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It's not about us.
It's all about Him.

Richness in Christ

Words That Burn in My Heart

My Response to Jesus' Call to Intimacy

My responses to Jesus' call to intimacy and richness is, above all else...

Worship. Pure and simple worship. No other words or descriptions even come close. The following are some of my personal experiences and expressions of worship:

Awe. Total, complete, unexplainable awe. Over-whelming humility and awe that he considers me worthy of intimacy with him. I am not worthy, but he is. And that's the difference.

Surrender. Total and complete surrender. Whatever, wherever, however, whenever. I seek to walk in the light as he is in the light. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Worship is now a lifestyle. I worship in spirit and in truth. Worship is no longer a matter of rituals, moments, places or days. Just a lifestyle.

Life and relationships are "Jesus responses" rather than right or wrong responses. His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and his ways higher than my ways.

Sabbath rest is now a relationship rather than a day. Jesus is my Sabbath, and I rest in him.

Jesus no longer knocks to come in; he is always in. Sometimes in jubilant celebration, sometimes in peaceful, quiet solitude. Even when tears, trials and heartaches are present, Jesus always dwells within.

Because I am in him and he in me fruit is always in process and appropriate to the seasons. Sometimes the seed is being processed and waiting (winter), sometimes being planted (spring), sometimes being cultivated and nurtured (summer), and ultimately being harvested (fall). He, not I, sets the seasons. I simply honor the seasons, and in that I find great richness and peace.

I now live as a person who is completely free. The Son has set me free so I am free indeed. I rest in the knowledge, intimacy, assurance and freedom of who I am and whose I am.

I totally and completely trust him for in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

No longer do I ask why. He has assured me that all things work together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. I surrender to that. His purpose is to mold my character to his character so that through me others see Jesus, know Jesus, become mature and complete in Jesus so that they may be presented to the Father perfect in their relationship to Jesus. And Jesus knows exactly what to allow into my life for all of this to happen.

I am lovingly aware and appreciative of a debt I cannot pay, and I have learned to give up things not worth having in order to gain things I cannot lose.

As the Spirit leads, I frequently pray a prayer of surrender, taught to me by a dear friend who lives every moment in richness with Christ: "Lord Jesus, I know that my body is the temple of your Holy Spirit and so I give you permission to move around in me today any way you choose. Work through my mind, see through my eyes, hear through my ears, speak through my lips. Love through my heart, embrace through my arms, serve through my hands. Go with my feet. Supervise and control my thoughts, feelings, actions and attitudes in ways that give you and the Father the maximum glory. In your name I pray. Amen."

In summary, living in intimacy with Jesus Christ means that more and more when I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees in awe and surrender and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give me mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in my heart as I trust in him, and that my roots will go down deep into the soil of God the Father's marvelous love. I pray for the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. Intimacy with Jesus results in my longing more and more to experience the unlimited love of Christ, though it is so great I will never fully understand it. And I long to be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God, for I know that by his mighty power at work within me, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than I would ever dare to ask or in any way hope on my own. And I pray that God the Father and Jesus the Son be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

Intimacy with Christ Jesus begins with an invitation from Christ Jesus, and these are my responses to him as more and more he molds my character to his character in order that I and others may become mature and complete in him, and live in richness with him.

Worship. Everything begins and ends in worship.