Category Archives: My Life

My Life

My Heart, God’s Home (Part Six)

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The Laundry Room (Wash-house)……

                                                                    I was a bit reluctant to take my Guest2017-04-23 15.42.10 into the laundry room. But He insisted. “I need to see ALL your house, if I’m to stay with you” He said as we went down the passage. “You know I will never leave you nor forsake you, and I want you to willingly show Me each room in your house!”

   He must have sensed my reluctance. As we opened the door it was as bad as I had feared. The damp clothes that I had been meaning to wash last week made a horrid stench as we went in.

“ I meant to do the washing but somehow there were other things to do”, I muttered shamefacedly, “Things like going to Bible Study and church services”, hoping to make it sound a bit better.

“Those things are good things, but we are not to leave the other things undone”, He said, “I have given you twenty-four hours each day to make use of. See that you use them wisely. You don’t really need ten hours of sleep you know! Just get up earlier in the morning….I’m always waiting for you to come and see Me, no matter how early it is!”

    He knew me only too well. “Oh Lord!”, I cried, “You know all my weaknesses and failings, there is nothing I can hide from You! Search my heart and show me where I’m at, and lead me to do better!”

    I realise now that He knows me through and through,  and there is no point in trying to hide things from Him . “O Lord”, I cried, “Help me to make better use of my time! Help me to organize things better and to not keep putting things off that need doing!”

 

 

 

 

 

My Life

God’s Home, My Heart (Part Five)

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                                          The Bathroom 

“This is the bathroom”, I said proudly as I took My Guest in. 2017-04-23 15.41.07Surely there wouldn’t  be anything wrong in here! This was the room where there was fresh running water at all times. I never spent much time in this room, as I just did the necessary things like a quick shower.

“Ah, yes,” He said, “The place where all the impurities are washed away!”

I began to squirm a little. His eyes seemed to pierce through to the very innermost parts of my being. It was almost as though He knew how little time I really spent there!  He walked in to where the shower cubicle was. I glanced down at the base of the shower, and hoped He wouldn’t notice the beginnings of the algae settling in the corners. I hadn’t had time to give it a good scrub for some time.

But alas, His glance followed mine and His piercing eyes took it all in…the grime and the scum that was accumulating through neglect.

“My blood cleanses from ALL sin”, He said meditatively, “You just have to confess it to Me. That is why I died“,  He continued, “To pay the penalty of your sins”.

“Oh Lord”, I cried, “I DO believe it! Help me to keep this room in my heart cleaner by daily confession. I promise to get into all the corners with the brush and get rid of everything that grows into sin!”

He smiled at me, and said, “My child, this is why I came to earth and died for you. My Father was in the work with Me you know, I and My Father are One”.

What comfort that gave me!

 

My Life

My Heart, God’s Home Part Four

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FamilyThe Dining Room

From there I took my Guest into the dining room. the room of appetites and desires. I spent a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy my wants. I was sure that Jesus would find plenty here to entice Him.

I said to Him, “This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve.’

He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, “What is on the menu for dinner?” “Well,” I said, “my favorite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes.” These were the things I liked – secular fare.

When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He did not eat it. I said to Him, “Master, don’t You care for this food? What is the trouble?”

He answered, “I have food to eat that you do not know of…..if you want food that really satisfies you, do the will of the Father. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction. Seek to please Him. That food will satisfy you.”

There at the table He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God’s will. What flavour! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies. I can’t start or finish a day without it.

My Life

My Heart, God’s Home (Part 3)

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WPCThe Study…….The first room was the study (the library). This room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house….what we think about is what we become!

Christ entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable. Strangely, I hadn’t felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed. Some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a few magazines that a Christian had no business reading. As for the pictures on the walls – the imaginations and thoughts of the mind – some of these were shameful.

Red-faced, I turned to Him and said, “Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over. Will You help me make it what it ought to be?”

“Certainly!” He said. “I’m glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day and night. Get some biographies of godly men and women and read how I was able to work through them. As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but I have something that will help.”

 He gave me a full-size portrait of Himself. “Hang this centrally on the wall of your mind.”

I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself,  His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He has helped me to bring my thoughts under His control. As I remember that it was His blood that cleanses me from all sin, so these unclean thoughts disappear.

My Life

My Heart, God’s Home, Part two

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The Living Room……

Livinig RoomFrom the front door, we walked into the living room. This room was cosy and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, comfortable chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He said, “This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together”

Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship.

He promised, “I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together.”

So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case, We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times.

However, little by little, this time began to be shortened. I had too much to do. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus.

I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open.

Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sifting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself,  “He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as my Saviour and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him.”

I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in, With downcast glance, I said, “Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?”

“Yes,” He said, “I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost, I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine,”

The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.

 

Adult Testimonies, My Life

My Heart, God’s Home ….Part One

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     The original text was by Robert Boyd Munger, but it has been added   to and is hopefully helpful and thought provoking…. we will be going through room by room in the next few weeks and see what we can learn from this parable!

Foreword

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  (John 14:23, NIV)

    HeartOne evening I opened the door of my heart to Jesus Christ. What an entrance He made! It was a very real experience, and the weight of my sin rolled off my shoulders as He came in. Something had happened at the very centre of my life.   He had been knocking on the door of my heart for some time, and I had been deliberately resisting His knock. How thankful I am that He persisted and kept knocking!

    He kept saying, “Look I’m knocking on your door! if any  one hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20)

   He took my load from me, and as He came into the darkness of my heart, He turned on the light; He built a fire on the hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. In the joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ, “Lord, I want this heart of mine, this house of mine,  to be Yours. I  want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I  have belongs to You”.

     I was never more sure of anything else in my young life and I have never doubted that He came in  then to stay. I have never regretted that decision and I never will.

  It proved to be many years before I was willing to let Him be truly Master and Lord of everything in my house! But at the beginning I couldn’t wait to show Him around!