for me. Not the teaching part, but the love part.

Y'all, we can have a love and passion for Jesus that these fabulous teachers have. We absolutely can. But it is absolutely up to us how much relationship we want to have. Our anointing, our love, will never go higher than our intimacy with Him. I know this is nothing new to any of us, just something I have to remind myself of.

That's when I can be thankful for these amazing teachers, and thankful that the Lord let me learn under them. That's why I am so thankful for this bible study opportunity this semester. I get to learn how to study God's word better and I could not be more thrilled.

I am so ready for my intimacy with God to grow in leaps and bounds, and I pray that you have the same passion and desire.

Let's be people that other people see Christ in. I want them to notice something different about us. I want to love like He loves. Forgive like He forgives. Pray like He prays. I want to constantly be living by the spirit and not the flesh because my flesh, without a doubt, will always fail me. I don't want to gratify desires of the flesh, but rather gratify desires of the spirit.

Oh, that we would be confident of the Lord's presence. (Thank you, Quest Study Bible)

Friends, you have the power of the Holy Spirit in you. Now let's start livin' like it!

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 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. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." Colossians 1: 24-27

Love you people like crazy and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Lindsee